Volume 24, Issue 9
WisconsinChristianNews.com
Page 43
An In-Depth Look at Winter Weather Guidelines and Safety
By Attorney Brooke Hous- ton, McLario, Helm, Bertling & Spiegel Law Offices (See display ad on Page 48 of this issue of WCN) February 2024 Last month, much of the state was under a winter
dwelling or building to clean the sidewalk of snow and ice within 12 hours after the snow
to have sidewalks cleared of snow and ice. If the city is notified of a violation, the City’s con-
rules that you are subject to regarding snow and ice removal. Please review the specific rules of your HOA to make sure that you are abiding by the same, and avoiding any unnec- essary penalties. If you drive on a highway you likely see the billboards reminding you of “possible icy con- ditions” and to “slow down.” While some high- ways have more catchy sayings on their signs, the meaning is all the same. Drive safely, es- pecially in icy conditions. No one wants to be involved in an accident, ever, but especially not in 4 degree weather with 20 mph winds and no daylight after 5pm. When these weather conditions exist, remember to slow down and leave extra space in between you and the vehicle in front of you. If you do get into an accident, call the police. They will do an investigation, and likely issue citations to those involved. Driving too fast for dangerous road/weather conditions is a com- mon ticket this time of year. Even if you are driving under the set speed limit, you could re- ceive this citation and it typically comes with 4 demerit points on your license. This citation does not even consider damage to the vehi- cles involved, or potential injury to you or other drivers/passengers. This opens up a com- pletely new host of problems with mechanics, insurance, medical bills, etc. Do your best to mitigate these potential damages by slowing down, pumping your breaks, and paying atten- tion to the road and other drivers. McLario, Helm, Bertling & Spiegel, S.C. N88 W16783 Main St. Menomonee Falls, WI 53051-2890 Tel: (262) 251-4210 McLario.com
storm warning, with some areas getting a foot or more of snow. As we get further into winter, the snow fall will continue, as will the chal- lenges that come with it. Please take some time to read some friendly reminders to help protect yourself as we move further into winter. City/Town/Village Ordinances It is important to review the ordinances where you live, and even rules that your homeown- ers’ association, or rental agreement may in- clude as it relates to snow removal. While no one wants to get up extra early to shovel or snow blow their property, that is often required within a certain time of when snow has fallen. This is for overall public safety reasons. Think about the elementary aged kids who may walk past your home to get to school, or the postal workers who have to walk door to door to de- liver our mail. Trudging through 4 inches of snow is frustrating to say the least, but then add a risk of slipping on top of that, and it’s a big deal. To protect our communities, munici- palities have their own ordinances regarding snow removal. Keep in mind, most places re- quire that snow and ice be removed for the en- tire width of the sidewalk, not just the width of one shovel. There is not enough space to go through each area specifically, but here are the requirements for a couple of areas: City of Waukesha: Waukesha City Ordinance 6.12 requires owners or occupants of a
has ceased to fall. The ordinance also requires owners or occupants to keep the sidewalk free of snow to prevent an accumulation of ice. If the city is notified of a violation of this or- dinance, they will let the property owner know and give them a period of time to resolve the violation. If the violation is not resolved, the owner could receive a municipal citation for the violation, along with a bill for the snow removal. City of Green Bay: City Ordinance 34-14, re- quires that whoever is in charge of real estate must have snow and ice removed within 24 hours after snow has fallen. If snow and ice are not removed and the city removes the snow/ice, the owner will be charged the actual cost of the work and may receive a citation with a fine of up to $500 for second and sub- sequent incidents. City of Appleton: The city ordinance provides homeowners 36 hours from the end of a storm
tractor will remove the snow and the owner is billed for their time. Please keep in mind that nearly all munici- palities prohibit homeowners from moving snow from the sidewalk onto a public right of way or property. This is generally to stop peo- ple from shoveling snow into the streets, caus- ing more of a safety concern for drivers. Please review the ordinances for the munici- pality where you reside to understand your specific requirements. If you do receive a citation for not removing snow in the required time period, or removing snow onto a public right of way, you should fol- low the instructions on the citation received. You may just pay the fine, or you may contest it with the possibility of having the fine de- creased. If you live in a community with a home- owner’s association, you may have additional
Biden Brags About Defying SCOTUS On Student Debt From OffThePress.com February 2024
panding existing programs for federal student loan borrowers, a tactful yet controversial move.
Biden is unwavering in his ef- forts, claiming an ambitious $25 billion per year is slated for fu- ture cancellation. He asserts that
Moreover, as of late January, the U.S. Department of Educa- tion has absolved an additional
Joe Biden bragged about the steps he’s taken to eliminate stu-
dent debt in defiance of a Supreme Court deci- sion that put a halt to one of his major debt- relief proposals. Speaking in Las Vegas, Biden high- lighted his determina- tion to continue reducing student debt, referencing an ongoing approach that circum- vents a Supreme Court ruling from the summer of 2023. This ruling stopped his initial plan to cancel approximately $430 billion in student loan debt across an es- timated 43 million Americans — a signifi- cant element of his presidential campaign pledges.
this debt forgiveness positively impacts eco- nomic growth and, con- trary to criticism, does not impose a burden on taxpayers. However, these state- ments have sparked controversy and a myr- iad of responses, espe- cially across online platforms. Critics con- tend that the financial responsibility will ulti- mately be borne by Americans, through channels such as infla- tion and increased taxes, including those who either paid off their education loans or never accumulated them.
The Republican Na- tional Committee (RNC) has di- rectly challenged the claim that the forgiveness program is cost- free, arguing that the debt would be indirectly transferred to citi- zens who might not even hold college degrees.
Facing judicial resistance, Biden pointed out his adminis- tration’s adaptability in finding alternative methods to provide relief under the constraints set by the Supreme Court’s 6-3 deci- sion. The administration’s focus has turned to modifying and ex-
For example, a rectification in one program now permits public servants to qualify for debt for- giveness — a change Biden proudly announced during his Nevada speech, teasing the immi- nent notification to beneficiaries marked distinctly with his name.
$5 billion in federal student loan debt for about 73,600 borrowers. This cancellation constitutes part of a grand total of $136 billion in forgiven debt for approximately 3.7 million individuals under the current administration.
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