Greens Urge Veto Override
[note: On November 10, 2004 the Winnebago County Board of Supervisors met to consider an override of County Executive Jane Van De Hey's veto of a $600,000 addition to the Human Services budget. Lake Winnebago Green Party member Justin Mitchell delivered the following statement to the Board].
Good Evening. My name is Justin Mitchell and I am speaking tonight on behalf
of the Lake Winnebago Green Party.
The Lake Winnebago Greens believe that it is the responsibility of county government
to protect the most vulnerable citizens in our population.
Several weeks ago the County Board voted 17-16 to provide an additional $600,000
for the Human Services Department to fund long-term support programs for elderly
and disabled residents on a waiting list.
County Executive Van De Hey vetoed the addition. The Lake Winnebago Greens urge
you to override the veto.
The County Executive was quoted in the Oshkosh Northwestern as saying that taking
care of the elderly and disabled is a statewide problem that county property
owners cannot fix.
We do not believe that the most vulnerable among our elderly and disabled should
be looked at as a problem to be fixed. We believe that taking care of the elderly
and disabled is a responsibility to be met, not a problem to be fixed.
We believe that the problem to be fixed is the county’s failure to get
its priorities in order. We can find millions for a jail, a race track, and
highway projects, but we can’t find $600,000 to provide some relief for
real human beings?
We do not believe the taxpayers of Winnebago County want you to turn a cold
shoulder to the neediest in our population so that we can save a few cents on
our tax bill.
Please show the residents of Winnebago County that your priorities are in order.
Please vote to override the County Executive’s veto.
Thank you.