These are turbulent times. And not just the last year and a half, but specifically the last 3 days, when right here, in Janesville, a group of individuals produced and distributed a flier they delivered to sleeping residents. A flier attacking our teachers, our school district and our community. This was also an attempt to retaliate against those teachers who signed the recall petition, and an example of Divide and Conquer approach to politics, we look to resoundingly reject on June 5.
Just how significant is this story? Well, over the past 2 days, this incident was covered by local, regional and national news outlets.
These are times that call for leadership, which begs the question: where is Representative Joe Knilans? The man who currently represents the 44th District in Madison is missing in action, and that is thoroughly disappointing. As his constituents, we demand to know: Does Representative Knilans condone this action? Does he think that teachers are overpaid? Or does he think that we can sit back and argue about how it was done but that getting this done was the right thing to do, which is what he told Janesville Gazette about the passage of Act 10 on its anniversary? Or will Joe Knilans come out and call this for what it was, a cowardly attempt to divide our community.
Janesville Gazette called distribution of these fliers “shameful” and I couldn’t agree more. Only yesterday, I called on Gazette to investigate this matter thoroughly and quickly, and to their credit they did, though more questions remain. Now, I call on Representative Knilans to denounce these actions which have no place in our politics. It is a part of his job as an elected leader, to show some leadership and to denounce those involved with this nefarious action; to call on these people to identify themselves and to come forward. I hope he will join me in calling for accountability for those involved in carrying out these attacks on our educators.
The clock is ticking and Joe Knilans remains missing in action.
UPDATE: There isn’t much to update, other than to point out that now it’s been a week and Representative Knilans still has not come out with a reaction to this incident. Evidently, Ed Schultz and the Huffington Post are more interested in what goes on in Janesville than Joe Knilans.
Thank you for this piece. I have taught in the School District of Janesville for more than three decades. I have given my heart and my soul to my chosen career. Never in a million years would I have imagined that public school teachers would be vilified as an enemy of the community. As I face retirement in a few short days, I have to say that if I had known how my career would end, I would have seriously considered a different line of work. Is it any wonder that the UW-Madison graduated just forty-five graduates in secondary education last weekend? Politicians on the local, state and national levels, including Joe Knilans, have a civic responsibility to get behind their public school teachers; not make them an enemy of the state.
Colleen, thank you for all your years of service.