Columnist's clame is nonsense, needs to do more research
Dana Kastenson
Issue date: 10/27/08 Section: Letters
In response to the Oct. 23 Mmm'Boppin editorial column by Scott Hansen, I'm both angered and confused about his reasons on Green Bay city officials' treatment of the St. John's shelter.
While Hansen does state facts from the Oct. 20 Green Bay Press Gazette, such as area neighbors complaining about crime and increased litter, he goes to group all residents in the Navarino neighborhood have "spoken out on the shelter opening." Reporter Paul Srubas quotes only one Navarino resident Rob Miller in the article, who while indeed is an outspoken opponent, did say "You have to be realistic. It's not politically acceptable to shut it down." Miller goes on to say that his neighborhood association really doesn't have power to shut it down.
However, I'm angered by his assertion that if "a rich Caucasian family bought (the shelter) and crime and littering rate further increased ... wouldn't hear city council, the planning commission or mayor asking them to leave."
This is a racist comment and was carelessly published in The Spectator.
As a Green Bay native, I am well aware that the city is still predominantly white. But to publish that, without real facts, especially researching Green Bay police records, is just nonsense.
Specifically, Hansen was only looking at one article. And in past reports on this issue, incidents in crime due to the shelter has been reported, including shelter residents urinating on homeowner lawns and climbing into other homeowners' basements.
If Hansen would like to express his opinion on this subject, he needed to do more research. This has been an ongoing controversy and to make such strong assertions from one article is bad reporting.
Dana Kastenson
senior
print journalism
While Hansen does state facts from the Oct. 20 Green Bay Press Gazette, such as area neighbors complaining about crime and increased litter, he goes to group all residents in the Navarino neighborhood have "spoken out on the shelter opening." Reporter Paul Srubas quotes only one Navarino resident Rob Miller in the article, who while indeed is an outspoken opponent, did say "You have to be realistic. It's not politically acceptable to shut it down." Miller goes on to say that his neighborhood association really doesn't have power to shut it down.
However, I'm angered by his assertion that if "a rich Caucasian family bought (the shelter) and crime and littering rate further increased ... wouldn't hear city council, the planning commission or mayor asking them to leave."
This is a racist comment and was carelessly published in The Spectator.
As a Green Bay native, I am well aware that the city is still predominantly white. But to publish that, without real facts, especially researching Green Bay police records, is just nonsense.
Specifically, Hansen was only looking at one article. And in past reports on this issue, incidents in crime due to the shelter has been reported, including shelter residents urinating on homeowner lawns and climbing into other homeowners' basements.
If Hansen would like to express his opinion on this subject, he needed to do more research. This has been an ongoing controversy and to make such strong assertions from one article is bad reporting.
Dana Kastenson
senior
print journalism
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