CITIZENS FOR A BETTER MEQUON
Issue 2 - March 2018
The first issue of the Citizens for a Better Mequon newsletter generated an enormous response! People across the city have been extremely supportive of our effort and we have been overwhelmed by the number of residents who have contacted us with their encouragement and suggestions. They have expressed a sincere interest in learning more about what is happening at city hall as well in having their own voices heard by fellow residents and local government officials. It is our intent that the Citizens for a Better Mequon newsletter will provide a voice for residents across our city. In this issue we hope to address some of the questions we have received from readers of our newsletter and provide more information about our plans.
Correspondence from Residents:
I recently received a "Newsletter Issue 1" from your organization. From where did you obtain my email address?
All names were suggested by residents. Friends and neighbors contributed names through their personal contacts and various email chains of people they thought would be interested in issues related to our community. Anyone who prefers not to receive any future newsletters can send an unsubscribe request to the contact at the bottom of the newsletter. We do not buy e-mail lists or use commercial sources of contact information.
Why was I unsubscribed? I never went to any unsubscribe web page?
Many residents were apparently unsubscribed from the newsletter against their wishes by third parties who want to keep the information in this newsletter from the citizens of Mequon. As a result, we have implemented a new protocol whereby unsubscribe requests will need to be submitted by e-mail instead of using the previously available web form. This will prevent any disgruntled special interest or city official from using a web form over and over again to remove dozens of people against their will. Because of these fraudulent drop attempts, all unsubscribe requests from the first newsletter have been cancelled and future unsubscribe requests will need to be made by e-mail from a valid e-mail address. We apologize to anyone who actually intended to remove themselves from receiving future mailings since they will need to resubmit their request via e-mail. Going forward this should prevent any further malfeasance with our system and allow residents to make their own decision whether to receive this newsletter.
Hi! I'd love to know who's on your board of directors. Thanks!
As stated in the first issue of our newsletter, Citizens for a Better Mequon is made up of residents and neighbors who are concerned about the future of Mequon and the direction it is being taken. This group was founded in order to provide a safe way for residents to voice their opinions about city government and a place to organize their efforts toward protecting and improving our community.
The board of directors is made up of residents and neighbors who are deeply committed to the success of our community and are rightly worried about the direction the city is being taken. Board members are all long-term members of the community and have lived in Mequon an average of 24 years. We have worked professionally in areas such as small business, media, finance, manufacturing, real estate, and education and have volunteered on many city boards and commissions. The organization is publicly registered with the State of Wisconsin and the Board of Directors is currently being chaired by Mequon resident Aaron Armstrong.
In the interest of transparency, why do you not list the names of your board of directors?
Some Mequon residents have personally experienced mistreatment by city officials and wish to remain anonymous out of fear of further reprisals from speaking out publicly about their abuse. We hope to highlight some of their experiences in upcoming issues of our newsletter. In addition, we have received personal threats. For example:
"Keep on hiding, a**h***s -- I'll find you! What a bunch of ****s! ... May your spouses get ... your children ... your pets ... your houses fall down."
We have removed several vulgar obscenities and curses from the threat quoted above which we received after sending our first newsletter. Threats of violence against our homes and families intended to intimidate fellow residents over an issue oriented newsletter are deeply disturbing and completely uncalled for. Threats will be reported to federal law enforcement for investigation and possible prosecution. Given how some people chose to use influence and threats to pressure those with an opposing view into silence, the board members of the Citizens for a Better Mequon have chosen to remain anonymous at this time.
I really do want to hear the other side of the story. But to be believed, it needs to be balanced and fair.
We strive to give a balanced view in everything we present. If an issue is hotly debated or time sensitive, we can send information to residents quickly for their benefit. We welcome suggestions for issues and topics and will prioritize these topics based on the responses we receive. This will guide our coverage to what matters most to residents.
The idea behind the group was to provide a means of community communication as if people were talking over the back fence to their neighbor discussing local issues. We may have differing views on particular issues but we all share a sincere interest in the long term wellbeing of our community. We are not city officials, real estate developers, or members of other special interest groups benefiting from tax subsidies or governmental favoritism. We are simply residents evaluating the performance of our elected officials who are supposed to be representing us and not misusing their authority to the benefit of their friends and themselves.
We do not represent a specific political view. It doesn't matter if we are Democrat, Republican, or Libertarian. As long as our local interests are for a better Mequon, we can all join our efforts toward this shared common goal.
Hello, I share many of the beliefs that this newsletter details. I'd love to get more involved, what do I need to do?
You can get involved by going to Common Council meetings and various city board meetings, participating in elections, learning about local candidates, staying informed, and talking to your neighbors about the issues that affect our community. The single largest threat to our city is the apathy of residents to the issues that affect our homes and way of life. We will be providing information and suggestions in the coming weeks about how we can work together to improve our community.
© Copyright 2018 Citizens for a Better Mequon, Inc.