After images of a cooler with white supremacist and Ku Klux Klan stickers surfaced online and workers brandishing firearms, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, city officials are debating ending $1 million in contracts with a construction company.

On Thursday, Jan. 4, the Milwaukee Common Council debated barring the American Sewer Services construction company from bidding on contracts with the city. They are also demanding the company's owner testify before them. It would be about two weeks before the officials vote on these resolutions.

"Given the amount of facts we have now, a reasonable person would say that racism is clearly tolerated [at the company]," said Alderman Nik Kovac, a member of the city's Public Works Committee.

According to the Associated Press, two photos from early December surfaced on Facebook after immigration activist Sam Singleton-Freeman posted them online. In one picture, there was a KKK sticker on an employee's water cooler that reads "Invisible Empire."

In the second picture, two workers were depicted with holstered guns and a third one is brandishing a firearm. All workers in the photo are white. There is a caption with the photo that reads, "this is how you finish concrete in Milwaukee."

"The idea that you would feel it necessary to be armed and to brandish a weapon in a majority black neighborhood while you're still on the job is deeply entrenched in racial fear," Kovac said, adding: "Let's just call it racism."

While many on the council were upset over the images, some gave the construction company the benefit of the doubt.

"We're all concerned, but we're losing our sense of proportion here," Alderman Robert Donovan said. His comments led to a heated exchange with Kovac, who said Donovan's remarks were "symptomatic of the general sense of ignoring when possible and then immediately forgiving racism."

"That's a helluva accusation fella!" Donovan responded.

However, the overarching sentiment still remains, the company's owner, Dennis Biondich, has failed to attend a meeting with them set on Dec. 18.

"He still has not had the decency, the respect or the responsibility to come before this council and face this situation like a responsible business owner, like a man," said Alderman Russell Stamper, who is sponsoring the three resolutions.

American Sewer Services

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