Letter: Wiza and Johnson leave little to be desired

To the Editor-

As you read this, ask yourself: Are either Mr. Wiza or Ms. Johnson our best choice for mayor?

As mayor, Mr. Wiza is chairman of the Board of Public Works, where projects are first introduced yet the people affected are not being notified of those meetings. Their meeting with AECOM on the Business 51 Project was only attended by two people. It’s obvious Mr. Wiza didn’t get the word out.

Then, when these projects come to the council for final vote, the people that come before them are completely ignored as council members just go off on their own tangent. President of the council Ms. Johnson is the prime example. The mayor controls the flow of these meetings but Mr. Wiza is not ensuring each person gets their due consideration.

The overwhelming majority of the city-wide survey, the people that came before the common council, etc., want four lanes on Business 51. Yet Ms. Johnson continues to insist on two. And Mr. Wiza? Now he says he’s for four lanes, mostly because she’s for two. But where was he before? Two lanes! And where he will be if he’s elected? It’s anyone’s guess. Yeah, that’s Mr. Wiza!

The same majorities don’t want bike lanes on Business 51. Most people I’ve talked to that ride bike say they don’t go on Business 51. Too heavy traffic; cars going in and out; bikes have less visibility. Yet Ms. Johnson steadfastly supports them there. And Mr. Wiza? It depends on who he’s talking to. And neither has taken the time to sit down with bicycle groups and set up safe bike routes.

We have a homeless problem that everyone seems to be aware of, yet the mayor and president of the common council have done nothing to abate it.

Lastly, is this what we signed on for when we elected these people? Mr. Wiza taking overseas trips that don’t help the city — on our dime — and Ms. Johnson pursuing her own agenda irrespective of what the people want.

Then there’s the both of them combining to not renew the appointment of Ron Carlson, a 32-year veteran of our police force, to the Police and fire Commission because “there’s already too many middle-age white males on the commission.”

There should be no place for bigotry in city government.

These two people have been in office and out of control for too long. It’s time for a change.

Craig Tesch
Stevens Point