MADELINE ISLAND
NEWS AND INFORMATION
TO THE CITIZENS OF MADELINE ISLAND
by Marty Meyer
Regarding the recall election for the seat on the Ashland County Board
to be held on October 13, 2009.
There have been many articles and opinions published related to this
recall election, some of which contain inaccurate information.
Accordingly I feel compelled to address the issue.
First of all I would like to make it clear that Mike Starck is a very
nice person. I like him and consider him one of my friends. He might
even be a Packer fan. Unfortunately being a nice guy doesn't make him
qualified to represent the citizens of Madeline Island on the Ashland
County Board.
Despite the fact that I like Mr. Starck, and I knew he might be
disappointed in me for doing it..... I did in fact sign the recall
petition. Mr. Starck's contention that "half the people that signed the
petition had absolutely no idea what they were signing" is absurd. I
assure you that I knew exactly what I was signing. All of the other
signatories I questioned also said they knew what they were signing. It
seems likely that all 94 of the people that signed the petition knew
exactly what they were signing.
Criticism of elected officials is common and constant. Few people know
this better than I do. I was the elected Assessor for the Town of
LaPointe for about 18 years and also spent 5 years on the Zoning and
Planning Committee. I know from personal experience that some people are
always unhappy about something and often it seems like you can't please
anyone. As a result I am somewhat sympathetic to the corner Mr. Starck
finds himself in. After all property tax and zoning have always been at
the top of the list of hot issues in LaPointe.
It is unnecessary for me to list all the issues and criticism that motivated the signatories of the petition for the recall of Mr. Starck. There are too many to list here and many of them have already been pointed out. However most of these issues are caused by the same basic defect. Simply put, Mike Starck does not represent the interests or opinions of the average working class citizen of Madeline Island. Yes folks, I'm referring to the "WINTER RESIDENTS" of Madeline Island.
Stark's true constituency consists of a small group of elite like-minded
lake-shore homeowners. He does not listen to or address the concerns of
the average working class citizen. Therefore 94 of those citizens
decided we have had enough. It is time to replace Mr. Michael Starck on
the Ashland County Board.
Now I'm not going to pretend that I think Tom Nelson is the perfect
replacement for the County board seat. But remember it is for a short
period of time. Next April the County Board position will be on the
ballot again. Hopefully the Island can come up with a strong candidate
for that April election.
In the mean time we have no choice other than to trust Tom to represent
us. AT least he will listen to the concerns of average working class
families. Given the circumstances, Tom is more likely to represent the
interests of the average working stiff. Tom isn't perfect but is a
better choice than Mr. Starck.
As a result I must endorse Thomas E. Nelson for Ashland County Board.
Respectfully presented,
Marty Meyer
PO BOX 49
LaPointe, WI 54806
715-747-6062
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