Letter | Where are elected officials on F-35s?

Sep 11, 2023, The Cap Times
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Dear Editor: While out in my patio recently, two F-16s took off from Truax Field using the north-south runway and flew southeast over the east side of Madison. About 10 minutes later, two F-35s took off from the same runway and flew southeast in the same direction.

I live just a few short blocks from the end of that same runway and hear and see most jets using it. Having watched and heard the noise from these jets, without a doubt, the F-35s produced noise louder and more painful to the ears than the F-16 ever did.

Now that I have experienced these two types of planes up close and personal, I certainly agree that the F-35s are a detriment to our living environment on the east side of of Madison.

What has happened to our local elected representatives? Many former alders that I had served with, including former Mayor Paul Soglin, would have prevented the F-35 from becoming a reality in our city based on our way of life and concerns for our environment. Someone with sources to the Pentagon told me that our U.S. senator or congressperson had a very good chance of calling the F-35 project to a halt.

To me, we have been given lots of “lip service” from the very people we elected to fight for us.

S. Michael Shivers
Madison