As I See It

Here we go again. Just like clockwork, the federal government is poised to shut down in just a few weeks if Congress doesn’t come up with a new spending plan to keep the government operational. We’ve seen this too many times. Rather than analyze where our tax dollars should best be spent, Congress keeps approving […]

When Donald Trump was President, he tried several times, unsuccessfully, to overturn the Affordable Care Act. Now he may have given up the fight. Trump admitted as much during the presidential debate, saying he would only replace the ACA if he found something that provided better coverage at a cheaper rate. Until then, he said, […]

What is the best way to run the city of La Crosse? That question is up for debate again, a dozen years after voters said they like the current system best. La Crosse is run by a mayor, with a handful of department heads and 13 council members. But Mayor Mitch Reynolds is pushing for […]

It was July when, after much legal wrangling, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that ballot drop boxes are legal in the state once again. Predictably, that was not the final word on the issue. Conspiracy theorists continue to argue that placing a completed ballot in a drop box outside city hall, even while under 24/7 […]

I find it shocking more people don’t run for the Wisconsin Legislature. The job certainly has its perks. Good pay, a staff, reimbursements for food, travel and lodging, and in Wisconsin, plenty of time off. Yet it is not uncommon for some legislative elections to not even attract an opponent. Who wouldn’t want that job? […]

So, who won Tuesday’s presidential debate? It depends on who you ask of course. Both political parties declared their candidate the winner. The chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party declared Kamala Harris the winner, “hands down.” The head of the state’s Republican Party called it a “decisive victory” for Donald Trump. Of course what matters […]

Is this the way it is going to be from now on? Politics has always involved slinging mud, but it seems like candidates today are taking it to a new level. The campaigns have gotten nastier, the attacks on opponents more pointed. That has led to a growing polarization among voters and sometimes strained relations […]

Much has changed since June 27. That was the night of the first presidential debate of the campaign season. In the weeks since, Joe Biden has dropped out of the race, Kamala Harris has replaced him and has made up ground in the polls. Tonight, the two will face off in their first, and perhaps […]

 The wheels of justice sure turn slowly in the world of higher education. It was way back in December when Joe Gow was fired as chancellor of UW La Crosse for producing pornographic videos. It took until June of this year before the UWL Faculty Committee brought charges against Gow. In July, the committee recommended, […]

Two months from tomorrow, voters across the country will head to the polls to select our next President. So, then this long and bitter campaign will finally be over, right? Not if past history is any guide. When Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, and even before, he spoke of election interference and voter fraud […]

To run for President of the United States, you have to be a natural-born citizen, and at least 35 years old. But you also have to get on the ballot, and that’s where things can get tricky. In Wisconsin, the six-member Wisconsin Elections Commission is tasked with deciding which candidates will appear on the state’s […]

Will Wisconsin decide the next presidential election? The candidates are sure acting like it. Both the Trump team and the Harris ticket have made winning Wisconsin a priority. That is evidenced by their campaign schedule. The Republican National Convention was held in Milwaukee, in an effort to woo Wisconsin voters. Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance […]

It seems the city of La Crosse has tried just about everything in its efforts to reduce the homeless population. There has been little in the way of measurable success. Wednesday, the city tries a new approach. A ban on camping in city parks officially takes effect, although it is not clear anyone will notice. […]

 Political advertisements are often filled with falsehoods, a serious stretching of the truth, and outright lies. So we shouldn’t be surprised at the latest lows in political ads, right here in the Coulee Region. The so-called “push polls” have returned in a local race for the Wisconsin Assembly. Push polling happens when a company is […]

One fundamental right we should all be able to agree on is the right to enjoy clean drinking water. Everyone in Wisconsin deserves the right to pour themselves a clean glass of water straight from their tap without having to worry about how it could impact their health. There should be no politics involved. But […]

 When I was young, it was common to spend much of the summer at the municipal pool. It got us out of the house and gave us something to do, hanging out with friends and soaking up the sun. La Crosse operates three city pools, but soon that could be reduced to two. There has […]

Democrats sure have fallen in love with Kamala Harris. In a span of just weeks, Harris has become the presidential nominee, raised hundreds of millions of dollars and risen sharply in the polls, overtaking Donald Trump in many of them. But what do we know about Harris? We can examine her record as a U.S. […]

It is getting harder to find poll workers. Many current poll workers are getting up there in years, and finding people to replace them isn’t easy. It isn’t a job many people want. It is typically a twelve-plus hour day, even if it is just a few times a year. Serving in the role can […]