Letter to the editor about the Chippewa Falls Prison

Date: Tue, 25 May 1999 10:06:47 -0600
To: (no_cf_prison list)
From: John Wetzel
Subject: Response to EC Editorial Sent 5-25-99

Dear Sir:

I was very disappointed to read your editorial from 5/24/99. You said the opposition is misguided. Perhaps it has been yourselves and many local officials (county boards) that are misguided. How can you or any local officials endorse a proposal that you haven't even read? Something that was purposefully withheld from everyone for more than 8 months. Where were you when our 3 state representatives promised at a Lafayette Town meeting that there would be hearing in Sept.? Where were you when Sykora told us that these men will waiting to die and over age 70? Then 65? Then 55? Now 50!

Why the name change from geriatric to special needs, which will eventually be just plain medium security! Balow said he has not had much negative feedback until recently. That is because we were asked to wait until we saw the plan in Sept. (this "deal" was made in July with Sykora, Zien and Schafer). Next thing we see is it's almost a done deal over and over by Sykora in press releases and articles. The plan was to not let the people have a say. To get local governments on board and sneak it through with no opposition. Why would Chippewa want a medium security prison when they voted down Supermax?

I was downtown Eau Claire on Saturday and found it to be a virtual ghost town. The only thing open were bars. Why don't you propose revitalizing a dead inner city with a prison? Housing would be handy and resonalbe for families. It could be next to the future arena. Kind of a tourist draw.

The press is supposed to be free and carefully watch what the government is doing. Not promote government misleading.

Since when is 50 years old frail elderly? A 50 year old able bodied inmate geriatric? If these people are so harmless discharge them to their families. Or put in private nursing homes. If towns that have prisons already love them, let them have this one. How many people in Black River work at Jackson? How many outside hires eventually move there? Have you tried to write a check at a Black River business in the last two years? Hard to do.

I lived in a prison town. I saw or heard three escapes (medium security). I saw and heard the family of four whose father was in the prison. They lived next door.

Sykora (why you'd believe anything he says, I can't anymore) cannot override the guards' union and hire Northern Center employees first.

That "good" neighbor that becomes bigger will look really great to incoming visitors as they pass it on the new 29 interchange. Maybe they'll miss the signs that tell one not to pick up people along the road. We can all get rid of our yard lights the prison will light the sky for miles.

Why don't you ask Thompson, Sykora and the rest, "What is Wisconsin doing to help youths avoid the lure of crime". Do you know that Iowa and Colorado both plan future prison needs by the number of 3rd graders who can't read adequately? Is that why CF and EC all too often have close to 30 or more students in classrooms? Why teachers salaries have been frozen for 5+ years? Why school budgets have been frozen for 5+ years? Why the Governor has led the anti-school sentiment through his words and actions for many years? We all know that the best tool we can give our children is an education, what could we do with the "geriatric" funding with schools? Don't schools qualify as economic engines by your definition? Well?

Come on Mr. Mells! Do some research! Read the facts! Ask some hard questions! Work to make our area a better place. Who do you know that vacations in Waupon? I've never met anyone.

John Wetzel
6393 164th St.
Chippewa Falls, WI 54729

John Wetzel
Third Grade Teacher
Bloomer Elementary School
1715 Oak Street
Bloomer, WI 54724
715.568.1042
Fax 715.568.1045


[Chippewa Falls Prison] | [Chippewa Valley]
(You are visitor number since 5/25/1999.)
This page is maintained by Tom Arneberg ( prison@arneberg.com)
(Last modified: $Date: 1999/05/28 13:25:47 $)