Dear Editor: Mr. McDonald declares that DeForest’s fight over fluoride is “over,” but the reality is quite different. The debate continues in communities across Wisconsin and the nation as new research raises legitimate questions about the safety and effectiveness of municipal water fluoridation.
While Mr. McDonald correctly notes that fluoride was originally removed by a 4-3 vote, he omits critical context. Efforts to restore fluoridation failed twice before ultimately passing by a narrow 4-2 vote, and only after a Village Board election changed the board’s composition by replacing a Ph.D. nurse who had voted both to remove fluoride and to keep it out of the water.
He also labels Brenda Staudenmaier an “outside activist” while failing to disclose that she was specifically invited by Village Board members to present information regarding emerging scientific concerns about fluoridation. Elected officials routinely seek input from experts and advocates both inside and outside their communities…