Your letters: Wausau ballot box brouhaha not all it seems, writer says

Let’s ignore the hyperventilation of “wanna be future mayor” Alder Lisa Rasmussen for just a minute (her call for the Mayor’s “public apology” and her comment that his actions “violate the public trust”) and get to the real story of the Wausau ballot box brouhaha. Let’s review what did happen, what didn’t happen, and what should have happened.

First, we should be clear about what the Wisconsin Supreme Court actually decided. In a slim 4-3 decision, Justice (Ann Walsh) Bradley in her majority opinion, par. 6, writes “Our decision today does not force or require that any municipal clerks use drop boxes. It merely acknowledges what Wis. Stat. § 6.87(4)(b)1. has always meant: that clerks may lawfully utilize secure drop boxes in an exercise of their statutorily conferred discretion.”

What did happen, what has not been reported, what is being ignored by Ms. Rasmussen as well, is that Mayor Diny had many prior conversations with the unelected city clerk, Kaitlyn Bernarde, on how to proceed if the drop box was to be implemented. True, Mayor Diny campaigned on getting the box removed. True, Ms. Bernarde wanted it out there. But what was communicated to Ms. Bernarde by the mayor (the elected head of the city of Wausau and Bernarde’s boss) was that if the box was going to go outside it would be done so properly – by council vote. She had agreed. The mayor was most aware that he could lose the vote, that the council would probably vote in favor of placing the drop box outside, that he could potentially veto the decision and that he would probably be overridden anyway. This would have constituted the fairest process, the proper way to decide this issue. Instead, Ms. Bernarde defied the mayor, made the decision herself, allegedly with advice from the legal department, and had the box placed outside without notifying Mayor Diny or the council.   

What the residents of Wausau are witnessing, is how an unelected bureaucrat and a rogue alderman use their power to get what they want, bypassing the elected mayor, the other elected alders, and we the people. Kaitlyn, you should have been more considerate of your boss’s reasonable wishes and kept your agreement. And Lisa, exactly who is “violating the public trust”?

Orlando Alfonso of Wausau

Editor’s note: Wausau Pilot & Review gladly publishes commentary from readers, residents and candidates for local offices. The views of readers and columnists are independent of this newspaper and do not necessarily reflect the views of Wausau Pilot & Review. To submit, email [email protected] or mail to 500 N. Third St., Suite 208-8, Wausau, Wis. 54403.