Joe is one of those people who will remain a lightning rod for as long as he's a part of the industry.
Its interesting how time changes things. Ed York is generally revered as a visionary and advocate for the "little guy", but in his lifetime he, too, was the target of criticism similar to what Mr Polish and Ms Wagner are receiving.
I remember when my father threw in his lot with Ed and the fledgling IICUC (
IICRC now). The amount of phone calls that Lee got from industry leaders and associates was incredible. They asked him how he could possibly let his name be associated with such a man.
Ed had some fairly brutal, in your face, marketing tactics, and also took care of his own business and financial interests as a part of his service to others.
His exile from the
IICRC and his elder statesman status helped rehabilitate him in the eyes of our industry in his later years, but what is being said about Joe and Lisa here is mild compared to what was said about Ed in the mid 1970's.
Make no mistake: I respected Ed deeply, and while he often made Lee and I wince and question our sanity at times for working with him, he too gave our industry far more than he took.
Joe and Lisa have made me wince a few times. I've disagreed with things they've done, and Lisa and I have debated those issues publicly and privately. But at some point I think its time to leave the past behind and move ahead.
Lisa knows that I'll challenge her if we disagree. I also know she'll argue her point back just as boldly. But don't lose sight of the fact that the great thing about this place is its venue for open debate.
But personal attacks from both sides not only are unpleasant, but they cloud the real issues that should be debated.
Just some perspective from this old man.
