Letter to the Editor: The Kitchens File – Willing To Compromise

After overhearing a comment made by a Door County supervisor, who stated a preference for re-electing Joel Kitchens to the state Assembly and the reason was because, “Joel was willing to compromise,” that caused me to review two meanings of the word. Obviously, this person was under the impression that Mr. Kitchens, in being, “willing to compromise,” meant that our incumbent representative was someone functioning in this elected office as a go-between, a broker, or a mediator, in order to resolve situations to the mutual benefit of two or more interests, on any given issue.

Aside from my personal dismay that someone serving in our county government, in my view, is irretrievably delusional in holding that particular view of Mr. Kitchens, I would offer that there are several reasons that squarely place Mr. Kitchens’ legislative performance predominantly under another definition of the phrase, “willing to compromise.” The other definition is the negative form of compromise. Unnecessarily sacrificed, short changed, rendered unsafe, exposed to danger, handed over without consideration of the public’s best interests or attaining reciprocal advantage, describes negative compromise.

Not from Rep. Kitchens alone, but from our entire current GOP state majority we see a continuous self-interest fed, “willingness to compromise.” In other words, shortchange us all except for their political interest toward retention of power and for the special interests of large corporate campaign donors. Deleterious compromises made to our constitutional rights, to public health, to public safety, to environmental protection, to future state financial viability, against living wage issues, against public schools and universities, disrespecting our military veteran concerns, and compromises made to our state’s former national prestige, against past model good government and civic leadership, unfortunately is the present and foreseeable GOP normal.

So when you hear Rep. Joel Kitchens criticize his opponent Lynn Utesch, as he did during the recent LWV forum at Southern Door, telling the audience that Mr. Utesch was unsuitable for governing because Lynn Utesch had stated he was, “unwilling to compromise,” carefully think twice before reacting.

Keeping in mind how detrimental this GOP majority, including Joel Kitchens, has been to Wisconsin with their being, “willing to compromise,” just about anything Wisconsinites have always held dear, from open government and a sustainable natural environment, to our real hope for an imaginative and decent, productive future for most of us and our children, there is no viable alternative. Please vote Lynn Utesch for Assembly on Nov. 8. Our very survival as a state we can call home, depends on it.

Donald Freix

Fish Creek, Wis.