Today Doug Pearson, CHAMCO Executive Director, said in a press release that he "blew my usual professional cool and left behind my typical political correctness" when making comments openly critical of the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce and the OAEDC. How big of him.Pearson's press release never retracts his critical comments, so we have to believe that he meant it when he said, among other things, "the current structure is broken and cannot be fixed" and "We've missed the boat on many things."
Actually Pearson only made one questionable comment last week, and it was this one: "The political leadership of this community will have to decide who is the community development vehicle of this city." That comment assumes that there is in fact political leadership in the city of Oshkosh. There's not. At least not any political leadership that is recognized, respected, and ready to lead.
Why did Pearson back down from his comments? My guess is that it has much to do with the fact that $140,000 of CHAMCO's budget comes from "private industry donations." These folks have a pretty good deal working within the current broken structure, producing a kind of interesting twist on the old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." In Oshkosh, the saying goes this way: "If it's broke but benefits inside special interests, DON'T FIX IT."
So now on WT2T, here's a special tune going out to Doug Pearson. It's Brenda Lee singing an old favorite, "I'm sorry."
11 comments:
I think there's likely a an emotional element at work here. oops! How can that be since community leaders and business men gird their loins with logic and steel and leave emotion to their wives (ya, ya).
I think ther's always going to be people who are obsessed with "how it sounds" or "how it makes us look". They are so paralyzed with fear of anything but (what they imagine to be) a perfect public image that they spend all their time denying problems rather than fixing them.
This is very evident in the Chippewa Falls school system - anyone who brings forth an issue, mentions a problem, is trampled on. Been that way for years. No one pays attention to the problem itself, but on squelching any TALK of a possible problem. (Families are often like that too - don't solve problems, turn to Prozac.)
"How dare you SAY that about US" is a really common reaction when people bring up areas that might be improved or things that might be failures.
The most recent manifestation of the school district's denial problem has made it all the way to the Wisc. State Journal. Two principals pressured girls who REPORTED bullying to be quiet because it made the school look bad - rather than attend to the bullying properly and commend the girls.
Partly because IMHO (and other people's) the main principal is, well, just plain stupid. But I think the other part has to do with a large part of the population having a deep need to beleive blindly in authority figures and to beleive that we are in a fair and just world and that our leaders are somehow more worthy than the rabble, blah blah blah. They feel safe that way.
So, boards and other insitutions panic at the thought of a tarnished image and cannot "admit" they might actually be doing a thing or two less than perfectly because they are afraid of losing the support of those "beleivers", and imagine society will crumble or something.
But as wrong as they are (for not taking the moral high road and looking at potential problems honestly), they're also right - leaders who admit fallibity/humanity are often crucified and another cardboard cut-out leader is propped in their place.
So I think boards and councils are just expressions of the society as a whole and while they tend to be those who do not often question enough and therefore are extra maddening to people who DO question authority, they are no more to blame that the culture at large, which IMHO is pretty F-ed up.
Brenda Lee's "Sweet Happy Life" is a sad little song if you have a realistic mind-set while listening, but it's cute anyway and I like it.
Once again in Oshkosh we have an attempt to kill the messenger, rather than heed the message. Here's what's coming on Tuesday. Carla Altepeter (CEO of Citizens First Credit Union) and President elect of the Chamco board and a past president of the Chamber of Commerce, has called a Executive session of the full board of Chamco. It has been made clear that this is an attempt to rallies the forces to get rid of Doug Pearson. Another words, anyone who dares to speak out about issues that need to be addressed will be ELIMINATED! This serves as a warning to any and all in the future that this will not be tolerated and YOU WILL BE CRUSHED!
If this collective community allows Mr. Doug Pearson to be sacrificed for speaking his well grounded and well founded personally thoughts, we can see the future very clearly for Oshkosh. It will become nothing more than a ghost town, with decay and greater corruption. For those that use to laugh at the "shadow goverment" comments. It is alive and feeding on the apathy of our citizens here in Oshkosh.
If Doug Pearson is thrown to the lions, you will be assured that not only will Industrial development die, but there is NO ONE that can take over the Foreign Trade Zones (as there are only two in the entire State) for they don't understand them, the hopes for the growth of the Airport will die, and any hope for real commercial development is gone for all time. It will take nothing short of a decade or more to recover from this ridiculious ego motived move. We have the gutless members of the Chamco board, Carla Alterpeter, and the Chamber of Commerce, as well as Our fearless Mayor William Castle, and City Manager Richard Wollagnk to thank.
Why mention by name some, because persons like them HAVE spoken the same concerns about OCDC, and the Chamber and now are running for political cover. They are cowards, and we need leaders! We as a City swhould not be concerned with making sure that golfing buddies, and boating buddies and Chamber buddies are made happy by keeping quiet while this city falls.
Please help, this is about any chance for a real future and sending a message as a community that we deserve better. We need Doug Pearson more than ever!!!
Melanie Bloechl
Well said Melanie. Until we get some real leadership in this city we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes. We have a city manager with no qualifications for the job he holds. He shows no leadership. It is time for a change at the top. We are a rutterless ship being guided by special interst groups.
Just thinking out loud here, I wonder how long it will be before the local newspaper retracts their support for Doug Pearson now that his head is on the chopping block?
The previous poster is one hundred percent right, we need a change at the top. We need a strong elected Mayor for this City.
What can we do to help?
Isn't some of this just a little dramatic? Good Lord!
Our city manager is nothing more than a glorified office manager. If the council has any guts they will remove him, clean house with his staff, and hire a professional to run this city. That individual can then assemble a competent staff. Until that is done we will see history repeating itself with Oshkosh being a step behind the rest of the valley.
Melodrama runs rampant in this city and Melanie Bloechl's imagination runs more wild than anyone's.
Whether it comes from melodrama or imagination face the fact Oshkosh is on a path that needs to change. Recognize the fact that without Industrial and commercial development growth the City will lag behind the other Fox Cities. We need to start a recovery process. Citizen's don't care where that leadership comes from, be it City Hall,the Mayor,the Council,OCDC or Chamco. THE CITY NEEDS to find Leadership. If imagination or melodrama lead to communciation. So be it GET THE MESSAGE. To survive OSHKOSH needs CHANGE.
Oshkosh needs DEVELOPMENT! Oshkosh needs LEADERSHIP! NO Drama JUST Truth
Yeah right Mrs. B
NO Mrs. B here But THANK YOU
Right!
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