Wausau Pilot inquiry about CFA texts, and My Answer

   With the 2024 Spring Election coming up, the social media chatter, unfounded disparagement, and general negative drama of a few people has started again as if on cue, and is apparently intended to create the illusion of widespread dissent and illusion of a need for a "time for change" (to their selected candidates).

    The political tactics have been the same for the past few elections, so I thought I'd re-post the information from last year's post (below) word-for-word. While the names have changed since last year, I predict that the coordinated muddy tactics their political action support group will remain the same as this election season unwinds. 

 I ask the voting public to use discernment in evaluating anything they see or hear on social media, as almost universally, these people use a keyboard to make untrue statements or self-created issues and drama,  that they would never make in a face to face conversation where they would be challenged to provide any facts to back up their criticisms.

 It seems wise to know who you are voting for, and to pay attention to the character of those who support them. It only takes one year for a majority of 4 trustees on the Village Board, to commit Kronenwetter to debt that will raise taxes for many years to come. 

Below is something I wrote a year ago, and I believe it has been verified by the events and personal politics apparent at the Village Board level since the 2023 election.

 

From March, 2023:

Elections are elections, and we can always expect disagreement and heated discussion, biting remarks, sarcasm, etc. as these events unfold.

   Unfortunately, the tribalism and desperation in this election however, seems to have gotten a bit out of control with the Voll/Vedvik/Coyle supporters regularly resorting to untrue drive-by comments, and diversionary personal attacks based on misrepresentation and lies against the other candidates in this election (See my blog entitled "Toxic Campaigning 2.0")

   Candidate Voll's main claim to fame as Village President seems to be his "fairness" and "respect" for others, as well as other highly subjective warm-and-fuzzy buzzwords. 

   But let's face it - The irrelevant and malicious nature of recent attacks shows the true face of the Voll supporters' camp. Personal disparagement like this is generally intended to invoke emotional responses rather than to rely on legitimate facts or reason. Attempts to create unfounded fear and loathing against certain people is a hallmark of manipulative propaganda.    

   Candidate Alex Vedvik and his wife seem to have been particularly devoted to this type of agitation in the Village for over a year now, and the sheer hypocrisy of his claim to support "ethics" in the Village is almost beyond belief.

   There has been little to nothing of substance or positive provided to endorse any of these opposition candidates, so the strategy of choice seems to be to dishonestly disparage or defame their election opponents. This appears to be the only means the Voll camp has to make those candidates appear to be a viable choice to vote for. It should be obvious by their disreputable efforts that they are not; and that disreputable values and tactics like this are no way to run a Village.

   I say "other candidates" - my observation of  Mr Guy Fredel is that the record shows he has been honest, knowledgeable, and very valuable in his civic participation as a citizen and committee member. The untrue and completely irrelevant personal attacks on him are no surprise, given Mr. Voll's openly admitted personal animosity toward Mr. Fredel.

   Trustee Tapper deserves to be re-elected if for no other reason than the much-needed old-school morals and principles that he represents. I believe he has been unfairly  vilified by the Village Left, as I will call them, due to  his open criticism, and adamant stand against the lies and backroom politics that he identifies in current president Chris Voll.

  I too, have been targeted by this group of activists, with an absurd disparagement based on an accident that happened 45 years ago. Voll supporters (anonymous, by the way) found an old news article that incorrectly reported the story. The conveniently ignored the correction which followed about a week later, and that put the situation in a much more accurate light. This effort was apparently intended to make you forget my extensive history of work and achievements on behalf of the People of this Village.

   All in all, the Voll/Vedvik/Coyle supporters have dishonestly dirtied up this election and diverted attention away from the real issues that the Village is faced with today.

   I mean, I have been running a clean campaign. I with others, have been working continually for months in a constructive way on numerous issues to set the foundation to rebuild and restructure the Village organization. This includes working on a workable ethics code and a code of conduct that has been an issue that ironically has been created and magnified in a very unethical way by the opposition group. 

   In other words - Some of us have been creating solutions, while others have been obstructing , disparaging, complaining, and in general promoting identity politics for their own purposes. Doing anything and everything but constructive action, and all against the best interests of the Village.   

   I wish I had better things to say about the state of affairs right now, but we need to recognize the current situation fr what it is, before we can fix it.

   As a voter, you can choose to get sucked in to the manufactured drama and propaganda tactics brought in by my opponents, or you can rise above it and make your voting choice based on the demonstrated performance and merits of the candidates. We need to stay focused on rebuilding the Village organization, and start to moving forward.