Advertisement The director of the
La Crosse County Health Department pointed out that the level of pollution inside some bars and restaurants would trigger serious air pollution alerts if the same levels were found outdoors.
Too small a sample, according to some. None of anyone’s business, said others. The harshest among them: Let the smokers kill themselves and anyone dumb enough to be around them. Here’s a sample of the comments readers attached to the story:
wiseup wrote: “58 tested is ridiculous! Too small sample and statistically inaccurate. The people that run these tests are predisposed to prove what they want to believe and then only print what they want you to believe!”
An Onalaskan wrote: “Why not just quit smoking? Why not just say, ‘Hey, I’m no longer going to take the risk of getting sick myself or making others sick (including restaurant and tavern workers who are forced to breathe in smoke filled rooms)?’ Or why not just admit that it is no longer socially acceptable to smoke in any public place because secondhand smoke is a health hazard to others? Go outside. ...”
newsmike wrote: “I still am a firm believer that anyone who still smokes in 2008 knowing all the dangers has a clear lack of common sense. ... The fact that our government still allows the sale of a product that costs us billions of dollars in health care-related expenses every year is mind blowing.”
Krusty wrote: “Wait a minute here ... Smoking is bad for you? How come nobody bothered to tell me that before?”
Mack wrote: “Just the mention of a smoking ban causes smokers to flip out.”
And taxes go up ... if only 1.7 percent
With economic worries from the macro (banking infrastructure crisis) to the micro (our wages not keeping pace with inflation), tax increases, regardless how small, are even less welcome than usual.
That was the sentiment of the vast majority of posters to a story about La Crosse Mayor Mark Johnsrud’s proposed city budget. Here’s a sample from www.lacrossetribune:
newsmike wrote: “Well, not unexpected. Economy is down, but thank god the union got a 3 percent pay raise, and who’s paying for that ... oh yeah, me.”
Km wrote: “‘The general public’ is suffering; your city budget is not. When companies continue to downsize and close their doors. The city continues run as
normal, with no layoffs, no door closures, no real pain felt like the business communities and their employees.”
traumacare wrote: “The beauty of the American government is it is OURS. ‘Whining’ about government and government spending whether another agrees or not is the beauty of your government. Rather than being negative, let’s have some insightful debate on the subject of spending.”
Been there, done that wrote: “Well, City of La Crosse tax collectors ... get in line behind everyone else who wants more of my paycheck. ... Does everyone think money grows on trees? Everything is up, except my paycheck. ENOUGH!”
A few more questions ...
Health care, the economy, John McCain’s age, Barack Obama’s spending proposals ... they all were topics everyday people brought up before this week’s presidential debate.
Here are a few more question visitors at www.lacrossetribune.com offered:
bigbird804 wrote: “For both candidates, I would like to know: What will you do about illegal aliens?”
Truth wrote: “I also want to know how (Barack Obama) will pay for everything he has promised and STILL lower taxes? Sounds too good to be true, because it is.”
Grant wrote: “I would ask John if he remembers World War I.”
Rodgers earning a little respect
Aaron Rodgers’ gutsy performance in the Packers’ loss last weekend did even more to silence some of the critics who railed at Packers management and bemoaned Rodgers’ lack of durability during the Brett Favre unretirement fiasco.
Here’s a sample of what visitors at www.lacrossetribune.com had to say.
Eddie wrote: “With the exception of the bum shoulder, Aaron Rodgers is the least of the Packers’ worries. He has more than earned the respect of his teammates as well as the other teams. He brings it — all 100 percent of it — every Sunday. The Packers should be most worried about their porous defense. ...”
free_speech wrote: “Here’s a great Web site for you: chicagobears.com.”
Rock wrote: “I went to that Web site. It redirected me to the Wikipedia page for the Heimlich maneuver. (I know it’s childish — so?)”
