The Oshkosh Northwestern Agrees - Editorial: City should buy antique fire truck

The editorial is here.

I agree with most of what they have to say here:

And finally, this week was a resolution to turn the truck over to the city and disburse $2,900 in donations to the mayor. When a citizen, Jef Hall, questioned the appropriateness of the Mayor participating in the discussion from the dais and the overall appearance of the transaction, the Mayor and council member Dennis McHugh took umbrage.
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The best, cleanest solution to the problem, as suggested by Hall, is for the council to make a determination that the fire truck has historic value to the city and buy the truck from Esslinger. They can designate the $2,900 in donations to a maintenance fund for the truck and write a $9,724 check to the Mayor.

I disagree with the suggestion that funds should come from the Fire Dept's budget. This is a vital budget that can easily go over. If, at the end of the year, the Fire Dept has $10,000 left, they can pay back the general fund with their surplus.

But, this is an item for the entire city, so the funds should come from the general fund. Otherwise you could argue that the money should come from parks, if it ends up displayed there, or business improvement, if it is in parades, or any number of other places....

I also feel a separate fund should be opened to pay back the city, AFTER Mr. Esslinger is paid. This will allow fund-raising for the truck to be separate from any payments to Mr. Esslinger.

I also agree that:

The council can leave it to the voters to decide if Mayor's dalliance with the fire truck was appropriate.

I think purchase without approval followed by a demand for payment, yet terming it a donation was an act of hubris on Mayor Esslinger's part. However, if I was on the council and it was brought forward to purchase an historic artifact such as this for $10,000 I would most likely support it. My problem with this is not the act of securing the item, but the process followed.

Let's settle this, get the truck into the community and move on.

I will be forwarding a copy of my resolution to the Council and staff for consideration.

I hope the Oshkosh Northwestern will also agree that Mr. Esslinger should step down from the Council Dias for the debate on this resolution.

UPDATE: OshNW Addresses Palmeri's 'Soviet Comments'

James Fitzhenry of the Northwestern addresses Deputy Mayor Tony Palmeri's 'Soviet Comments' in today's column:

QUESTION 3: A Common Council member compares the authorization of an urban deer hunt to something in line with the unbridled power dictated in the old Soviet Union. Those remarks show the council member to be:

A. The lone voice of reason in a sea of corrupt cowards.

B. Dangerously on the edge of irrelevancy.

C. Needing a better way to spend his time.

D. Losing his grip on reality.

We will see if Palmeri addresses (apologizes for) these comments at Tuesdays meeting. (Feel free to chat about it online here)

(P.S. I answer B with a sprinkle of D)

How public will the process really be?

Here is the OshNW article about the (already) confusing appointment process for the Oshkosh Common Council seat.

Looking at the time frame from the article:

The newly elected city council met for the first time Tuesday afternoon to discuss the process. With the hopes of soliciting public input on the issue, the matter was pushed back to the May 12 meeting.

and

Councilors who favored the application process also suggested accepting letters of interest and resumes for a one- to two-week period, which would likely lead to a vote to fill the position in the last week of May.

So, they want to decide how to fill the position on May 12th. Then have the appointment on May 26th - two weeks to the day later.

This doesn't really leave a lot of time for the application and interview process. It would seem to me that there is really only time to review people you already know in that time.

If you give 2 weeks to submit the application, then the appointment would need to be moved into June.

I think this could easily turn into a railroad. We need to keep our eyes on the process and actions closely.

Is this truly an open application process, or a thin veil to put over a selection that has already been made?

We will be monitoring...

Too far?

I am all for public information, but do we need a search able pet inventory of all of Oshkosh?

Want to find a rare breed? Look it up. Go get it!

Ex-girlfriend break-up and take your pet? Look up the name and find out where they are now!

I agree that we need to have this information public in the case of an attack. But does it need to be search able to any curious cat in Oshkosh.

I believe the Northwestern has gone a step too far on this one.

Some of their other databases are great... But I think this one could be cut out.

Find it on your own, I'm not linking.

A Reason to Vote for Obama (also from the OshNW pic gallery)

Hasn't the Republican Party made it hard enough for her future?

Great Column on Purchasing Locally

From OshNW Community Columnist Steve Volkert

Commentary: Supporting community commerce more important than lowest price

Case in point is Wal-Mart with their philosophy that sold so many over the holiday season. "Save money, live better." Did they say, "Shop locally, save jobs?" No. Did they say, "Better service means better satisfaction?" No. Did they say, "Buy from those you know?" No. They said, "Save money, live better." Because after all, if we can save money on what we want, we will have a better life and it doesn't matter what it means for anone else. Is this what we as a society have gotten to? It's all about me?
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Let me give you an example. I bought my vehicles from Don. Jerry keeps them safe for me to drive. My grocer is Jim and my garbage hauler is Dave. I have fish at Sandy's and sit down for a beer at Pat's. Dan takes care of my mortgage and Kristi takes care of my checking and savings. This spring I'm having Bill put in windows that I'm buying from Eric. Ken is my pharmacist and Jack is my family's doctor. When I die, Steve and Denise will take care of my family and me and make sure everything goes as planned.

Does price really matter to me? No. And not because I have an incredible wealth, but because these are my friends and I know I can trust them with my hard-earned money. If I have problems with their products or services I can talk to them; if I need something I can request it. And because they're friends, I know my voice will be heard. Not only do I buy from them, I also eat with them, go to ball games with them, coach with them and worship with them. They serve my community and are a part of my community. These are local business owners and their friendship means more than price. They are the people I can buy from, I can trust, I can sit down and talk with over a cold beer. And you know what, I've never had a beer with Sam Walton. Please, shop your locally owned independent businesses whenever possible.

Read it all here.

When do you need name people in a newspaper story?

The question arises from this OshNW story:

2 Oshkosh residents hurt in Highway 41 crash
Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers

Two people were injured Friday in a two-vehicle accident on Highway 41 near Lone Elm Road north of Fond du Lac.

At about 7 a.m., a pickup truck driven by a 35-year-old Oshkosh man was headed north on Highway 41 in the town of Eldorado when the driver lost control of the vehicle and collided with a pickup truck driven by Amanda Lancour, 17, of Oshkosh, said Lt. Nick Scorcio of the Wisconsin State Patrol.

Lancour’s vehicle entered the median, striking the median cables, which prevented it from entering southbound traffic, Scorcio said.

Lancour suffered minor injuries and was transported to Aurora Medical Center in Oshkosh for treatment, Scorcio said. She was wearing a seat belt.

After impact, the Oshkosh man’s pickup truck spun out of control and entered the west ditch of Highway 41, overturning several times. The driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac.

The Oshkosh man will be cited for operating while intoxicated causing injury (third offense), operating while suspended causing injury, and reckless driving, Scorcio said.

As a result of the accident, the road was not closed, but traffic was backed up for a short time. Road conditions were icy at the time, Scorcio said.

Alcohol was a factor in the initial cause of the accident, he said.

The State Patrol is continuing its investigation of the incident. The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Department, North Fond du Lac ambulance and first responders assisted at the crash scene.

Why would the 17 year old injured girl be named, but not the 35 year old intoxicated man who caused the accident ans was not injured be anonymous?

OshNW - Letter to the Editor: Olsen's Ethanol Conflict

Letter: Sen. Olsen has conflict on ethanol bill
State senate bill 380 is back and once again they are trying to force everyone to use ethanol-tainted gasoline. If ethanol were such a superior product, why would it need government to force us to use it? Ethanol has been proven to be an actual cause of more pollution not less because you need to burn more if it to get the same result as gasoline. But what is really interesting is whose name is listed as a co-sponsor of this corporate welfare and that is Senator Luther Olsen (R)-Ripon. Senator Olsen is part owner of feed and milling companies and his brother (Paul) operates Utica Energy, LLC that owns an ethanol plant in Oshkosh.

Senator Olsen in the past had decided to recuse himself from voting on pending ethanol bills due to business ties, so what has changed in the senators life that has eliminated his blatant conflict of interest? Is it now acceptable to have our elected officials pass laws designed to line their own and their families pockets? Senator Olsen is an embarrassment to the Republican Party and should resign.

Eric Destiche Appleton

Here is a summary of the bill.

Stew's Right, Again

Credit where credit is due, this is a great column:

Stew Rieckman column: Reply to all: Get past superficial to find real Oshkosh
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The subject line of the e-mail is: "You know you're from Oshkosh when
…."
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You can visit three world-class museums for pocket change.

You can wile away a Saturday morning browsing the collections at a great municipal library

You can enjoy the Thursday night summer music festival at a river front amphitheater, walk two blocks to your car and be home in five minutes.

You can choose from one of two excellent YMCA and watch your children enjoy indoor soccer, ice-skating, rock climbing, swimming and other activities in a wholesome environment.

You can go downtown to find a "thing-a-ma-gig" for your weekend project and get knowledgeable, friendly assistance from a clerk at Kitz and Pfeil.

You can stroll the Gallery Walk in downtown, explore the unique variety of shops and develop an appreciation for the eclectic art community in Oshkosh.

He has a bunch more here.

It is nice to see an appreciation of what Oshkosh has to offer. He also challenges people to add their own. Go here to do that.

Stew's right!

Credit where credit is due, great post Stew (responding to an anonymous forum basher of a signed letter to the editor):

Dear Keen,

At least she had the courage of her conviction to put her name on her opinion...hint, hint.
_________________
Stew Rieckman, ee

Stay off the OshNW site if you are under 8!

or over 107...

The following screen comes up at login time for their website:

OshNW Sidebar Unnecessary,..

Along this the OshNW's story about the current tax bills going out, they included a sidebar informing people of the consumer purchases they could have made with the tax bill on a $100,000 home instead of paying taxes.

Things such as:

What you could buy

For 2008, the property tax bill for a homeowner with property worth $100,000 is $2,208. But there are a number of other things people could get for $2,208:
A Dell XPS Computer with 20’’ widescreen display, a high-speed processor and Microsoft Office: $1,999 total plus tax.
A five day, four night trip for two to West Palm Beach Florida from Appleton, Wisconsin on Priceline.com: Total $1,875 plus which means you’d have $333 left for spending money.
Five 8 GB iPhones at $399 each: $1,995 total plus tax

What the OshNW leaves out of the story is what you are getting out of your tax bills. Things such as:

Plowed Roads
Fire Protection
Police Protection
Garbage Collection
Care for Indigent Elderly
Jail Services
Public Education

As you know, I could go on (and on). To see a list of services your county provides to you, go here.

I personally feel that the ability to safely traverse your community, live in your home, educate and prepare your children, know you will be safe in retirement and have access to aid in any disaster is a much better deal than a Dell PC or a few I-Phones.

I would hope the OshNW would consider what you receive for your tax dollar. Not just deliver hype in numbers.

Standards... Something to remember in online journalism:

OshNW Executive Editor Stew Rieckman, Executive Editor in their online forum:

If you read the print version of the Northwestern and compare it with the Web you will notice that most of the strange, bizarre and titillating stories from Sheboygan and Fond du Lac never make into print. The reason is that the print version of the Northwestern has different standards than the Web version. So we're not selling any extra papers with the Web only content.

While I understand his point, I think this is a real problem with journalism today. The focus on the 'titillation' over substance. We understand this from the blogs and the tabloids, but you would hope that the print mainstream would hold their standards no matter the forum.

Even more in light of the anonymous quotes that the Northwestern pull from their website and publish in the print edition, as pointed out in this recent letter to the editor:

Letters: Online comments not fit to print in newspaper

I would like to question the purpose of, and helpfulness of, publishing on the "Today's Conversation" page snippets of on-line chat, especially as the chat is anonymous. Is it because you think that the published chat is somehow representative of Oshkosh, and therefore newsworthy?
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How does the publishing of anonymous, apparently uninformed (no substantiating evidence is offered by the writers) opinions contribute to the betterment of our city? By all means continue the online chats -- but let's leave it there, just as we leave the bar banter at the bar. At least there we know who's talking.

How can the OshNW claim that they have "different standards" between the print and online aspects, when they use content across both platforms?

I would hope the OshNW would hold the same (high) standards for their brand no matter what the delivery method.