“Unaware”

A soundoff caller is pretty upset about Larry Nelson being “unaware” of every little thing that happens in the City. They cite the recent arrest of a sex offender that operated a business downtown. How, may I ask, is Larry supposed to know about this unless someone tells him? The police knew about this guy and were keeping an eye on him, how come they didn’t keep the Mayor in the loop? Also, why doesn’t some of the blame lie on the downtown property owners who will rent to anyone? If the landlord knew this guy was a sex offender (again, the police should have told them) why would they lease to him? (The obvious answer is because he could pay the lease money) I would urge anyone who knows about issues like those mentioned on the soundoff (people living in squalor, gang activity, loitering, etc) to not only call the Mayor’s office but call the police and the aldermen as well. The Mayor cannot have eyes and ears on every square inch of the City so its up to residents and business owners to let him know when there is a problem. With that being said, Maybe Larry needs to have more contact with his department heads so he is kept abreast of any serious issues.

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I have stated that I am against a statewide ban on smoking in bars and restaurants because I think that businesses and customers should make the choice themselves. With that being said, I love smoke-free bars and enjoy going to places like Chicago, Appleton, and Madison where I don’t have to deal with smoke. The Journal has an interesting article about how Cigar stores and bars are banding together to propect their interests. They even talk to Jeff Barta, who owns the Nice Ash Cigar Bar downtown (he also reads and comments on this blog). I think that there is no reason not to exempt cigar bars from any statewide ban. After all they are called CIGAR bars for a reason. Having a non smoking cigar bar is about as dumb as having an alcohol free martini bar.

The thing that got me was the comments of Maureen Busalacchi, executive director of SmokeFree Wisconsin. First she said that her group would never advocate exempting cigars from a statewide ban on workplace smoking because she claims “If we are serious about protecting people, I don’t think we should (exempt Cigar Bars).  Well if we really want to protect people why not ban anything remotely dangerous like riding a motorcycle, or drinking beer, or even eating a big fat greasy bucket of chicken?  When will the babysitting stop?  I think that people can make intelligent decisions about where they go and where they work without Maureen Busalacchi stepping in, but she feels that the general public is too stupid to make choices….Ok if I am a patron and I wander into a “Cigar Bar” I know exactly what “danger” I am putting myself into and if I am a potential employee filling out an application for a job at a Cigar Bar I would assume that I know that I will be exposed to smoke. Why not let the public decide if they want to patronize or work at a cigar bar?

She then goes on to make the asinine comment that “cigars blended with cherry, vanilla and other flavors seem aimed at children.” Of course. She knows her argument has no merit so she has to pull out the “its for the children” card. People always say its for the children when they have a weak argument.  She then says that “It runs chills up and down my spine, to act like this is safe is ridiculous.” Nobody is arguing that cigar smoke is safe, what they are arguing is that it is different than cigarette smoke and their business is different than a cigarette store or a regular bar.

There is no doubt in my mind that if (or should I say when) the state enacts a ban that cigar bars need to be exempt.

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The Town of Brookfield is still being a pain when it comes to widening Greenfield Avenue. They are the reason that the road, which was recently widened to four lanes, goes down to two near Barker Road. I think the state should construct the road and then withhold any and all state funding (shared revenue, cost sharing agreements, grants, etc) that would go to the Town of Brookfield until they cough up the money. The road should be four lanes all the way through and considering what Waukesha, New Berlin, and the City of Brookfield have contributed, its time for the Town to contribute as well.

Bill Kramer has an opponent

I got a press release from Thomas Russ who is running against Bill Kramer for the 97th District State Assembly Seat. I am not a huge fan of Kramer but until Thomas Russ gets more information on his website I cannot decide whether I like him or not. So far I think he is right on on some issues and has his head in the clouds on others.

He opposes the minimum markup law, which I also oppose. This law requires wholesalers to mark up their costs by at least 3 percent and retailers by at least 6 percent. Its one of the reasons that our gasoline prices are so high. People argue that without this law the mom and pop gas stations, stores, and other businesses will suffer because places like Wal Mart will cut prices to below cost as a loss-leader (where one item is priced below cost in an effort to get people into places to buy other items). I say let the market dictate where prices are.

He also is a critic of schools using kids to fund raise for basic school stuff. I agree, it is asinine to require kids to sell stuff to raise money for the school. For sports and other extra curricular activities its ok, but our tax money should cover all of the regular school expenses. However I don’t really think this is an issue that has any relevance in the State Assembly, its more of an issue for a local school board race.

Iwould like to know what his positions are on gun laws, abortion, same-sex marriage, smart growth law, and taxes (should the state or local governments decide how to control spending?). In regards to taxes, his goal is to “reduce residential property taxes by 75%.” Good luck dude.

Thursday stuff

So Delafield fires City Administrator Matt Carlson and when they discover they owe him $88,849 in severance pay they put an item on the agenda to reconsider his firing?  You fired him, you owe him the money, shut up and pay him.  As much as I disagreed with the firing, any City who would re-hire someone because they owe him more money has got some serious issues. 

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This comment was in the Soundoff:  “When is the city going to put it to the voters for referendum to end the position of the mayor? Since we have the city administrator, why do we need a mayor? Many cities that have a city administrator do not have mayors or have eliminated them. It’s unnecessary to have both positions. Besides that, if we didn’t have a mayor, we’d end the whole controversy with the mayor traveling and doing nothing etc. The city administrator would be responsible to the common council which is elected by the voters. It’s about time we eliminated the mayor position. ”

Show me one City in Wisconsin who has eliminated the mayor position (some may have different names for the mayor position, so that doesn’t count) and I will give you 100 bucks.   State statute mandates that all Cities have an elected mayor and council and goes on to state that “the corporate authority of the city shall be vested in the mayor and common council.”  Check your facts before you spout off your ill-informed comments.   What the City can do is have a part time mayor, though I think that Waukesha is a large enough City with enough issues and projects to warrant a full time mayor.

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The fact that people oppose this troubles me.  To force a woman who was raped to carry a fetus to term is unconscionable. I am fine with a doctor who opposes abortion to not have to administer the pill as long as every facility has someone on staff who can.  I like how the Freeman skewed the story when they start the story off with this “Abortion rights advocates declared victory after the state Assembly narrowly gave a preliminary OK to a bill that would mandate emergency contraception for rape victims.”  No, it would mandate that information be disseminated and the emergency contraception be given upon request.

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Tony Bodway received his conditional use permit for Bodway’s Music Grill last night.  Obviously some neighbors are concerned.  Its a tough position for the City.  You want to encourage businesses to open downtown but you also want to attract quality residential units as well.  There will always be an inherent conflict between bars and residents and there is no real way to fix it unless you decide to eliminate one or the other from the downtown area, which would ruin the mixed use charm of downtown.  Looks like the Plan Commission tried to place limits on when they can be open and when they can have music.  I have been, and will continue to be supportive of new bars and restaurants downtown as long as they are responsible neighbors.  The City does have the right to revoke the conditional use permit if Bodway’s becomes a nuisance.

Another exciting downtown announcement

Some lawmakers are proposing a bill that would allow elected officials to decline their pay.  I don’t like it at all because its a phony issue that is only being proposed so people can use it as campaign attack ad ammo.  People will use it as the major issue in campaigns, “Unlike my opponent, I will decline my salary!”   Campaigns will not be run on the important issues, but on whether or not a candidate will refuse their salary.    Not that it will make an ounce of difference in your tax bill either as the City will just find something else to spend it on.  It also may affect who runs for office, especially for full-time positions.   It will skew elections in the favor of the wealthy or retired candidates.   If you really don’t want the money, do what some people already do and donate your salary for your elected position to a local charity.  It will probably do a lot more good there anyhow.

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Since I started this blog I have been clamoring for a nice casual bar and grill downtown.  A place that would have great beer, a nice clientèle, and a good menu that offered decent food at a reasonable price.  A place like the bars in the Third Ward like Wicked Hop.  Looks like I might finally get my wish.  The former Diamante Azul (didn’t they get in trouble for after-hours parties and strippers?) was purchased by a family who intends to open a pub-style restaurant next summer with entrees that range from $8 to $22.   The owners say that the eatery would “offer a contemporary, urban design reminiscent of loft-style restaurants found in Milwaukee’s Third Ward.”  They hope to open next summer.   I would like to give kudos to Andrew Ruggeri.  When he was doing his demonstration at the last Farmer’s Market of the season I told him I was excited about the Black Trumpet because I would like to have a nice place to eat in Waukesha so I don’t need to leave town for a nice dinner.  He said that he believed that within the next couple of years there would be 2-3 more nice eateries downtown.  Looks like he was right.

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Huge soundoff section today.  Someone really hates the new sculpture that Bryce and Anne Styza put up on Main Street this week (for the record I like it).  This person goes on to say “‘Im tired of Styza owning half of Waukesha.”  Well if you are so tired of them owning half of Waukesha, why don’t you start buying and developing properties?   I am so sick of people criticizing others because they dare invest in, purchase, or develop property.  People direct anger at Styza because he owns apartments, but Styza’s retail and residential developments generate a ton of tax revenue for the City and there is no question that his Main Street Plaza development and other downtown projects have a huge role in downtown’s redevelopment.  I don’t know him nor do I know about all of his projects and I am sure that you can find problems with some of them, but lets also not forget Styza’s contributions to the Riverwalk as well as his sponsorship of several Waukesha events.

Someone else was complaining about the animals in the Oconomowoc Christmas parade.  I agree with them.  There is no reason a camel should be out in the cold and snow.

Holiday tree and other stuff

The annual hand wringing and crying about the State of Wisconsin Holiday Tree is heating up.  Soon conservative talk show hosts will pick up on the story to fill up their allotted time slots.   Its like sports radio discussing Pete Rose.  When there is nothing else to talk about, bring up Pete Rose to fill the time.  The phones will ring off the hook with people arguing for and against Rose bring in the Hall of Fame.  Same goes for the Holiday Tree except that we all know that the conservative talk show hosts screen their calls to skew all arguments in their favor.   

I think both sides of this Christmas vs Holiday tree are wrong.  First, The Freedom From Religion Foundation has turned into a group like PETA where their views and demands are so extreme it turns off reasonable people who may be sympathetic to their plight.  I can agree with them that religion should not play a prominent role in government policy, especially when decisions reflect a particular religion.  I am offended when Catholic leaders threaten excommunication of Catholic lawmakers don’t do what they say.  Elected officials represent people of all religions not just the Catholic Church.  However, I just cannot see how they get so worked up over something so benign as a Christmas tree.  

With that being said, I think the people on the other side are just throwing a fit because they always throw a fit when a religious, racial, or ethnic minority gets offended at something.  I can see their rationale; we all know that a coniferous tree with lights and ornaments is a Christmas Tree, not a Holiday Tree.    But since everyone knows its a Christmas tree just call it a Christmas tree to yourself and let the State keep the official name as the “Holiday Tree.”   There is nothing that says you cannot bring your kids to the Capitol and say “look at that nice Christmas tree.”  There is nothing that says the tree in your home has to be a holiday tree. There is nothing that would prohibit these lawmakers from putting a tree in their office and calling it their Christmas Tree.  There are a lot of people in the state that do not celebrate Christmas and to get all worked up over the official name of one tree is asinine.   

This truly is a case of two groups of people whose primary reason for being so offended is to get their name in the paper.

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Another Art Crawl this weekend.  Some highlights include a sneak peak at the Black Trumpet Restaurant and Boadway’s Live Music Grill.  Of course there will be a lot of art too.   Head on down to pick up some Holiday Christmas Gifts.

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Even though he likes the Cowboys, I agree with Wigderson’s column today.  

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Ten people applied for the job as head of the Waukesha County Historical Society.  If the Les Paul fund-raising goal is not met within 2-3 years I have a feeling that it will never happen. At some point Les Paul is going to get pissed off and give his stuff to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and to be honest, I wouldn’t blame him.  Maybe they should rethink how they are doing the exhibit.  Make it nice, but less expensive.  You have a million dollars.  You can do a lot with that.  Use volunteers to build display cabinets and stuff.  Then when the museum starts to attract visitors, slowly upgrade the exhibit piece by piece. It’s not the best scenerio, but if fundraising doesn’t improve it may be necessary. 

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Another Sendik’s is opening and the owners are looking to add more. I think Waukesha has the population to support one and I think that their prices are competitive with Pick n’ Save.   However the quality of food and service is heads and shoulders above Pick n’ Save.  I know of a great site on Sunset that is all ready for them to move right in. 

 

Drink up!

Blah, blah, blah blah, blah….more whining about the liquor sampling law by the Journal Editorial Board, MADD, and the Spring City Chronicle.  People seem to be so up in arms over nothing.   Someone can easily go to a bar and drink 10 shots of whisky and get in a car and drive but these  teetotalers are freaking out about liquor stores being able to give very small free samples of liquor?   People can have a drink or two and drive a car and be under the legal limit of .08 BAC.   Most people are very responsible about this.  When I go out for dinner I will usually have only one or two beers or one glass of wine.  That is how most responsible adults behave.   Anyone who would go to a liquor store to try and get wasted on free booze is probably the same kind of person who would down a bottle of Jack Daniels and get behind the wheel of a car.  I wish people would quit treating us like babies and let responsible adults make their own decisions.   Know what I think is the biggest scam in the budget? Spending a single dime on anti-smoking programs.  Everyone knows smoking is bad for you, why are we spending millions on this nonsense.

This is the last weekend of the Farmers Market.  So get downtown tomorrow for Harvest Fest.  As a celebration of the end of the season there will be all kinds of special events, including a sneak preview of the cooking of Andrew Ruggeri, who is developing the Clarke Hotel and Black Trumpet restaurant.  Andrew will be be doing some demonstrations by cooking up some apple dishes at 10:00 AM.  While you are there be sure to grab some great fall produce like butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and onions.  The prices cannot be beat and the quality is top notch.

Don’t blame me, I voted for Schmuki

Bill Kramer, whose political legacy so far has been limited to the attention he received for clapping obnoxiously when Jim Doyle mentioned the huge oil company profits during his budget address, is now coming down in opposition to a regional transit authority that is being explored for Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee & Waukesha County.  Kramer stated “I don’t want to establish another one (taxing district) when we don’t even know who would be in charge and if it could be that Waukesha would end up with taxation without representation.”  I find it interesting that he is opposed to something that he knows nothing about.  No structure, ground rules, or anything has even been cobbled together and Kramer is already in opposition.    Well Mr. Lone Clapper, if you would let the process evolve these questions would be answered and you could make an intelligent decision.  I thought we elected officials to either wait until all the facts are presented or to at least participate in the process before making any decisions.   But none of that matters to Bill Kramer who would rather pander to Charlie Sykes and Mark Belling than actually do his job.  If the process moves forward and it looks like a bad deal for Waukesha then Kramer should speak out in opposition but to do so before all the cards are on the table seems absurd to me.