Tenney shelter plans questioned

Regarding plans to rebuild the Tenney Park shelter, I'm missing something. To me the shelter does not look dilapidated. I have no personal experience, but I doubt whether the shelter is crowded on more than a few winter days.

No meeting places in the area? Do Christ Presbyterian Church and Lapham School never provide space? What about a chance for a room at Central Park -- they seem to have proposals for every other "amenity?"

If the shelter "doesn't have good views of the park," step outside. How can we afford shelters with lovely views, but cover the windows of bus riders? If the need is to provide a new playground and grilling area, a new shelter is irrelevant to that.

I suppose we should be grateful to the folks who will foot half the cost. It could be worse. But if the city didn't plan to replace the present shelter for at least 10 years, then let's at least keep to that timetable. Go slow on the "amenities," because we know that the "realities" this city faces will cost more year after year.

-- Chuck Litweiler, Madison

The United States needs an overhaul of the election process. We pride ourselves on being a democratic country, and we are quick to criticize other countries that manipulate their election results.

Yet when we vote in the primaries, it doesn't mean much because delegates will elect who goes on the ballot. If the party doesn't like the way it is going, they have superdelegates who can vote the way the party wants. And when we vote in the November elections, our votes don't really count as the Electoral College elects the president.

I propose we have a sub-primary election around March 1 to narrow the candidates to two from each party. Then a primary election should be held around June 1 to choose each party's candidate. The presidential election would be in November.

All elections would be by popular vote and the polls should be open at the same time everywhere. The media should be barred from reporting any results until the polls are closed, and should be required to keep a distance of at least 500 feet from any polling place.

If you agree, contact your representatives. Remember, there are nearly 30,000 registered lobbyists in Washington with pockets full of money who contact them daily. Remind your representatives that you have a vote.

Sen. Herb Kohl has legislation proposed that would move the election from Tuesday to Saturday and Sunday. Tell him you want more than just a change of days.

-- Ralph Jacobsen, Wisconsin Dells

Political garbage is cause of voter apathy

U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., wants to let people vote on Saturday and Sunday so it's easier to find the time.

But the real problem is apathy caused by an over-exposure to political garbage.

Granted, freedom of speech is the cornerstone of our society. But you still cannot yell fire in a theater. It is time to control the orgasmic spending of money by politicians. Set a date six months before any election to any political office. Let's allow the Supreme Court to decide if that is against freedom of speech.

After all, we patterned our government after England's. They can hold an election in the blink of an eye compared to us. What happened?

Someone is making money, America is bored by it and not voting. Today's political garbage is like yelling fire in a theater.

-- Roland C Beiswanger, Madison

Smoke ban impacts private owner rights

The problem with enacting legislation restricting smoking in public and private establishments is that the rights of all are impacted.

I can rationalize that government may regulate smoking where the public has no choice of entry or where the establishment is publicly owned.

However, if the site is privately owned, like a restaurant or tavern, the presence or absence of smoking should be the prerogative of the owner. If this were the case and the proprietor was required to choose and post a notice at the entrance as to whether or not the business allows smoking, then its the choice of the customer to enter or not. It is also the choice of the persons seeking work to choose which atmosphere to work in.

I am a nonsmoker and smoke irritates my eyes and nose. It is, however, my choice where those eyes and that nose go.

-- Richard H. Pelkey, Madison

Wolves, turkeys are urbanization victims

Two articles brought chills in Sunday's State Journal: One regarding wolf overpopulation in northern Wisconsin; the other the unruly turkeys on Madison's West Side.

I knew when the wolf was taken off the endangered list last year, it was just a matter of time until a proposal would be made to hunt them. I didn't expect it to be so soon.

The turkeys have been acting this way for some time now, and nothing has been done to them.

Both the turkey and the wolf are victims of our growing cities and disappearing rural areas. I still remember when the West Side was made up of rolling nature landscapes, as was rural northern Wisconsin. Now we have cement parking lots, shopping centers and highways going through these areas.

Why not just relocate both the turkeys and the wolves instead of wanting to shoot them. It isn't rocket science.

-- Sandi Russell, Madison

Limited wolf hunt would probably work

For whatever reason, at one point wolves came to the brink of extinction in Wisconsin. Management, we're told, now has the wolf population in Wisconsin at 500 to 600. That doesn't sound like many when considering 100,000-plus deer are taken during the deer bow- and gun-hunting seasons.

It's been noted that the wolf problems seem improved now that farmers have been given permission to deal with rogue wolves. The issue of the couple who lost their cocker spaniel goes to responsibility. That's a different scenario.

The issue I have with a wolf hunt is, unless some restraints are put in place, "hunters" will be in the field with all-terrain vehicles, sophisticated spotting scopes, state-of-the-art communications equipment, predator calls and such to better their odds at getting a wolf. Without mechanical hunt limitations and a lottery system, the wolf population will once again be in trouble.

Common sense by the Department of Natural Resources is needed, something that can be hard to come by. Recall the bear in Middleton fiasco of a few years ago when they observed a bear moving for many miles. It could have been treed by hounds and shot with a tranquilizer to spare its life. Instead they watched it wander into Middleton and killed it.

The DNR should think it through and come up with a fair chase format coupled with a limited lottery. I'd be OK with it and most people would.

-- Jim Graves, Albany