What a week – and it’s not over yet
Besides the usual stories on things like economic development projects, budgetary issues - and at this time of year – the beginning of several weeks of political race stories, (not to mention the occasional fire truck story) this week has so far been a treasure trove of stories you don’t see every day in Oshkosh. And while they’re each different, the common denominator in them is that the key players either are or have been associated with each other politically, socially – and, yes, even electronically.
On Sunday, the Oshkosh Northwestern ran an editorial telling of the possible birth of a new shadow government in Oshkosh, then attaching to it several email exchanges their Open Records request turned up between Paul Esslinger, Ben Schneider II and Melanie Bloechl. The emails showed some behind-the-scenes collaboration of these individuals, not to mention pointed out in less than flattering words, how at least some of them feel about constituents with differing political opinions than their own. I don’t imagine any of them felt too happy or proud about the newspaper’s “revelation.” But as the saying goes: It is what it is – and it has people talking.
On Tuesday, it was learned that Michelle Monte had resigned from the school board, effective Nov. 24, after taking a job in Milwaukee that requires her presence on Wednesday nights and subsequently missing two months worth of school board meetings. It’s one thing that she had to resign a position she’d only been elected to in April, but what galls people in the community, myself included, is that she accepted the position knowing she would have to teach on nights the school board met, yet she continued drawing a paycheck from the district – small as it may be - and did so for two months before deciding to step down. I also take issue with the fact that, in my opinion, she didn’t have enough character, decency, or moral integrity to go directly to the tax-paying public she represented to explain her absences and tell of her resignation. Sorry, but emailing a letter to the school board president who read it into the record at last night’s school board meeting and answering a few questions from the media when they come to you doesn’t cut it. Someone asked me if I was going to print her resignation letter on this blog, to which I responded “No.” After all, she didn’t see fit to post it on her own blog, why should I post it or any portion thereof on mine? She left open the possibility that she might run for political office again someday, but I can’t imagine this helping her cause should that day ever come.
Then on Wednesday came another Paul Esslinger story. Seems our mayor did Oshkosh proud after getting into a bar scuffle a couple weeks ago over some songs he tried to play on the jukebox, according to this story on the Northwestern’s web site. I wasn’t there when this incident took place, but some questions came to mind immediately upon reading the article. Why does a fellow bar patron have access to a remote control in the first place? Why did Esslinger not just let it go? It couldn’t have been much more than a few bucks or so, I would think. But hey, he paid for songs and had a right to hear them. In that case, though, why did he not do the more mature, responsible thing and instead of confronting the patron – acquaintance or not – go to the bar owner, manager or bartender and either express his concern or ask for his money back? I would think that’s how he’d want such things handled in his own bar, and it would certainly make more sense. But nope, apparently that’s not how Paul Esslinger rolls. Perhaps in the future he should remember he doesn’t have the bully pulpit outside of City Hall.
Clearly, this was not Esslinger’s finest moment and he’s put another black mark on our city and his political career, not to mention he’s added another piece of ammo to the growing arsenal of controversy that will likely haunt him in future races for office. And he certainly does seem to attract, or cause, controversy. In fact, I cannot recall a mayor who has ever had as much controversy in his or her entire term as Esslinger has had in just under eight months in office. The question is why? Are some of the things he says and does just not too well thought out or are they done to attract press and attention? Maybe it’s some of both. But whatever it is, it’s got the characteristics of Peyton Place, small town politics – and it’s embarrassing.
Finally, on an unrelated note, Dennis McHugh announced this week he will not be seeking re-election to the Oshkosh Common Council. This longtime public servant to both the Oshkosh Area School District’s Board of Education and the Common Council said due to health reasons he will not seek another term when his current one is up in April. I’ve certainly not always agreed with McHugh, but he has given years of public service to our community and I believe always voted in the way he thought was best for it. Some people have unfairly blogged about his announcement, even going so far as to compare his leaving after finishing out his term with Monte’s resignation from the school board. These situations are light years apart and have no business being compared to each other, other than the fact the news was perhaps surprising and has people talking. Though he has four months left in his term, it’s not too early to say “Thanks for your years of service, Dennis. Best wishes and make the most of your well-deserved time off and retirement from public service.”
So it has been quite a week so far, and with this only being Thursday, I wonder what else might still follow, lest we all stay tuned.
On Sunday, the Oshkosh Northwestern ran an editorial telling of the possible birth of a new shadow government in Oshkosh, then attaching to it several email exchanges their Open Records request turned up between Paul Esslinger, Ben Schneider II and Melanie Bloechl. The emails showed some behind-the-scenes collaboration of these individuals, not to mention pointed out in less than flattering words, how at least some of them feel about constituents with differing political opinions than their own. I don’t imagine any of them felt too happy or proud about the newspaper’s “revelation.” But as the saying goes: It is what it is – and it has people talking.
On Tuesday, it was learned that Michelle Monte had resigned from the school board, effective Nov. 24, after taking a job in Milwaukee that requires her presence on Wednesday nights and subsequently missing two months worth of school board meetings. It’s one thing that she had to resign a position she’d only been elected to in April, but what galls people in the community, myself included, is that she accepted the position knowing she would have to teach on nights the school board met, yet she continued drawing a paycheck from the district – small as it may be - and did so for two months before deciding to step down. I also take issue with the fact that, in my opinion, she didn’t have enough character, decency, or moral integrity to go directly to the tax-paying public she represented to explain her absences and tell of her resignation. Sorry, but emailing a letter to the school board president who read it into the record at last night’s school board meeting and answering a few questions from the media when they come to you doesn’t cut it. Someone asked me if I was going to print her resignation letter on this blog, to which I responded “No.” After all, she didn’t see fit to post it on her own blog, why should I post it or any portion thereof on mine? She left open the possibility that she might run for political office again someday, but I can’t imagine this helping her cause should that day ever come.
Then on Wednesday came another Paul Esslinger story. Seems our mayor did Oshkosh proud after getting into a bar scuffle a couple weeks ago over some songs he tried to play on the jukebox, according to this story on the Northwestern’s web site. I wasn’t there when this incident took place, but some questions came to mind immediately upon reading the article. Why does a fellow bar patron have access to a remote control in the first place? Why did Esslinger not just let it go? It couldn’t have been much more than a few bucks or so, I would think. But hey, he paid for songs and had a right to hear them. In that case, though, why did he not do the more mature, responsible thing and instead of confronting the patron – acquaintance or not – go to the bar owner, manager or bartender and either express his concern or ask for his money back? I would think that’s how he’d want such things handled in his own bar, and it would certainly make more sense. But nope, apparently that’s not how Paul Esslinger rolls. Perhaps in the future he should remember he doesn’t have the bully pulpit outside of City Hall.
Clearly, this was not Esslinger’s finest moment and he’s put another black mark on our city and his political career, not to mention he’s added another piece of ammo to the growing arsenal of controversy that will likely haunt him in future races for office. And he certainly does seem to attract, or cause, controversy. In fact, I cannot recall a mayor who has ever had as much controversy in his or her entire term as Esslinger has had in just under eight months in office. The question is why? Are some of the things he says and does just not too well thought out or are they done to attract press and attention? Maybe it’s some of both. But whatever it is, it’s got the characteristics of Peyton Place, small town politics – and it’s embarrassing.
Finally, on an unrelated note, Dennis McHugh announced this week he will not be seeking re-election to the Oshkosh Common Council. This longtime public servant to both the Oshkosh Area School District’s Board of Education and the Common Council said due to health reasons he will not seek another term when his current one is up in April. I’ve certainly not always agreed with McHugh, but he has given years of public service to our community and I believe always voted in the way he thought was best for it. Some people have unfairly blogged about his announcement, even going so far as to compare his leaving after finishing out his term with Monte’s resignation from the school board. These situations are light years apart and have no business being compared to each other, other than the fact the news was perhaps surprising and has people talking. Though he has four months left in his term, it’s not too early to say “Thanks for your years of service, Dennis. Best wishes and make the most of your well-deserved time off and retirement from public service.”
So it has been quite a week so far, and with this only being Thursday, I wonder what else might still follow, lest we all stay tuned.
posted by Cheryl Hentz at 7:12 AM
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