Waukesha Mayor requires reading book by Christian author

[Scuba]

http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukesha/120517444.html

<snip>
Waukesha - Mayor Jeff Scrima's directive that city managers read and then discuss at staff meetings a book by a Christian author prompted a protest this week from Police Chief Russell Jack.

The book was published by a financial contributor to Scrima's campaign.

"I am a devout WELS Lutheran, but I don't believe it is legally appropriate to bring these ideas into a department directors' meeting," Jack wrote in an email to the mayor and released after a public records request. WELS is an acronym for Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Scrima told a reporter Friday, "There's no religious language in here. If there was any religious words or overtone, I would not have recommended it."
<end snip>


Good old Waukesha, the 1939 Berlin of Wisconsin.

[HereSince1628]

1. Wauwatosa won't just give up on competition for

being the most regressive. Hell we ARE the home of Scott Walker, AND we've got a Palin clone as Mayor. The hardest thing about living here is trying to get air in your bike tires...there's always a line of airheads in front of you.

[dembotoz]

2. it is like nascar- what area will have the champion douche bag

i live in glenn grothmans senate district--he has traditionally been sort of the Jimmy johnson in the race to top ass hole. But this year, the competition is tough.

[iwishiwas]

3. Did you see this?--a few other nasty things going on in Waukesha cty....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x941767

[iwishiwas]

4. "whose mission is to help people and organizations advance faith-centered cultural reform."

ummm.. I think the police chief in onto something.

Great article.



.........The publisher was paid $428.16 in tax money from the mayor's and council's budgets for 30 books.

Citing confidentiality ground rules of staff meetings, Jack declined to repeat what he said at Tuesday's managers' meeting. But others in attendance said he objected to the exercise because of the religious underpinnings and code words in the book, as described in the author's online essay, "Living the Gospel in Culture."

In an email response to the police chief Friday afternoon, Scrima said, "The intended focus of the book study is to create dialogue and the conditions that engage everyone to achieve organizational goals. In today's economically challenged times, we can certainly all agree that achieving the city's goals is of vital importance."

Metzger, the book's author, says in his DoggieHeadTilt blog that he was a founding pastor of Bay Area Community Church in Annapolis who began to develop and lead forums. He is listed on the blog as president and senior fellow of The Clapham Institute, "whose mission is to help people and organizations advance faith-centered cultural reform."

[Ilsa]

5. What a waste of tax money:

Most who were contacted, however, said the book wasn't helpful as a motivational or management tool.

One who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisal from the mayor called it a "lame" book. Another found it interesting but said it wouldn't be one he'd recommend for organizational motivation.

[roguevalley]

6. my brother is WELS and he would shove the book up the mayors

butt if he was ordered to do this.

[Viking12]

7. That's an insult to the good people of Berlin, WI

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=&q=berlin+wi&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Berlin,+Green+Lake,+Wisconsin&gl=us&t=h&z=13

[buddysmellgood]

8. If the topic is management, I see no reason why they shouldn't read the book. If it's a

religious book, that would be different.