Letters to the Editor 3-9-2022
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To the Editor:
Recently, Former Wis. Supreme Court Justice Gableman, again, gave an updated report to the Wisconsin Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections hearing. He talked about the lack of cooperation from Gov. Evers, government officials, WEC (Wisconsin Election Commission) officials, ERIC (Electronic Registration Information Center, which is a private organization) officials and others. Remember when Gov. Evers sent out emails to county clerks telling them to “lawyer up” before talking to Gableman’s officials. In fact the WI Attorney General, Evers and WEC all “lawyered up.” Where is the transparency? If the November 2020 election was fair and honest, why not show us; prove to us that it was?
Gableman also spoke about how WEC broke various Wisconsin election laws; that millions of Zuckerburg dollars was funneled through certain organizations into five major Wisconsin cities and that this money targeted helping one political party over the other.
WEC uses ERIC’s database to determine if residents were voting multiple times, died, moved, is not eligible to vote, etc. However, WEC hasn’t run an ERIC report since before the 2016 election, except for a report in 2020 of eligible voters who weren’t registered. In reality ERIC manages WEC, not the other way around. One example is that WEC claims that they can’t turn over voting machine electronic data because the contract with ERIC won’t allow this. Why does ERIC, a private organization, have access to all the election information? What does it do with that information? There are many things about the 2020 election that needs further investigation.
Gableman proposed that WEC be dismantled, that our legislature explores a legal constitutional way to decertifying the Wisconsin November 2020 election, that officials are held accountable for willfully breaking Wisconsin election laws.
Gableman’s goal is to find the truth. His actions over the years have proven this. Our legislature needs to continue investigating the election and people need to be held accountable for breaking the law.
JoAnn Utphall
Boyceville
Preface: All information in this Letter to the Editor was obtained by the Freedom of Information Act through Open Records Requests. Records were supplied by the following School Districts. Glenwood City, Elk Mound, Mondovi, Spring Valley, Clear Lake, and New Richmond.
This letter is a continuation of our previous Letter to the Editor on February 8th, 2022. We have been putting in record requests to educate ourselves on happenings in our school district. If you read our last letter you know about the $25,000 performance stipend paid out to our District Administrator annually. His most recent payment was on January 25, 2022. Taxpayers also pay an additional percentage of that into the Administrator’s Retirement of 6.5%, an additional $1625.
One item that stood out in the records requests of the Administrator Contracts (Superintendent and Principals) was a 403(b)-contribution made by our School Board each year with our Taxpayer dollars. This is a retirement program above and beyond the required Wisconsin Retirement System Contributions of 6.75% of the Administrator salaries. (the contribution has been changed to 6.5% for the year 2022)
District Administrators
Glenwood City – $30,000/yr., Elk Mound – Employee Funded, Mondovi – Employee Funded up to $1000/yr. match by District, Spring Valley – Employee Funded up to $2000/yr. match by District, Clear Lake – nothing noted, New Richmond – matches $210 per paycheck for a total of $5040 per year.
High School Principals
Glenwood City – $10,000/yr., Elk Mound – Employee Funded, Mondovi – Employee Funded up to $1000/yr. match by District, Spring Valley – Employee Funded up to $2000/yr. match by District, Clear Lake – nothing noted.
Elementary Principals
Glenwood City – $10,000/yr. Elk Mound – Employee Funded, Mondovi – Employee Funded up to $1200/yr. match by District, Spring Valley – Employee Funded up to $2000/yr. match by District, Clear Lake – Nothing noted.
These 403(b) contributions are grossly inflated at our School District in comparison to our surrounding community School Districts.
Amy Dopkins, Nicole Miller
Glenwood City School Board Candidates