Looking past Danielsen, he's not the only one who stinks. Let's start with the Superintendent of Schools, David Schmidt. You would think getting a 16% increase in pay would make him a little more sensitive to the taxpayers he works for. His first reaction to organized opposition to the proposed $20 million tax hike referendum? According to e-mails uncovered by the Waukesha Freeman, "...this small group of mean-spirited, emotional and pathetic folks have little traction at this time."
What kind of school superintendent do we have in Waukesha who, instead of embracing those that are fighting the out of control spending, belittles and meanly attacks those who would be his allies in cutting the budget?
Then there's School board member Kurt O’Bryan. In discussing a mailing being sent to counter a mailing by the Waukesha Taxpayers League, O'Bryan actually suggested sending out deceptive numbers which would be missing a $6 million expenditure in maintenance costs. The six million dollar man also proposed a staged event at Waukesha South High School with a mock-up giant check in order to defuse questions about the *ahem* peculiar financing of the new pool.
Meanwhile, Pat Madden, Daniel Warren and Ellen Langill have shown a disturbing tendency to destroy e-mails which should be maintained as public records. They're blindness to the importance of these communications reflect badly on any trust placed on them by the public.
This is not what we want from our public officials. The point still stands: if any of them do not have the stomach to make the kind of cuts necessary to restore the Waukesha Schools to a sound fiscal future without raising taxes, they should follow Danielsen in resignation.
