Reappointment Giesen, JudyDate:
February 17, 2000
To:
Mayor Terry Duggan and Members ofthe Dubuque City Council
Subject: Letter to Editor reI Judy Giesen Re-appointment
Dear Mayor Duggan and Council Members,
I submitted the following Letter to the Editor (Telegraph Herald) following your February 7
council meeting. Since the letter has not yet appeared in the paper, I wanted to be sure you're
aware of my concerns in this matter.
What were they thinking?
That's the flTst question that popped into my mind when I heard about the Dubuque city council's
failure to re-appoint Judy Giesen to the human rights commission. After reading the article in the
TH, I'm still confused.
One council member said he didn't want people to feel they were appointed for life, while at the
same time he voted for another person who has served multiple terms on the commission. This
would have only been Giesen's second term - hardly lifetime, by most people's standards. I agree
it should not be an automatic vote. I was appointed four times to the commission, but never
considered any of them a slam-dunk. I'm sure Judy felt the same way.
Most people applying for any commission appointment have an interest in that particular area,
but don't always have the ability and commitment to be a real driving force in their service.
When you get one that does, it's a good idea to hang on to him or her. Judy Giesen is that type of
person. I had the experience of serving with her for a time on the commission, and later on the
1998 Human Relations Conference Planning Committee, which she headed. Her commitment,
organization and effort in that project were outstanding, and typical of her approach to the cause
of human rights. Time and again she has gone way beyond the normal course of duty, and
achieved remarkable results. The community has been the primary beneficiary of her efforts.
I can only presume some council members are either ignorant of Judy's abilities and
contributions, or possibly have a different personal agenda in the area ofhurnan rights. Perhaps
they should review the city's Human Relations ordinance, and objectively assess who's on the
right page in this controversial area. And even if they still disagree, as Dan Nicholson suggested,
it's usually wise to keep good people with a proven track record.
I can certainly understand if Judy decides to focus her efforts elsewhere. However, I hope she
will keep an active application on file in the city clerk's office. I further hope that the city
council, at its earliest opportunity, will demonstrate some wisdom and re-appoint Judy Giesen to
the human rights commission. It's where she belongs. Failure to do so hurts the city of Dubuque
more than it hurts her.
Cc:
Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
Kelly Larson, Human Rights Director
Judy Giesen