​We write letters to the editor of the Peninsula Pulse as well as other publications. We are sharing these with you to provide insight into how we think about local, state and national issues.  Check back often for updated letters.

Supreme Court Case Threatens Voting Rights at Their Core

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   At risk of stating the obvious, something alarming is happening at the U.S. Supreme Court. On  Oct. 15, justices heard a case on re-argument –  Louisiana v. Callais (which was argued before the Justices in March, and they held it over for re-argument without issuing a final ruling). Their forthcoming  decision could upend representative power in America.  
   At its core, Callais addresses the use of protections that give everyone an equal voice, regardless of race. It strikes at the heart of the Voting Rights Act and the constitutional principle of one  person, one vote. Bottom line: When any group’s voice is silenced, everyone’s democracy  becomes less responsive and less fair. 
   It’s also important to note that if the Court uses Callais to narrow the Voting Rights Act, it will  open the doors to extreme gerrymandering and make it harder to challenge racially discriminatory maps. We know all too well, especially in Wisconsin, the dangers of allowing  partisan maps free rein to entrench the power of one party and silence voters who belong to a group deemed inconvenient.  
   We are watching democracy die by a thousand paper cuts. Each ruling, procedural maneuver, and rollback slices away at the guardrails of representative government, nudging the levers of democracy out of reach for many. This latest turn by the Supreme Court isn’t just another paper cut. It’s swinging the proverbial axe and is poised to sever one of democracy’s most vital  arteries: every citizen’s right to fair and equal representation. 
   Citizens of all communities, from the smallest parishes of Louisiana to hamlets that dot the Door  County peninsula, depend on fair representation to ensure their voices are heard. Democracy doesn’t die overnight – it bleeds out when citizens stop paying attention.

Maryanne Giustino O'Dowd published 10/24/2025 with permission from the Peninsula Pulse and the author

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We Can Be Kind and Still Call Out Injustice

Photo by meymo on FreeImages.com

   In his recent Pulse of Philanthropy column in the Peninsula Pulse, Mr. Bret Bicoy appeals to our better nature to “set aside rage” and “open ourselves to hope” and become friends again because we “still have far more in common than what separates us.” I’m all for celebrating our commonalities and seeking the best in one another, but in my opinion, there’s still a huge problem that must be addressed.
   He who holds the highest office in the land ignores what’s true, amplifies what’s false and projects his own worst shortcomings upon those who dare to disagree. He sows hate and fear to create targets and then declares them “enemies from within” to create a pretext for martial law. He admires dictators and murderers while vilifying career servants of the people. His orders circumvent due process and fundamental human rights as he detains, deports and exercises lethal force on land and sea. He’s ordered the military into our cities for no good reasons, just selfish ones. His agents and enablers are equally culpable in these crimes and in the personal harm and death arising from them.
   Immersing ourselves in the breads and circuses of our time does not absolve us from seeing and feeling what’s real and what’s actually going on around us. You can put a Christian spin on it of building on “faith, hope and love,” but it’s the Christian God who provides the ultimate act of empathy by entering their own creation through the human “Jesus” and providing a path to salvation, not just for mankind but for all of creation.
   So, take a page from Jesus’s book and step into the shoes of the other and see the world through their eyes. Know the pain of separation from your family, the alienation for being different, and the persecution for choosing who to be and who to love. Be sure to stand up and speak out about injustice, create discord and by all peaceful means make some “good trouble.” And, yes, you can still shovel your neighbor’s driveway because the two are not incompatible. In fact, they go hand in hand.

John Vincent, published 10/15/2025 with permission from Peninsula Pulse and the author

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Our Democracy Is Being Destroyed

   I feel that every day our democracy is being destroyed by Donald Trump with what I believe are his divisive and unconstitutional executive orders and policies. Unfortunately, there is almost complete silence from our elected congressional Republicans.
   Congressional Republicans have left Congress for what’s now been a two-week “vacation” with the government shutdown. Are they afraid to sit down and work on a compromise to save health care for millions of Americans? Are they so intimidated by Donald Trump that they won’t object to or question the legality of ICE raids?
   Doesn’t it upset them to see young children handcuffed with zip ties and herded into vans?
   Do Republican legislators really think we should declare war on foreign cartels? Do they believe our state National Guard troops should be sent to “Democratic” cities when the mayors, governors, and local law enforcement officials have not asked for them?
   The insulting, vile language and the vindictive and cruel policies coming out of the White House don’t look or sound like the America I know.  I know Americans are better than this.
   It’s hard to know what to do to stop what’s happening to our country. But I do know many Americans want a respectful President who respects truth, the rule of law, and our Constitution. We have the chance to make a difference and to speak out with a huge robust but peaceful outpouring of Americans at the next NO KINGS Marches on this Oct. 18. NO KINGS marches will be happening all over Wisconsin and America. If you’re upset with what’s happening to our country, find a march near you and join us!

Glenna Peters, published 10/17/2025 with permission from the Peninsula Pulse and the author

Door County's Future Starts in Classrooms

   This week I’ve been busy with my three daughters, gearing up for the first day of school – organizing backpacks, trying (and failing) to move bedtime earlier, and buying any remaining supplies (let’s be honest, basically all the supplies).
   But as I check off these small tasks, I keep thinking about the bigger one: the future of our public schools. Across Wisconsin, revenue caps, voucher programs, and shifting state budget priorities are reshaping how schools are funded. The impact won’t just be felt somewhere else – it will be felt right here in Door County. As a mom with three kids at Gibraltar Elementary, I can’t help but wonder: Will our children’s education continue to be prioritized? What will classrooms look like in five years if these trends continue?
   We are lucky to have a strong school where our incredible teachers know our kids by name, and arts and sports aren’t considered “extras.” But luck only goes so far if the state refuses to prioritize education. The window to protect and strengthen our public schools is closing, and waiting until cuts are in place will be too late.
This isn’t just about my kids – or even just Door County. The choices we make now ripple outward, shaping our state and our country. Today’s students are tomorrow’s teachers, doctors, artists, business owners, and neighbors. Strong schools don’t just build strong students – they build strong communities.
   If we care about what’s inside our kids’ backpacks this week, we need to care about what’s inside our state budget, too. It’s urgent for all of us – parents, grandparents, taxpayers, and neighbors – to come together, learn the facts, and understand what’s at stake. 
   On Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 6:30 pm at the Kress Pavilion in Egg Harbor, everyone is invited to Funding Our Future, a free, nonpartisan and nonpolitical forum on the challenges and opportunities of funding public education in our community. I’m looking forward to learning more and hope to see you there!
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Sarah White, published 8/28/2025, with permission from the Peninsula Pulse and the author

I Hear America Crying

While self-proclaimed Christians applaud as the Trump Regime destroys food for millions of children who live overseas, how many will die …
While friends, neighbors, and family members are arrested with no charge by masked ICE squads, given no trial, and shipped, at taxpayer expense, to a foreign country other than their own …
While funds are taken away from FEMA to assist Americans with the loss of their homes, businesses, and family members due to floods, hurricanes, etc., to spend more tax dollars on the military…
While the Republican Big Ugly Bill will put 10 million Americans without health insurance, and as a result, rural hospitals will close and many Americans’ insurance costs will be raised …
While the Republican Big Ugly Bill will cause the elderly in nursing homes, the disabled and children to not receive the Medicaid benefits they need to stay alive …
While the US deficit will climb to give tax credits to the wealthy, burdening our children and grandchildren for the rest of their lives …
While Trump tariffs will make goods and services cost more for all of us, further raising inflation …
When will we, as a country, stop this madness?
When will we be human again so we can stop crying and rejoice about a great country where all people are cared for, valued and free?
Judy Brodd, published 8/1/2025 with permission from the Peninsula Pulse and the author

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Who is Representing Us?

At least we Wisconsinites have one representative in Washington who cares about the hard-working families in Wisconsin. This is U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D). She knows that President Trump’s trade war and kicking hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites off of their health insurance can make life more expensive for many Wisconsin families.
It’s important to note that U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R) and U.S. Representative Tony Wied (R) voted for the Big Beautiful Bill. So far, they have done zero to help families as prices go up and health insurance becomes too expensive. As far as I know, they have expressed no concern for the individuals and families affected by the cuts in the budget they voted for.
This lack of respect and concern for their constituents is appalling. They seem to be completely out of touch with their constituents. Is this a new age of kowtowing to a President who obviously couldn’t care less about ordinary Americans? A new Gallup poll (July 7-21, 2025) shows that Trump’s approval rating for the job he’s doing is at a new low, 37%. No surprise. Most Americans want a country where their President and representatives work for them.
Sen. Baldwin and her colleagues have introduced to Congress a package of common-sense bills that will help lower the costs of some of the biggest expenses in a family’s monthly budgets – housing, child care, and household goods. In this package of bills, there is the First-time Homebuyer Tax Credit Act, the Price Gouging Prevention Act, and the Child Care for Working Families Act.
I’m not talking about right or left here. I’m talking about an elected official’s responsibility to listen to their constituents and then do what’s best for their constituents. It seems that Sen. Johnson and Rep. Wied are working for Donald Trump and not for those who elected them. I’m looking to senators like Tammy Baldwin and her Democratic colleagues to get us out of the chaos and mess we’re in right now. Our economy, our democracy and the well-being of our friends and neighbors depend on them.
Glenna Peters, published 8/1/2025 with permission from the Peninsula Pulse and the author

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A Fox in the Hen House

If you watched the unfolding of the Jan. 6 riots as I did and couldn’t believe what you were seeing, you were probably not only dumbfounded but absolutely irate when U.S. Senator Ron Johnson suggested that the attack on the U.S. Capitol was not an insurrection but a largely “peaceful protest.” Then to add insult to injury, our “beloved” president immediately pardoned the rioters upon taking office. 
Well, hang on to your hat. One of those accused rioters, Jared L. Wise, is now working for the Justice Department. This man who egged rioters on to attack police, saying, “kill ‘em, kill ‘em,” during the Jan. 6 riot at the US Capitol, has been named as an adviser to the Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group, a task force established by Trump. This man is now responsible for the department’s official efforts to exact revenge against those who tried to hold the rioters accountable. 
Just another spoke in Trump’s governance by retribution. Contact your representatives and senators and tell them you don’t want an accused Jan. 6 rioter in our Justice Department.
Carol Ann Osinski

Citizens Request Public Meeting with State Rep. Joel Kitchens on Action to Dismantle U.S. Department of Education

The undersigned citizens request that Rep. Joel Kitchens, who represents District 1 in the Assembly and also chairs the Wisconsin Assembly Committee on Education, hold a public meeting in Sturgeon Bay to address issues related to the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education by President Donald Trump.
For 45 years, the U.S. Department of Education has administered federal funds to public schools. It administers college financial aid and student loans. It also enforces civic rights and manages programs for students with disabilities.
Among the undersigned citizens, we have served on school boards. We have taught and coached in public schools, and we are children of public school teachers. We have relied on student loans. We are related to people who are transgender or LGBTQ. We have children and loved ones with disabilities. We have managed businesses that have benefitted from an educated immigrant workforce. We are proud of our public school education. We are indebted to our teachers. We request that Rep. Kitchens speak on how the State of Wisconsin will uphold its responsibility, per the State Department of Public Instruction, to “advance equitable, transformative and sustainable educational experiences” to all learners in Wisconsin. How will the State of Wisconsin support public schools, teachers and librarians; ensure all students receive quality education, particularly the marginalized; and ensure affordable access to advanced education?
Sam and Sandy Andre
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Kelly Catarozoli
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Lynn Gilchrist
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Laurel and John Hauser
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Beth and Jay Renstrom
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Patsy and Eric Vollrath
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Published March 27, 2025 with permission from the Peninsula Pulse and the author

Women:  Protect Your Right to Vote

​Everyone should know there is a massive voter suppression law passed by the United States House of Representatives: The SAVE Act, HR 8281.
Unless rejected by the Senate, the SAVE Act would mean that everyone whose last name doesn’t match their birth certificate would be barred from registering to vote. The same applies to updating your registration when you move to a new address, even if you’ve always voted.

Women, please note that the Save Act applies to the approximately 69 million women who took their husband’s name upon marriage. Unless you have a passport, or have changed your name in court, you may be caught in a ridiculous bind. Greg Palast, a forensic economist and recipient of the Global Editors Award for Data Journalism, points out that 31 million Americans update their voter registration each year. 

Purging voter rolls by various means seems to be an electoral tactic by the Republican Party over the few past decades, even though electoral fraud is extremely rare in the United States and it is often accidental when it occurs. Palast calculates that voter suppression cost Kamala Harris at least 3,565,000 votes. 

Three ways you can help to protect our right to vote: vote “no” on the Constitutional question in the April 1 Election. We already have a law that requires photo ID for voting, and anyone voting fraudulently is at risk of a felony conviction!   

Second, vote for Judge Susan Crawford to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to safeguard the progress we have made against gerrymandering in Wisconsin. 

Third – learn about the SAVE Act! Watch for it coming to the United States Senate. Spread the word. Be sure to let Senators Ron Johnson 202.224.5323 and Tammy Baldwin 202.224.5653 know how you feel. 

​Karen Wilson, published March 12, 2025 with permission from the Peninsula Pulse and the author

Another Wake Up Call

​I am compelled to address a concerning issue that has recently emerged.  The Carter Presidential Library and Museum has abruptly canceled three book events featuring authors on critical issues such as climate change, homelessness, and the civil rights movement. The justification for this action is that the library now requires approval from Washington for all programming.

​This development raises serious concerns about the erosion of our democratic freedoms. Libraries, which have historically served as bastions of intellectual inquiry and intellectual exchange, should not be compelled to seek approval from the federal government for programming, including those that discuss fundamental principles such as democracy and climate change. This is a chilling precedent that echoes the actions of authoritarian regimes in the past.

We must remain vigilant and aware of these subtle threats to our democracy. It is imperative that we exercise our right to engage in open dialogue and critical thinking without fear of censorship or interference from external forces.

​Carol Ann Osinski, published February 28, 2025 with permission from the Peninsula Pulse and the author

Public Schools Proud

​As a former teacher, school counselor and mother of two current educators, I am “Public Schools Proud” and celebrated Public Schools week Feb. 24-28. Public Schools week is sponsored by the Learning First Alliance, a coalition of 12 national education groups with a membership of more than 10 million. Ninety percent of America’s school children attend public schools.

In this “Year of the Kid,” Wisconsin’s public schools will be compromised by restrictive legislation, inadequate funding, an explosive growth in voucher schools, teacher workforce attrition and the attempt to eliminate the Department of Education. In the 2024-2025 school year, Wisconsin received over $1.1 billion in federal funding, including school meals. DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) is in the process of eliminating the federal Department of Education. How will school districts, fiscally struggling with state funding formulas, stay afloat? Referendums? 
Since January, the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate are scrambling to pass scads of bills (93), and one-fifth are education-related and “unfunded mandates.” Yet, Governor Evers’ proposal for the 2025-26 education budget will be “dead on arrival” in the Republican legislature, focusing on tax relief instead. Tax relief for the “haves,” not for “have not” children. 
While teacher vacancies in Wisconsin are estimated to be 2,500+, Wisconsin Republicans continue to expect schools and educators to do more with less. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction estimates that teacher compensation has “actually decreased by about 20% over the past 12 years, when measured in 2022 dollars,” – probably due to Act 10, which is scheduled to come before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Tax-payer funding for education belongs in public schools, not voucher schools. Wisconsin has had explosive growth in voucher spending with 96% of funding for voucher schools directed toward religious schools. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, vouchers “harm student achievement, lack accountability, invite corruption and waste, fail to protect students with disabilities, promote discrimination and exacerbate segregation.”
For these reasons, vote for incumbent Jill Underly for State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Judge Susan Crawford for State Supreme Court. Brad Schimel and Brittany Kinser are not friends of public schools.

​Sherry Mutchler, published February 28, 2025 with permission from the Peninsula Pulse and the author

Can We End This Conversation?

Judge Susan Crawford for Wisconsin

​Recent political ads for the office of Supreme Court Justice seem to focus on sex crimes in Wisconsin – as if the majority of cases heard before the court will be deciding sex crime cases. In the first place, sex crimes represent a small percentage of the total crime in Wisconsin.  According to current FBI data (2022-23), rape is about 2.5% of all crime, 13% of violent crime. Rape, of course is not the only form of sex crime. If we add all forms of aggravated assault to the numbers, it’s still less than 15% of all crimes committed in Wisconsin. There is no number for aggravated assault cases that have a sexual component. And, although the numbers are meaningless to the victims, they reflect what a jurist might see coming across a docket.  
But, secondly, and most importantly, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, does not try criminal cases. Their rulings have to do with judicial process, government process, and the appropriate application of Wisconsin law at trial. If they decide their docket to achieve outcomes they would like to see for a particular case, they are not doing their job. Currently, on the Supreme Court docket there are 25 cases, only two of which have to do with sex crimes (and those cases address judicial procedure.) 
Can we stop with all the fear-mongering sex crime ads, please?  If Mr. Schimel thinks he will protect Wisconsinites from sexual assault while sitting on the Supreme Court bench, he is fooling himself (or perhaps he is trying to fool us). It is the tactic of large money extremist groups from outside the state to finance such fear-mongering campaigns.  
There are several more important issues for this Court to decide, including fair elections and abortion rights. Don’t be distracted by the “sexy” fear ads. Think about who will best serve the interests of Wisconsin justice. And join me in electing Susan Crawford to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Rev. Mark Richards, published February 28, 2025 with permission from the Peninsula Pulse and the author

Reflections on History and Accountability

photo from Wikipedia

Facts and reality cannot be ignored to support what we choose to believe.

​In 1945, my father was a sergeant in General George S. Patton’s Third Army and was part of the liberation of a German concentration camp. He captured the horror with his own camera. In later years, my hometown newspaper was being confronted with people who said the holocaust

had never happened. My father was so outraged he took his photographs to the paper and provided proof of the truth.
Each year on May 1 in the late 60s and early 70s, a “May Day” rally, protesting the Vietnam War, was held around the Ellipse at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. In the spring of 1972, I was an army officer stationed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, just down the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. My unit was assigned “riot” duty for May 1 as backup security.
While the unit was not activated that day, I was curious and went to the Capital lawn to watch thousands of people peacefully demonstrate their disapproval of the Vietnam War. The marchers were tear gassed by the Capitol Police and violently broken up. I still have pictures from that day.

Jan. 6, 2021, the nation awoke to the attack on the Capitol and watched with horror the attempt to overthrow the US government. I could not believe what we were experiencing. It brought back May Day 1972.
Like my father with his testament, I cannot accept Jan. 6 being portrayed as something other than an attempt to disrupt the peaceful transition of power and pretend it was a peaceful event. And then, to see 1,500 convicted felons being pardoned and returned to the streets, does not speak to accountability for our actions.

​We cannot, as a free nation, look the other way and ignore the facts in front of us.
Keith Mutchler, Published Feb. 13th, 2025, with permission from the Peninsula Pulse and the author 

Fair Maps and the Supreme Court Election

I am sure I am not alone in abhorring the divisiveness of our political lives. In my lifetime, there were periods when Democrats and Republicans would frequently work together in good will on behalf of their constituents. Now that seems a distant memory.  
Nevertheless, we have achieved redistricting reform (Fair Maps) in Wisconsin, which already has resulted in a Legislature more evenly divided between the two major parties. This matters, because when voting districts are 

​competitive, candidates actually have to earn their votes by persuading citizens they are the better choice. This tends to prevent extremism on both sides.  
The process for Fair Maps must now be passed into law, to ensure a fair redistricting process going forward. The still-majority Republicans are not likely to prioritize putting Fair Maps into law or the Constitution.  Thus, it may well come back to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to decide Wisconsin voting districts.  
To safe-guard Fair Maps, elect Judge Susan Crawford in the upcoming April 1 election! 
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Karen Wilson, Published Feb. 6, 2025, with permission from the Peninsula Pulse and the author

Vote "NO" on April 1 Constitutional Amendment

   In 2024, Wisconsin voters were asked to ratify five Constitutional amendments – two for the Spring election, one for the August primary, and two for the Nov. 6 election. Now there will be a sixth amendment out for a vote, scheduled for the April 1 election. 
   To put an amendment on the ballot in Wisconsin, both houses of the Legislature must approve it in two consecutive legislative sessions. The governor cannot veto it. 
   Two separate legislative sessions allow time for bipartisan debate, and public hearings to bring the pros and cons to the voters. The five amendments in 2024, however, were a surprise to many voters, and the language of the amendments was vague or confusing. 
   Why the rush? Between Jan. 6 and Jan. 8 of this year, this new amendment had a “first reading, referral to committee, report adopted, placed on the legislative calendar, read a second time, ordered to a third reading, rules suspended to give joint resolution its third reading, read a third time, and adopted. Ayes 17, Noes 15,” according to the official legislative record. It passed without a single Democratic vote.  In the long-standing partisan gerrymander we experience in Wisconsin, Republicans advanced all six amendments without any Democratic votes. Now we have new voting districts, creating an actual two-party landscape. The Republican party still has a majority, but it’s no longer a sure thing. 
   This appears to be the reason for hurrying through this amendment. What is this proposed amendment? It is the requirement to provide an identification to vote. That’s already the law. There’s no need to reiterate it in the Constitution.      If voters vote ‘no’ on the amendment, it’s still the state law to require voter ID. If an amendment can’t bear the scrutiny of both parties and the public, we should be suspicious of its content and intent. Vote ‘no.’

​Becky Van Houten, published Feb. 6, 2025, with permission from the Peninsula Pulse and author

Set Your Clocks Back

​On Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, a convicted felon will be sworn in to the temporary job as the 47th President of the United States. We are now on the road back to our past. Women, don’t forget to set your clocks back 100 years before you go to bed on Sunday night. Parents and grandparents, be prepared for reductions in support of Special Needs Students programs, and all of us get ready for reductions in Social Security and Medicare support.  But remember, as long as we have a democracy, our voices can’t be silenced and our clocks can keep ticking forward toward a better tomorrow and together we can make a difference.

Mike Brodd, published January 15, 2025, with permission from the Peninsula Pulse and author