Some educators bar laptops

Thursday's front-page story on laptop computers flies in the face of recent news that some schools, programs and sometimes a whole college are barring use of laptops in classrooms.

Educators find that to overburden learners with mastery of such technology is to engage in a zero-sum game: Most of the basics are reduced (if not cheated outright) by being so crowded out.

The reason teachers bar laptops (and other electronics) in classrooms is because their use distracts from real learning, pure and simple. Not only do learners get less real basic education, their teachers get less, too.

-- Margaret Vaughan, Lodi

Saturday's article on the problems with the city budget and potential cuts that may be required made no mention of the impact on the bottom line of the labor contract and non-represented employee wage increases.

What percent of the budget increase is due to the wage increases, either under contract or estimated in future wage negotiations?

Although it would not be received with favor, it would behoove the city to ask for a stay in any wage increases to maintain services and not require layoffs.

-- Richard Pelkey, Madison

Combined police force makes sense

Saturday's piece, "City budget is a bruiser," sounds to me like the old "bait and switch." If there aren't budget cuts, property taxes will have to go up 10.4 percent. Say it isn't so, Mayor Dave -- save our quality of life and keep us safe.

Rest easy. We have the mayor's word not to lay off police officers or firefighters. Now all we need do is make a few cuts and only raise taxes by 4 percent.

It's the same every year. Scare taxpayers with the threat of reducing services, then come to the rescue with what was intended anyway. Instead of the same old song and dance, our elected officials need to show some leadership.

Let me suggest an approach. The communities of Fitchburg, Madison, Maple Bluff, McFarland, Middleton, Monona, Shorewood Hills and Verona make up greater Madison. Each has its own police department, dispatch and hierarchy. Add the State Patrol, the Dane County Sheriff, the UW-Madison Police and the Capitol Police -- that's 12 police forces. Do we really need all the duplication to keep us safe?

Not all city services should be run by a metropolitan agency, but certainly we could consider a metropolitan police department -- not just to save money, but to improve service. Madison is a safe city. It could be made even safer for less with innovative thinking and cooperation.

-- Thomas Miller, Madison

County lakes worth our investment now

On Thursday evening, the Dane County Lakes and Watershed Commission passed a visionary budget proposal that represents the best attempt in years to make a significant difference in the state of the lakes.

Yes, this proposal costs money, but it prudently limits the amount of operational spending in favor of capital investment in lake and watershed improvements that will pay dividends to Dane County residents for years to come.

Among the proposal's features are tangible investments in land acquisition and development rights that will preserve wetlands, reduce flood damage and improve water quality.

The lakes are the defining geographical and recreational feature in the county. We owe it to future generations to make these investments now, while they're still affordable. Kudos to the commission, and I hope County Executive Kathleen Falk and the full Board can find a way to make the commission's budget proposal a reality.

-- Brad Wolbert, Madison

Can't fix 911 center until Norwick is out

Insisting that increased funding for the Dane County 911 center would have happened regardless of the issues around the handling of a call from homicide victim Brittany Zimmermann, Kathleen Falk said "I think our record demonstrates that."

And that says it all. Falk's recommendations reflects either her inability or unwillingness to really fix the 911 center and give the public what it deserves by firing director Joe Norwick.

The latest recommendations only reinforce the lack of leadership that is needed to correct the situation. Falk's and Norwick's failure to listen to the police or the 911 board demonstrates an almost comical example of the "Peter Principal," if it wasn't that people's lives are at stake.

Norwick said, "I'm following what I started last year." Is that another year of putting the public at risk because of his incompetency and lack of understanding of what is needed to bring the 911 center to the level the public deserves?

If only Falk had the fortitude to do what is really needed -- get rid of Norwick and start listening to the people who are actually working at the 911 center.

-- Gary Kriesel, Madison

Downtown homeless summon pity and fear

Two incidents that relate to homelessness in the Downtown area broke my heart.

Returning from a walk at around 3 p.m., I saw two homeless men laying on two benches on the Capitol Square. They were obviously in bad health -- one had his foot wrapped in dirty bandages that were drawing flies.

The second incident, described by my neighbor, also happened on the Capitol Square early in the evening. A homeless young man was savagely beating an elderly man, also homeless. My neighbor called the police and they caught the young man, but the other man was in bad shape.

This same neighbor told me another homeless man approached him recently, asking for money and showing him a hole in his side resulting from some kind of disease.

Is there anything that a person or organization can do to influence local government authorities to do something about the situation of these people?

It's not only bad for the people who have no place to go and no health care available, but also for the neighborhood -- especially the violent incidents. A number of my neighbors have decided to not walk Downtown after dark.

This hurts our community, our Downtown businesses and everybody who works or visits Downtown Madison, and the situation is getting worse.

-- Dory Christensen, Madison