Newman Refuses to Meet with Voters in Village President Debates, Long Standing Tradition of Chamber Forum for Village President Election in Doubt

Menomonee Falls - The Davis for President Campaign announced today that Randy Newman refuses to meet with voters to discuss issues with Village President Candidate Jefferson E. Davis and only reluctantly agreed to join the long standing tradition of the Chamber Forum for the Village President Race just days before the April 7Th Election denying voters very little, if any, opportunity to see where the candidates stand on the issues and what their plans and visions are for the future of Menomonee Falls. Davis and Newman are vying for the Office of Village President as the current officeholder, Dick Rechlicz, is stepping down after 4 years.

The Davis for President Campaign immediately contacted Mr. Newman the day after the February 17Th Primary to congratulate him and to invite him to a minimum of 3 public debates without limits giving voters the opportunity to ask any question and to take as much time as they need to have those questions answered. Mr. Newman completely ignored the debate requests for nearly three weeks other than to request that he not be contacted at his Village email account. Mr. Newman is the only Trustee who does list his contact information on the Village Website.

Realizing there would probably be little or no coverage of the Village President's Race, which has become the norm over the last few years, and that Mr. Newman was refusing to meet with voters, the Chamber was contacted to see if a date had been set for their long standing tradition of hosting the Village President Forum.

Much to the surprise of the Davis Campaign, the Chamber had not made any plans whatsoever for the Village President Forum and would get back to the Campaign as time permitted to see if any details could be worked out.

After a few days had gone by, the Chamber informed the Davis Campaign that March 30Th, less than a week before the April 7Th Election, was being looked at as a possible date for their Village President Chamber Forum.

The Village President Chamber Forum has always been held many weeks before the April Election to give voters ample opportunity to view the Forum on Cable Access for maximum exposure of the two Village President Candidates and their positions as to what their plans and visions are for the future of Menomonee Falls.

The Chamber, which has been subsidized by the taxpayers through the Village Board of some $175,000 since 1997 and apparently some $34,000 for 2009 alone to pay rent to Falls Fest as part of their "tourism" costs, has yet to actually confirm if there will even be a forum.

Mr. Newman finally left a voice mail message for the Davis for President Campaign on Friday, March 6Th, that in part said,

"It looks like we're scheduled for the Forum on March 30Th. That's probably not as many as you want, but it works for me and fits into my strategy and what we're doing."

When reached for comment today, Jefferson E. Davis said of Newman's refusal to meet with voters and the uncertainty of the Village President Chamber Forum,

"I have known Randy for over 20 years now and consider him a friend. Unfortunately, he has chosen to shut the voters out of this race with his open and defiant refusal to meet with them to discuss their concerns and issues about high taxes, a slowing economy and signs of a stifling government.

Meeting with the voters is the right thing to do and a politician's "strategy" for his own agenda needs to be checked at the door giving voters priority over political calculations. After all, it's their money we're spending.

This should come as no surprise to anyone as Randy has chosen to shut the taxpayers out of their government over the last 4 years on the Board with his votes to eliminate the broadcast of Town Hall Meetings and limiting comments from voters to 180 seconds if they're even given a chance to speak at all at Board Meetings.

The taxpayers are asked to forfeit some $30 million a year of their hard earned and shrinking money to the Village and they deserve to know what the new Village President plans to do with their money and what he plans to do to lower taxes, grow the economy in severe recessionary times and to give the people their government back.

We will go ahead with our plans to meet with voters to give them straight answers about what is really going on with their money and government. That is the least we can do for them."

The Menomonee Falls Village President's Election is April 7Th.

For more information about the Davis for President Campaign, please visit www.jefferson-davis.info.

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March 6, 2009

Davis for President Contact Information

414-750-6785

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