Joe4Waunakee

There is such a deluge of critical events going on throughout our country these days, it can seem almost justifiable to minimize some of the annual celebrations.  National Thesaurus Day, National Winnie The Pooh Day, and National Peking Duck Day are prime candidates to ignore on January 18, 2021.  What shouldn't be minimized - especially in light of the actions of the last year - is Martin Luther King Day. I could quote article after article about how racial minorities have faced injustice.  But doing so will never bring me to fully understand the oppression, prejudice, and persecution that members of our country, state, and even our village are forced to deal with on a daily basis. The reality is that I'm a very privileged white man living in a predominantly white community.  As of 2020, over 95% of the population of Waunakee is STILL considered white.   Another, perhaps more important way to look at that is that nearly 5% of the village population is NOT white. That number h

I was just watching A Late Show with Stephen Colbert from Friday, January 8th, where Stephen started asking Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, and George Clooney the questions from his Colbert Questionert . It occurred to me that while there's nothing scientific about these questions, and certainly nothing that should influence your vote, it might be fun to share my answers. I hope you find something interesting. 1. What is the best sandwich? Grilled ham and turkey with cheddar cheese, thinly sliced apples, and just a bit of strawberry mayo on a seeded whole wheat bread. (Note: this is basically a slightly modified version of the Sir Issac Turkey from Cool Beans Coffee Cafe on Madison's East side.) 2. What's one thing you own that you should really throw out? A whole lot of my wardrobe, but I'm planning bariatric surgery in early 2021, so I'll hang on to it so I have something to wear as I shrink. 3. What is the scariest animal? The only thing I know is that even though ther

When I first ran for the Waunakee Village Board in 2018, I thought I had a good idea of what I was getting myself into.  I was not totally wrong, but the shortcomings in my knowledge became overwhelmingly obvious, at least to me. Throughout my term as trustee, I encouraged others to run for office. It was not because I wanted to be replaced, and it certainly was not because I wanted to lose an election.  It was because getting people involved in public service means inclusion of more diverse viewpoints, growing  negotiation skills, and better understanding of the complexities of public office. When you care deeply about a certain topic, it is easy to think, "If I were on the board, that would never pass!"  You may wonder, "How could anyone vote against this?" When your vote is just one of seven, and your constituents are expecting  you to stick to the ideas you presented as a candidate for office, those same ideas   suddenly conflict in ways you never imagined . Det