GFW’s brave gamble

THUMBS UP: The GFW School Board has brought 10 years of discussion and debate to a close in deciding to move ahead with a plan to build a new school building for the district.

District voters will vote on a referendum inApril 2023 on a question to raise the $69.9 million the school is expected to cost.

The pre-K to 12th grade school would be located in Gibbon, which is located between Fairfax and Winthrop. That creates the biggest challenge in this plan, and the district’s biggest gamble. There is currently a school building in each community, and the two communities that are losing theirs under the plan may not support for it.

It takes a strong selling job these days to get voter to pass any kind of school referendum. The GFW board will need to be united on this effort.

Thin-skinned Musk

THUMBS DOWN: Elon Musk spent $44 billion to buy Twitter, saying he wanted to make it a “global digital town square” where freedom of speech is absolute.

So this week, the new “Chief Twit,” as he calls himself, cut off the Twitter accounts of several national journalists who have been writing about the way he is running Twitter. Friday he suspended the account of a Business Insider reporter who has been covering whaat she calls “dangerous” Tesla shortcomings.

Musk says the reporters have been relaying or covering information, especially about a website that tells people where Musk is by tracking public information related to his private plane. He calls that “doxxing,” or giving out private information that could lead to threats against a person’s privaacy or safety.

Well, really. If Musk, who claims to be a “free speech absolutist” wants to rung a digital town square, then he should allow all who want to speak be heard, even if they are talking about him.

Hop on the bus, Gus

THUMBS UP: Hermann Express, New Ulm’s new fixed route bus service has been operating since Oct. 5, and so far, ridership has been good, People have been giving it a try, especially since rides have been free to introduce people to the service.

Recently the city’s Transportation Advisory Committee has decided to extend free ridership through the end of March, and as of Jan. 3 it will expand its hours of operation from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, to 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. M-F. They are also adding Saturday service, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

We hope people will hop on the bus, try it out and see how it can serve them. We hope it will continue to draw lots of riders after it starts charging fares.