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Letters to the Editor

No reason to alter APS policy that works

Thank you, Alpena School Board members Anna Meinhardt and Sarah Fritz and Superintendent Dave Rabbideau, for your comments on the proposal presented by Eric Lawson at the most recent board workshop meeting. The proposal was to alter the present school policy regarding the use of instructional materials. Your comments exposed the weaknesses in the proposal and clearly supported the advantages of the current policy. If the proposed policy changes were made, three people (a majority of the school board) would decide what materials would be used in all our schools. The only reason given for ...

Bring back tree planting programs in Alpena

On a recent drive down 9th Street, I noticed city maintenance vehicles had the street closed off for tree removal. Upon observing, the crew had removed six large Silver Maple trees. These trees were like senior citizens, their massive crowns, shading and providing shelter for all residents, two and four-legged, for 80 to 100 years. How appalling, will the trees be replaced with new plantings of an undesirable “street tree,” one that will be neglected and never see side branch pruning. I realize this species is not a desirable species as the roots are intrusive to sidewalks, curbs, ...

An America of privilege financed by poverty

Veterans and V.A. employees. Fisheries and Wildlife biologists. National parks workers. Firefighters. Middle-class federal employees who guarantee that Social Security checks go out on time and that rural hospitals and clinics receive the Medicare payments that keep their doors open. All of these are victims of America’s True Deep State’s takeover of the United States government. Not the imagined Deep State of middle-class bureaucrats but that of the upper one percent of the monied class. Elon Musk’s bouncing around on stage brandishing a chainsaw symbolizes more that a thinning ...

Keep Michigan DOE tax dollars in Michigan

The Wednesday, March 12, edition of the Alpena News contained a commentary column “Protect Schools From Cuts” authored by Alexandra Stamm of the Michigan League for Public Policy. Ms. Stamm was complaining about the expected funding cuts to the budget of the federal Department of Education (DOE) and what she expected the impacts to Michigan from those cuts. She reports the DOE has two main roles impacting Michigan public schools. The first is providing grants which amount to about $2.3B to Michigan. The second role according to Stamm is funding for students with disabilities, ...

Congress must reject plans to dismantle DOE

The U.S. Congress must reject President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s plans to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and undermine the foundation of public education in this country. We have witnessed countless attacks on public education at the hands of this president and his administration since he took office. In this most recent attack, nearly 50% of Department of Education employees were unjustly fired in the name of government efficiency. With the significant reduction in staff, the Trump administration has effectively shuttered the agency and gutted its ability to support ...

Pink-slipping Congressman Jack Bergman

If President Musk and his DOGE team really want to root out waste, fraud and abuse within the Federal Government, I suggest they start by pink-slipping Congressman Jack Bergman and staff. Aside from not having held a constituent town hall for over eight years, they’ve delivered little to Northern Michigan. Agencies and services critical to our safety and welfare are being axed. Meanwhile, Bergman blindly defends the carnage left in the path of DOGE cuts. Alpena and the surrounding area depend on local VA programs, an accessible Social Security office, a reliable and secure postal ...