As a Madisonian who recently voted from Pisa, Italy, where I am settled for a few months, I've learned that the Italians are delightful people but are cynical regarding their government. Here there is rampant corruption and governmental secrecy, and the Italians are frustrated at not having problems solved.

Voters in the United States are much more cynical than they were a decade or two ago. If we do not insist on transparent government and less decision-making for sale, we could follow the Italians down an unhappy road.

Sen. Barack Obama offers more transparency and was the overwhelming choice of Madisonians. Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, in supporting Sen. Hillary Clinton, may negate the popular vote of tens of thousands. Press Baldwin to use her superdelegate status to reflect the will of her constituents.

-- Robert Turner, Madison

The Wisconsin State Journal's recent editorial endorsement of ethanol neglected to take several factors into account.

The belief that ethanol is significantly better for our environment is false. The production of ethanol requires vast amounts of fossil fuels to manufacture fertilizers, run tractors, transport corn to processing plants and operate the plants. And ethanol is too corrosive for transportation in pipelines; diesel trucks must be employed.

This, plus increased water and pesticide use, negate ethanol's environmental benefits. Furthermore, research from Stanford University found ethanol-based fuels polluted the air worse than gasoline.

Regarding energy independence, studies have confirmed that even if all corn was redirected to ethanol, only 12 percent of gasoline consumption would be met.

Ethanol is also the culprit behind runaway food prices. The diversion of corn from food to fuel had caused the cost of food to explode in the last two years, with no foreseeable end. Exorbitant prices have caused food crises and uprisings in other countries. In America, businesses related to soft commodities are firing workers to balance costs and already stretched consumers must shell out more on food.

Fortunately, we can end this by terminating ethanol subsidies.

-- Wesley Grunke, Madison

Find other solutions besides ethanol

Your editorial on ethanol as the solution to the nation's energy problems paints a wonderful picture, but does not tell part of the story. The part the promoters and pitchmen miss is that biofuels will not solve the nation's fuel problems.

My mileage with both ethanol blend and gasoline shows the blend gets significantly fewer miles per gallon, enough to negate any reported benefit. Further study needs to be done.

Other facts about using corn for ethanol are more important. First, as more acres of corn are planted, we use ground water reserves to irrigate in areas that would normally not be used for crops, thus depleting ground water aquifers.

Second, millions of gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel are used for corn planting and harvesting, and even more to transport it to the conversion plants. We then use more energy to convert it to ethanol.

Even if we meet the levels mandated by the government in the Energy Independence and Security Act, it would hardly achieve "energy independence." The mandate would only replace 13 percent of our current gas consumption and less than 2 percent of diesel, but would require almost 100 million acres of corn production with nearly half going to ethanol production.

We must find ways to reduce our spending on imported oil, but we can't afford to listen to politicians, who only want to say what they think we want to hear, and agribusiness promoters, who are looking to fatten their pocketbooks in the short term.

-- Jim Schiffner, Oregon

War costs will bankrupt America

Regarding the presidential election, consider the candidates' stances on the war in Iraq. I recently heard it said that the downfall of a country does not come from what others do, but rather what it does to itself.

That said, if we stay in Iraq at the current level and cost, it may or may not provide better security, but it will ruin our country financially.

Osama bin Laden himself said he intended to bring down America, not by force, but by bankruptcy -- and we are falling right into his trap. America used this concept to help bankrupt the Soviet Union when they were fighting in Afghanistan and against bin Laden, and it worked.

Current war costs range up to $12 billion per month, and our national deficit has exploded to over $9 trillion. Even Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., has indicated he may not support John McCain because of his stance on Iraq.

-- Jeff Winchell, Janesville

CEO rewarded while stockholders lose

I wonder if anyone else is as furious as I am at Friday's report about the outrageous compensation package of Bill Harvey, Alliant Energy chair,man, president and CEO for 2007.

The total package was valued at $8.4 million, a 66 percent increase over his $5 million in compensation in 2006. Wow, he must have done a terrific job.

The day before this announcement, our household received a postcard announcing in miniscule print that Alliant Energy has filed a request for electric rate increase. One needs a magnifying glass to read the mumble jumble.

We've invested a few dollars in an IRA with Alliant Energy to provide some retirement income, but we haven't been the beneficiaries of a 66 percent increase this year or any other. In fact, our last statement showed a 10 percent loss for the first three months.

The board of directors of Alliant Energy should be ashamed of their action to approve such greedy, self-serving largess to someone who hasn't been very successful in tending the store to the benefit of stockholders or customers.

-- Dorothy Richards, Lodi

State leaders ignore infrastructure needs

I agree with Friday's guest column by Pat Goss of the Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association, titled: "April Fool's on us: Fix road funding," but one fact was left out.

The state transportation fund was raided by Gov. Jim Doyle during the last budget, and he used the "Frankenstein" veto to do so.

Taxpayers of this state should not forget that. We are facing serious transportation infrastructure problems mainly because those in power, like the governor and some of his followers in the Legislature, don't really care about providing or maintaining basic services. Safety first should be the motivation of all of our elected leaders.

We as taxpayers need to demand more of our leaders and hold them accountable when they ignore the basics we elected them to provide. When they can't even get that right, I wonder what they are spending all our other tax dollars on.

-- Dave Glomp, Madison

From one extreme to another on illegals

How stupid has this nation become with regard to illegal immigrants?

First there is talk about giving Wisconsin driver's licenses to them. At the same time the government plans to deport a UW-Madison student who has been in America since she was 3 years old.

-- James S. Welch, Sun Prairie