Former Oshkosh mayor takes position on local election

[We have received the following copy of a Letter to the Editor of the Oshkosh Northwestern written by Melanie Bloechl and are pleased to publish it here]...

I’ve paid close attention to the local political campaigns this spring and a few things are painfully obvious.

Two distinct types of candidates are running for City Council and Mayor: Those I view as the “Tax and Spenders” and those I affectionately call the “Watch Dogs” of our tax dollars.

The Tax and Spenders are Meredith Scheuermann, Bryan Bain and Shirley Mattox. These people have said they’re comfortable spending your hard-earned money on proposed projects, even though they haven’t reviewed plans or asked if you can afford them.

Then you have the Watch Dogs: They are Paul Esslinger, Cheryl Hentz, Brian Poeschl, and Joe Jungwirth. They’ve stated that they won’t commit to spending large sums of money until a full review of the issues has been done and the taxpayers have had a say in the process.

And who hasn’t noticed that once again special interest groups are heavily involved in this election. While on the face of it that would not seem to be a bad thing, let's take a look at who they are and whom they support. Progress Oshkosh, Forward Oshkosh and the Chamber of Commerce each is hell-bent on making sure Oshkosh moves at break-neck speed in what they feel is a positive direction. Translation: Spend, spend, spend on downtown project. Coincidently these groups support the “Tax and Spenders.”

We must get to the polls on April 5 and vote to stop this insanity. Let’s bring faith, trust and common sense back to city hall. Please join me in supporting those who ask tough questions, think for themselves, research issues and see how effectively other communities do things. Support our Watch Dogs: Paul Esslinger for Mayor and Cheryl Hentz, Brian Poeschl, and Joe Jungwirth for City Council, on April 5th.

Your checkbook depends on it!

Sincerely,
Melanie Bloechl