Video of West Bend Council Meeting

Watchful Eye WB has video of the highlights of the West Bend City Council meeting where they voted to appoint one of their own instead of allowing citizens to apply for the appointment.  You can watch it here.  A few things to look for:

- Yes, you can hear some of my comments.  They were completely off the cuff, so I apologize for the lack of articulateness. 

- Notice how The King Riffel slams the people who showed up by saying that they don’t represent the people’s opinion.

- Watch our new Mayor Deiss try two times to prevent the public from speaking before she finally relents. 

- See Deiss duck questions about whether or not she will run for Mayor in April.

- Observe both Deiss and The King Riffel spend a fair amount of time complaining because people weren’t saying nice things about them.

- Enjoy watching The King Riffel cut off debate because he doesn’t want to hear it anymore. 

- Look at how it didn’t even occur to Deiss to ask is there were any other nominations.  She had to be reminded by the City Attorney. 

1. I also like how they could not be persuaded to interview applicants for the vacant mayor position, but that’s how they are going to fill the vacant alderman position. 

   I’m surprised Scott didn’t mention that.

   Posted by on June 18, 2007 at 0000 hrs




2. I could not have said it any better than Mike Nichols........

   ‘Corruption’ is just a bit short of rampant
   Posted: June 16, 2007
   
   West Bend Ald. Scott Frederick, one of the guys who walked out in the middle of a council meeting because he wasn’t getting his way, came back for a more recent debate the other day.

   Maybe he shouldn’t have.

   A new definition of corruption in West Bend?

   (June 12)

   West Bend Ald. Scott Frederick is warning everyone that “the city of West Bend has just reached a new level of corruption.”

   Quick, somebody call in the FBI!

   And Steve Biskupic!

   Convene a grand jury!

   So this is where Tony Soprano went.

   Frederick didn’t elaborate on what sort of “corruption” he was talking about at a meeting last night, and I couldn’t immediately reach him this morning, but I’m assuming maybe he has knowledge of a secret wiretap.

   Maybe somebody is selling votes.

   Or permits.

   Or threatening to peel somebody’s wig!

   This would be the perfect spot to plot the overthrow of that government in Laos.

   Actually, Frederick seemed concerned about more mundane - most people would say commonplace - matters.

   He made the comment after acting mayor Kris Deiss was appointed interim mayor, an entirely logical move that provides a little continuity in government until an election can be held next April.

   In West Bend, it seems, “corruption” is just another word for Scott Frederick not getting his way.

   Frederick elaborates on so-called corruption

   Kris Deiss, the interim mayor of West Bend, said today she has absolutely no idea what Ald. Scott Frederick meant by his recent charge that the city has reached a “new level of corruption.”

   “I have no idea where that came from,” said Deiss. “You’d have to ask him.”

   I did.

   Frederick called me back just a few minutes ago and stood by the recent comment, charging both that Deiss and her allies have “disenfranchised the West Bend community (in order) to accomplish their own personal agenda,” and that he suspects - though cannot prove - that they have inappropriately discussed appointment issues in private.

   Politicians at all levels of government seek support for themselves outside open meetings. It happens all the time. It’s called lining up votes, and it’s part of politics. It’s usually illegal, however, when a majority of elected officials on a board meet surreptitiously and as a group.

   That seems to be what Frederick is suggesting has happened. He says a majority of board members are acting “in lockstep” in a “highly unusual way.”

   He is also, more broadly, suggesting that they are acting against the will of the majority of West Bend residents in appointing Deiss interim mayor and not considering a larger pool of applicants from the community.

   It’s corruption, he says, because it “deviates from the normal standards that apply to the West Bend Common Council.”

   With all due respect, no it’s not.

   If they are meeting illegally, that’s wrong. But there’s no evidence of that thus far. And it would hardly seem more democratic to temporarily appoint as mayor someone not elected to any office right now instead of an alderman and council president like Deiss.

   Anyway, she only has the interim job until April, and would have to run at that point if she wants to try to keep it. She was worn down enough after a meeting the other night to suggest that she will not be running in April but, it seems, she is not ruling it out - which means, I suspect, she probably will.

   In an initial interview Wednesday she said she was “flabbergasted” by Frederick and added she has “never dealt with anybody who is as disrespectful as that man is.”

   In a later interview, asked about his suspicion of illegal discussions or meetings, she said she did, outside a meeting, ask a fellow alderman to nominate her for the temporary mayoral appointment.

   That’s how it works.

   Never, she says though, was there an illegal meeting. “I can say very strongly that that has never, ever occurred.”

   The above items were excerpted from Nichols’s blog at JSOnline.com. E-mail or call (262)376-4374.

   Posted by on June 18, 2007 at 1218 hrs




3. I’m a bit surprised to see Nichols take a cheap shot at Fredericks, but it made me watch the tape posted by Owen on this blog.

   Opening it to the public would have been the best and right way to handle it. It appears to me that the behind the scene movers in local politics got what they wanted but I hope that there opposition doesn’t give up.

   Nothing in life worth doing is going to be easy. Don’t be intiminidated!

   Posted by on June 18, 2007 at 1339 hrs




4. It appears to me that the behind the scene movers in local politics got what they wanted but I hope that there opposition doesn’t give up.

   I am sorry, but, I truly have to disagree with you.  The behind the scenes is typically done by the other 3 and has been obvious in the past years.  This is a case of the opposition being very immature.  Fredericks is out for himself and it is truly sad that some people do not realize this.  He is just disgruntled because he is used to getting his own way.  People are now just standing up to him and he doesn’t like it.

   I understand that there are various ways that this could have been handled, but, appointing someone that has been voted in by their constituents, in my mind, makes perfect sense for the short amount of time that is left.  The most unfortunate part about this entire thing is that the people that truly care about the City and are trying to represent who voted them in are the ones that Owen and Friends are making out to be the “bad guys”. 

   Let’s just see if Frederick can be a bit more reasonable and move on!  It’s about time.

   Posted by on June 18, 2007 at 1352 hrs




5. QoL wrote; Fredericks is out for himself…

   I’m not sure what civic classes you’ve had but the ones I had encouraged people to engage and fight for the people and our rights. It appears to me from what I’ve read and watching the video that Fredericks wanted the selction process opened for public applications. This sounds right to me and the people opposing this are in violation of the democratic process.

   People have died or lost there fortunes to establish this country with open goverment. You may feel confortable with what appears to be easy even if its closed, but that is making this country less free and honorable.

   Please excuse me but I think you are niave’ as to what goes on when it comes to money and power.

   Posted by on June 18, 2007 at 1515 hrs




6. Forgive me for not being as informed on this as the people in West Bend, but are there procedures in place to handle this kind of situation?  By that I mean, is there something in the procedural record to allow for succession of powers, i.e. the vice president, then the Speaker of the House etc.?  If they have established something along those lines then I don’t see the problem, other than a bunch of people wanting the procedure changed.

   I can’t view the video at the moment (work policy) but if someone wanted to examine a change in the process, then they should have had the right to speak and possibly put it to a vote by the Council.  I’m not sure from the descriptions of what happened whether that would have done any good however.

   Posted by on June 18, 2007 at 1542 hrs




7. sleestak - part of the counsel wanted the Mayors job open for people to apply for and the other part pretty much wanted to shove there appointment down the others throat, they won. 

   Which one sounds more democratic to you? The procedure is for the council to appoint a temporary Mayor, that no doubt will win as encumbant when the election occurs.

   The appointed Mayor is believed to be by many people to be the selection of the behind the scenes movers of the County.

   I always wondered why the Hospital was charged a million dollars for there Jackson sewer hook up when they moved out of West Bend against the wishes of some powerfull people. Would that be reflected in Hospital rates?

   Posted by on June 18, 2007 at 1600 hrs