SOPHIA Open Letter

I attended the meeting the letter refers to, and I can attest to the rudeness and the hostility that many speakers experienced there.  Many attempted to paint SOPHIA as some kind of evil participant in a nefarious conspiracy involving socialists, President Obama, and who knows....when the fact is, SOPHIA churches and members are residents of Waukesha County and New Berlin. 

An Open Letter to New Berlin Mayor Jack Chiovatero, Plan Commission Members, and Concerned Citizens of New Berlin Members

June 29, 2010

SOPHIA participated in the New Berlin Plan Commission’s meeting on June 7 to support the MSP Real Estate proposal for affordable senior and workforce housing units in the proposed development in City Center. We were shocked by the atmosphere of disrespect and incivility that was allowed to prevail at the hearing. We were pained by the number of inflammatory statements and innuendos we heard. We were disappointed and ashamed that those running the meeting did nothing to stop the angry, disrespectful outbursts – including booing and hissing - while those in favor of the MSP proposal gave their statements.

We call on the Concerned Citizens of New Berlin to join SOPHIA in publically repudiating the disrespectful language and behavior of many of those who participated in the June 7 hearing, and we ask them to urge their members to work to ensure that future gatherings do not include such incivility. We further call on the Plan Commission to insist that commonly accepted norms of dignity and respect are followed on July 12 and at any future public meetings.

SOPHIA believes that our community is well-served when there is a robust, open exchange of ideas. We believe that such an exchange can take place in an atmosphere of mutual respect. We will insist on civil speech and behavior from our members, and we reject any statements or behaviors that carry any suggestion of personal attack or threat.

SOPHIA continues to support the proposed City Center development for a variety of reasons. First, as people of faith, we believe working individuals, families, and seniors in Waukesha County need and deserve more opportunities to live within the county. Second, the development will be a very high quality addition to the City Center, generating jobs and hundreds of thousands of dollars of property tax revenue to the City. Third, MSP has complied with every requirement necessary for approval, and rescinding the previously granted approval would leave New Berlin in a very vulnerable, and potentially costly, legal position.


Rev. Amy Becker, Co-chair, SOPHIA Religious Leaders Caucus, New Berlin Resident
Rev. Ralph Schultz, Co-chair, SOPHIA Religious Leaders Caucus
Joel Gaughan, SOPHIA Vice-President, New Berlin Resident
Don Johnson, Chair, SOPHIA Workforce Housing Task Force
Betty Groenewold, SOPHIA President

Contact: Joel Gaughan, 262-789-9736, jgaughan1@wi.rr.com