September 8, 2002
Representative Gregg Underheim 54th Assembly District Oshkosh, WI 54901
Dear Representative Underheim:
I wish you good health.
I could begin this letter by saying, "I challenge you to a debate." I would rather suggest that we have a real debate, or perhaps as Ernie Banks would say . . . "Two of them." Questions with brief responses by the candidates, as we both know, are not real debates.
As you know, I come from deep southern Illinois, only a few miles from little Jonesboro, Illinois, where one of the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates were held. By our standards today, these were very long debates, but they were real debates as opposed to sound bites or paid advertisements, which also amount to sound bites.
There are many places we could debate. Perhaps local media could cover these debates. There are many skilled debate experts at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, or our local high schools, who could assist us by drawing up rules of proper, professional, real debate. There are many fair-minded persons who could be skilled moderators.
While I would debate almost anywhere, anytime, we owe it to the voters to select a good place and good time to have have a couple of professional debates - perhaps one on the campus of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, and another in town. We are two people seeking to represent the people of the 54th District in 2003, a year, which I think we both agree, will not be an easy year for the great state of Wisconsin. We need to give the voters a chance to observe our thinking, understand our logic and know the directions we will be taking on their behalf.
Sincerely yours,
James A. Genisio
cc: Local Media