Don't equate homeless, violence

The stigma on the homeless remains great. Madison is known for its welcoming facilities for the homeless. I was one of those a dozen or so years ago. I received much help, for which I'm forever grateful, and got precariously back on my feet.

While I was down and out in Waukegan, Ill., and in Wisconsin, I did not murder anyone, and neither did my cohorts, although across the country we, the homeless, were often enough attacked and murdered, which is hardly publicized.

It is unfortunate when one of the homeless goes berserk under the pressure of victimization and stigma. But, as with issues of race, no one should draw conclusions from this or that incident of any general pattern of violence among the homeless compared to others.

-- Richard Kovac, Stevens Point

I was shocked to read that one argument in Madison Water Utility's request to raise rates 18 percent was because "larger customers (are) putting conservation programs in place that dramatically reduce the amount of water they purchase from the utility," according to Madison Water Board president, Jon Standridge.

It appears that Standridge is implying that if the city's consumers had been more wasteful, the proposed consumer rate hike wouldn't be so high because the utility would have had more revenue.

How can city officials look us in the eyes and ask us to invest in more efficient appliances when the city plans to recover the subsequent lost revenue by charging us more because we are now using less water?

We can all endorse asking the public to pay for infrastructure improvements to guarantee a reliable, safe water source. And it feels good to use less of our natural resources. But that feeling turns to resentment when the monetary reward is taken away and given to hypocrites in government who have been proven inept at developing a business model that accounts for trends in use and climate, among other things.

Unfortunately, it isn't easy for citizens to replace appointed managers of various government departments. About the only recourse is to flush the elected officials who make such poor hires down the drain when their terms are up.

-- Todd Brown, Middleton

Whitewater students deserve our praise

Sometimes it seems like young people are only spotlighted for negative behavior and outcomes. So I was encouraged by the attitude and actions of the students on the UW-Whitewater campus after the recent boiler explosion.

These on-campus students had no heat or hot water for six days. Despite this inconvenience, a majority of them expressed a thankful attitude that no one was hurt in the explosion and that at least they had clean water.

Some also realized that living without clean or hot water is a way of life for some people in this world. One creative student decided to start an effort to raise money to drill wells in India to help provide clean water there.

Thank you, UW-Whitewater students, for helping us all keep things in perspective. We should all remember that during difficult circumstances and those beyond our control, we should be thankful and appreciate the little miracles and see the good that surrounds us each day.

-- Tammy Benoy, Stoughton

Nothing 'green' about antiquated coal

Regarding the proposed coal-fired power plant expansion in Cassville, why would Alliant want to spend $1 billion on antiquated and dirty, coal-burning technology which spews global-warming mercury pollution into our air? I thought we were moving toward "green."

Could it be the bottom line, and effort to make big bucks by acting before new environmental protection laws go into effect? But is it cost effective for the consumers, our health and the environment?

Surely current technology can do better. Wisconsin can do better. I hope the Public Service Commission gives Alliant 's proposal a thumbs down. We need to use less coal, not more.

-- Mary Ann Litwiller, Monona

Consider 'legacy' parks for burials

As a member of the Trust for Natural Legacies, I was delighted by the recent front-page coverage of "environmentally conscious burials."

A "legacy" is a gift to one's descendents. As one who has spent most of his adult life in Madison and on the edge of Fitchburg, I would be happy if my death and the memory of my life would benefit those communities.

I have watched as both Madison and Fitchburg struggle to afford desperately needed parks. It strikes me that one way we could partly finance our parkland would be by dual-purposing them as green cemeteries. Appropriately done, green burial in a park setting would be nearly invisible to park users.

As I traveled though Italy recently, I spent time touring wondrous cathedrals. While doing so, I realized the cathedrals were, in part, tombs and memorials to the people who supported their creation.

I envision parks supported by environmentally conscious burials to be cathedrals of nature that serve as a last resting place and memorial to those who chose to give such a natural legacy.

I would give the equivalent of the cost of a conventional burial plot and more to whichever community has the foresight to establish the opportunity to finally rest in natural legacy parks.

-- Robert L. Alt, Madison

'Life at Conception Act' merits support

Thirty five years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court said regarding Roe v Wade, "We need not resolve the difficult question of when life begins. When those trained in the respective disciplines of medicine, philosophy and theology are unable to arrive at any consensus, the judiciary at this point in the development of man's knowledge is not in a position to speculate as to the answer."

And with this 1973 statement, almost 50 million babies have been aborted. They were wrong. They did need to resolve the question, because millions of children's lives depended on it.

These judges were saying that man's knowledge hadn't yet developed on when life begins. And the difficult part was . . .?

The Court made a key admission: "If this suggestion of personhood is established, the appellant's case, of course, collapses. . ." That makes you wonder about that "if," and did no one even suggest how life begins? Could it be these judges believed that life began when lightening struck a mud puddle?

Working from what the Court itself ruled, pro-life lawmakers now are trying to pass the Life at Conception Act. This act, if passed, would declare unborn children "persons" entitled to legal protection under the 14th Amendment.

Please ask your representatives to pass the Life at Conception Act. Human life by nature is short and uncertain, so let's not let another 35 years go by before "all" have an equal right to it.

-- Sharon Richter, Fennimore

Biofuels offer cleaner air, too

The State Journal story on the high cost of fuel did not mention the high cost of energy dependence and air pollution in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin imports $20 billion worth of fuel yearly, with $12 billion of that leaving the state along with 300,000 jobs. The cost of air pollution on asthma and heart attacks is incalculable.

As we move into the summer air pollution season, the American Lung Association of Wisconsin reminds readers that biofuels make our air cleaner and safer to breath.

There is a clear scientific consensus that vehicles using E-85 or biodiesel emit significantly less air pollution than those using traditional fuels.

Biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel significantly reduce the emissions of soot and particle pollution that have been linked to asthma, heart attacks and strokes. Large parts of Wisconsin may soon be out of federal compliance due to high levels of these pollutants.

U.S. Department of Energy studies show that biodiesel (B100) reduces life cycle carbon dioxide emissions by over 75 percent and ethanol produces 20 percent less carbon dioxide than gasoline.

We can help by using 10 percent ethanol in our cars, biodiesel in our diesel vehicles or E-85 for flex fuel vehicles. For more information on the clean air benefits of biofuels, go to www.cleanairchoice.org.

-- Dona Wininsky, director of public policy and communications, American Lung Association of Wisconsin