Sunday, September 05, 2004

Welcome to the Citizens Forum

This Web log has been created as a way for citizens to take part in the local political scene in Oshkosh. Its first use will be in conjunction with the online candidate forum that will take place involving the four candidates for the Wisconsin Assembly in the 54th District.

Please check back often--and send us your thoughts and observations.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Several weeks ago The Northwestern recommended UW-Oshkosh students not vote in Oshkosh. The newspaper wanted the students to vote in their hometowns as absentee voters. Can you imagine what other recommendations they could have added to this? How about:

Students do not pay sales tax on purchases made in Oshkosh.

None of their rent is allowed to go into the property taxes that landlords pay.

Of course the newspaper did not make these recommendations. They, like many others in this community, want the cheap labor and money from spending that students supply, but the students are not welcomed as citizens.

One reason The Northwestern went on attack was that the newspaper feared students would vote the party line. I guess no citizen in Oshkosh would ever do that.

Younger adults tend to be more liberal (or less conservative) than older adults. Maybe The Northwestern is afraid of the voting impact of a minority of Oshkosh residents. These young radicals might want clean air in Oshkosh. What is that horrible smell that comes through sometimes? Or, maybe they would call for an honest accounting of the economic impact of UW-Oshkosh compared to EAA. Or, they might vote against the Republican encumbants.

Maybe its parent company, Gannett, wants to put the clamp on people who disagree with CEO and President Douglas McCorkindale. The leader of a company that produces “objective” journalism donated $1,000 to the Republican’s Federal Victory Fund and $1,000 to George Bush in 2003 (found via www.opensecrets.org). That is a small amount compared to the $60,000+ donated by Oshkosh Truck to Republican interests in 2000-2001.

12:28 PM  

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