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THE THREE AMIGOS
The City of Lake Geneva is about to change…again.
The mayor’s position of supreme leadership (if you will) is up for grabs, and three “amigos” have ridden into town to help the peasants fight off the forces of banditos, or forces of evil, take your pick. Actually, all three candidates for the office have been here for some time and been exposed to most facets of life in and around the city. No more experienced or highly educated trio has ever gone after the mayor’s job, and that is a wonderful compliment to all the citizens of Lake Geneva.
Important and involved citizens working actively in all areas of the city want to step forward and lead it into the future. The most obvious candidate (or amigo, as we’ve facetiously termed him) is Alan Kupsik. There was a meeting held the other night for the candidates to come forward and give their stands and opinions on a variety of subjects. Possibly the most important question they were asked at this special forum (put on by the Lake Geneva Regional News) was about how they saw the role the were candidates for, and what they would do in exercising their powers once in office.
Mr. Alan Kupsik was clear, and his candidacy stems directly from his service as the current mayor of Lake Geneva. He said that his primary job was to serve as a referee over the offices of normal daily government going on around him. He said that his role was to primarily to listen at all the committee, commission and business meetings the city employees and officials hold and then make decisions to help them do their jobs. In support of the current mayor, it must be stated that that is exactly how he’s conducted himself while in office.
Mr. Tom Hartz, the second “amigo,” sees the job a bit differently. He said he sees the role of mayor as a “weak” mayor job since the mayor does not normally vote at council meetings. He likened the job to that of a visionary bricklayer. Two bricklayers are questioned about what they did for a living by being asked what they were building. The first bricklayer said he was laying bricks for a wall. The second bricklayer said he was building a cathedral. Tom likened himself to being the bricklayer with the vision of building a cathedral, even though that might be more the province of an architect (which he is by trade).
Finally, the third “amigo,” (better-termed amiga in the Spanish language) was Charlene Klein. She sees the job of mayor as being that of a leader who engages the public that elected her to listen and then do that public’s bidding. Those three visions, of how to function as mayor of Lake Geneva, are entirely different from one another and those differences are wonderful to behold and to consider for voting purposes. Does the city want a moderator of current affairs as conducted by the existing sub-leaders and employees? Does the city want a visionary who guides the electorate in a more distant remote manner? Does the city want a listener attuned by such listening reception to the people who she represents and quite possibly put her into office?
Of course, the statements all three “amigos” gave in response to the question incorporated a bit of one another’s vision and definition, but those statements were telling when it comes to their beliefs in how the way in which the role is to be exercised. Alan Kupsik is the accomplished politician. Tom Hartz is the successful businessman. Charlene Klein is the candidate who’s made a life of working and giving of herself in civic and charitable organizations. These three candidates are all of high quality. The city did not go wrong in electing Alan Kupsik, and it won’t go wrong electing either of the two other candidates, and that is a wonderful thing to conclude and be a party to reporting and living with.
