Sheboygan Mayor Bob Ryan refuses to resign.
From the Sheboygan Press:Following through on his vow in recent days, Mayor Bob Ryan again refused Monday night to resign his office after aldermen voted 14-2 to officially request that he step down because of a recent drunken binge by Ryan.
“We all know that I will respectfully decline,” Ryan said after re-entering the council chambers following the vote. He stepped out to allow Council President Eric Rindfleisch to oversee the discussion on the resolution.
Only Aldermen Joel Hammen and Kevin Matichek voted in Ryan’s favor.
...Meanwhile, Sheboygan City Clerk Sue Richards said Monday she has received a letter asking that Ryan be removed from office.
Richards, who did not divulge the contents of the letter, said she has forwarded it to City Attorney Stephen McLean.
“We’re treating it as a communication at this point and not a formal complaint until it is reviewed by the city attorney,” Richards said.
McLean said he would review the letter and it would likely come up before the next council meeting in two weeks.
The council by itself cannot remove Ryan from office, but can begin the process of forced removal following a formal complaint by a citizen of the city.
Ryan is not fit to serve. He has shown that he does not have control of his alcoholism.
There's no question that he should resign.
It's amazing that Ryan continues to hang on.
What arrogance! Video, from FOX 6 News:
UPDATE, July 28, 2011: Sheboygan Mayor Bob Ryan says he will not resign____________________
FOX 6 News reports that Sheboygan aldermen will ask Mayor Bob Ryan to resign. __________________
From the Sheboygan Press:City aldermen, meeting as the Committee of the Whole, recommended Wednesday night that Mayor Bob Ryan resign his post in the wake of an alleged weekend-long drinking binge in Elkhart Lake.
In a prepared statement made following a closed-door meeting that lasted almost two and a half hours, Council President Eric Rindfleisch said if Ryan refused to resign, the committee “recommends that the council take further steps.”
The episode “has brought embarrassment to the city. The council is reviewing its options from censure to removal if a formal complaint is filed,” Rindfleisch said in the statement.
I think Ryan should resign.
I hope people close to Ryan convince him that his resignation is in order.
UPDATE, July 28, 2011: Sheboygan Mayor Bob Ryan says he will not resign____________________
Sheboygan Mayor Bob Ryan is struggling again with his alcoholism.
In 2009, Ryan was filmed at a bar, apparently drunk and making sexual remarks about his sister-in-law.
The antics of Sheboygan's mayor became fodder for comics, like Jay Leno.JAY LENO: Oh, well, here -- here is another one of those stupid men behaving badly stories. The mayor of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, a man named Bob Ryan, has apologized after he was caught on a cell phone -- He was at a bar, and somebody had a cell phone camera, and he's talking to the guys about his sister-in-law, and saying that he heard she was good at one particular sex act.
Well, he gave a press conference, and his wife was standing next to him. The sister-in-law wasn't there... Well, she may have been under the podium, but she wasn't at, she wasn't at, you know, at the press conference.
(Laughter, applause)
But anyway, so far calls to his office are split down the middle -- half want him to resign, the other half want the sister-in-law's phone number. So, I don't know what's going on there.
Very embarrassing.
Now, Ryan is involved in more embarrassing public incidents, this time in Elkhart Lake, a small town in northwestern Sheboygan County, home to Road America and resorts.
From the Sheboygan Press:Mayor Bob Ryan — an admitted alcoholic who a year ago said he was seeking treatment — confessed Tuesday to having a "couple drinks" over the weekend.
But while Ryan downplayed the relapse as one night out with friends, employees and customers at two Elkhart Lake nightspots said Ryan had been an obnoxious regular for at least several days, drinking from mid-afternoon until closing time while being rude and vulgar, especially toward women. They said he passed out at least once and was even seen getting into his car after drinking.
"He basically came to town on a rampage," said a bartender at the Barefoot Bay Tiki Bar in Victorian Village, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"He's been on a bender," said another man, who saw Ryan over several nights.
This comes three weeks before he is scheduled to face a judge over a sexual harassment complaint filed after he allegedly made drunken advances on Angela Payne, then the city's director of human resources. Payne filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development that will be heard before an administrative law judge Aug. 16-19.
City officials responded Tuesday by scheduling a closed session Committee of the Whole meeting for 6:30 tonight.
Ryan on Tuesday called the matter a "setback" to his ongoing treatment program — the same term he used after a relapse last July.
"It's not that big of a deal, anything that transpired," Ryan said. "I got off my program a little bit here, had a little minor setback, was out in Elkhart, went to a different couple places, end of story."
Ald. Eric Rindfleisch, president of the Common Council, said he was concerned with Ryan's version of events and information making its way to him and other leaders.
"I feel that (Ryan's comment) minimizes what took place and I feel that whatever did happen was far more serious than the mayor is discussing at this time," Rindfleisch said. "As a city leader and a resident and a taxpayer … I'm again appalled that the person that occupies the office of mayor has dragged the city through the mud."
...Witnesses at the Brown Baer grill and tavern said Tuesday that Ryan became a regular in recent days, arriving in the afternoon and staying until near closing time.
Three witnesses — two women and one man — said Ryan was at the Brown Baer after hours Sunday night, drinking Jack Daniel's whiskey and diet colas. Ryan made rude and sexually explicit comments to staff and patrons — when he wasn't passed out, said the witnesses, who asked to not be identified.
"He said some really inappropriate things (to women). Things you can't print in your newspaper," one woman said.
Ryan was passed out for long periods of time, during which bar patrons took pictures with him.
In one case, two women bared their breasts next to the passed-out mayor, the witnesses said. In another instance, a man took Ryan's watch off and put it on his own wrist, had his picture taken wearing it and then put it back on Ryan's wrist, they said.
"There are probably some pretty good pictures on the Internet by now," a witness said.
One man, who declined to give his name because Ryan is a "pretty powerful guy," said Ryan's comments led to a physical altercation at the Brown Baer.
"(Ryan) was basically being a (jerk)," the man said. "After a while, one guy got sick of it and punched him twice. Bar stools went flying; glasses went flying."
Both men were kicked out of the bar and Ryan sat outside the bar until police arrived. They did not arrest Ryan but told him to move on, the man said.
Yikes! The patrons at the Brown Baer sound like a real classy bunch, don't they?...On another night after Ryan had been drinking, one woman said she saw him leave the Brown Baer and get into his car, a metallic blue Corvette convertible.
"He couldn't even focus," she said.
At the Tiki Bar, Ryan also was rude and vulgar to waitresses and other women, said a bartender, who also asked that his name not be used.
"He would show up in the early afternoon and stay pretty near closing time every night," he said. "Two nights in a row I had to cut him off."
I imagine Sheboygan residents must be losing patience with their mayor.
Perhaps he should focus on battling his alcoholism and step down.
Ryan is downplaying the reports of his drunkenness in Elkhart.Ryan said he was out drinking Saturday with several business owner friends who live in Elkhart Lake, whom he declined to identify. He said he was only in the village on Saturday, and he stayed the night before driving home Sunday.
"I was not drinking and driving if that's the question," he said.
When questioned about reports of sexually inappropriate comments, he denied anything the various allegations.
...And Ryan denied ever passing out: "I was not passing out in any bars," he said.
Ryan said in April 2010 that he realized through the two-pronged scandal that representing the city is a 24-hour job, saying, "I thought I could keep a private life and be the mayor at the same time. I realized that is not possible."
But Tuesday he took the opposite tact in explaining his behavior, adding that the incident is mitigated because he wasn't in Sheboygan.
"Is it a newsworthy story? No, I would hope it would not be. Nothing happened. It's not a story. It's my personal life," Ryan said. "I was out and about in Elkhart Lake. I was not in Sheboygan. … It's a different city."
Ryan acknowledged being part of a physical altercation, which he said started when a man he didn't know at the Brown Baer confronted Ryan about being out drinking.
"Not that I should be out drinking alcohol, but if I can't even go to a place for year after year without people giving me a hard time, something's wrong with that picture," Ryan said. "I think there might have been a little pushing and shoving on his end toward me, but it was nothing major. It wasn't a big deal."
Ryan's excuse that his drinking and alleged bad behavior took place in another city is ridiculous.
That doesn't make it OK.
Sheboygan aldermen will meet tonight to discuss the matter.Here's video, from FOX 6 News:
It took nearly five months, but the case appears to be solved. DNA evidence has confirmed Ryan A. Mueller to be a piggy bank robber.
From the Sheboygan Press:A 30-year-old Sheboygan Falls man snuck into the bedroom of a sleeping 2-year-old girl and stole $20 from her piggy bank, officials said Thursday.
Charges were filed in the case Thursday after DNA evidence linked the Aug. 10 crime to Ryan A. Mueller, of 226-A Poplar St., according to a criminal complaint. Mueller faces up to nine years, six months in prison if convicted on a charge of felony burglary.
According to authorities:
The girl's mother told police she was with her 1-year-old daughter in another room when she saw a light turn on and went to investigate. She walked into the 2-year-old's room to find Mueller shaking the piggy bank as the girl slept in her bed.
Mueller fled before authorities arrived at the home, which is in the 4200 block of South 12th Street in the Town of Wilson. He left the piggy bank behind but took the money.
Technicians at the state crime lab matched blood drops found on a window blind to Mueller, who had forced his way into the home through a window screen.
Thank God Mueller was only after money and didn't harm the little girl.
It had to be terrifying for the mother to find a man in her 2-year-old's room.
I wonder what Mueller expected to get from that piggy bank. As a general rule, I don't think piggy banks in little girls' rooms hold large amounts of money.
He seems like an amateur thief, an incredibly stupid one at that. Why did he stay in the home instead of just taking the bank? It doesn't take a lot of smarts to know that staying in the room of a child and shaking a bank isn't a good strategy.
Mueller screwed up his life for $20. Crime doesn't pay.
I love that DNA evidence.
An editorial in the Sheboygan Press declares that it's time for an ethics probe.
Are you thinking it's an ethics probe into Mayor Juan Perez's harassment of Jeni Reisinger, his attempts to intimidate and silence a critic?
It's not, but it is related to the matter. Sheboygan Ald. Jim Gischia is right to call for an ethics investigation into alleged threats made by Ald. Vicky Meyer against fellow Ald. Bob Ryan, and the full Common Council should OK the probe and immediately conduct a thorough investigation.
It's never a pleasant task to judge the conduct of a fellow elected official, but the public expects its representatives to conduct public business in an honest, open and ethical manner.
While Gischia is making the call for the investigation, the comments Ald. Ryan says Meyer made to him before a council meeting Nov. 9 are the heart of the issue. Ryan said Meyer, while talking to him about his comments critical of Mayor Juan Perez, implied that Ryan better watch what he says because she has heard rumors about Ryan's private life that would be embarrassing if they became public.
While Meyer has maintained that there was nothing threatening about her telling Ryan about rumors, we find that hard to believe. A thorough investigation may be able to pin down what motivations, if any, were behind Meyer's comments.
Meyer has every right to tell another council member that she disagrees with him or her — privately or publicly. She also has every right to tell a fellow council member that she's heard "rumors" about him or her — privately.
But when criticism and personal issues are linked in a conversation — as Meyer apparently did — the words intimidation and blackmail are just around the corner. Meyer's comments could easily be interpreted as a warning to "keep quiet, or else … "
I agree that an ethics probe is in order.
Sheboygan government is an absolute mess.
What about an ethics probe into the activities and alleged abuses of Mayor Juan Perez?
No comment?The Editorial Board concludes:[T]hreats and intimidation have no place in city government, nor do blackmail and bullying. The council needs to deal with this latest blowup and then everyone needs to move on.
I agree. Threats and intimidation and bullying are wrong.
They have no place in city government.
That's why there should be an ethics probe investigating Perez.
I think it will be hard to move on until that happens.
In a scathing letter to the editor of the Sheboygan Press, Barbara Adams expresses her opinion that Emperor Perez has no clothes.
She writes: Well, Mayor Juan Perez has again embarrassed himself and our city with his petty grudges and vindictive behavior.
However, this time, well-known attorney Paul Bucher is involved and our mayor's ridiculous behavior may cost the city of Sheboygan much more than just the nationally covered egg on our face.
I could not agree more with Ald.s Ryan, Bouck and Wangemann when they correctly point out that our mayor must have more pressing issues to deal with, such as rising criminal activity, not enough cops, budget pressures and in-coming revenues.
And Ald. Montemayor's dismissive comments are not only an attempt to somehow just sweep this mess away, but her position as Perez's public apologist is quite transparent and obvious.
You see, Mayor Perez, your repeated public embarrassments and juvenile temper tantrums are lessons you apparently refuse to learn from. Unfortunately for us, it may become an expensive lesson, indeed.
I hope Adams doesn't have a website.
If she does, she might want to check any links she has to Sheboygan's government offices, departments, and services.
I think a remote car starter would be a thoughful Christmas gift for Adams.
Texas Hold ‘Em Blogger, with a hat tip to Sheboygan Shenanigans, points out that the "Pereztistas are still going strong in Sheboygan."From the Sheboygan Press:A Sheboygan alderman said he was threatened and intimidated by an alderwoman and mayoral supporter who asked if he was drunk when he publicly criticized Mayor Juan Perez last week.
On Monday Ald. Bob Ryan said Ald. Vicky Meyer pulled him aside before a Friday night Common Council meeting and told him she and the mayor were "disappointed" in his comments in a story published in the Nov. 8 edition of The Sheboygan Press.
...Ryan said Meyer warned him — in comments he immediately wrote down — that he better "be careful with what you say because there are all kinds of rumors out there about you." According to Ryan, Meyer then detailed several such rumors, including that Ryan drinks excessively; spent a week in a local hotel at the request of his wife; and ran for alderman against the wishes of his family, some of whom were concerned about whether he would have time for the family business if he were elected to the council.
Ryan said the conversation lasted two to three minutes and took place in the third-floor hallway at City Hall.
Meyer, chairwoman of the council's Committee of the Whole, said she did not speak on behalf of or at the prodding of Perez.
I believe Ryan's account.
Why would he make up remarks about "rumors" about him?
Why would he open up that can of worms if Meyer hadn't dangled it in front of his face?..."There's no threats, there's nothing been implied," Meyer said Monday. "I don't know why he's running around telling people about it. … I was questioning some things that he said, and I felt the things he is saying he shouldn't be saying seeing that there are rumors going around about him also."
But Ryan said there was more to it.
"It was definitely threatening, to say the least," he said. "I believe that's an attempt at intimidation is what that is. It's an attempt to have me toe their line, which I've never done and I don't intend to just because someone says my private life might not be perfect."
Ryan said he decided to talk publicly about Meyer's comments to put to rest the rumors she mentioned.
"My private life should be my private business, however, if I have people out there spreading rumors about me, I'd like to address those rumors," Ryan said.
Ryan said he has "overindulged" in the past, but does not drink regularly now, and was not drunk when he made the comments about Perez and the cease-and-desist letter. Ryan said he did spend a week at a hotel a few years ago after a disagreement with his wife — an acknowledgement made now with his wife's support. Ryan said some members of his family did initially disagree with his decision to seek public office.
Ryan said he believes the main reason Meyer confronted him was because of "their fear that I may run against the mayor in 2009." Ryan said he did not get into city politics with the goal of running for mayor, but is considering doing so in light of recent events.
Meyer laughed loudly when told of Ryan's belief that the confrontation was related to a possible mayoral run.
"That's hilarious," she said. "Out of our five-minute conversation he has dreamed up all kinds of things. Well, I'll tell you, all that stuff is in his little head.
"Can we say conspiracy theory here? No, I'll tell you, the man apparently has some mental issues if this is where he is going with this little conversation we had."
Meyer certainly seems defensive when addressing the allegations of her intimidation of Ryan.
She's condescending. She belittles Ryan, talking about "stuff is in his little head."
This practice of threatening critics of Perez is pervasive. It's extremely troubling that elected officials and others in positions of authority resort to such tactics.
Bottom line: Sheboygan residents should note that their city government is not running effectively under Mayor Juan Perez.
In today's Sheboygan Press, there's a weird letter from Mayor Juan Perez.
It's not really an apology letter for his role in harassing a private citizen and political opponent. It doesn't really clarify much, other than the fact that he wants to put the controversy behind him.
He writes: I recently asked City Attorney Steve McLean if a person that was linking to the Sheboygan Police Department Web site needed permission from the city. Subsequently, a determination was made to ask the owner of the Web site to remove the link.
I should not have taken that action. I have already apologized to Ms. Jeni Reisinger.
I take my responsibilities as mayor of the City of Sheboygan very seriously.
I value the good, respectful and professional image that we maintain in our community.
Along with the Common Council and employees to the city, I have been working tirelessly to hold the line on taxes, to keep our city safe and clean, to grow our city's businesses and to continue to provide high levels of services to our citizens who are paying the bill.
The Sheboygan Press recently suggested that I get a thicker skin. I believe that is good advice and I will try to follow it.
I will continue to be a strong advocate for all that is good in Sheboygan, all that brings people together instead of dividing them, all that brings out the best in us as caring and concerned citizens of this wonderful city.
I truly appreciate the support that I receive every day, on the phone, in e-mails and in conversations on the street with my fellow citizens. You renew my energy and enthusiasm for making Sheboygan the best place anywhere.
JUAN PEREZ
Mayor of Sheboygan
The first paragraph of his letter is so lame. Perez wants to neatly sum up the link story in two quick sentences. It's an INadequate summary of why officials were involved in demanding that Jeni Reisinger remove a link from her site. He completely bypasses acknowledgment that there was absolutely no legal basis for that "determination" to be made.
Perez goes on to say that he shouldn't have taken that action. His letter would have been better if he had said that and nothing more.
"I should not have taken that action."
Everybody knows Perez should never have taken that action. It's black and white.
I'm guessing that Perez has apologized to Jeni because her attorney demanded that she receive a formal apology from him, not because he is truly sorry for the pain he caused her. That's just a guess.
Then he goes on to give a stump speech and thank his supporters.
It's a self-serving letter more than an apology for abusing his power and position, and a confession of wrongdoing.
Another letter in today's Sheboygan Press comes from Police Chief David Kirk. He supposedly clarifies the police department's role in the link case.
He writes:I would like to clarify several points regarding the Sheboygan Police Department's involvement in the situation involving the Internet link on a Web site maintained by Jeni Reisinger.
On Oct. 16, I was initially asked if I gave "authorization" in this matter. I stated "no" and recommended that Mayor Juan Perez should confer with the city attorney.
I later received a memo from the mayor and questions arose as to the possible involvement of one of my officers and whether he gave "authorization" in this matter. As police chief, I asked a supervisor, as I often do, to begin an inquiry into what are the facts in this incident, is "authorization" needed, and what part, if any, my officer had in this matter.
Questions then seemed to surface as to the focus of this effort. It was a fact-finding effort and was never the intention of the Sheboygan Police Department through this effort to investigate a citizen or her Web site.
We never investigated Jeni Reisinger, nor have we ever intended to investigate her, nor were we ever asked by anyone — be it the mayor, the city attorney, or anyone else — to investigate her or her Web site.
Our inquiry into this matter is finished and the status is that the officer is exonerated — that means that the acts attributed to the officer did occur, but were lawful and proper.
DAVID KIRK
Sheboygan Police Chief
What's clarified here?
It's clear that Kirk is saying the matter is finished, over, done, complete.
He says, as he has said in recent interviews, that the SPD never intended to investigate a private citizen or her website. The call to Jeni was a fact-finding mission.
I think that point could and should have been made much clearer when Jeni was contacted by the police. She should have been told that she was NOT the subject of a police investigation.
In sum, there's a lot of CYA going on here in these letters, and there's a good deal of deflection and deception.
What isn't addressed is the incompetence and arrogance of Perez, City Attorney Steve McLean, and others.
The "determination" that the government had the authority to demand that a private citizen remove a link from her website reeks of abuse.
Jeni Reisinger is getting some support today from Ald. Bob Ryan.
From the Sheboygan Press:The city's now-retracted demand that a resident remove an Internet link to the Sheboygan Police Department is an embarrassment and a distraction for the city, some aldermen said Wednesday.
Jeni Reisinger, who runs a Web site often critical of Mayor Juan Perez, received a cease-and-desist letter last month — in a move initiated by the mayor — ordering her to remove a link on her unrelated Web design business site. Reisinger hired an attorney who wrote back challenging the letter, and City Attorney Steve McLean said Wednesday that the city is retracting its demand.
"It seems that we have a mayor that seems to stick his foot in his mouth quite often, and he's done it again," said Ald. Bob Ryan. "I think the mayor should be paying attention to larger issues, such as finding ways to grow some revenue for this city, rather than worrying about if some obscure Web site has a link to the police department Web site. … Unfortunately, some people have axes to grind."
Finally, a Sheboygan city official is willing to condemn the egregious abuse of power by Mayor Juan Perez.
I think it's long overdue. In the week since the story surfaced, it has become blog fodder across the state and on a few national sites, gaining mention on more than 25 blogs, according to a roundup of coverage posted on badgerblogger.com. The story also appeared on national Web sites of USA Today and World Net Daily and was discussed on several Milwaukee-area radio talk shows.
"Blog fodder."
That sounds like an effort to diminish the matter's significance, as if its hysteria fueled by the Internet and talk radio.
I consider this to be a serious issue. Anyone who shares their political opinions on the Internet, anyone with a website should be concerned about an elected official using his position to intimidate an individual over a link.
I think the fact that Perez chose the Sheboygan Police Department link was especially insidious. If I had been contacted by an officer and told I was being investigated, I would be extremely disturbed. "I don't know all the facts behind it … but I do know that this is not the way we want Sheboygan to be known," Ald. Cory Bouck said Wednesday. "I know that's not what we want Sheboygan to get national press on."
Bouck said he believes city officials just don't understand the role of the Internet.
"It's my thinking that the World Wide Web is like the Wild West and people can do whatever they want," Bouck said. "I think it's short-sighted for us to think that we can tell somebody they can't put a link on their site. … I think that if (Reisinger) wants to put her opinion out there and link to us, I think that's her absolute right."
Bouck also gives Jeni some support, although he's not specifically critical of Perez.
He should get credit for coming to her defense, though he should have condemned the measures employed by Perez in his attack against her.
The Web is not like the Wild West. People CANNOT do whatever they want.
Bouck shouldn't equate putting up a link to some sort of lawlessness. I think that was probably just a poor analogy, but it does have a negative connotation. There was absolutely nothing "wild" about linking to the police department. But Ald. Marilyn Montemayor said she understands the reasoning behind the cease-and-desist letter, saying the link "kind of joins the city with a not-so-desirable Web site." Montemayor added that she feels the issue is overblown.
"The big commotion that was made about this was out of proportion to what (Reisinger) feels has happened," she said. "It certainly could have been dealt with without the extra exposure that was eagerly added" by the bloggers.
Now that the city has retracted the letter, the controversy should be over, Montemayor said.
"What is the damage to this person if that link is up and running again and her Web site has been going all this time?" Montemayor said. "I'm sure her attorney will say there's been some damage, but I don't know what it would be."
Montemayor is doing damage control for Perez.
She's failing.
She should not be an apologist for this abuse of power, and that's exactly what this case is about. She shouldn't be an apologist for treading on a citizen's rights, using government and other agencies to silence political dissent.
I don't appreciate Montemayor's comments about "the bloggers."
We have a voice, and apparently, she has a problem with that. Montemayor should be more careful. She needs to keep the Constitution away from the shredder.
I think Perez and his hacks should be held accountable. If they are allowed to get with this, does anyone doubt that they would change their ways?
Perez has shown what lengths he's willing to take to silence political opposition. That should trouble all of his constituents and everyone who cares about free speech.Ald. Jim Bohren declined comment on the issue, saying he does not believe all the information is out yet.
No comment at all from Bohren?
That's rather spineless.Bouck said the city did the right thing to retract the move, adding, "There are just bigger things for us to tackle."
Ald. Bill Wangemann agreed.
"What I'm afraid is that the city's going to get embroiled in a big (law)suit, and that it's going to take too much time away from what we actually should be doing, and that's running the city," Wangemann said. "I'm sure people outside the city are scratching their heads wondering what's going on. …
"In my opinion it doesn't make Sheboygan look real good that we have this kind of discord in our city government."
It's true. There are bigger issues for Sheboygan government and police to tackle.
NO KIDDING.
That's what makes the move by Perez to harass and intimidate and silence Jeni so utterly inexcusable and colossally shameful. It's a dereliction of duty.
Score one for the little guy, in this case Jeni Reisinger.
From the Sheboygan Press: The City of Sheboygan is backing down from its demand that a Sheboygan resident remove a link from her business Web site to the Sheboygan Police Department, the city attorney said this morning.
Jeni Reisinger, who runs a Web site often critical of Mayor Juan Perez, was sent a cease-and-desist letter last month at the mayor’s request. But City Attorney Steve McLean said this morning the city informed Reisinger’s attorney in a letter sent Tuesday afternoon that it will no longer pursue the issue.
“There was never any intent to take any action further against her than write that letter,” McLean said. “We’re going to retract the cease-and-desist letter.”
Ooooh, a retraction!
McLean says, "There was never any intent to take any action further against her than write that letter."
Translation: Our intent was to harass and intimidate Reisinger, scare her, and leave it at that. ...New Berlin attorney Paul Bucher, who represents Reisinger, said this morning he has not yet received McLean’s retraction letter, but promised that will not be the end of his involvement.
“I’ll look at the letter and meet with our client and see where we’re headed from there. It doesn’t end the controversy — that’s for sure,” Bucher said. “The issue is whether or not … the City of Sheboygan or the government in Sheboygan used the powers of the government to intimidate, silence or infringe upon another individual’s right to express their political views.”
It's obvious that Sheboygan officials want this to go away with a simple "never mind" letter.
That would be letting them off the hook. I think Jeni and Paul Bucher should pursue the matter further.
The incident was so abusive and a clear violation of Jeni's rights. ...Asked this morning if the city had a legal basis to request the link be removed, McLean said the city “had basis to request that she remove it. We had a concern that it could viewed as an affiliation with the city or an endorsement of her business.”
So this morning, McLean is STILL claiming that the city "had basis" to tell Jeni to remove her link to the Sheboygan Police Department.
What basis? There is no legal basis. Is he talking about a personal preference?
This guy is the city attorney!Perez said in an interview Friday that the city was concerned over Reisinger’s link because “people associate (Reisinger) with racism” due to an image posted on her site digitally altered to show Perez holding a Mexican flag with the caption “Power to Illegals?” Bucher said he has been told Reisinger did not post the picture, which was removed soon after being posted.
This is so typical of people caught abusing their position and power -- attack the victim. In this case, Perez plays the race card as well.
It's a misguided, and, I suspect, ultimately unsuccessful, effort to smear the victim. Bucher said the controversy has been difficult for Reisinger.
“She’s frightened. She’s upset over this,” Bucher said. “I met with her yesterday, (and) she was visibility shaking.”
Of course, it's been difficult for Jeni. It must be awful for her. It's not easy to stand up to a powerful entity.
Getting a call that you're under investigation by the police would be frightening. Getting a threatening letter from the city attorney isn't an everyday occurrence for most people.
Perez and McLean really had a serious lapse in judgment when they decided to harass a private citizen and a political dissenter.
Jeni was right to seek legal counsel. She's right to pursue the matter and expose the tactics utilized by Perez and McLean to tread on the rights of citizens in Sheboygan.
Today, the Sheboygan Press Editorial Board weighed in on the controversy involving Jeni Reisinger, Mayor Juan Perez, City Attorney Steve McLean, and the Sheboygan Police Department.
The Board writes:Sheboygan Mayor Juan Perez and City Attorney Steve McLean have much better things to do than spend time writing and sending threatening letters to a persistent mayoral critic.
Not only that, but the attempt by Perez to have Jeni Reisinger remove a link to the Sheboygan Police Department on one of the Web sites she maintains smacks of an attempt to stifle her First Amendment rights. McLean, apparently at Perez's request, sent Reisinger a cease-and-desist letter demanding that she remove the Police Department link, "until such time as the city were to authorize such a link."
But there was nothing political about the link and nothing embarrassing to the city.
This appears to be an effort to perhaps get back at someone who has criticized him. Reisinger, after all, was among those who supported a failed attempt to recall Perez in 2006 and has said Perez doesn't support the Police Department.
It's baffling that Perez and McLean would demand that the link be removed, without first fully investigating whether there is any legal grounds for their demand. They had to know that this action would create a firestorm of controversy. The story was picked up statewide and even nationally, including in USA Today.
It was ludicrous for the city to send an official letter making a demand upon a citizen, on the assumption that the demand was enforceable.
...There should have been more research and thought before a letter was sent that could involve a legal challenge in which the the city could become embroiled.
And, how many other Web sites link to the Sheboygan police site? Have the Web site hosts all received permission to do so? Not likely.
Many other sites do link to the Sheboygan Police Department.
Like mine--
I haven't received any threatening notification from the Sheboygan City Attorney to remove my links. No one from the Sheboygan Police Department has contacted me. Of course, I haven't spearheaded an effort to recall Mayor Juan Perez. I haven't been critical of Mayor Perez, until now. That might have something to do with it. Just a guess. At the time this editorial was written, the Board may not have realized how prophetic it would be when it suggested that there could be "a legal challenge in which the the city could become embroiled." Perhaps the Board was already aware that this story wasn't going to go away.
There is going to be a legal challenge and I'm glad. Letter to Police Chief David Kirk
Letter to City Attorney Steve McLean
Letter to Mayor Juan Perez
It's quite simple. "No legal basis exists" to demand that Jeni remove the link on her website to the Sheboygan PD.
It's not OK for officials to abuse the authority of government and public agencies to harass a private citizen.Pursuant to the Wisconsin Open Records Law, Attorney Paul Bucher is requesting "copies of any and all documentation, correspondence, emails, recordings and any other types of communication, in whatever format, that may exist relative to Ms. Reisinger and/or the directive issued to Ms. Reisinger to remove any link on her website to the City of Sheboygan Police Department."Well, now we'll get to the bottom of this. This should be quite enlightening for the citizens of Sheboygan, as well as the residents of Wisconsin. This is a national story now. I'm sure many Americans will be interested to know what's been happening in Sheboygan.
Could this story get any weirder?
Sheboygan city officials, including Mayor Juan Perez, are coming off as shockingly incompetent.
From the Sheboygan Press:A Sheboygan woman who runs a Web site often critical of Mayor Juan Perez has been ordered by the city to remove a Sheboygan Police Department link on her unrelated business site, a demand a legal expert says the city has no right to make.
In a move initiated by Perez, City Attorney Steve McLean sent a cease-and-desist letter earlier this month to Jeni Reisinger, who was among the leaders of a mayoral recall effort last year, officials acknowledged Friday.
...Madison attorney Bob Dreps said the law is clear that neither Reisinger nor anyone else needs permission to link to the police Web site.
"It's a public site. (A link) is like saying this is somebody's address and helping them get there," Dreps said. "It just doesn't raise anything that any court has found violates any law."
...A secretary in McLean's office said he was not at work Friday.
Perez defended the letter Friday, saying the city must be careful which Web sites link to it.
"People associate (Reisinger) with racism because of that Web site she designed during the recall when she had me holding a Mexican flag (with) 'Power to illegals?' captioned on it. They were calling me 'muchachito' and 'senor,' all these derogatory terms on that Web site, and she was the creator of that Web site," Perez said. "My concern was that people would have some concern over her linking to a city Web site."
...Perez said he is under the impression Web sites must have the city's permission to post links to the city's Web site.
"If she didn't need that, I believe attorney McLean would have told me that, and that would have been the end of it," Perez said, though he added, "He said she wasn't authorized, he didn't say she needed permission."
Translation: McLean is going to take the hit for this. Perez is saying he's a victim.
Of course, for Perez to be seen as a victim, City Attorney McLean must be seen as incompetent or vengeful or both. The situation has also prompted a brief police investigation, after Reisinger replied to McLean's letter by saying she had received permission for the link from police Officer John Winter, who created the Web site, Perez said. Perez told Police Chief David Kirk of Winter's involvement, and police then contacted Reisinger and Winter to confirm that was the case, Kirk said.
Lt. Jeff Johnston, the supervisor who called Reisinger, said he made it clear to her that she was only being contacted as part of an investigation into whether Winter gave permission.
"We are not conducting any type of criminal or even non-criminal investigation into her activities," Johnston said.
Both Perez and Kirk said Friday they received a half-dozen angry letters and phone calls after Reisinger's account of the situation — including her initial claim, later recanted, that she was being investigated by police — appeared on numerous Wisconsin-based blogs and a Milwaukee radio talk show.
The Sheboygan Press seems to be providing some new information.
A private citizen was never being investigated. She wasn't told that she was part of an investigation. She recanted her claim.
According to Jeni, that's not the case.
Jeni responds to the Sheboygan Press account here.
She's not happy about "the spin (aka LIES)."
If the Sheboygan Press wanted to give a complete, fair, and balanced telling of this story, Jeni would have been interviewed. Her comments would have been included.
It seems very one-sided to me. It's like a press release from the Mayor's office rather than a news article. It's like something from a state run media outlet.
I think the Sheboygan Press must be considered complicit in sliming Jeni. (h/t
McBride's Media Matters)
I can't stand when people in positions of authority use their power to intimidate and tread on people without such authority.
I can't stand it when they throw their weight around and harass people.
It bugs me. Bigtime.
So I find what's happening to a private citizen in Sheboygan to be extremely troubling.
Talk about civil liberties being eroded!
Jeni from Sheboygan Shenanigans has discovered that if you state your opinion about Sheboygan Mayor Juan Perez, you're a candidate for investigation by the Sheboygan Police Department.
Patrick has the story at Badger Blogger.
He writes:Our friend Jeni from Sheboygan Shenanigans and Sheboygan Spirit has been one of the few voices critical of the shenanigans that have been going on in her home town, Sheboygan Wi. and this includes being critical of Sheboygan’s Mayor, Juan Perez. In fact, Jeni spearheaded a recall effort against Perez.
Now, apparently is time for payback. Recently, Jeni received a letter from the Sheboygan City Attorney, Stephen G. McLean, demanding that she remove a link to the main page of the Sheboygan Police Department. Jeni did remove the links, even though there is absolutely nothing inappropriate about linking to the very public main page of the police department, a page that one would think they would want people to use. Shortly after receiving this letter and removing the links, a Lieutenant from the Sheboygan Police Department followed up with a phone call, telling her she is the subject of a police investigation. Mark Belling has confirmed that this lieutenant was ordered by Sheboygan Police Chief David E. Kirk.
Patrick has audio of Mark Belling discussing the matter of linking to the Sheboygan Police Department.
He also links to bloggers addressing the issue of linking to the Sheboygan Police Department.
On his show this morning, Charlie Sykes spoke about the harassment of Jeni for linking to the Sheboygan Police Department. Patrick has the audio.
Kate makes creative use of emoticons to express her opinion of those trying to silence Jeni for linking to the Sheboygan Police Department.
Sheboygan Shenanigans has posted PDFs of the e-mails between the "City Attorney and the private citizen" about linking to the Sheboygan Police Department.
City Attorney Stephen G. McLean writes:I am further advised that the City has not authorized this connection to its Police Department website, and we wish to have the link severed until such time as the City were to give authorization.
What a load!
Anyone can link to the Sheboygan Police Department.
For example, I don't need special authorization to link to the Sheboygan Police Department.
What a dumb move by Mayor Juan Perez!
It's not cool to investigate and threaten a citizen for expressing her opinion.
Harassing her for simply posting a link to the Sheboygan Police Department is positively ludicrous.
By the way, here is a link to the Sheboygan Police Department.
Here is another link to the Sheboygan Police Department.
Oops! That's the same link.
Either one will work.
Elvira Arellano isn't the only ILLEGAL immigrant in the past couple of days to be held accountable under U.S. law.
Yesterday, Mauro Cisneros was arrested in Sheboygan. SHEBOYGAN, Wis. (AP) -- A gang member already deported once could face up to 20 years in prison for illegally returning to the U.S.
Sheboygan police arrested Mauro Cisneros, whose aliases include ages between 30 and 33, during a Monday traffic stop.
Officers pulled over his minivan after witnesses reported seeing young children jumping around in the back, Sgt. Scott Mittelstadt said. They found five children not wearing seatbelts.
A police check identified Cisneros as a deported felon, but did not give details on his conviction or deportation. Online court records in Wisconsin show only an extradition order from 2002.
Cisneros belongs to the California-based Sureno 13 gang, which has a branch in Sheboygan, police said. A police database check showed he has previous arrests in Dallas and Las Vegas on charges including robbery, drug trafficking and kidnapping.
...Sheboygan police are holding Cisneros at the request of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A conviction for returning to the U.S. as a deported felon carries up to 20 years in prison.
Cisneros also could be charged with several traffic violations and three counts of obstruction as a result of the traffic stop, Mittelstadt said.
Why didn't Cisneros seek sanctuary in a church?
Why didn't the amnesty for "undocumented immigrants" proponents come to his aid?
Why aren't media outlets across the nation telling Cisneros' story -- a man roughly the same age as Arellano who obviously can't bear being separated from his beloved gang?
Why not make Cisneros the face of the movement?
Gee, do you think his "work history" in the U.S., (the robbery, drug trafficking, and kidnapping), might have something to do with it?
Arellano is being held up as a human rights heroine for fighting U.S. law.
Cisneros is fighting U.S. law, too.
Cisneros the hero. Cisneros the activist. Free Cisneros!
That doesn't work out too well, does it?
