Village Spillage

Remember last week, I'd mentioned that in Tosa, Police tell residents to call 911 when they see anything odd, out of place, suspicious?

Well, that came as timely advice.

Last week, while my wife rolled the trashcan to the curb (yes, my wife does that job .. does that make me less of a man?) .. she saw a guy, ambling down our block, perhaps talking on a cell phone.   Whatever he was doing, he spooked my wife; she came inside a bit scared, and told me she was calling the police.

I went outside to catch a glimpse from a few hundred feet away .. can't say he was that suspicious, although he did cross the street, then double back.   Honestly, I'm not sure I would have called the police.  Good thing my wife did.

45 seconds later, two WFB squads came rolling down, looking for our guy.  (Great response time from WFB!)

The next morning, on an unrelated matter, I was talking to WFB's Chief of Police, Robert Jacobs.  I asked him if he knew about this incident, and what the resolution was.

Turns out, they caught the guy, who eventually confessed that HE WAS BREAKING IN TO CARS!  A day later, the Chief emailed me thanking my wife for calling in the tip, explaining they had also recovered a stolen car.

Amazing!

The moral of this story is: CALL THE POLICE WHEN YOU SEE ANYONE OUT OF PLACE AT NIGHT.  -- REALLY.  NO, I'M NOT KIDDING.

Don't sit around, thinking, gee, I sure hope that guy is OK.  Just call 911, and have the police figure it out.  That's what they are there for.

I asked Chief Roberts if 911 is the right number to dial for something like that.  He said if you see someone outside, looking a bit odd, they need you to call 911 so they can get a squad out there immediately.  While it doesn't sound like an emergency, it's something the police want to act upon RIGHT AWAY.  That strategy paid off last week.   911 goes directly to the WFB dispatch center.  (However, Chief Roberts said if you are calling from a cell phone, 911 will go to the Milwaukee County dispatch.  Ask them to transfer the call to WFB.)

I think the biggest issue is that people just don't know to call 911 for something small, and basically hope someone else is keeping an eye on things.

Look .. this dude walked down our block of 40 homes.  Let's say he walked down three blocks just like that, walking by 120+ homes, looking for cars to break in to.  It was just after the 10pm news was ending.  Plenty of people are awake.  I'll bet AT LEAST 5 people saw him in front of their homes.   That means four people just shrugged off an out of place guy, walking down the street.

Bottom line .. WFB has had a spate of car and home break-ins in the past few months.   Make an effort.  Take a look outside your house, up and down the block.  If it's dark out .. and you see some young guy who doesn't look like a neighbor:  Call 911 and have the police look into it.  

They're not going to charge you for calling 911 on a tip that doesn't pan out.  They're going to thank you for being vigilant, making WFB a safer place.

I'll bet you've seen something out of place within the last month, and you didn't call it in, thinking it wasn't really an emergency.  NEXT TIME, DON'T JUST SIT THERE.

Don't think you're "bothering" the police with something small.  That call could turn out, like in our case last week, to lead to catching a car thief!

Make sure you read:

1. Solicitors DO NEED PERMITS
   
2. WFB Picks New Trustee 
3. Grim Silver Spring Prediction .. a Local Merchant's thoughts..
4. Bits & Pieces (New Engineer, Leaf Collection, Crime .. Fire)

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Public Service Announcement .. Did you know Whitefish Bay has an ordinance that requires nearly all door-to-door solicitors to have a permit?

Ordinance 15.07 (read here) generally requires all "Merchants" selling goods, or "Solicitors" asking for donations of money or items, to apply for a permit at Village Hall. 

This permit must be displayed on a "conspicuous place" on the person, and must be presented upon the demand of any potential "customer."  (That's you.)

Furthermore .. each solicitor needs one.  So if, for example, the Victory Church, deposits a carload of guys to go around knocking on doors asking for donations, EACH of them need a permit.  The permits are not transferable.

There are two notable EXCEPTIONS:

1. No permit is needed if the solicitor is engaged solely in political or religious speech.   (But if they are asking for donations, they WILL need a permit.  Often you'll hear them initially say "we're not asking for money .. but if you'd like to subscribe, blah blah blah."  .. yeah, get a permit.)
   
   
2. No permit is necessary for RESIDENT children under 21 going door-to-door for a charitable or non-profit entity.  e.g. Whitefish Bay children can sell Girl Scout Cookies or raise money for their band trip without a permit.  But a Shorewood kid, cannot without a permit.  Nor can a Milwaukee resident ask for church donations without a permit.
   

So .. anyone like to bet that most of the dudes who ring your door need a permit, yet don't have one?

Additionally .. ringing the doorbell to see if someone is home is also a method bad guys use to discover unoccupied homes.

Next time an irritating solicitor is outside your door asking for money, ask to see their permit.   If they don't have one, call the Whitefish Bay Police (962-4619), who would be happy to inform them of the law.  

Make sure you read:

1. WFB Picks New Trustee 
2. Grim Silver Spring Prediction .. a Local Merchant's thoughts..
3. Bits & Pieces (New Engineer, Leaf Collection, Crime .. Fire)

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At tonight's special session of the WFB Trustees, 6 candidates were interviewed for retiring Trustee Brennan's position.  One applicant withdrew her name prior to the meeting.

The process was to allow each candidate 15 minutes to answer 4 questions:

1. Describe your WFB experience, and any skills or talents that you have that would apply to being a Trustee
2. What specific areas would you be interested in while serving as a Trustee
3. What do you think are three greatest challenges for WFB
4. Do you have any questions for the board?

To kibbitz a little .. Question 2 and 3 frequently elicited the same answer.   Generally, people talk about what interests them because they see it as a challenge.  For example, many answered that they were interested in seeing Silver Spring improved, which, no surprise, is also the answer to the "biggest challenge" question.

Question 4 is a throw-away question that doesn't tell you much about the candidate, because in the end, the Trustees went around the table, answering that question.  Honestly, Question 4 told me more about the Trustees, than it did the candidates.

I would have loved to have heard more about how each candidate values, for example, homeowner rights.  Or what specific ideas they could bring to the table concerning their "biggest challenge."   -- That being said, I think the process allowed the cream to float to the top, so to speak.  It "worked."  -- And I suppose my perspective, as a villager who has interests, versus the perspective of a Trustee, is vastly different.  I want to elect someone who shares my values.  Their criteria for appointment should reflect the whole village.  I get that.

These 4 questions were designed to figure out "what kind of guy/gal" the person was, were they thoughtful and articulate, could they talk the talk.   It was very different from how someone would run an election, which should be based on issues, and answers to challenges .. i.e. a "platform."

After all 6 were interviewed, the Trustees each voted for their top 3 candidates.   The top two were Richard Foster, a 40 year journalist veteran, and Shawn Finnigan, a very bright young attorney. 

As an aside, I penciled in my votes, and Foster and Finnigan were my 1 and 2 as well.  

The Trustees then voted on Foster and Finnigan, but couldn't reach the required 4 votes to declare a winner.  (Trustee Cheng was not in attendance.  So the winner needed at least 4 of 5 votes.)   Originally, it was 3-2 for Finnigan, but after two rounds, it flipped to 3-2 Foster.     No discussion was heard between votes, which I thought was a bit odd, since it left the Trustees up to blindly changing their votes back and forth, hoping to hit 4 votes eventually.

Surprisingly on the 5th ballot, Richard Foster won, and will be sworn in next week as our newest Village Trustee.  If he wishes to retain his seat, he will need to run again next April (2009).

I had Foster as my #1 choice after listening to all six.  He was well spoken, had solid answers to all the questions, and knew the issues surrounding Whitefish Bay, which should come as no surprise, as he'd run for Brennan's seat in April 2006.  Welcome, Trustee-elect Foster.

One other note .. I was very irritated that no one from the "real" media came out to observe these official proceedings.  This is an important deal here, people.  -- It was also sad that no other members of the public showed up to hear, what really amounts to, a "mini-campaign" for an elected office.

Good night!

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I traded emails with Rodd Hall, owner of the Great Harvest Bread Company .. he was so kind as to allow me to publish his thoughts:

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:     A Silver Spring Construction Prediction
Date:     Mon, 22 Sep 2008 07:35:20 -0500
From:     Rodd Hall
To:     <KevinBuckleyWFB@gmail.com>


Kevin,

In your 9/20 Village Spillage blog you refer to the effect of Silver Spring construction between October and January on the merchants in the area. You couldn’t be more correct. Most retail businesses barely make a go of it, sometimes even expect to lose money from January through September, knowing the holiday shopping season will provide the bulk of their profits for the year.

I know from experience the devastating effect road construction can have on shopping habits and on the fortunes of a small business. During the 1994 reconstruction of Lake Drive, I lost 25% of my customers and income. It didn’t matter that at least two lanes were open at all times; it didn’t matter if construction was actually happening anywhere near my store on any given day; it didn’t matter that my customers still had easy access to some of the best parking around. They still stayed away in droves.

Combine these two phenomena and I have a prediction. The planned construction on Silver Spring, if it is truly started any time before January, will ultimately cause some Silver Spring merchant to finally decide it’s just not worth it and to close their doors … probably more than one.

And I say started because it won't matter if construction is stopped between Thanksgiving and January 1. If they so much as put up a single orange sign or traffic barrel, it will look like a road construction zone, and too many customers will stay away.

Rodd Hall
Great Harvest Bread Co.
Whitefish Bay

He had a few other nuggets that should also be shared:

 I know this is very much a minority opinion, but as a business-person I can't understand why everyone gets so excited about 'streetscaping'. Sure, a nicer looking Silver Spring wouldn't hurt.  

(snip)

Why not instead spend the tens (hundreds?) of thousands of dollars on attracting new, exciting merchants to the street. Better yet, why don’t we spend zero dollars on finding every possible way for the Village to make it easier, rather than increasingly more difficult, to run a business on Silver Spring? (emphasis mine -kb)

I'd say we need to do both.  With some luck, perhaps contracting with Kilduff will help recruit businesses to Silver Spring.  Unfortunately with the economy, the timing, which is certainly years late, may not work out for us.

Finally, this:

What most people don't understand – and rightly so; I certainly didn't until I tried it myself – is that most small businesses, no matter how strong they may appear from the outside, spend most of their time just one bad decision or one bad break away from failure. Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for sympathy; I chose this life and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

There are a lot of advantages, but the constant disadvantage is that you are always living life very close to the edge of disaster.

I think if the Village government had a better understanding of this basic fact of small business life, priorities might change.  (emphasis mine -kb)

This comment got my attention.   Great Harvest sure looks like one of the top 10 businesses on Silver Spring.  Great product, great location.   It honestly did not dawn on me, that a seemingly thriving business like GH would ever struggle, as he suggests.

What did we learn this morning, children?

1. The timing of Silver Spring's construction is not optimal for business survival.   The holiday season is make-or-break time for merchants.
   
2. Hall is probably correct.  Even though construction will be "stopped" from Thanksgiving to Jan 1, Silver Spring will most likely be thought of as a construction zone.  There WILL be less parking.   It WILL be tougher to get around SS, for cars and pedestrians alike.
   
3. While I believe Street-scaping is important, Hall has a point, that we should (have been) spending dough on recruiting businesses.
   
4. As I've called for before, the Village Trustees must look through all codes and eliminate merchant-unfriendly items NOW.  Not November, not December, not 2009.  NOW.
   
5. Finally .. SHOP LOCAL.   Make an extra effort to SHOP LOCAL when Silver Spring is under construction!

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I've let drop a number of WFB stories over the past few weeks.  Let's get to it.

Farrenkopf Hiring

Whitefish Bay hired retired Menomonee Falls Village Manager Richard Farrenkopf as Mary Jo Lange's semi-temporary replacement as director of public works and village engineer. 

I checked with the Village Spillage - Menomonee Falls office, and they couldn't say enough good things about Farrenkopf.   

Sounds like a home run hire for Whitefish Bay.  

Leaf Collection

The Village Trustees voted to end the seasonal curbside leaf pick-up on November 17th of this year.  If I recall correctly, this had something to do with the timing of the DPW getting leaves versus cleaning the storm sewer inlets.

Uh, guys?  You can't fool with Mother Nature.   I have three enormous Maple trees in my back yard, and they only start falling in November.  I rake every weekend, and the weekly pile I create is about the size of a Honda.  November 17th is about the 5th inning of a 9 inning game.   I realize you can still bag the leaves, but stopping that service so early is very unhelpful.

Oh, and guess what?  Most people will just rake the leaves into the gutter anyhow, regardless of the new date, as they will assume pick-up goes until Mother Nature says it should stop.   Eventually, the snow plows will scatter the piles unless they are picked up.  Just saying.

New Condos?

I haven't commented yet about the condo plan behind the Fox Bay.   I can't say I have a strong opinion either way. 

I've heard some suggest "Retail follows Residents" .. I just don't see that applying here.  Silver Spring has 5,000 people within a 3 minute walk.  An extra 50 people living in condos will do zero to attract businesses to Silver Spring.

Oh .. and don't we already have a half-empty Condotastrophe on Silver Spring and Lake?  Do we need more?

On the other hand .. as far as I can tell, this is an "off-Broadway" production.  This is more of a Santa Monica / Beaumont project.  It's behind Silver Spring.   If condos go up there .. the only possible negative effect on Silver Spring is perhaps the loss of parking for the future droves of customers that SS may generate in the future in a galaxy far away.

Let's see what the people on Santa Monica and Beaumont think.  They're the ones who will be staring at this sucker.  

Silver Spring Construction

Silver Spring will start to get ripped up in the next few weeks, first for sewer work, then early 2009, for Street-scaping .. seriously.  I'm not kidding. 

No, no, really. 

No, my pants are not on fire right now. 

Ok, fine, don't believe me.  I'm not sure I'll believe it until I see some orange barrels out there.

Amazing that we've been thinking and thinking about this for years, and here we are, starting in October.   Call me crazy, but wouldn't it have been better to do road construction well before winter?  

Apparently, they'll be blocking off one block of SS at a time, stopping from Thanksgiving to January 1st, to allow the SS Merchants some semblance of a holiday shopping season.  

New Trustee Interviews

Next Tuesday, Sep 23, the Trustees will meet to interview the seven applicants for Trustee Brennan's vacated spot.   So far, none of the seven have taken me up on my offer to give them an opportunity to discuss their candidacy with the public.  Offer still stands.

Crime

About 3 weeks ago, two cars from the same house were stolen one night, near my house.   How?

One car was unlocked, and had the keys inside.  FOR BOTH CARS.  Easiest grand theft auto those guys ever saw.

Safety tip #1: Come on, people.  Lock your cars.  Don't leave your keys in there.  Bad guys are cruising around Whitefish Bay with regularity.

Interesting .. I was talking to a guy in Tosa .. they have a neighborhood block watch .. I asked him what that really was, as I doubted he "walked a beat" .. he told me they just learned some simple things, like everyone should leave their outdoor lights on, etc. 

The most interesting thing he told me, was that Tosa police want you to call 911 for ANYTHING, no matter how minor, anyone who looks out of place.   An example he gave was .. if a solicitor comes to your door, ask to see their permit.  If they don't have one, call 911.   That sounds odd, I would have thought they'd suggest a non-emergency number.  -- I do not know if the same rule applies in Whitefish Bay, so don't go calling 911 on odd looking Girl Scouts.

Fire

There was a fire last week a block over from me, at 3am.  Everyone got out safe, but the dog died from smoke inhalation.  Tragic.  Firefighters found that there wasn't an operable smoke detector in the house. 

Safety tip #2:  Check your smoke detectors right now.    Seriously.  I'm done here, so stop reading and go check them.   Make sure you have a CO detector, too.  We have two in my house, and we might not be here if it weren't for that.

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Some of you may know .. I write another blog, about Marquette Basketball called "Cracked Sidewalks" .. a reference to a famous Al McGuire quote.  If you're a Warrior fan, you are probably an avid reader of CS.

Every year for the past three, I've put out the challenge to all readers to donate to Al's Run, which is this Saturday.   McGuire is Marquette's patron saint.

Over that time, we've raised over $5,000 for Al's Run, which benefits Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.  My wife and I will be pushing our two sons those three miles.  Here's your chance to help out.

The theory goes .. Do you read Village Spillage?   I don't charge a subscription, of course.  Think of this as a tip cup. --  A little something something to show the guy you care, for writing articles and posting videos, trying to inform the villagers of Whitefish Bay.  It goes to a good cause.

This year, we're just $500 short of our $2,750 goal, with donations ranging from $5 to $250, from readers who like the blogs I write.  Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

So if you're a fan of Al McGuire, Children's Hospital, or Village Spillage .. think about putting a few bucks in the tip cup.   

Credit cards accepted .. click here:  http://www.firstgiving.com/marquettefans

Last night, the Journal-Sentinel held a convention (of sorts) for the NOW bloggers.  It was well attended by about 50 writers, of every size and shape.  These folks, like myself, are your community members.  Some write once a month, others, 5 times a day.  Some write personal blogs about their lives.  Others, like myself, take a more "Citizen Journalist" route.

Apparently, that's what the Journal Sentinel really wants.  We were told, 80% of the traffic to NOW sites are to read blogs.

Last night's speakers included the Publisher of the JS, Betsy Brenner, and the editor, Marty Kaiser, who spoke and took questions.

Now .. I've long bemoaned the fact that local news is but a shadow of its former self.    Last night, Publisher Betsy Brenner told us how great it was for all the bloggers to be at the JS building, how appreciative they are for our efforts.  

Brenner added "You are the future of journalism."

Ms. Brenner .. with all due respect, no we're not.

While some of us take citizen journalism to new heights (Al Campbell in Germantown is outstanding) .. most of us .. have day jobs. 

We're hack writers.  We write sporadically, inconclusively, and sometimes without all the facts.  While I endeavor to be an honest broker, with limited resources of time, and willingness to put forth effort to inform our community, this doesn't always occur.  We miss dozens of stories.

In short, bloggers aren’t the "future of journalism." --  We augment journalism.

It's not our job to find out what’s going on in our community.  It’s not our job to cover Village Board meetings.  It’s not our job to uncover fraud or corruption.   It’s your job. – Bloggers may help along the way, but the daily grind of informing the public lies at the feet of "real" journalists. 

That’s why I pay you to deliver a paper to my door, 365 days a year.

And since the purchase and destruction of papers like the Whitefish Bay Herald, the media is not doing its job well.  And that's a terrible shame.   That's not to say, I don't understand your plight.  Readership and revenues are sinking, and you're laying off staff by the dozens every year.

Please find a way to cover local governments and community news.  Volunteer bloggers are not the answer.

(Here's a great article on this subject, sent in by a loyal reader.)

Ok.. now that the primary is over, we can get back to WFB issues!

I have the list of Villagers who have applied for Trustee Jim Brennan's position.  Brennan resigned about a month ago.

From what I've pieced together, these seven applicants will be interviewed by the board later this month, with the Trustees picking one.  With seven candidates, I can imagine several rounds of voting to reach a majority on one individual.

It's interesting that, last April 2008, we had to beat the bushes to come up with 3 candidates for 2 Trustee positions.   Now we've got SEVEN applicants for 1 spot.  

Is there a new surge of people who want to lead?  Or is this because people would rather be appointed, instead of running for election?  If so .. whoever gets appointed is going to have to get really good at running campaigns, real quick, if they wish to keep their seat.

Why?   This appointment  is for 6 months, and will go until April 2009, at which time, there will be an election for the position.  Trustees Schmidt and Cheng will be up for re-election in April 2009, for 3 year term, but also, the appointed Trustee's position will be up for re-election to "fill out" the original term of Brennan, which ends in April 2010.

So the newly appointed Trustee will need to run two campaigns, one in 2009, and again in 2010, which takes them to 2013.

I want to commend all seven of these villagers for stepping forward:

• Chad Wiener,  N. Cumberland, Attorney (website)
  
• Sean M. Finnigan,  N. Shoreland, Attorney (website)
  
• Julie K. Gilpin,  N. Sheffield, HR Manager
• Richard Foster,  N. Murray, Retired -- former Editorial Writer, Milwaukee J-S (Click for list of editorials)
  
• Thomas L. Williams,  N. Santa Monica, Interim Minister
• Heather Nill,  N. Elkhart, Sales Manager
• Kevin McMahon,  E. Beaumont, Stay-at-home Dad

I tried to do some google searches on each person, couldn't find much .. linked to their bios or, in Fosters' case, a list of editorials he wrote for the Journal Sentinel. 

Foster may sound familiar, as he ran for Trustee in April 2007.  Thomas Williams ran for Trustee, back in 2004.  Both Williams and Foster lost races to Brennan, whose very spot they are now trying to gain again.

It will be interesting how many Trustees will need to recuse themselves, during questioning and voting, because of close relationships with applicants.  It's one thing to appoint someone to a committee who is your friend, it's quite another to have them join you on the Village Board of Trustees.    Clearly, many Trustees have a wide spectrum of friends and acquaintances because of their time in the Village, so lines need to be drawn somewhere or you might not have any impartial votes.  In the end, the Board needs diversity of opinion, not a good ol' boys/gals club.

And .. one wonders what the Trustees will ask in their interviews.

Here are a few questions I'd want to know from each .. feel free to add more in the comment section:

1. What skills and ideas will you bring to the table to help revitalize Silver Spring? 

2. How respectful are you of homeowner rights?   Will you pass codes that restrict homeowners and what  they can do with their property? 

3. Name three ordinances that you'd like to see changed, removed, or added in Whitefish Bay.

If any of the seven candidates wishes to have an opportunity to describe their candidacy to the public, please email me at KevinBuckleyWFB@gmail.com ..

Finally .. to the hundreds of new readers of this blog .. welcome!  The past few weeks have been dedicated to the 22nd race .. future entries will mostly be about Whitefish Bay.  Stick around!   Even better .. no need to check the blog every day to see if something has been written ..  Have it delivered to your inbox, so you won't miss anything.  Free.  Click here.

 And lastly, a response from Dan Kohl:

From: Dan Kohl [mailto:dan@kohlforassembly.com]
Sent: Friday, September 12, 2008
To: 'Kevin Buckley'
Subject: RE: Election comments?

Kevin,
 
While I am obviously disappointed, I’m sincerely happy for Sandy Pasch who overcame physical hardship and ran a great race.  I think Sandy will represent our community with distinction.  I am also proud that we ran a positive campaign, and built such a strong group of volunteers and supporters.  I remain deeply committed to the issues that we focused on in this race, from educational reform to strengthening our regional economy, and look forward to future opportunities to make a difference.
 
And I’d like to thank you for giving this race the careful and thoughtful coverage it deserved.  It’s been a pleasure getting to know you.
 
Regards,
 
Dan

 That should wrap up most of the discussion on the 22nd race.     I can get back to Whitefish Bay issues from here out.

Got a note from Andy Feldman, who came up 70 votes short in Tuesday's primary.

I think Andy ran a fantastic campaign, nearly perfect.    I eventually predicted Pasch would best Feldman by 1%, which is exactly what happened .. I had Feldman winning until the Journal-Sentinel endorsed Pasch.  

Andy has a real gift for public speaking, and, as he suggests below, he'll have a future in politics.  At 34, he's got plenty of races in him.   

From: Andy Feldman [mailto:andrew.r.feldman@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2008 3:44 PM
To: Kevin Buckley
Subject: Re: Election

I would like to tell everyone how much their enthusiastic support meant to me.  What a group!  Hard working and selfless in the true Wisconsin tradition.  Whether it was by hosting meet and greets, yard signs, postcard writing, distributing literature, donating, and finally voting, I am truly thankful. 
 
There is no doubt:  After working so hard, it is tough to lose by such a close margin – 70 votes.  I'm disappointed, and I know many of you are too.  I was excited to bring my energy and ideas, and by strong background and experience in public policy, to represent my home district in the legislature.        
 
But from a larger perspective, what a remarkable campaign it was!  When I entered the race in March, one candidate had already racked up a slew of endorsements and had a lot of community connections.  And around the time I entered, two other candidates jumped in – one with a famous last name in Wisconsin, and the other who is a village board president.   
 
Six months and 8,000 door knocks later, we came very close to an upset!  People like you, from all over the district, and all walks of life, joined our campaign.  You knew how important it was to make progress on keeping our schools strong, passing comprehensive healthcare reform, and becoming a leader again in protecting our environment.  
 
I wish all the best to Sandy Pasch who won the race, and I ask you to strongly support her in November.  I believe she'll do an excellent job, and I have a ton of respect for the way she kept campaigning after having a serious injury.  And I congratulate Dan Kohl and Guy Johnson for their efforts and strong desire to serve the community.  We can be proud that our district fielded four smart, well-intentioned, personable candidates. 
 
As for me, the next adventure awaits.  I'm a big believer that when one door closes, another opens.  I'm going to take a few days to rest and then will start thinking about what to do next.  There are many ways to advance the public good.
 
And just in case you were wondering, I haven't given up my desire to serve Wisconsin in elected office.  It's a dream deferred, not a dream extinguished.  
 
With thanks and gratitude,

Andy

Good luck on your next project, Andy.

 Sandy Pasch, victorious in her race for Sheldon Wasserman's seat in the 22nd, has responded below.

(Yes, yes, I know.  There's still a general election to get past.  As long as Pasch doesn't call Wadhwa's plans for the 22nd "lipstick on a pig," so he can claim phony outrage, she'll be fine.)

From: Sandra Pasch
Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2008
To: Kevin Buckley
Subject: Re: Election

Kevin, thank you for the opportunity to extend my gratitude to your readers. I appreciate each and every vote I received in the primary, and respect the votes cast for my opponents. I would like everyone in our community to know that, assuming I win in November, I intend to represent all of them well.

I also have great respect for the hard work that Dan, Andy and Guy put into the campaign, and I look forward to working with them in the future.

There are two forums I am scheduled to attend for the November election, and I assume Yash Wadwha will be there as well. Those are:

Jewish Federation, Thursday, October 16th, 7pm at JCC
North Shore Rotary, Monday, October 20th, 12:00pm at Pandl’s

The pre-primary forums were very well attended, and I hope we have as many people come out for the upcoming forums.

Thanks again,

Sandy Pasch

Hopefully, these new forums will allow the candidates to speak in more than 60-second sound-bites!

Finally .. to the hundreds of new readers of this blog .. welcome!  The past few weeks have been dedicated to the 22nd race .. future entries will mostly be about Whitefish Bay.  Stick around!   Even better .. no need to check the blog every day to see if something has been written ..  Have it delivered to your inbox, so you won't miss anything.  Free.  Click here.

 Got one response from one of the candidates.   Still waiting on the others...

Kevin:
 
Thanks for the voice you've provided for the 22nd assembly race - you certainly helped to fill the media gap in the coverage of local issues. 

I'm actually very happy that Sandy won.  She deserves the win and will certainly be a capable representative for us in Madison after she wins again in November.  High quality women in elected positions are a great benefit to the bodies they serve in.  I experience this perspective first-hand in Shorewood with the three women who are on our Village Board; Dawn Anderson, Ellen Eckman and Margaret Hickey. 

Reflecting on this campaign, I would hope for a bit more moderation in the future for dollars being spent.  I wish to think that $20,000 per candidate would be adequate to get the word out to a district that has a population of 55,000 citizens. 

My guess is that we just witnessed a total expenditure of over $250,000 for a four person primary, and I don't mean to sound like sour grapes because I only accounted for about 2 percent of the total spent.  I do believe that this race served as an example of hitting diminishing returns as it relates to campaign spending.
 
Regards,
 
Guy

Guy is correct about the spending, although one candidate skewed the results.  These dollar figures on spending were prior to Sept 1, so they may have gone up.

Wow .. I've watched the results roll in .. First, Kohl was in the lead by 20 points.  I'm guessing River Hills reported first.

His lead was short lived, as Pasch sprang into the lead after ~50% of the vote was counted, but Feldman was always 2% behind.

Pasch held that lead until 94% of the vote ..  then FELDMAN TOOK THE LEAD! 

97% ..  Feldman's lead down to 15 votes!  FIFTEEN!

3% outstanding vote?  What's that?  Maybe absentee votes from one village haven't been tallied?  Could be a long night.

Update: PASCH WINS BY 70 VOTES.

Wow.  That's one narrow margin.  Does Wisconsin have a law that triggers a recount when the difference is so small? 

Let's look back to my predictions from last week:

1. Pasch - 31%  (37%)
2. Feldman - 30% (36%)
3. Kohl - 21% (23%)
4. Johnson - 18% (5%)

I was pretty damn close, picking 1-2-3-4.  I'd predicted Pasch wins by 1%, and that's what happened. 

I was surprised at the low total for Johnson.  I figured he would do very well in Shorewood .. I guess when you get outspent 10 to 1, you lose big.  I miscalculated .. Shorewood is too liberal to vote for a moderate like Johnson.

I was pretty close on Kohl, though.  He spent $171,000 on this race, triple Pasch and Feldman .. I think he just got outworked by those two, who were tireless, and perhaps had more captivating candidacies. 

I was a tiny bit off on Sensenbrenner/Burkee.  I figured Sensie would win by 70%.  It looks like it's closer to 60%.   Regardless, my advice to forget that race, focus on the 22nd was spot on.

Click here for the election results:  http://elections.todaystmj4.com/G4009.htm

Will write more tomorrow with any new info.

MORNING UPDATE : Sorry .. still know nothing about this race.   Clearly, I'd like to write a post on the winner and her campaign.  But for all we know, the race results aren't final.  70 votes is a tiny margin.

I've emailed all the candidates for statements.  Dunno if Feldman conceded .. dunno if there's a recount possibility.  About the only thing I do know is .. Wisconsin does not have an automatic recount for close races.

Well .. here we are.  Today is the big primary election (Tuesday, Sep 9) .. I've written a dozen articles on the 22nd Assembly race to fill Wasserman's spot, and this should be the final one.
 
First, it's really too bad that the primary forces you to vote for only one party.  Tuesday's ballot will have only three races, two Democratic races (22nd and County Clerk) and one Republican (Sensenbrenner/Burkee).
 
In all three cases, the primary IS the election.  The Milwaukee County Clerk position is between 4 Democrats .. the 22nd District is heavily Democratic .. And no Democrat will be running against the winner of Sensie/Burkee.

This stinks, because you can't vote in both primaries, yet for all three, the Primary winner will win in November.

So, first, if you're a Republican living in the 22nd district and want to show your support (or rejection) of Sensenbrenner, you have a problem.  I'd say, skip that primary.  I read an educated guess that Sensenbrenner will trounce Burkee by 70 points.  Sensenbrenner will outspend Burkee 10 to 1.  The 8th WI-US District is HUGE, the 22nd district is just a tiny chunk;  that election will be decided elsewhere.  -- Mental note, Burkee was endorsed by the Journal Sentinel.

We've got 4 fine candidates for the 22nd, and each one appeals to a different kind of voter.  That's what today's entry is about.  It's a rough summary of all the observations I've made over the past two months. 

Your first question is, of course, where are these guys on the issues?  Answer:  They're all pretty much the same.  They're all Democrats without legislative records.  They're all for health care, the environment, allowing illegal immigrants entrance and in-state tuition to UW Schools, and are against the expansion of school choice.  They're all reading from the same Democratic playbook, with variations here and there.  I'll focus on the intangibles:

Andy Feldman - Andy is probably the smartest guy on the ticket.  He's a natural at talking to crowds, and he's got policy down pat.   He's run the smartest campaign, doing all the right things.  He's young (34) but has a great academic background (Swarthmore, and a PhD from Harvard).   He's probably the most "progressive" of the lot, so if anti-poverty, health care, and the environment are your thing .. he's your man.

Dan Kohl - Dan is a really solid candidate.  Well educated, well connected, well spoken.  He's got quality stances on issues.  He's not always talking off the Democratic game plan, he's somewhat moderate.  Probably the best schmoozer of the bunch.  Honestly, with his stature, he would be the most effective representative of the lot.   BUT.  Weighing him down is his famous name, in that, at first, he went with "It's about me, not (uncle) Herb," but later, he had Sen. Kohl write a letter for his campaign, clearly trying to trade on his famous Uncle.   Then it came out that he's outspending the other candidates 3 to 1, mostly with his own money.   So if you can get past that, Dan is your man.

Guy Johnson - As Village President of Shorewood, Johnson is the only candidate with elective government experience.  He's a solid, down to earth, intelligent, honest candidate.  His most compelling trait is that he's clearly the most moderate, independent minded.  He's got the tallest hill to climb, as he hasn't loaned his campaign thousands, like Kohl, Pasch, and Feldman all have.  If you're a Republican, you would cross over and vote for Johnson.  The winner only needs about 30% of the vote.  Get a chunk of moderates/Republicans to vote for him, he wins.  

Sandy Pasch - If you liked Dr. Wasserman's focus on medical issues, Pasch is your vote, as she has a nursing background.  While I've pressed this issue a number of times, that Pasch's focus is too health-care oriented, and that we had (and will continue to have) Dr. Wasserman representing us, Pasch has tried to show folks she's more than just a one-issue candidate, and I'm certain that's true.  

But her clear priority remains health care.  Asked "What's your #1 legislative priority?"  Her answer: "Mental Health Parity."   Raise your hand if you know what "mental health parity" is without googling it.   Does that match the #1 priority of the 22nd district?  

That all being said .. I think Pasch is going to win, in a close race with Feldman.  She does have a lot going for her: Great campaign organization, she sought and received the endorsements of many organizations, she's a high quality candidate and good public speaker.   Being a woman helps, too.  We need far more women in all levels of government;  Men have done a pretty craptacular job running the show.  Getting the Journal-Sentinel endorsement puts her over the top.  I think she wins by 1 point over Feldman.   She would do fine as our rep.

Finally .. vote on Tuesday.  I've given you a guide, figure out who you want to vote for, and get out there.  WFB had a 44% turnout for the April 2008 election, let's get to 50% for this important election, on who we send to Madison.

If you don't know enough, click here for more coverage of this race, including the candidates' own responses to this blog, and videos of each candidate at the public forums.

Third in a series of letting candidates for Tuesday's Democratic primary get some pub here on the blog.. I have an email from Guy Johnson.

As I wrote a few days ago, I think Johnson got shafted when the Milwaukee Area Jewish Committee chose a public forum date they knew he could not attend.  (No answer from MAJC, concerning the scheduling issue.)

So I'm pleased Johnson wrote something for us .. and to further help the readers know the Guy, in light of his forced absence from the WFB forum last week, I'm including some comments he made at this morning's Education forum at Nicolet HS.

Subject: Blog response
Date:     Fri, 5 Sep 2008 17:43:25 -0500   
From:     Guy Johnson <guyj1@sbcglobal.net>

Kevin .. thanks for this opportunity:

A few thoughts on Tuesday's election:

1.    A big thing that I bring to the table in this election is my experience as president of the Shorewood Village Board.  I've actually shepherded legislation that got a smoking ban passed in Shorewood; that passed an environmental shoreland ordinance that recently won an award from Citizens for a Scenic Wisconsin for outstanding work in beautification of the Milwaukee River; and that implemented a master plan for our business district that serves as a guide for development for the next 20 years.  These examples are not just things that were talked about, but rather sealed with votes after extensive deliberations that I oversaw as board president.  

2.    Moderation is in order as it relates to Tuesday's primary election. I budgeted $15,000 for my effort to win the seat, figuring to spend $5,000 for the primary, and then, if chosen to be in the general election, another $10,000.  But the ante went up.  As of last week's reporting, the four candidates have expended over $200,000!  This is just for a primary election for one of ninety-nine state assembly seats.  The expenditure breakdown is $131K for Kohl, $45K for Feldman, $28K for Pasch and $4K for Johnson.  A neighbor who brings me the daily barrage of glossy colored campaign flyers that fill his mailbox every day says he will feel like the honeymoon will be over next Tuesday when his mailbox goes empty except for a few bills and catalogues.  I can hardly imagine the amount of paper used over the past few months to feed this frenzy.


3.    We've had a few candidates' forums over the past month.  I want to especially mention one that took place this week at Nicolet High School cosponsored by the Southeast Wisconsin Schools Alliance and the various north shore school districts.  The format of this event allowed for ample response time by the candidates and the questions were extremely well thought out.  In the postscript below, I offer a sample of the questions with my own responses.  

I look forward to serving you in the state assembly.  Please contact me if you have any questions.  Don't forget to vote on Tuesday.

Sincerely,

Guy Johnson   --   332-2475   --   guyj1@sbcglobal.net   --   www.electguyjohnson.com

-----------------

Nicolet Education Forum Questions:

What are the strengths and weaknesses in Wisconsin's funding of public education? Are there improvements you would support?

Guy Johnson: The greatest strengths, oddly enough, are it is legal and fair.  Some may argue about "fair", since the formula calls for property-rich districts to help fund property-poor districts.  The taxpayer has to remember that it is a statewide system and children who graduate from out state school districts come to our area to work and live.  We want them to be well-educated too.

We have to be extremely careful in making any changes to the formula.  When such changes occur they will inevitably be followed with action in court.  The courts in Wisconsin have found the current funding system to be legal.  Pretend we were to change any aspect of the system.  Let's take the example of the "tertiary aid" portion, the one that causes richer districts to support poorer ones.  Let's fiddle with the formula so Shorewood will receive a greater benefit.  Oconto Falls will be hurt by it unless we funnel more money into the entire system and that won't happen; there is already a looming budget deficit.  Thus, Oconto Falls will have to ask whether the new formula is legal—does it provide equity across the state.  On the other hand, I will not advocate any reduction in spending for schools.  We're stuck with the status quo for now.  Two governors, McCallum and Doyle, put together blue ribbon panels to look at the formula, one headed by Morris Andrews (WEA) and one headed by Mike Specter (Quarles and Brady and prior Shorewood School Board President).  Both advised some changes, the legislature stayed put.  Let's get them both out, bring together a panel of school board members (out state and local), legislative representatives (out-state and local) and some business managers of school districts and let's focus on this with vigor for six months.  Then let's make new legislation.  I will warn you—someone's ox will be gored!
 
Large urban school districts, like Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS), face different challenges than do the suburban school districts represented at this forum. In your opinion, what challenges does MPS face? What specific initiatives would you support to strengthen MPS?

GJ:  Let's start by recognizing the racial and economic difficulties here.  Milwaukee faces huge problems brought on by rust-belt economics that have not been fixed.  There are not enough jobs available for families in the inner city that pay a living wage.  The schools are faced with children who come through the doors who are impoverished.  There must be wrap-around programs for pre-schoolers through high school aged students.  Strong curriculum and teacher training programs have to be linked to strong after school programming that supports reading and mathematics for children in grades pre-K through 6 and reading in the content areas for children in grades 6-12.  This will cost money.  It is a program that has begun to see some success (see KIPP Schools) in some urban centers.  We have to bring it here. 

Neighborhood schools really took a hit in the Journal Sentinel articles recently, but they are conceptually best idea.  If your child goes to a strong pre-school program that feeds into a strong elementary program that feeds into a strong middle/high school program, the neighborhood will begin to see schools as central to redevelopment.  Pair this with other neighborhood redevelopment issues and you will see success in the long run.  Add pre-schools and wrap-around programs for small children and you have made a real difference.  This will cost money.  We should spend it.  I'd rather fund this than Choice.
 
Chapter 220, the voluntary integration program between Milwaukee and its suburbs, comes under scrutiny during each budget debate.
a.      What impact has the Chapter 220 program had on public education in Wisconsin?
b.      What do you think the Chapter 220 program should look like in the future? What changes would you like to make to the program?

GJ:  a.  It is a program that supports cultural diversity.  It has done so.  Also, children in the Chapter 220 program attending suburban schools have very high post-high school attendance rates.  Shorewood has huge success in reading and mathematics at the elementary level.  Minority children in Shorewood are very successful students.  This is because the focus of the Chapter 220 program there is "teach all children to be successful readers and mathematicians". 

b.  The Chapter 220 program has been seeing a steady decline in numbers of participating students.  Parents have more choices now than before with both Charter and Choice programs.  Chapter 220 should remain in existence as another choice for parents.  It is much less expensive than the Choice programs, and has a proven success rate where Choice schools have, at best, a spotty record.

The September Campaign Finance reports came out .. here are some highlights:

Dan Kohl has raised a whopping $171,000.  HOWEVER .. he himself donated $5k, and loaned the campaign an incredible $100k.  So he's really raised $66,000 from other folks.  29% of that was raised outside Wisconsin.  He's spent $51k on mailings, $30k on 3 polls. 

Sandy Pasch has raised $45k, $13k of which are loans for a net of $32k in donations.

Andy Feldman has raised $49k, $30k of which are loans, for a net of $19k in donations. 

Guy Johnson has raised about $5k, none of which are loans.

WOW.  So we're at nearly $270k spent on this PRIMARY race, nearly 2/3rds of which spent via the Kohl campaign.   His $100k loan is a whopper.  Even Feldman's $30k loan is huge, for a guy whose employment is "full time candidate."

I'm going to take a complete crapshoot in the dark guess here, on the results for next Tuesday:

1. Pasch - 31%
2. Feldman - 30%
3. Kohl - 21%
4. Johnson - 18%

Just a gut feel.  I still have Johnson as a dark horse, as Republicans could easily cross over and vote for him as the most moderate of the group.  The question is, how many Republicans will even vote on Tuesday (their only race is Burkee/Sensenbrenner a.k.a. David/Goliath) .. and have any Republicans been watching this race closely enough to know Guy Johnson is the moderate?   -- And Kohl could perform better than I've predicted.  That kind of money buys a lot of presence.  It all depends on who's reading the mail, and will they remember Kohl's mailings, etc.

Actual Reports: .. (ht: Michael Horne)

• Kohl
• Pasch
• Feldman
• Johnson

Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2008 8:35 AM
To: KevinBuckleyWFB@gmail.com
Subject: Village Spillage

 
Hi Kevin,

I've been reading your blog with interest. Thanks for the opportunity to respond to your postings and comments.

You are 100% correct that health care reform is at the top of my agenda. It is also the number one issue that voters in our area want our legislature to address. That is supported by a survey done by Sheldon Wasserman's office in 2006 (see the section on legislative priorities) and anecdotally in conversations I have with voters every day. 

While health care is a critical focus, it is not the only issue I will champion in Madison. Clearly we have to address multiple areas to make our district and Wisconsin the fertile and vibrant location that we all want it to be for business, jobs, education and the environment. I think your readers would agree that a "healthy community" is balanced in all of those areas.

However—since you state that health care isn't one of your top five issues, I would just like to point out the far-reaching consequences that rising health care costs have. I've talked with people in our district who say they'd love to start a new business, but they can't because they can't afford to pay their own health care. I've talked with business owners who would love to hire more employees, but again, health care costs are prohibitive. Health care costs prevent business from starting, growing and competing.

Rising health care costs also reduce the average person's disposable income, which not only affects their own quality of life, but also prevents spending on goods and services that keep our economy healthy. Rising health care costs can mean the difference between self-sustaining families and more people in poverty. So even if you don't feel health care is a top issue for the 22nd Assembly district on its own merits, there are plenty of other reasons it should be a top priority.

Another benefit of my health care background—and a key differentiator between my opponents and me—is that I recognize how integral legislative policy is to the everyday lives of real people. I have worked shoulder to shoulder with law enforcement, health-care agencies and other social service providers in Milwaukee County as they struggle to provide services within our current legislative framework. I can easily see how that parallels our education system, business community and environmental arena. Public policy is not theoretical or academic for me—it is real life. I know I can improve the lives of the people in our district if elected to the legislature.

As people who know me will attest, I'm a fighter, and I make no apologies for it—but I also have a record of building bridges that benefit all sides of an issue. That's why the Journal Sentinel and community leaders like District Attorney John Chisholm endorse me—I've worked hard to bring diverse groups together to solve tough problems. The Milwaukee County Crisis Intervention Team I helped found and the Crisis Intervention Partner program I founded are two examples, but I have been knee deep in numerous other initiatives to improve the quality of life in our community. These experiences taught me it takes more than wishful thinking to "reach across the aisle" to get things done. It takes skill and hard work—skill I've proven I have and hard work I've proven I can do.

As far as the issues…I consider myself a progressive Democrat. As you've pointed out in your past blogs, the differences between my position on health care, education, the economy and the environment and those of the other 22nd Assembly candidates are relatively minor. Like my opponents, I hold advanced degrees that will help inform public policy. Like my opponents, I have and will continue to sit down with experts on key issues to ensure the policies I help craft in the legislature do the most possible good.

So the question becomes—who is the best person to make sure these issues are addressed?

I say without hesitation that I am that person. I am the only candidate with the health care background to tackle the number one issue of voters in our area, and with the exception of Guy Johnson, I am the only one with the proven leadership skills in public service to get things done for the people of our district. I have lived and worked in this community for over 20 years and understand the issues important to the people who live here. I am qualified, I am proven and I am passionate about serving our community.

Changing topics…there is one more opportunity for voters to meet the 22nd Assembly candidates this week:

Friday 9/5/08 7:30am-9:30 am Southeast Wisconsin Schools Alliance at Nicolet High School Cafeteria

I hope many of your readers will come to see and meet me and the other candidates for 22nd Assembly.

Thanks again for the opportunity to weigh in.

Sandy Pasch

I support Healthy Wisconsin.  While it may need some tweaking, it does much to correct problems in the provision of health care: removing the link to employment (worked well in the 1940's when costs were minimal - not so today), controlling costs, and numerous other initiatives.  We still need to improve access and quality for those in under-funded programs.

Very early this morning, I received an email from Guy Johnson, responding to my previous entry about the Milwaukee Area Jewish Committee's forum for the 22nd Assembly District's candidates, which included Wadhwa, Pasch, Feldman, and Kohl.  

In it, I mentioned Johnson's absence from the forum, and expressed my disappointment and hinted he had "other priorities."  I admit, something else may be afoot.

From Johnson:

In early August, I was invited by the Milwaukee Area Jewish Committee to participate in this forum, and was asked if I would be available either on August 28 or September 2.  I informed the event planners that August 28 would work but that September 2 conflicted with a crucial board meeting... We are at a critical junction on this $4 million project and it is very complex as it relates to substantial state funding, our need for good street-scaping design, potential bike accommodations, and meeting the requirements of our Central District Master Plan. 

Then I received notice that the assembly candidate forum would indeed take place on September 2 and was informed that if need be, I could send a "surrogate" to attend for me.  Needless to say, I was very disappointed with this development.  I weighed the tough choice I faced and determined that my obligation to carry on with the critical deliberations of the reconstruction project was paramount. 

My accountability to my constituents with such an important agenda item trumps all.  And I will be happy to expand on the naivety of anyone who believes that the date of this critical board meeting could be easily changed.

So, that begs the question .. why was September 2nd chosen, and not August 28th?   I am really, really hoping there is a solid reason for this, and not some shenanigans.   Really.  Hoping.  I think we need an explanation from the Milwaukee Area Jewish Committee, post haste.

In light of this, I will post  Johnson's answers to two of the questions I'd written about yesterday:

What is your #1 priority as a legislator?

Guy Johnson:   Without question – the structural budget deficit that Wisconsin faces.  Without solving this, all else can’t truly be addressed.

What would you like your first piece of legislation to be?

Guy Johnson:   Pass a comprehensive ban on smoking in public facilities.  We are doing it in Shorewood -- Minnesota and Illinois have done it.  It’s time for Wisconsin, and it should be a quick hit success for Wisconsin!

I went to tonight's candidate forum for Sheldon Wasserman's 22nd Assembly District seat, held at Whitefish Bay's Library ..  We had a great crowd of about 120, standing room only.

One unfortunate element of the night was that Guy Johnson had a "big meeting" in Shorewood, and could not attend.   This was extraordinarily disappointing on many levels.   Tonight's forum was important, and you can draw your own conclusions about a candidate who has another priority.

I was excited to see Dr. Enrique Figueroa as the moderator for the forum.  He is one of the hosts for the wonderful series "4th Street Forum" on Milwaukee's public TV.  I was hopeful that a forum moderated by Figueroa would have some substance beyond what the last forum, in Shorewood, provided.

Big swing and a miss. 

I thought the Shorewood forum, with its 90 second limit on answers was bad.  Tonight's forum, with 60 second answers, was abysmal.   The 1-minute limit allowed each candidate enough time to recite the company line sound-bite.   For an individual like myself, who was interested in trying to compare and contrast each candidate and pick one, this forum's Jeopardy Lightning Round format was a complete waste of time.

Not to mention some of the questions.  "What skills do you have to work with rural legislators?  .. What skills do you have to work with legislators who do not share your views?"  Each candidate answered "Well, I'd like to bridge divides, stand by my principles, reach across the aisle and collaborate.  Oh, and I'm really friendly."  Are you kidding me?  What kind of answer did they expect out of the candidates?  Think one of them has a secret super-power that enables them to make everyone magically cooperate? 

"What are the critical Great Lakes issues?"  Each candidate answered that one as if they were reading off of wikipedia.

Now, at the last forum, I graded each candidate on each question.  Because of tonight's format, and the incredible similarity of the answers from each candidate, I gave up the grading pen.   I decided early in the foru