Let's think about this for a minute

This is hopefully the first in a series of writings entitled “A Commentary on Life.”

We’ll start out with a letter to the editor responding to an editorial that Mick K. published in the Clark County Press two weeks ago in which he basically called Bill E. (B.E. or B.S.: see "A Tad Bit Off the Wall") out.

I am typing the whole editorial in its entirety so that you will be able to see the true ridiculousness of it:

County Needs Leaders Like Bill E.

Letter to the editor:
Mick, your editorial “comment” in the Press dated January 10th went way beyond what I would call comment or opinion. It was downright revolting. I would expect more from an “educated man.” When you get to a level where you are bashing someone, as you did Bill E., then you have crossed the line and should seriously consider keeping politics out of your editorials. How about your editorials focus on the good things going on within the county, as you often do. Having an opinion about an issue is one thing, but to personally attack someone is another. Mr. E. may only have a 9th grade education, but he probably learned basic math by the 4th grade. When balancing a budget, it’s addition and subtraction. No need for a college degree there! Sometimes “overeducated” people lack common sense. Perhaps we could use a few more “dummies” in high places. Bill has managed a few businesses successfully and has probably little or no personal debt. If Bill can manage his own finances this well, then I’ll trust him with the county budget regardless of his level of education. Concerning Unsmart Growth, it was a bad idea. Not only because Mr. E. thankfully said so, but because the voters said so. Bill owns very little land, so whose property rights was he defending? Yours! I think Bill will gladly take the verbal abuse and personal attacks for the sake of his constituents and Clark County residents in general. Everyone needs a “big brother” watching and confronting the corruption.

For what we as Clark County citizens pay for in taxes, we are not getting much for our money. Look around. Neillsville is not a thriving community. Clark Count is not a thriving county. No jobs, no change, and no hope. Thank God for some of the “uneducated,” however ambitious, people who start all the small businesses that keep us afloat or people with big ideas who employ grass roots efforts to make them a realty sic. The skate park, new legion hall, and friends sic of Bruce Mound all come to mind. Mr. E. may not be telling people what they want to hear, but reality bites sometimes. Unless we get some larger businesses and people drawn to Neillsville and Clark County to help pay the bills, we’ll have to start making cuts because most of us are all taxed out. It’s unfortunate because we have some great employees at the Courthouse. You’re lucky if somebody even answers the phone at Wood County and they are not as helpful as they could be. It would be nice if Clark County was doing as well, that we could afford to keep everyone employed and then some.

Let’s start working towards growth and prosperity instead of settling for a stagnant county that has to pinch every penny to make ends meet and hurt people in the process. We have to start making the county support us instead of us supporting the county. With Mr. E.’s logging experience, perhaps he could help the county earn some money off all the trees they own. I’ve read letters in the paper from people who come from all over to the Wildcat Mound for some of the best mountain biking trails they’ve ever ridden. Why not organize a race to create some revenue? How about beefing up Heritage Days or bringing in events at the fairgrounds like races and concerts? Obviously, we need more jobs and housing as well. We can’t afford to be a retirement town anymore. We’ve got plenty of villages in the county for that. STOP FIGHTING over the problems that result from a lifeless community and START WORKING towards making this a vibrant and friendly place to live, work, and visit. Think bigger and better! More industry, more jobs, more recreation, more shopping, and less controversy. Clark County could be great if people would work together. I would like to encourage, sic you, Mick, to take the first step by not attacking people on a personal level in the paper. Imagine what visitors must think when they open the first page. Here’s something you learned in kindergarten, not college. If you don’t have anything nice to say.......

Sincerely,
Jennifer E.
Neillsville

Whew, that took a while to type. Now to pick that crap apart, I’ll give a quotation from the editorial, and then I’ll give my opinion or a fact that I have stored in my cranium that makes her look like the idiot she is.

“Sincerely,
Jennifer E.”
The entire article is slanted, as she is B.E.’s sister.

“When you get to a level where you are bashing someone, as you did Bill E., then you have crossed the line and should seriously consider keeping politics out of your editorials.”
The majority of the editorials that Mick K. writes are political, and as he reports on the majority of County Board meetings, he is something of an authority on the topic.

“How about your editorials just focus on the good things going on within the coutny, as you often do.”
First off, that right there is just sucky english, ain’t it? Of course there are many instances of less-than-perfect english usage in this blog, but it is not a letter to the editor, published and distributed to people all over the county. Second, people don’t always want to hear about how well a bake sale did. (Actually, they probably never do.) People need to hear some of the crap that goes on, otherwise they will end up as uninformed as miss J.E. herself.

“Mr. E. may only have a 9th grade education, but he probably learned basic math by the 4th grade. When balancing a budget, it’s addition and subtraction. No need for a college degree there!”
My accounting teacher would be absolutely livid if she heard this! No college degree needed to balance a 58 million dollar budget? A 4th grade education will do, will it? I think tomorrow I’ll go ask Mrs. O.’s (my accounting teacher) opinion on this. I tried to ask her what I would need to take acccounting in high school for if I wasn’t going to be an accounting major in college, and she had a little speech all ready for that. No college degree needed... 4th grade math is sufficient. “It’s addition and subtraction.” Obviously miss J.E. you have absolutely no knowledge of accounting WHATSOEVER!

“Sometimes ‘overeducated’ people lack common sense.”
Overeducated people. Hmm. I wonder what she means by that? People who have the ambition to attend college and make a life for themselves? This editorial that J.E. has written almost makes the inverse seem true: that sometimes “undereducated” people lack common sense.

“Bill has managed a few businesses successfully and has probably little or no personal debt.”
“A few businesses,” as in only a couple of them, and the rest he screwed up? More specifics, please. “Probably little or no personal debt,” as in you don’t know for sure if he does or not. So maybe he does, maybe he doesn’t. Hmm, let’s see. I need to fill space and waste time, so I’ll write “maybe my cat coughed up a hair ball in the garage yesterday.”

“Bill owns very little land, so whose property rights was he defending? Yours!”
Hm, that makes a lot of sense. “I don’t own much land, so I will beat the residents of Clark County over the head with editorials stating my opinion on what they should do with their own personal land.” If I correctly understand the jist behind Smart Growth, that's exactly what he was fighting against! And then J.E. thinks that is a reason that B.E. is a good “big brother.” Check the next quotation, I think it is hilarious!

“Everyone needs a ‘big brother’ watching and confronting the corruption.”
Obviously you do not know the connotation of the phrase “big brother” when it refers to the government. This shows the lack of, or a forgetfullness of, your 9th grade education, miss Jenniufer E. A “big brother” is a very bad thing, and a phrase that shouldn’t be used if you are trying to convince people of Billy boy’s good intentions. According to Dictionary.com: “3. the head of a totalitarian regime that keeps its citizens under close surveillance. 4. the aggregate of officials and policy makers of a powerful and pervasive state.” And again from the American Heritage Dictionary: “3a. An omnipresent, seemingly benevolent figure representing the oppressive control over individual lives exerted by an authoritarian government. 3b. A state, organization, or leader regarded in this manner.” So Bill is a “big brother?” Really? Way to argue against yourself. Actually, an “omnipresent, seemingly benevolent figure representing the oppressive control over individual lives” fits Bill E. pretty well

“For what we as Clark County citizens pay for in taxes, we are not getting much for our money.”
What? Really? OK. The abundance of county parks, city parks, the public library, and all the other amenities aren’t enough? Taxes keep getting cut, and you expect there to be more public facilities? 3-1 does not equal 4, it equals 2.

“No jobs, no change, and no hope.”
There will never be change if nobody is willing to change. There will never be hope if nobody is willing to hope. I will implement change by going to college, getting an education, and going into a career field that I enjoy. Jesus Christ gives me hope. If ther are no jobs, no change, and no hope, it is because the individuals of the county make it that way.

“Thank God for some of the ‘uneducated,’ however ambitious, people who start all the small businesses...”
Okay, let’s stop right there. Everyone who starts a small business is uneducated? That is a disgusting untruth. Uneducated? Bah! Who’s undecated here?

“Unless we get some larger businesses and people drawn to Neillsville and Clark County...”
Do you literally mean to say that fat people will make Clark County a better place?

“It’s unfortunate, because we have some great employees at the Courthouse. You’re lucky if somebody even answers the phone at Wood County and they are not as helpful as they could be. It would be nice if Clark County was doing as well, that we could afford to keep everyone employed and then some.”
How does that make sense? “You’re lucky if somebody even answers the phone...it would be nice if Clark County was doing as well.” I do not pretend to posess knowledge on the Wood County budget, but I wonder how good they really are doing if they can’t “answer the phone.” “...that we could afford to keep everyone employed and then some.” Clark County does not employee everyone and then some. Current employees are forced to shoulder more burdens and work longer hours for the same wages (in some cases.) How is this employing “everyone and then some?”

“We have to start making the county support us instead of us supporting the county.”
Why don’t you get off of your lazy bum and support yourself?

“With Mr. E.’s logging experience, perhaps he could help the county earn some money off all the trees they own.”
One of the stupidest sentences in the entire editorial. J.E. makes it sound like the trees are just sitting there, and are in essence wasted potential that someone needs to step in and utilize. That couldn't be further from the truth! Timber sales produce about $1 million annually, and there are trained professionals with college degrees and a great deal of work experience under their belts managing the county forest! “...he could help earn some money off all the trees they own,” whatever lady.

“I’ve read letters in the paper from people who come from all over to the Wildcat Mound for some of the best mountain biking trails they’ve ever ridden.”
Before you publish something in the paper for all to read, at least get your facts straight. There are no mountain biking trails at Wildcat Mound. Levis Mound, on the other hand, has miles and miles of mountainbike singletrack.

“Why not organize a race to create some revenue?”
First, races are held. Second, how much revenue do you anticipate creating? Two dollars? Usually the race organizers are doing well if they break even on an event.

In closing, I would just like to say that this is one of worst editorials I have ever read. The point of view of the author is extremely slanted, the facts are incorrect, and the reasoning is faulty. Lamecore.