Most politicians know by now that there is no such thing as a private social media page, and every one of their posts will be subject to public scrutiny.
West York, Pennsylvania Mayor Charles Wasko might just now be learning that lesson.
Several of Wasko’s Facebook posts are facing heavy criticism, including council members who are calling on him to step down. Council president Shawn Mauck told the York Dispatch the posts were “disgusting.”
“I kind of want to throw up,” Mauck said.
The posts include comparing President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama to monkeys, saying Obama should be hung with a noose and one post about a fictional black mother telling her child, “Socialism is when the white folks work every day so we can get all our governmental entitlement stuff for free.”
The posts were still up on Wasko’s public Facebook Thursday morning. Most were from months ago and it’s unclear why the posts have just recently been brought to light.
In the comments of the following post, Wasko wrote, “Most think it is Obama’s picture……sorry its (sic) Moochelles (sic) baby photo.”
Mauck and other council members told the York Dispatch they were particularly concerned because Wasko has oversight of the local police department, as law enforcement agencies around the country have faced scrutiny over the fatal shootings of black men.
“With those types of thoughts in your mind, how can you oversee the police department?” said Councilman Brian Wilson, who called on the mayor to resign. “We can’t have anybody being racist or bigoted … especially an elected official.”
After the story broke, Wasko wrote in a comment on one of his posts that he refused to be “politically correct.” He also said he’s the victim of a “witch hunt.”
“I say what people think but are afraid to upset the liberal media and crooked politicians…. there will be more to come from me,” Wasko wrote. “When I ran for this position I told the residents that I will work with council but I won’t put up with and (sic) wrong doings (sic) I will let residents know what they really do, and the bomb is ready to drop on Mauck and Wilson.”
Mauck told the York Dispatch that a quarter of the borough’s population are minorities. The total population is just less than 5,000 people.
“It would break my heart if they knew their mayor felt that way,” Mauck said.
