Your Opinions

Posted: July 6, 2008

ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY

Closing would be a worthwhile challenge

The July 2 editorial seeking to "start the debate" on closing the St. Lawrence Seaway to protect the Great Lakes from invasive species was certainly provocative ("Close the seaway"). It would take cooperation across many economic sectors to make up for the lost revenue to the Midwest, yet it might be the answer to saving the water that paves its way.

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According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 1,655 water bodies in Wisconsin have aquatic invasives. Many Wisconsin industries are affected by invasives, including tourism, commercial and sport fishing, forestry and even power companies. Great Lakes sport and commercial fishing, valued at almost

$4.5 billion, is at risk as invasives throw off the gentle balance that sustains a healthy fishery. And as the editorial points out, the

$300 million per year lost due to invasives in the Great Lakes far outweighs the $55 million per year gained in transportation savings. Economically, there is reason to close the seaway.

There are many powerful industries that would be directly affected were the seaway closed. It is a difficult proposition for politicians and local leaders to support. Yet this debate needs to take place to spark real action.

Kendra Wochos
Paralegal, Midwest
Environmental Advocates
Madison

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Stop invasive species

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's two-part special report about invasive species in the Great Lakes was accurate, pointed and compelling journalism. Reporter Dan Egan not only understands this issue completely but also has placed the scourge of invasive species in real, human terms.

The bi-national Great Lakes Fishery Commission views invasive species as one of the biggest economic and environmental threats to the people of the Great Lakes region. To date, as Mr. Egan points out, government action has been slow to non-existent. Meanwhile, the lakes continue to be bombarded with new invaders, and citizens, like those profiled in the special report, are left holding the bag. The U.S. and Canadian governments need to act by passing legislation to address ballast water discharges and to stop the trade of harmful live organisms. Mr. Egan's report is persuasive. It should be mandatory reading for decision-makers who can make a difference.

Michael J. Hansen
Chairman, Great Lakes Fishery
Commission; Professor, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Ann Arbor, Mich.

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Keep lakes healthy

I agree with the June 2 editorial "Close the seaway." Close it and work to improve the quality of our Great Lakes. Our beautiful natural resource should not be neglected further.

Karen Oleski
Port Washington

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ECONOMY

Debt is frightening

The June 30 article "National debt makes U.S. vulnerable, experts say" should have a warning to senior citizens: Reading this may be dangerous to your health. I could not finish reading it. My blood pressure leaped. While I was aware of most of the facts, I have not seen them all together in the same article and have been telling myself all of this cannot be true. Our witless leadership is destroying this country, and we appear helpless to do anything about it.

I hate to leave this world in such a mess, but I know that Rome, Spain, England and France all had their chance to create a better world and failed, too. How many mistakes can one administration make?

Thos. A. Knapp
Glendale

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U.S. national debt deserves attention

Bravo for the front-page article last week on the relevance of the national debt!

Americans scream about taxes, but each household spends thousands per year on our exploding debt - and much of this money goes to Chinese banks.

Tax cuts for the rich are popular, but there's a cost when the budget doesn't balance. And our current president has jeopardized our future by turning the surpluses of the last decade into today's deficits.

Matt Byrnes
Milwaukee

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SCHOOLS

What is fairness?

In response to the July 1 editorial question "Is the standard fair?" I must ask, should "fair" really be the standard? Is it fair that in Milwaukee Public Schools, one out of five students has special educational needs? Is it fair that classes like English, science and math have been sacrificed to pay the salaries of an ever-increasing number of special education teachers and support staff? (Bradley Tech is a good place to look for evidence of that.)

Is it fair that schools like Rufus King, Milwaukee High School of the Arts and Riverside have to include test scores of special needs kids with the general school population? Such a policy unfairly lowers achievement outcomes for schools with high percentages of special needs kids.

All schools, but especially high-achieving specialty schools, know very well what the "fair" district policy of providing equal funding for each child has done to eviscerate their successful programs.

As a parent of five daughters who attend or attended MPS schools, I believe "fair" is not a successful strategy. It is a feel-good copout. It's time for the one-size-fits-all mentality to end. It serves few MPS families and students, regardless of their abilities.

Mary Jo Glaspey
Milwaukee