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Snow plowing bids and District 299
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To the Editor:
How do people make decisions? I have often wondered this and was pushed over the edge when I discovered the decision of District 299’s school board. Recently they have hired Chris Hartley to handle the snow plowing for this year. I have seen the bids and wonder on what grounds the decision was made, because it wasn’t made on the standards of cost.
Hartley’s bid stated he would charge $55 per yard of sand, $105 per yard of salt, and $75 per yard of sand/salt mix. Schroeder’s Landscaping stated they would charge $10 per 40 lbs. of salt used. They also would charge $150 per time at the high school and $75 per time at the middle school for a sand/salt mix. Meyer’s Lawn Service stated they would charge $10 per yard of sand, $15 per yard of salt, and $25 per yard of sand/salt mix.
Hartley’s prices are more than three times than that of Meyer’s. Hartley’s two yards of sand/salt mix would cost the same as it would for Schroeder to do the whole lot at the Caledonia High School. For that same price, Meyer could spread six loads of sand/salt mix, judging by the sand and salt prices. Hartley was the highest bidder, yet he was the one to receive the position.
I then took the liberty to compare the prices for each bidder’s equipment charge per hour. Hartley charges $100 for his end-loader, $65 for his pickup plow, and $70 for his skid-loader. Schroeder charges $90 for his loader, $75 for his pickup plow, and $75 for his skid-loader. Meyer charges $70 for his end-loader, $60 for his pickup plow, and $65 for his skid-loader.
Let’s put this into a scenario. Say each person used all of their equipment (the end-loader, pickup plow, and the skid-loader) for an hour. This would mean that the cost per hour would be $235 for Hartley, $240 for Schroeder, and $195 for Meyer.
I have shown the price comparison between each bidder and wonder if the school board understands the process of bidding. At an auction, the sale goes to the highest bidder. Therefore the highest bidder must pay for the highest price, which for them would be the lowest price they could purchase an item. In the situation of bidding for a job, the employer would be looking for the best way to save money, which would mean hiring the lowest bidder. With the information I have explained, Hartley is nowhere near the lowest bidder.
I may not be an economist, but I do know that the best way to save money is to purchase the lowest item. The school board has not done this; instead they have purchased the most expensive item on the shelf. In my opinion the school board is misusing the hard-earned money of District 299’s taxpayers.
Michael Meyer
Caledonia, Minn.
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I’m ready for another change
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To the Editor:
Paul Ibisch is one of the most “truthful” men I know. He was a pastor for 28 years, and retired out of concern for his church. As a senator he would be committed to a workable and commonsense plan to dig our state out of its economic mess.
As a “government of the people,” we should all be seeking the “truth.” Paul’s concern for seniors has been fully justified. Look at source of cuts to fund federal healthcare legislation. The recommendation by a government panel regarding mammograms for women gave us a taste of what to expect with cost cutting taking precedence over saving lives.
Paul has been under attack because our senator [Ropes] can’t wiggle her way out of her statement expressing bias, “This generation [Baby Boomers] needs to plan their own future to take care of themselves and not taking care of the elderly at the expense of the youth.”
Seniors are not the only targets. Every city, county and township whose leadership practiced wise management of funds will be targeted for their reserves. To quote the Fillmore County Journal, “The Senator also said that the state will be looking at the reserve monies of cities and counties and helping slow the deficit by utilizing some of those funds.” Her statement has been echoed by other DFL legislators.
It would be great if our senator could assure a cemetery for veterans in our area, but will it be a significant source of good paying jobs? Why not repeal mandates and reduce the excessive corporate tax which is driving industries away. Sounds like even Minnesota based companies would expand job opportunities to other states before Minnesota. Paul Ibisch has been urging action for over two years. The “truth” can sometimes be ugly. I’m ready for another change, what about you?
Doug Baker
Lanesboro, Minn.
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Don’t miss the Holiday Train
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To the Editor:
On Dec. 11 the Canadian Pacific’s Holiday Train will be rolling through the bluffland. Since 1997 the Holiday Train has traveled across seven states and six Canadian provinces, making stops to collect food and raise money for food shelves.
Partnering with Second Harvest Heartland and the Emergency Food Shelf Network, the Holiday Train has raised over $4 million and collected over two million pounds of food over the past 11 years.
The train will be pulling into La Crescent at 2:30 p.m. I invite you to join me when the Holiday Train stops at the Winona Amtrak Station at 5:15 p.m. Fighting hunger and poverty have been strong priorities of mine serving in the Minnesota Senate. I was the chief author of a Second Harvest bill to allow meat donations to food shelves.
This year it’s more important than ever to support our local food shelves. Due to the global economic crisis, these organizations are seeing increased demand and thus having a hard time keeping their shelves stocked.
I’m sure we all know a family that is struggling this holiday season. So join me in reaching out to help. Along with taking action to stop hunger, guests at this event will also have the opportunity to view this spectacular train and enjoy a free musical show.
Visiting the Holiday Train is a wonderful way to kindle the holiday spirit through giving and celebrating as a community. I hope to see you there!
Sharon Erickson Ropes
State Senator
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Writer takes issue with ‘junk science’
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To the Editor:
Last week Mr. David Boone penned a letter to the editor downplaying the effects of CO2 on global climate change and called the science behind it “junk science.” Although Mr. Boone’s letter is hardly worthy of comment since debate concerning the reality of human induced global climate change has resided now that even the most staunch deniers have conceded the point or receded into oblivion, I can’t resist clarifying a few points surrounding his confusion between junk science and real science.
First I’ll admit to this. Mr. Boone is correct in that H2O is 80 percent responsible for the greenhouse effect while CO2 comprises only part of the remaining percentage. As any Southeastern Minnesotan can testify on a humid July day, atmospheric H2O has an enormous potential to store heat, and the Gulf air masses that make their way northward usually bring with them temperatures in the 90s and even 100s. So yes, H2O is a major player in the earth’s climate.
Mr. Boone fails to recognize, however, that global H2O concentrations remain relatively stable thanks to the process of equilibrium between our oceans and atmosphere, while CO2 concentrations continue to increase in the atmosphere and oceans at an exponential rate. This fact has been measured and confirmed by scientists around the globe and many scientists logically point to the burning of fossil fuels, which are major CO2 reservoirs, as to the cause for this increase. CO2 is a necessary component of the atmosphere, but only in moderation many would argue.
Here’s an interesting twist to the whole dilemma. As the earth’s temperature rises due to increased CO2 concentrations, the air is able to hold more moisture (warm air is able to evaporate more water from the earth’s surface). More H2O in the atmosphere, as Mr. Boone would likely agree, could act to further warm the planet and mean even warmer global temperatures. That’s called a positive feedback loop.
Again I agree with Mr. Boone when he says, “If we can’t tell the difference between junk science and serious science, we need to go back to school.” We do not agree, however, on what the junk science is. Mr. Boone selectively choosing the evidence that supposedly supports his position by basing his entire argument on the fact that H2O is 80 percent more responsible for the greenhouse effect than CO2 instead of the concentration changes of each of the two molecules seems like junk science to me.
Finally, Mr. Boone, you insulted the intelligence of our junior high students and their teachers by assuming they are ignorant of the issue, and what’s more, subject mainly to the effects of pure pressure over the benefits of good academic instruction. You might be surprised how much a sixth grader really knows.
Greg Schieber
St. Paul, Minn.
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Commitment to truth is questioned
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To the Editor:
The encouragement to fight for the truth is a fight in which I am already engaged. As a nation with “government of the people,” we should all be engaged in seeking the truth. It is unfortunate that obtaining the truth about healthcare reform has been a struggle. Only a handful of Democratic senators shaped the legislation’s final form. The bill has been published so that we can read it and see the “truth” for ourselves. I believe that my concerns for seniors was justified. We were even given a taste of what to expect from government panels in regard to mammograms for women with cost cutting taking precedence over saving lives.
“Truth” on the state level is also important. Shouldn’t we know our senator’s plan for curbing spending and bringing the state budget under control? My hope was that she was misquoted when she said, “This generation [Baby Boomers] needs to plan their own future to take care of themselves and not taking care of the elderly at the expense of the youth.” The quote was brought to my attention not by a political activist but by someone who was deeply upset by it.
Seniors are not the only targets. Apparently every city, county and township whose leadership practiced wise management will be targeted for their reserves. To quote a news source, “The Senator also said that the state will be looking at the reserve monies of cities and counties and helping slow the deficit by utilizing some of those funds.”
Instead of looking at seniors and the reserves of counties and communities, why aren’t our legislators focused on measures to encourage the growth of private sector jobs in our communities? Why not repeal unnecessary mandates on businesses which inflate consumer costs and reduce the corporate tax which keeps businesses from locating here? Why not consider “zero based” budgeting to reduce the size of our state government? Why can’t we take some commonsense measures to start digging out of this economic mess?
As we pause to give thanks for received blessings, let us resolve to maintain those blessings and safeguard them for future generations.
Paul Ibisch
La Crescent, Minn.
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Thanks to Harguth, ag department receives grant
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To the Editor:
As a cattle person and an educator, I was very pleased to learn that Caledonia Area High School was awarded a $2150 grant for agricultural programs.
CHS teacher Brad Harguth applied for a Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council (MAELC) grant to implement their proposal called “College in the Schools - Animal Science.” Our region has a very strong agriculture economy, so it’s important to support agriculture in the classroom.
With school funding being reduced or delayed and budgets tight these grants go a long way in assisting instructors to bring new and challenging curriculum into the school district and agriculture programs. In the case of the CIS animal science course the four U of M credits keeps the students and their funding in the school district and encourages them to not PSEO. When students PSEO they take district funds with them.
The MAELC funding begins in Senator Sharon Erickson Ropes’ ag committee in St. Paul. She voted to put $500,000 into competitive grants for Minnesota schools. This is a perfect example of great use of taxpayer dollars. Without this extra revenue, many rural students would miss the opportunity to take high quality Agriculture Education classes.
Mr. Harguth and Senator Ropes are both strong voices for kids and agriculture!
Dorothy Pettit
Rushford Village, Minn.
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