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.

Dear Editor 

I find it hard to believe that it has been almost a full four years since we elected Katie Rosenberg as the Mayor of Wausau.

There has been little tangible improvement. The downtown mall is a vacant lot. We haven’t added any new properties to the riverfront. We haven’t brought in any significant new employers. Certainly, the roads are not any better.

However, there has been plenty of drama and political stunts. Webster’s Dictionary defines a stunt as “something done for a thrill [or] to attract attention, etc.” The mayor has been good about staying in the news—just not for accomplishing things.

Here are a few of the stunts that come to mind.

Starting on day one, the mayor’s cure for whatever ails us was to form a task force. The theory she was pitching was that once you get people together in a room, brilliant solutions will magically emerge. Of course, that doesn’t happen without leadership, and the mayor has provided none. Simply appointing a task force and letting it go its merry way is not an accomplishment.

Early-on, the mayor promised to enroll us in a pilot program for UBI, a theoretical social welfare program that guarantees people who are not working a check for at least $500 per month. Although it never got off the ground, word did spread. Suddenly, Wausau became a destination city for those suffering from homelessness. While it would be nice to be able to support these individuals, it is becoming increasingly clear that we simply don’t have the resources to do that. Sometimes stunts have unintended consequences.

Lastly, to a certain extent, it is notable for a small Midwestern town to garner mention in the New York Times. However, when the mayor took her fight over the Community for All resolution to the pages of that east coast newspaper, the result was a lengthy article ridiculing Wausau as a backward and unfriendly place. This is simply not true; Wausau has always been a diverse and welcoming place. The people of Wausau have always been welcoming and supportive of new members of our community. Why the mayor felt the need to unfairly attack her own constituents and neighbors as racists and bigots boggles my mind.

After four years of stunts, our taxes are higher, our water rates are higher, our debt has doubled; and we have nothing to show for it. Why would anyone sign-up for four more years of that.

Eric Adams, Wausau