Cheryl Hentz bio and candidacy position statement
CHERYL HENTZ BIO
Cheryl was born and raised in Oshkosh and has made it her home for most of her life. An active member in the community, she has been appointed to several city boards and commissions by the Mayor and City Council, including the Citizens Advisory Committee, Housing subcommittee, Grand Opera House Advisory Board, Landmarks Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals, on which she served as Vice-Chairperson from June 2002 to June 2004, and as Chair from June 2004 to present.
She also served for four years on the Board of Directors for the Oshkosh Area Humane Society and wrote and edited its newsletter for three years. Always helping animals wherever and whenever she can, Cheryl has also volunteered her time during the past five years or so to the Dal-Savers Dalmatian Rescue group, which serves the Wisconsin and Illinois area. She volunteers for other animal causes whenever possible.
A freelance writer and journalist since 1982, Cheryl has worked in all areas of the media, including radio, TV and print journalism. Besides writing and reporting, she does voice-over work for commercial productions and owns & operates a professional writing/publishing/communications service. In addition to her professional work, she has hosted and produced the award-winning cable access show “Eye on Oshkosh” since 2002.
CHERYL HENTZ CANDIDACY & POSITION STATEMENT
As most people in Oshkosh know, I have entered the race for the Oshkosh Common Council. While my reasons are many, they primarily center around two things:
Responsible spending on current and future needs, including planned development; and wanting to have a city council that listens to the residents of Oshkosh and is more responsive than most people believe the current council has been.
In recent months in particular we have seen the current council – with the exception of Paul Esslinger and Brian Poeschl – do the following:
* Approve a multimillion dollar amphitheatre project within only three weeks time, though having few answers as to how it would operate (we still don’t have those answers, by the way);
* Fail to solicit any public discussion on that same amphitheatre project, despite city administration’s own acknowledgement that citizens were cool to the idea;
* Move $675,000 out of our General Fund – designed for emergencies and the like – to pay for bathrooms at the amphitheatre project;
* Waive bids on the construction work of those bathrooms and give the contract to a close personal friend and golfing buddy of one city council member – a city council member who also now happens to be running for mayor. (Incidentally, now that same contractor has stepped forward to say he can save the city money if he waives his architectural fee and construction manages the project, when God only knows how much money truly could have been saved had the bids not been waived to begin with);
* Close our municipal pool while spending about the same as it would have cost to repair it on a splash pad that, realistically, only younger children can use;
* Approve the extinguishing of another 250 street lights (more than 1,000 put out since 2002), yet approve spending approx. $150,000 on decorative lighting and colored concrete on one of our bridges;
* Waive bids on the purchasing of playground equipment for one of our parks because the parks director happens to like one particular company and he’s comfortable with them;
* Approve dropping the liability insurance requirement for groups hosting events in city parks where liquor will be served, against the advice of our city attorney and now leaving the city open to potentially costly litigation;
* Refuse to give citizens the opportunity to vote on whether or not we should have a mayor with some real power instead of the ceremonial mayor we currently have. Makes one wonder what they are afraid of, doesn’t it?
And that’s just for starters. In addition, our taxes this year went up 5.7 percent and that does not even begin to cover what the amphitheater and other downtown redevelopment will cost us in years to come.
The majority of the Oshkosh Common Council do not seem to care what the citizens in this community think, unless they are a well-known developer, important business person or special interest group. Rather, they appear to be out of touch with their constituents. Citizens by and large are fed up and that is something that can be seen by the large number of candidates in this race.
What separates me from some of my opponents in this race is that while they may suddenly be talking about the city’s haste with certain projects and some unsound business decisions the Council may have made, I have to wonder where these people were before this? They have not spoken out one time about these “concerns” of theirs – not at a city council meeting; not in a letter to the editor; and not to the media as they launched their campaigns. Some have even supported the very decisions the current council has made. The candidates I’m speaking about are the ones who keep talking about “progress,” having a “vision’ and being “positive.” They are the ones who will undoubtedly be supported and endorsed by groups like the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, Progress Oshkosh and Forward Oshkosh.
My positions, on the other hand, have been well-known for a long time. I have never been afraid to speak out against that which doesn’t make sense or that which I think needs greater scrutiny before someone commits our hard-earned tax dollars. I don’t merely speak out when it’s convenient because I want to sway the public in order to get votes. The public in Oshkosh knows where I stand – that’s why so many of them have asked me to run.
I am not opposed to progress, provided it is done in a judicious manner and the public has been heard on matters involving their tax dollars, especially large sums of money, like for the amphitheater. Haste creates waste and we have seen that time after time after time in this city. And THAT is one of the reasons other communities are progressing more rapidly than us and having greater economic development than us. It’s common-sense stuff, folks.
And I think it’s important to have a vision. But part of that vision must include having decent roads, good-paying jobs, affordable housing for the poor and elderly and people not being forced out of their homes by high taxes caused in large part by frivolous spending. These are some of the real quality of life issues our community needs to focus on.
Do I profess to have all the answers? Of course not – no one can! But if elected to the Oshkosh Common Council I will take my job seriously, I will do my homework (as I always do) and I will listen to constituents with an open mind and understanding ear. We may not always agree on issues, but at least I will listen and try to be the voice of the people. That’s a tremendous step forward from where we are now.
In closing, let me just say this: Some of the candidates are asking that you call them and let them know what your “vision” is for the city and to tell them what kind of city you want. To what end? They seem to already have their minds made up about what is best for this community. I, on the other hand, have been listening to the citizens for several years – both through my nearly 12 years of service on city boards and commissions and through my 2+ years hosting Eye on Oshkosh. I hear your concerns and I see the fear of what’s yet to come in so many of your faces.
Thank you for allowing me the time to tell you a little about myself and where I stand on some of these issues. I hope that with your support on Tuesday, Feb. 15 and again on Tuesday, April 5, I can begin to help make a difference for ALL the citizens of Oshkosh, not just a select few.
A vote for Cheryl Hentz is a vote for common-sense and common interests, not special ones.
Cheryl Hentz for Oshkosh Common Council
(920) 426-4123
email me at: hosts@eyeonoshkosh.com
Cheryl was born and raised in Oshkosh and has made it her home for most of her life. An active member in the community, she has been appointed to several city boards and commissions by the Mayor and City Council, including the Citizens Advisory Committee, Housing subcommittee, Grand Opera House Advisory Board, Landmarks Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals, on which she served as Vice-Chairperson from June 2002 to June 2004, and as Chair from June 2004 to present.
She also served for four years on the Board of Directors for the Oshkosh Area Humane Society and wrote and edited its newsletter for three years. Always helping animals wherever and whenever she can, Cheryl has also volunteered her time during the past five years or so to the Dal-Savers Dalmatian Rescue group, which serves the Wisconsin and Illinois area. She volunteers for other animal causes whenever possible.
A freelance writer and journalist since 1982, Cheryl has worked in all areas of the media, including radio, TV and print journalism. Besides writing and reporting, she does voice-over work for commercial productions and owns & operates a professional writing/publishing/communications service. In addition to her professional work, she has hosted and produced the award-winning cable access show “Eye on Oshkosh” since 2002.
CHERYL HENTZ CANDIDACY & POSITION STATEMENT
As most people in Oshkosh know, I have entered the race for the Oshkosh Common Council. While my reasons are many, they primarily center around two things:
Responsible spending on current and future needs, including planned development; and wanting to have a city council that listens to the residents of Oshkosh and is more responsive than most people believe the current council has been.
In recent months in particular we have seen the current council – with the exception of Paul Esslinger and Brian Poeschl – do the following:
* Approve a multimillion dollar amphitheatre project within only three weeks time, though having few answers as to how it would operate (we still don’t have those answers, by the way);
* Fail to solicit any public discussion on that same amphitheatre project, despite city administration’s own acknowledgement that citizens were cool to the idea;
* Move $675,000 out of our General Fund – designed for emergencies and the like – to pay for bathrooms at the amphitheatre project;
* Waive bids on the construction work of those bathrooms and give the contract to a close personal friend and golfing buddy of one city council member – a city council member who also now happens to be running for mayor. (Incidentally, now that same contractor has stepped forward to say he can save the city money if he waives his architectural fee and construction manages the project, when God only knows how much money truly could have been saved had the bids not been waived to begin with);
* Close our municipal pool while spending about the same as it would have cost to repair it on a splash pad that, realistically, only younger children can use;
* Approve the extinguishing of another 250 street lights (more than 1,000 put out since 2002), yet approve spending approx. $150,000 on decorative lighting and colored concrete on one of our bridges;
* Waive bids on the purchasing of playground equipment for one of our parks because the parks director happens to like one particular company and he’s comfortable with them;
* Approve dropping the liability insurance requirement for groups hosting events in city parks where liquor will be served, against the advice of our city attorney and now leaving the city open to potentially costly litigation;
* Refuse to give citizens the opportunity to vote on whether or not we should have a mayor with some real power instead of the ceremonial mayor we currently have. Makes one wonder what they are afraid of, doesn’t it?
And that’s just for starters. In addition, our taxes this year went up 5.7 percent and that does not even begin to cover what the amphitheater and other downtown redevelopment will cost us in years to come.
The majority of the Oshkosh Common Council do not seem to care what the citizens in this community think, unless they are a well-known developer, important business person or special interest group. Rather, they appear to be out of touch with their constituents. Citizens by and large are fed up and that is something that can be seen by the large number of candidates in this race.
What separates me from some of my opponents in this race is that while they may suddenly be talking about the city’s haste with certain projects and some unsound business decisions the Council may have made, I have to wonder where these people were before this? They have not spoken out one time about these “concerns” of theirs – not at a city council meeting; not in a letter to the editor; and not to the media as they launched their campaigns. Some have even supported the very decisions the current council has made. The candidates I’m speaking about are the ones who keep talking about “progress,” having a “vision’ and being “positive.” They are the ones who will undoubtedly be supported and endorsed by groups like the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, Progress Oshkosh and Forward Oshkosh.
My positions, on the other hand, have been well-known for a long time. I have never been afraid to speak out against that which doesn’t make sense or that which I think needs greater scrutiny before someone commits our hard-earned tax dollars. I don’t merely speak out when it’s convenient because I want to sway the public in order to get votes. The public in Oshkosh knows where I stand – that’s why so many of them have asked me to run.
I am not opposed to progress, provided it is done in a judicious manner and the public has been heard on matters involving their tax dollars, especially large sums of money, like for the amphitheater. Haste creates waste and we have seen that time after time after time in this city. And THAT is one of the reasons other communities are progressing more rapidly than us and having greater economic development than us. It’s common-sense stuff, folks.
And I think it’s important to have a vision. But part of that vision must include having decent roads, good-paying jobs, affordable housing for the poor and elderly and people not being forced out of their homes by high taxes caused in large part by frivolous spending. These are some of the real quality of life issues our community needs to focus on.
Do I profess to have all the answers? Of course not – no one can! But if elected to the Oshkosh Common Council I will take my job seriously, I will do my homework (as I always do) and I will listen to constituents with an open mind and understanding ear. We may not always agree on issues, but at least I will listen and try to be the voice of the people. That’s a tremendous step forward from where we are now.
In closing, let me just say this: Some of the candidates are asking that you call them and let them know what your “vision” is for the city and to tell them what kind of city you want. To what end? They seem to already have their minds made up about what is best for this community. I, on the other hand, have been listening to the citizens for several years – both through my nearly 12 years of service on city boards and commissions and through my 2+ years hosting Eye on Oshkosh. I hear your concerns and I see the fear of what’s yet to come in so many of your faces.
Thank you for allowing me the time to tell you a little about myself and where I stand on some of these issues. I hope that with your support on Tuesday, Feb. 15 and again on Tuesday, April 5, I can begin to help make a difference for ALL the citizens of Oshkosh, not just a select few.
A vote for Cheryl Hentz is a vote for common-sense and common interests, not special ones.
Cheryl Hentz for Oshkosh Common Council
(920) 426-4123
email me at: hosts@eyeonoshkosh.com
posted by Cheryl Hentz at 4:52 PM
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