This amazing letter to the editor was just posted at Rice Lake Online.
Please read the whole letter. I don't know if and how fair use applies to letters-to-the-editor, so here are some excerpts:
When did the state of Wisconsin agree to become a Tea-Party state? In a blink of an eye, it happened ... when Republicans elected Walker! So as a state, how has Walker's reign changed us?
Well, now as a state, we no longer believe in the strength of our public schools, and instead, we are willing to farm out our education to "for-profit" and voucher schools, even though our public school scores have always ranked high in comparison to other states.
So now, as a state, we no longer believe in environmental protections, and we are willing to turn away from our decades-long conservation programs and beliefs, in favor of business-giveaways of our natural resources and public acceptance of industrial polluters.
So we are now willing to accept a stagnant minimum wage, but we have no problem allowing large corporations to make huge profits in our state without paying their fair share of taxes?
...
So we used to believe in clean politics, but now we seem alright with "pay-to-play" politics where those giving the "mostest gets the mostest" from those in power?
So we used to believe that hard work and education would lead to good jobs, but we have come to believe that cronyism is the quickest path to high-paying jobs.
So we used to believe that our great universities represented the potential of all our citizens, but now our state executive and legislative branches give no service to Wisconsin ideals and the greater good?
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So what ... what happened to the proud, prosperous, progressive state called Wisconsin? We could be just like Minnesota right now, with greater job growth, greater average wages, and greater property values, had we elected a governor who was not the original tea-partier. But alas, instead of looking a lot like Minnesota, we are looking a lot more like Mississippi! What a national laughing stock we are!
Rice Lake, Wisconsin is a small town in the northwest part of the state. One might expect such sentiments to be aired and shared in Madison, Milwaukee, and a few other enclaves. But we
must do more to show that dissatisfaction with Walker is widespread, and has risen rapidly since he unleashed his atrocious proposed state budget. Especially, I would say (based on my own conversations), among those who value primary education, the state university system, conservation and environmental quality, and clean government.
I read today that Walker is now opening his campaign office in New Hampshire. Please share this succinct statement, and help stop Walker in his tracks!
11:28 AM PT: Sorry I have to go to work while on the Rec List. Have at it, and share that letter!