To the editor,

April 2 River Falls area voters have three school board positions and two referendum questions included on the ballot. We need knowledgeable, thoughtful, and involved people on our school board. We now have one such member who we need to re-elect, Alan Tuchtenhagen. Alan has extensive experience with the local school system and also provides a valuable connection and insight into statewide school issues via his position on the Wisconsin School Board Association. Alan has the reputation of being willing to listen, learn, and work with other members of the board to arrive at decisions having the greatest benefit for our local schools. Vote for Alan April 2.

The two referendum questions are worded so as to appear to be simple, reasonable questions until you fully understand problems haunting our present voting system. Adequate funding to fully support an efficient and trustworthy voting process is simply not provided by all local city, village, or township governments. Strapped election officials have been able to apply for grants from independent nonpartisan agencies to purchase needed voting equipment, necessary furniture, miscellaneous supplies, and pay poll workers a reasonable stipend. The funding of course, should not be tied to or provided by a source benefiting any one political party’s candidates or issues.

Likewise, local election officials may find themselves short-handed to provide fast, efficient service for the number of residents wishing to vote resulting in long waiting lines or delayed results because of long vote count and affirmation times. So who can they recruit? The phrase in the referendum “designated by law” is vague and open to variable interpretation. Which law? Who must approve recruited poll workers - a court? Passage of either or both of these referendum questions will only lead to potential closing of polling locations and slowed-down, inefficient voting. Vote NO on both!

Lou Greub

River Falls