Dear Sen. Hopper,

To Sen. Hopper,

I am sorry to hear that you support Governor Walker's repair bill with the "collective bargaining" within it.  Many facts are coming to light in the last couple of weeks.  For instance, the MILLIONS that is causing Wisconsin to falter are not the real amounts of money.  Governor Walker is not truthful.  I also read in this letter from you to us that one of your three goals is " strive to have a world-class education system,"   We have that in Wisconsin...but this new budget will destroy it....I am a Reading Specialist and I know that not every Wisconsin Third Grader will have all the skills they will need to read at the end of their third grade experience.  When Walker said that kids learn to read up to third grade and then read to learn after third grade he was saying an archaic idea about reading.  Even High School students need help comprehending difficult material.  AND...teachers won't need to have teaching credentials....AND... there won't be help for students with a 1st language other than English...AND...U.S. Citizens who reside in Wisconsin (probably all their lives) won't be able to pay residence tuition...WHAT?  How is this " strive to have a world-class education system,"  OR are you talking about a world-class education for only the "upper class".  

I voted for you.  I am conservative. I am 59 years old.  I am not a young liberal TA that's a slob sleeping in the Capital, I am a taxpayer with a Master's Degree and have been teaching for 38  years.  I am the 5th generation of my family living in Oshkosh.  I have four successful sons all graduated from our Public Schools.  I am not ignorant. So how could these ideas actually even be thought of in my wonderful state of Wisconsin???



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And another one to Hopper: 

Dear Senator Hopper,
    I wrote to you earlier this week.  I am becoming more fearful as the days wear on and we hear more about
what is in this repair bill and how it is going to effect our lives. Have you read the editorial in the Oshkosh Northwestern
today (Feb. 27)?  I saw on Fox News last night that they are promoting the idea that the 120,000 protestors I saw in Madison
yesterday are not representatives of the middle class. In fact they said we are not the middle class.  Who is the middle class
in Wisconsin if it is not firemen, police officers, teachers, nurses?  These changes that Governor Walker keeps saying are "modest"
are not.  Already school districts are non-renewing their whole teaching staff. That is not laying off...non-renewing is like firing.  If
this bill goes into effect everything bargained for goes to "0".  That means teachers with the most education and experience will be laid off.
This is forcing me to retire this year when I felt I still had expertise and knowledge that would help students learn to read.

I was in Madison yesterday and I am amazed at how that many people can come together in the snow and cold and be so polite and civil.
You need to be proud of your Wisconsinites.  I protested for my friends and family.  I am physicallly reacting to this stress.  My son and
daughter and law recently bought a new home.  They have already been experiencing the economic problems of our times. Both have been non-renewed or
laid off and didn't know they had jobs this year until a week before the school year started.

PLease...I voted for you.  I expected to be represented by you...I know that we need to change things but this will cause havoc in our State.
I am ashamed that I also voted for Walker.  He is devious and does things underhanded. I can't believe you condone those tactics.
I am so worried that Wisconsin will be a totally blue state next time around.  If this passes, I know I will vote differently.

Please follow Dean Kaufert and Dick Spanbauer who stood up against Walker.


Did you read the Repair Bill?  Please insist to go through it and amend it...or Kill it entirely.