Further study was PFC’s goal Yes, the Beaver Dam Police and Fire Commission did vote to withhold payment to Meriter Hospital – at this time. A better reporter would have reported the total discussion rather than just the parts he considered would sell newspapers. This is just the first year sexual assault victims have been taken to Madison. The reason they go to Madison is because Beaver Dam is not certified to do this exam. Since this is the first year of this process, the money in this account had already been exhausted, Discussion was that this would be brought up again in January when we would have a budget. Any bills approved by the PFC would then need further approval from the city council. It was also discussed why other police departments were not paying this bill. Was Meriter also submitting this bill to the state? There were many questions and it was decided that Deputy Chief Schubert would be looking further into this matter. Did this need front page coverage? Has any other government committee rejected a bill for further discussion? Please do not react to incomplete reports. -Gary Spielman PFC member Christianity needs a proper place today Some time ago I watched an interview between Sean Hannity and Michael Moore. Personally, I found this dialogue very interesting because it actually represented the great divide between the extreme right and the extreme left - capitalism versus socialism. Many people today have adopted one of these "isms" as their world views. Unfortunately, neither will repair this nation. Using people for financial gain will only result in more despairing behavior, and we will not be able to build enough prisons to accommodate these despairing people. In contrast, throwing financial restraint to the wind will bankrupt the country and leave people standing with their hands open, not learning a depth of character necessary to make life better for themselves and their families. Here is my take on this matter. What has worked in the past will probably work again today. In the past, true Christianity has had an extreme influence on the balance and well-being of the free world. Sadly to say, Christians by and large have lost their passionate desire for the well-being of the nation. In a paraphrased form of Dr. Francis Schaeffer’s words, there are two kinds of Christians today — those who love God and their neighbor as themselves, and those who see that this attitude brings peace and happiness and choose to follow this example. In other words, in the past, a Christian minority has had such a passion for God and others that it not only gave direction for everlasting life, but also gave the example about how to live life successfully in every area of life, including government. So often I hear that America was founded on Christian principles, but after doing some research on this claim I found that one third of the Founding Fathers were, in fact, Deists. So why do we find Judeo-Christian values in the constitution, you ask? Because of the passionate compassion Christians had for life and liberty for all. This minority did not adopt an "ism" as its life view, but instead held fast to its master’s teachings. Today counterfeit Christianity is giving God a bad name and is bringing this nation to ruin. Apathy is the order of the day, and Christians have lost their passion for compassion. Separation of church and state was seen as necessary to protect the church from government, and to stop the government from forcing religion on its people. The citizens of the United States need to allow Christians to have the influence of the past, and Christians need to live their faith once more in order to bring stability to society. A nation will not be destroyed by circumstances, but by the lack of character of its people. "America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms it will be because we destroyed ourselves." (Abraham Lincoln) Remember, what has worked in the past may one day work again! -Archie Nugteren Beaver Dam Set the right example Let me get this straight. According to the article in Wednesday’s Daily Citizen, "PFC rejects hospital bill," the Beaver Dam Police and Fire Commission voted not to pay a legitimate bill that they had incurred with Meriter Hospital. It seems that they had done their homework, even asking a nurse at Meriter if the hospital would take steps to collect the legitimate bill. Upon finding out that the hospital would not hire a collection agency, and seeing that other cities had also "stiffed" the hospital and shirked their responsibility, the wise commission in Beaver Dam voted to ignore the legitimate bill. They justified it with the fact that Meriter probably had a larger budget than the BD Police and Fire Commission’s budget. Where should one even begin with this whole scenario? n n n Come on B.D. Police and Fire Commission, have you ever heard of honesty, integrity and doing what’s right? Even though it doesn’t matter how much the bill is, you have managed to sell your souls and the integrity of an entire community for the paltry sum of $280 — Beaver Dam’s share of the bill to Meriter. I respectfully request that you reconvene your meeting and vote to pay this bill. You received the service, the bill was received, and anything short of paying it in a timely fashion is stealing. -Betty Kehl
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