Cool Dude #2: Deb Hadley
(A note on Candidates, and Councilpersons pieces: I want to be clear that my writing these pieces is not an endorsement of any person. I have a clear view as to what I believe, and I have no problem with that view, but these pieces focus on the act of service. As always, we ask for your comments. We ask that your discussion be civil, fact-based, and respectful of these very real people who live in our city. These are people with children, with families, and with feelings like you and I. We are not asking you to agree with us, but we are asking you to raise the level of discourse to allow for public discussion to be polite. With that, we reserve the right to remove or refute comments we feel to be overtly negative, or prove to be factually inaccurate. We thank you, and we hope you vote for someone.)
Deb Hadley is not playing around. She is running for Mayor of Wausau, and is running an aggressive campaign. She has a plan, she is telling people about that plan, and is not afraid to take on the other guy and his plan. She is running a real campaign. It is clear from all the billboards around town, and the ads in the paper, and all the other stuff we are seeing.
Deb Hadley is a wife, a mother, and a member of our community. She has a loving relationship with her husband Mark. She has grown children. She and Mark have a circle of friends that they care for very much. She also is part of a multigenerational Wausau business that has employed what I assume to be hundreds of people over the years that it has existed.
Here is my favorite statistic. I spent 5 hours with her. I arrived at 9 am, and left a little bit after 2 pm. In contrast, my good friend Andy and I spend roughly 1 hour a week in each other’s presence. I really like Andy. So I clearly like Deb, because as a spoiled infant man I rarely do things I do not like. I spent 5 hours talking to who at the time was a total stranger. I think that is saying something.
What I learned during that time with Deb is that she believes what she is saying. She does not think that taxes need to go up. She wants to address spending on the part of our City before we go back to the taxpayers to increase taxes and ask for more money. She talked quite a bit about being a small business owner, and how from time to time in business we need to address spending. This is a valid point; a point worthy of discussion, and I wonder if it is currently being discussed with requisite seriousness.
I also learned that Deb likes to ski. She also has not really had a chance because when she and her husband, Mark, have free time they like to drive to visit their children, who live elsewhere these days. On that note, she talks with great love about her kids, and has a real desire to see them carry on in the family business. But, like my mom, sighs and is happy if they are happy.
Deb comes from a part of Wausau that my friend Al called Old Riverview, which is apparently by a golf course and down a long dirt road. Or at least that is how I imagine it. This neighborhood used to be home to just a few families, in what at the time was the country, and a bunch of kids who had free reign to be outdoorsy explorers. She was bussed to school until she was in 6th grade, but only because the neighborhood did not have a school until her 6th grade year. Deb also graduated from the first class at Wausau East; the first class to be a part of the split high schools in the city.
So there you go. A list of stuff about Deb Hadley: candidate for mayor. She was a member of the Wausau School board from December of 1993 through April 1999. This is one of those hot button issues, and I know you all wanted me to ask. She told me that she was recruited from her neighborhood to run. So I asked about the bussing issue, and she responded by telling me that she ran for School Board on the idea that she opposed the busing of the kids from their neighborhood school to that of other schools. She did not like the fact that her kids ended up in two different schools. Seems like a valid point.
Then she was out of public life for a while until 4 years ago when she was once again recruited to run, this time based on the issue of the Tax Bill here in Wausau. At that time she was a supporter of Mayor Tipple; she thought he was going to really address the issue. She felt he let that issue go after he was elected, and as a result wants to step up and give it a try. Deb feels that the taxpayers of this city are not being given the leadership that they deserve. She feels strongly enough about this to step up and be willing to take the attacks of the kind that only our Mayor takes.
When asked about those attacks, she said that she has been getting bombarded since the beginning. While she would not admit it, her husband talked about how it was hard on her. I am sure Mayor Tipple and his wife would say the same thing. There is something admirable though in the idea that she is doing this. She knows what is coming, she knows she will be faced with a barrage of personal, unfounded, and often times flat out cruel attacks and she steps up and does it anyway.
I don’t know Deb Hadley, and I am not sure I understand the budget process of a growing city like Wausau. But I think Deb is cool. I think Deb is everything that a Cool Dude should be. Willing. Committed. Brave enough to stand up for what she believes in.
Tom Neal said:
I’m an east side homeowner who wishes his taxes were lower … who doesn’t! But, I don’t vote for candidates solely on the basis of lowering my taxes, or reining in spending at City Hall. Certainly, I want officials to be fiscally responsible. But, I base my vote on a candidate’s vision for my community’s future. I look for their stand on making our river an asset the public can enjoy more widely and easily; on creating walking and biking trails in the metro area to provide safe, scenic exercise options; on beautifying our eyesore thoroughfares and vacant business properties; on pushing for development of the blighted downtown stretches along the river for new green areas, parks, new businesses housed in attractive architecture; for continued, and growing, support of events and culture; for bold new ideas to lift our town further above the norm (because the norm is so drab); for a sense of being not just in step with the times, but one step ahead; and for leadership in attracting and landing important new business investors and developers from elsewhere.
These are the things most important to me. But, thus far, I don’t have a feel for either mayoral candidate as to where they stand on these issues. What do they envision on these “big picture” subjects? What dynamic passion aside from cutting taxes and crime? Election day approaches and so far, nothing to get excited about.
March 12th, 2008 at 2:55 pm #
Dino Corvino said:
Tom,
I think your right in your overall criticism. I spent time with both Hadley and Mayor Tipple.
I long for a debate that is about something, a real elevation of discussion. I told both of them so.
I think that part of this comes from the point our city is at. I think we are in that awkward puberty phase. Clearly not a small town, clearly not.
But clearly not a big town.
I think we might just be a gangly teenage boy in headgear with black heads.
And in many ways, our political view needs to grow as well.
I think they both have an idea for the future. In the debates I think they have communicated some of those things.
What do you think though?
March 12th, 2008 at 3:41 pm #
erik said:
The mayoral race is just fancinating, I covered WSAU’s debate in which Jeff Thelen was part of the panel asking questions, which gave me a great oppertunity to met and really see both candidates in action.
And I’d have to say that Tom’s comments are very spot on to the way many people think. This was most blantantly shown when Ms. Hadley was asked how should would lower the taxes; her answer was hardly concrete and can best be summed up as “we have to look into how exactly.”
This strikes me as a poor position for anyone to take if they are making something a primary running position. Even though Tipple seems less friendly to the idea of flat out “lower taxes” he addressed the issue quite well by saying the way to lower the tax burden is to spread it out more. By growing the area, bringing in more business and more people, the overall tax burden is decreased by having it shared by more taxable entities.
What is nice about these two is that even though there are stark differences between the two candidates, they both don’t just disagree with each other for the sake of disagreeing and to appear “different.” There was plenty of agreement by both of them throughout the debate and showed that they took their responsibility seriously as public figures, rather than running a more vicious campaign. I look forward to more debates I can actually go to (the one at the Rose Garden today was at a horrible time). This race has me genuinely interested in local politics, which is a difficult feat!
March 12th, 2008 at 6:17 pm #
erik said:
P.S. I realize that Citizen Wausau is not bound to equal time rules, but will there be a Tipple write up? I thought this Hadley one was really good and I’d be interested to see Dino or someone else write up something on our current mayor.
March 12th, 2008 at 6:19 pm #
Dino Corvino said:
I have sat with Mayor Tipple. That one will be in an upcoming Wednesday post.
Thanks for the reminder.
We also are more than willing to accept post from the candidates.
March 12th, 2008 at 6:50 pm #
oldwoodchair said:
I’m reading a lot of good questions here as to what each candidate has as a vision for our city, along with specifics of their grand plans.
I want to remind everyone that we all have the freedom to pick up the phone or jump in the car or send off an email at any time to any and/or all candidates for Mayor, Council, or County Board to ask any questions we choose, anything that will help us make up our minds, or that answer that will give us confidence when we walk into the voting booth. There is no need to wait for a conversation of substance to happen at a forum…in fact, that’s probaly the least likely place to hear specifics or creative ideas…we don’t have to sit back and be passively fed information…we can seek it out.
Just a suggestion. (Sure wish I could do that with the presidential candidates!)
Chair
March 12th, 2008 at 8:03 pm #
Barry Liss said:
What do you think Dino - did Mrs. Hadley manifest the traits of someone who could guard the keep? Does she possess the wisdom of the sage and the compassion of the preacher?
It seems like just about everyday we are seeing a precedent broken as to new economic woes…the weakening dollar, the price of energy, foreclosures…a crumbling infrastructure that we can’t afford to fix…is Mrs. Hadley the answer Dino - I only ask because you wrote up the interview…
Barry
March 13th, 2008 at 8:27 am #
Dino Corvino said:
Not to be a tease Barry, but I think that I want to get the Mayor Tipple thing done first. This is all leading me somewhere as a writer, so I want to make sure I work the process out first.
For me personally, I do not believe in the crumbling dollar, the weakening infrastructure. I think it is all a myth. When one has less money, one makes sacrifices.
I think that the challenge right now is to gamble. To be brave. To stare that issue in the face, trust the logic of your investment, and spend the money knowing your eating Ramen for a few weeks, but in the future your eating well.
I challenge municpalities to raise taxes, to increase services, to gild the lillie. I think now is the time to build, and buy, and clean and shop.
Ahh crap, I am giving it away.
My question with Deb is related to interdependance. the ideas seem sound, the logic seems like the right one…spend less, tax less.
My issue is in the idea that Wausau is interdependant with these other communities for success. These are not walls we can build.
I suppose my question is that.
March 13th, 2008 at 9:29 am #
Barry Liss said:
Well Dino my friend, I believe in the crumbling dollar and the weakening infrastructure. And further, I believe poverty is a form of violence.
Today, the dollar hit another all-time low against the Euro, oil broke another record at 111$ a barrel and Graebel announced local layoffs.
Now, we shouldn’t panic - but these issues are real. If trends do not reverse, we face a social, economic maelstrom.
We are all grateful to Mr. Tipple and Mrs. Hadley for their willingness to serve the public in this capacity. However, the next mayor’s tenure bodes for rough years with hard choices.
Barry
March 14th, 2008 at 7:53 am #
Dino Corvino said:
I think that, for me, it becomes irrelevant. One must work for a dollar, and see what that dollar gets them.
My currency is not affected by the Euro. The dollars in my pocket do not disappear due to the Euro statistics. They may buy less gallons of milk, but they do not disappear.
Rocky Marciano said Cash is king.
March 14th, 2008 at 12:27 pm #
Barry Liss said:
Forgive me Dino, but that strikes me as slushy gibberish - empty rhetoric with no coherent philosophy, ultimately dangerous.
Barry
March 16th, 2008 at 6:46 am #
Dino Corvino said:
This piece was about Deb Hadley
March 16th, 2008 at 12:10 pm #
Tom Neal said:
Despite appearances or hopes, Wausau doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The flutter of a butterfly’s wing may set off a chain reaction that triggers a tsunami. Connectivity is causality and potentially casualty. As the buck shrinks so does the globe; the differences between here and there are diminishing, and soon will cease to be significant. Today is St. Paddy’s Day and it’s snowing. Chaos lurks, set to pounce on the unwary. Eyes to the horizon. Ear to the ground. Hands on the wheel. Damn the torpedoes.
March 17th, 2008 at 1:29 pm #
Dino Corvino said:
Tom, For me I think that this idea of lower taxes seems to be a dangerous idea. Beyond the immediate impact of my having more money, I wonder about the impact of such a plan on the services of our community.
I think I am most interested in hearing the next step in Mrs. Hadley’s plan.
March 17th, 2008 at 1:57 pm #
wausaujon said:
As someone who owns property and actually lives in the city, I side with the Hadley camp. I also agree with the importance of looking ahead to the bigger picture. Regardless of which side wins the race, I am most opposed to useless bureaucratic waste. For example (on a larger government scale) I don’t need a postcard to tell me I’m going to get a tax rebate when it’s plastered on every TV screen, newspaper, and public radio station in the country. I’m not against spending. I’m against wasteful spending. I’m not one who likes to gamble and although there may be a bigger payoff down the road, I think the current speed bump is something all too real and will be creating local economic issues for the next 4 to 5 years… Or more…
Whomever wins, I hope we see less bureaucracy and more forward moving, but less expensive progress. Developing our riverfront is a good idea. On the other hand, the ever mentioned 400 block redesign is a waste of money. Let’s just use the space as it is.
And yes, I’d love to see cool dude Deb Hadley win and perhaps more importantly… Lower our taxes.
March 17th, 2008 at 5:25 pm #
Dino Corvino said:
Wausaujon,
Do you then accept a lessening of services? For example snow plowing?
With less money available, what do you propose be cut?
Where is the current administration wasting money in your view?
March 17th, 2008 at 7:34 pm #
oldwoodchair said:
Good questions, Dino. I keep hearing “lower taxes”, but have yet to hear HOW…specifically HOW?…what is the plan?…what would be cut?…and how significant to my taxes would proposed cuts be?…where EXACTLY is the “waste” that is eating up my taxes?…and is it in fact “waste” to me and the average citizen?
Lots of questions answered by generalities.
March 18th, 2008 at 5:48 am #
Tom Neal said:
Perhaps one candidate’s idea of “waste” is potentially another citizen’s livelihood or quality of life. Time and again, we see our local government — and businesses — bid out their major projects to out-of-town vendors, and go with the low bid. Is that necessarily sound spending? The immediate bottom-line view would say “yes.” But, what of the impact on the local qualified vendors who were undercut? When this happens time and again, our homegrown businesses lose income, perhaps cut their workforce, perhaps cancel plans to grow, build and invest. Multiply that scenario by however many times and measure the impact on the local economy. To build a strong, diversified local economy, then local businesses need to be nurtured and encouraged. We’ve had outside architectural consultants, outside marketing consultants, outside compensation consultants, outside feasibility studies, and too often, resultant input that’s devoid of an inside perspective. If I were running for office (or owned or operated a business) here, I’d want to communicate how I’d work to strengthen the local economy through engagement with local businesses, and through improving the level of opportunity for local residents to find meaningful employment or move up to a more gainful position. How does “lowering taxes” mean anything to the many thousands of local non-home-owning and non-business-owning residents who vote? Do only landlords, homeowners and business owners matter? With an increasingly underpaid or unemployed workforce pool, we see ongoing deterioration of what many value as Wausau’s quality of life. Where’s the damn dynamic vision for our future? Who is setting bold priorities and initiatives? We deserve more.
March 18th, 2008 at 6:43 am #
Dino Corvino said:
Tom,
I think your right to ask this question. We have a chance, in this time of apparent recession, to set the tone for the future. To invest in Wausau, to keep dollars here.
I question so much about local government/development on a daily basis that it can be staggering.
I believe that we have a chance to invest in true infrastructure now. Progressive, forward thinking infrastructure. Sustainable industry, green building. All of it.
I would like to see both candidates answer these questions.
March 18th, 2008 at 10:07 am #
rockerchick said:
I saw Deb Hadley out having a beer the other night at a little bar. Just thought I’d pipe in. I don’t have an opinion on local government. I choose not to be involved at this point. Ignorant, I know. Sorry!
March 18th, 2008 at 10:08 am #
Dino Corvino said:
See, that is a good story. I like the idea of our leaders drinking beer.
March 18th, 2008 at 10:33 am #
rockerchick said:
It was a thing of beauty. Personally I am refreshed by the idea that after a hard day of work she felt like she needed a beer! Ironically I was the one having a soda and a bag of popcorn. Just had to get out of the house for a bit!
March 18th, 2008 at 11:11 am #
Dino Corvino said:
where was she?
March 18th, 2008 at 3:55 pm #
wausaujon said:
I know you’ld love it if I could tell you how I would lower taxes for the residents of Wausau. Truth is, I can’t describe to you a definitive plan. I must go with my gut feeling which tells me that these are times to be more conservative. These are times to chose different paths than we have before.
I would love to tell you how to cut back on services to cut taxes. Truth is, I haven’t seen many of services work for the masses.
Why is it that they can’t seem to keep our streets clean in the winter, but spare no expense to circle Marathon Park repeated with the plows when a presidential candidate might be coming to town?
Why do we have overnight parking bans on our streets but fail to ticket people like my neighbors who park there almost everynight? There’s revenue to be made there!
And how about sending a squad car around my block, say, maybe once a month, just for the hell of it, to let my thumpin’ car stereo neighbors know that at 2 a.m., excess noise is unacceptable!
Reasons? Bureacracy!
I don’t think that the challenge right now is to gamble. I have no choice but to be brave. I stare many issues in the face, and I trust my logic of my investments, and spend money knowing I’ll be eating Ramen for a years.
I don’t challenge municpalities to raise taxes as I know it’ll happen no matter what, but I do challange them to uphold services it already has. I think now is the time to stop and listen to the masses. The average Joes that live on $20 to $30K a year…
And by the way Dino, I know you’re a smart and locally involved person. It’s been very interesting observing but how can you have any say one way or the other on the Wausau mayoral race when you are in fact a resident of Schofield. (Well, that’s where your myspace page says you live. Maybe that could be wrong?!)
And for god sake, a local politician having a beer at a bar!!! What a better place to get out and meet your constituants! Maybe if she can get more average joes out to the polls, then all the Fat-Cat family money folks would’nt be running the show from behind pull-my-strings Tipple.
As I said earlier. it’s not really about who wins the race, but rather to get rid of bureacracy…
Hey rockerchick… If you don’t have an opinion on local government, then why do you make a comment about Hadley having a beer? Where you too busy watching the Packer news to perhaps observe why she was there? Maybe she was there to meet and greet the people and sell herself and the politics that she believes in. I wasn’t there, I couldn’t say how it was. I think you ought to convey all the things that you saw and heard that night… Not just that you saw a face that people have been seeing on the billboards and heard about in the news was (oh my god!) having a beer. ESPECIALLY if you have no opinion on local politics!
But opinions are like butt holes… Everybody’s got one!
March 18th, 2008 at 8:27 pm #
oldwoodchair said:
wausaujon: I’ve got lots of opinions…guess I must be all butt hole.
March 18th, 2008 at 8:44 pm #
Dino Corvino said:
I think that going with your gut is a good idea. I really do. I also think that as candidates raise an idea, it is fair to ask them about said idea.
I think our services in this city, under the leadership of our City Council, I think those services have been great. I also see how it is possible as an individual it is easy to see how our sidewalk is not cleaned, or street patrolled. I like my streets, I like the relationships I have with my cops.
I did not read anything negative in the fact that rockerchick saw a leader out, I think that is cool. Rockerchick is not a writer, she merely made a comment. And an interesting one.
Please, lets not make this discussion insulting or personal. No one else has.
March 18th, 2008 at 8:49 pm #
wausaujon said:
I wasn’t trying to be personal… Just trying to point out that by “seeing” her out for a beer could be concived as a negative. It’s very important to tell a whole story, not just one part of it.
And the same to you Dino… I’m sorry if I came across as insulting to anyone…
Perhaps I’ve misread your words and took them as your opinion rather then your objective writing!
I wish neither of you any ill thoughts.
Just wanted to voice my “butt-hole” opinion! I’ve met her, and I think she’s genuine! She was nice enough to talk to me in person. All I got from Tipple was a flyer stuck in my door… Not that there’s anything wrong with that!
March 18th, 2008 at 9:08 pm #
Dino Corvino said:
Wausaujon,
I understand, but Citizen Wausau seeks to be something else. An alternative. Where we do the things we all talk about, the civility is something I am not likely to let go of any time soon.
I think I explained my thoughts on having a beer with a prior post about drunk dialing.
March 18th, 2008 at 9:28 pm #
wausaujon said:
So now I’m confused. Are you implying I have a late night disease involving alcohol and a blog?
March 18th, 2008 at 9:44 pm #
Tom Neal said:
I’ve seen Tipple out tippling a time or two too … so, he also is “a guy.” Not an issue unless table-top dancing or a fistfight was involved.
wausaujon … you are focused on lowering taxes (”most importantly”), but do you really believe that they will/can be lowered by any meaningful level for you as a property owner? By “property” are you referencing your home, or a collection of properties? As a homeowner, lowered taxes might amount to a couple (few at most) hundred dollars a year, not exactly an economic stimulus package. If you’re a major property owner, you might have reason to be more motivated about lowering taxes. But, you support growth as well (i.e. riverfront development), but that is apt to require another TIF … are you for or against that? Be careful about wanting it both ways.
But, this question has come up: What is the basis of the tax lowering? What will be cut? What are the specifics? Again, I ask: does this include lowering the mayor’s salary, by say 20%? Who else might be cut/lowered? Where is the fat? What is the plan? Take a look, is there a candidate running on an exhibited record of fiscal constraint and consensus building?
I’m trying hard to assess the platforms and histories of the candidates … but available information is a little sketchy on some things. oldwoodchair advised me at one point to go directly to the candidates and ask them for more detailed input. That’s an option, but if I’m hearing a one-on-one position instead of a public one, am I getting the real scooch-manooch?
Lastly, jon, you assert that “bureaucracy” is the bugaboo at fault for local fiscal troubles. Seems that might be an opinion based on assumption. Is the bureaucracy hurting us, or is it the rising costs of medical insurance, utilities, fuel, consumables, public safety, infrastructure upkeep, and a tax base that is not rising at a rate to match the community’s needs? We need to be more aggressive promoting ourselves and attracting investment. We need new, next-generation businesses (i.e. tech, IT, manufacturing) and not spin our wheels trying to land a Red Lobster, or rooting around looking for a clerk to lay off.
March 19th, 2008 at 7:07 am #
Barry Liss said:
I think Tom makes more sense anyone else in Wausau. How come you don’t run for mayor? Riddle me this Kierkegaards? Where’s the democrat in this race?
Was it or was it not Deb Hadley along with a couple other oracles from the city council who wanted to kill the concerts on the square as a tax-cutting strategy? Am I supposed to forget that?
Barry
March 19th, 2008 at 7:48 am #
erik said:
If one wants to vote with their gut, I saw more power to ya. Really, as long as you’re voting I’m fairly happy. But I have to agree with Tom on this stuff. We need concrete answers, not just “bureaucracy is to blame!” I’ve spoken to Chief Hardel a couple of times about how he has requested the funds to get three more patrol officers to deal with our new found crime problem. We had more robberies one month last year than we did all year in 2006. Is cutting back really the answer to things like that? Barry brings up the point of library costs, and just today I was at the Marathon City middle school where seventh graders were begging for better service from their library that is no larger than most people’s living rooms.
With how lean the fat is already in our communities, I think it is a fair question to ask: where do we trim more?
March 19th, 2008 at 3:34 pm #
Dino Corvino said:
What about the hockey rinks, do they pay for themselves? How much does a Zamboni cost?
March 19th, 2008 at 4:14 pm #
oldwoodchair said:
Tom: I firmly believe that the only time you honestly get the scooch manooch is by talking one-to-one. At the forums or on their website or on the radio show, they’re talking AT you…not WITH you…that’s the way a public presentation is structured.
Think of it as how you would handle hiring someone to care for your children…would you decide who to hire by watching them do a presentation that is directed at the masses, or by sitting down with them and asking questions about their philosophies and judgements and beliefs and visions in caring for those children, with all the give & take that comes only with conversation, to allow you to make a confident decision?
I have made my decision…I am familiar with both candidates and feel confident I’m making the right choice. Your decision, and how you arrive at that decision is up to you. I only stress the one-to-one because I believe it delivers not only the relevant information that you seek, but that all important measure of the person.
March 19th, 2008 at 5:49 pm #
erik said:
A very good point, Mr. Corvino. Specifically, I know that the municiple pools are the topic of much debate. Wausau’s pools cannot support themselves for whatever reason. So obviously our tax dollars are picking up the slack on these public pools.
Should we just be rid of the pools, hockey rinks and the like? Is this some of the “wasteful” spending that folks speak of. Or are these “quality of life” services that the city should demand on the citizen’s tax dollar?
March 19th, 2008 at 5:51 pm #
rockerchick said:
Sorry, folks. Didn’t mean to make waves by saying Mrs. Hadley was out having a beer. It’s not like she was firing down beer after beer and then topless dancing on a table yelling, “Woo-Hoo!!!” She simply was having a beer with a few acquaintances. Jeepers!!!
March 20th, 2008 at 11:08 am #
Dino Corvino said:
Rocker, don’t worry. In this time of election, it appears that we are all a little sensitive.
What bar was she at?
I like the idea of the personality being a reality.
March 20th, 2008 at 11:28 am #
rockerchick said:
Callon Street Pub, old House of Imports.
March 20th, 2008 at 1:19 pm #
oldwoodchair said:
Well, maybe we should all just call up Mr. Kluz, pull up our “big girl’s panties”, and go out for a beer together.
Excuse me for using a phrase that is totally demeaning to women, but I just learned from the City Pages today that it must be ok because a local candidate can say it…must be acceptable…cause he’s not out there alone…he has several council members in his corner…I’ve seen him putting up their campaign signs.
Excuse the negativity here, Dino, but I am disgusted.
March 20th, 2008 at 7:36 pm #
erik said:
Not to derail things entirely, but I thought that City Pages article was horrible. It was something out of a poorly run high school paper. Rather than being about the issues and candidates stances, I felt like I was reading a gossip article. Since when did Enquirer level journalism stand as good enough for covering public officials? The blur between politics and entertainment news because much more apparent when you read an article built on “she said” “he said” drama llama pandering rather than the meat and potatoes of public discourse.
It’s a shame too because I usually like the City Pages quite a bit.
March 20th, 2008 at 7:49 pm #
oldwoodchair said:
Eric: I respect your opinion as you certainly know more about the media than I. But I am just a simple person who, though interested in the visions and political stances of our candidates, must vote on my concience, and I appreciate knowing what kind of “person” a candidate is. When someone puts themselves out there asking for my vote, I want to feel secure that they are a person I can trust with the decision-making power over our city or county that my vote would afford them. Though I don’t approve of Enquirer-like tabloid journalism, I do appreciate a snapshot of what kind of person that candidate is. What I saw in the City Pages today (and it was not refuted by Kluz…in fact he seemed rather proud of his derogatory statements) painted him as a mean-spirited, disrespectful, secretive, calculating, immature individual. I appreciate that information before I walk into that booth on April 1.
Further (and please indulge my rant here) his “big girl’s panties” reference is offensive in the extreme. Not only was he directing a derogatory comment to Rosenberg, but he used the female gender to further insinuate a negative…why didn’t he say “pull up your big boy britches”??? But perhaps I am suspicious of his gender biased phraseology after witnessing the content of his “mypage” before he secured it from view.
Therefore, my personal judgement being that he is not a person I would want to represent me in any way, it greatly concerns me that he is associated with other candidates who, simply by association, may be like-minded in his views and approach to the people in this community. And, again, while I respect your opinion on the bent of the City Pages article, I appreciated the glimpse of the make-up of the man.
March 20th, 2008 at 8:39 pm #
Jim Rosenberg said:
If nothing else, City Pages has provided an opportunity for people to see a bit about what Kluz is about and his crass, personal attack style. Hopefully the people of District 8 are paying attention and they will re-elect Karen Kellbach to the Marathon County Board. She takes her duties seriously and treats people with respect.
In my opinion and as oldwoodchair suggests, Kluz can be linked to a number of campaigns pretty easily. I believe the idea is for these people to then feel beholden to him and carry water for his consistently negative views. Sometimes it works and sometimes he is thrown overboard, as Mayor Tipple did shortly after he was elected (to his credit.)
Some tracks to this connection are the similar, oversized yard signs with no visible disclaimer that you’ll see for present council members Miller, Foley and Abitz, the 12th District challenger to Ed Gale (and, of course, my opponent, too.) There may be other candidates. People receiving bulk mailings from any candidate using permit #418 should know that number belongs to Kluz. Good people of various political persuasions reject his tactics and style for good reason.
March 20th, 2008 at 9:05 pm #
oldwoodchair said:
Jim: I appreciate your take on things…and your info. I think as responsible voters we need to question what ethical and socially concious behavior we hold our representatives to. I am disheartened to consider that other candidates subscribe to his mean-spirited style of communication and behavior I would be interested to know, from each of the candidates, including the Mayoral candidates, what their take is on the mindset of the Kluz associations. Were any of those candidates on his “secret list”?…how juvenile. And how do the female candidates feel about his gender slam???
March 20th, 2008 at 10:08 pm #
Barry Liss said:
We could also rate the comedic aesthetic quality of the attacks on a scale of 1-10:
a) attack on Jim’s myspace blog = about a 1, very weak - doesn’t jibe with reality as the myspace and facebook pages are appealing to more people than merely young girls.
b) insult about Jim’s hair = a 2.8…higher score for veracity, yet the cliche nature of the attack reduces point total significantly.
c) lab specimen = 2.4, delves into the grotesque without further elaboration.
So, dividing our three criteria, on a scale of 1-10 Mr. Kluz receives a 2.1 for the comedic aesthetic quality of his ad hominmem attacks…not funny…better luck next time Mr. Kluz.
Barry
March 21st, 2008 at 7:25 am #
erik said:
Chair: I think that it’s great to have an idea of not only where a candidate for office stands on the issues, but as you put it understand their character. Really, these people are interviewing for a job and we’re the very large human resource board :)
I was more commenting on the nature of the article rather than what type of information people should be gleaming about their prospective public servants. Sorry for not being more clear :)
March 21st, 2008 at 9:27 pm #