See what a little downsizing can do?

The Waukesha County Board will finally hold all their meetings at night, ending the policy of holding them during working hours which prevented good people from serving or observing what they're doing.

Supervisors agreed to downsize in March 2006 following a lengthy and heated public debate about whether the old 35-member structure was needlessly cumbersome and costly.

Opponents warned that downsizing would leave the county's legislative branch ill-equipped to provide oversight for a county government that spends $250 million a year. But downsizing supporters said a smaller board would be more lean and efficient.

"I think it's going to be an exciting time," newly elected Supervisor Gilbert Yerke of the Town of Mukwonago said. "It's just new for everybody."

As part of the overhaul, the board is cutting back from two meetings a month to one a month. And all meetings will be held at night, ending the previous practice of alternating between daytime and nighttime meetings.

As for cutting back the number of meetings, it'll just be less meetings for them to cancel.

Election predictions

Take them for what their worth. My track record on predictions is not pretty, although I do well on races I take an intense interest in. I don't make formal endorsements at the Wigderson Library & Pub, although my preferences are often obvious.

Gableman vs. Butler

I don't think Gableman established the "law and order" narrative he needed to oust Butler. Butler as the incumbent was always going to be difficult to be beat, and his side outspent the challenger's side. I also think the Gableman campaign really did hurt itself with the ad that misstated Justice Butler's role in the defense and eventual release of a sex offender who re-offended after serving his term.

Ironically, if Gableman had taken the high road and kept the race to a discussion of judicial philosophy and particular rulings by the court, I think Gableman would have won. I also think the Butler campaign could've scored real points on Gableman's refusal to prosecute left-wing domestic terrorists who attacked the Project ELF facility, just after the 9-11 attacks.

Butler wins 55%-45%.

Constitutional Amendment on the Frankenstein Veto

Despite the Capital Times contortions to protect the governor's powers, there was no organized effort to stop this amendment. The only fear for amendment supporters is that this was too far "under the radar" and too many Wisconsinites will vote no on principle. Even Doyle isn't out there trying to protect his veto power. I suspect passage by "beating Ed Garvey"-like margins here.

Gleisner vs. Neubauer

If you had asked me a week ago, I would've said Gleisner in a landslide. Then Gleisner's mental health became an issue and that's never good for a candidate. Sykes and Belling both objected to Gleisner calling himself a conservative. On the flip side, Gleisner has has strong support from Waukesha conservatives and made a case that he is pro-life. Now it's a squeaker either way. I'm predicting Neubauer 52%-48%, although I'm not sure what the Gleisner camp could have done differently.

Locally:

Waukesha County Board:
I'm betting Hutton over Marchese in district 3, Kolb over Mitchell in district 24. In District 22 Peter Gundrum (inc.) over Paul Lincoln Scheuble, and Patton loses to Wimmer in District 19.

Other races:
Schumann wins re-election in Delafield as mayor. Ken Harenda keeps his seat on the New Berlin Common Council. Bill Moore loses to JJ Blonien. In Waukesha District 3, Christopher Hernandez out-worked Lori Howe. Menomonee Falls Village Board Seat 1, Jefferson Davis will lose to Sharon Ellis and misfile his paperwork. New Berlin School Board the winners will be Art Marquardt (inc.) and David Maxey. Hartford's school referendum will lose while Elmbrook's will pass this time.

Asking for our vote

My wife's letter to the editor stirred some politicians to step outside into the fresh air:

By the numbers:

Candidates running for contested local office: 4
2 candidates running for alderman
2 candidates running for County Supervisor

Candidates that have knocked on our door: 2
1 candidate for alderman: Christopher Hernandez
1 candidate for County Supervisor: Dr. Roger Patton

Retiring Aldermen that knocked on our door to tell my wife she was absolutely right in her letter to the editor: 1
Alderman Charles Betker stopped by on Saturday to compliment my wife on her letter to the editor. It was a nice gesture from someone who didn't have to do it now that he's just one of the neighborhood. But it's still his neighborhood, too.

Suggestions of a write-in campaign: 3
No, I'm not running for either position. Sorry. As for the lovely Doreen from Waukesha, until her work schedule changes she'll be on the sidelines, too.

But not for too long.

Seeing double in Waukesha

Congratulations to Allison Bussler, County Executive Vrakas' chief of staff, on the birth of twins. Bussler's doubling of her tax deduction opportunity is another sign of how serious the Vrakas office takes the issue of taxes in Waukesha County.

Can't be all that different from dealing with county board members: feed 'em, change 'em, burp 'em, nap time. Right?

Pretentious? Moi?

Concerning Mayor Nelson's remarks about the ostentation and pretentiousness of Brookfield and Delafield, I comment in this week's column that I don't think the mayor is anyone to talk,

...this is the same mayor who promotes the downtown Art Crawl and is the prime proponent of the luxury Clarke Hotel and The Black Trumpet restaurant. Hanging out with Robert Redford in Sundance, Colo., to discuss water conservation is not the activity of the ordinary proletariat. And last I checked, most people don’t visit the factory in Europe to see their new Saab come off the assembly line.

But I also add that I don't think an apology is in order:

After all, just what would he say? "You’re right, I forgot about the big ugly mall in Brookfield and the giant glop of retail stores right off the freeway in Delafield. There’s nothing ostentatious or pretentious about them. In fact, they’re really just common examples of suburban sprawl."

I tapped into my inner Jim Rowen for those lines.

A quick and somewhat related note on the news the Pabst Farm developer is getting cold feet, is this really a bad thing? I came late to the Pabst Farms issue and so have been reluctant to stick my nose into it, but it looks like to me the county just saved $1.75 million in freeway costs, we saved a few million gallons of water, and we aren't artificially subsidizing competition to the business districts in already existing areas (ya know, like downtown Waukesha). Take this land off the books as retail property and you've just made the existing retail property in the county that much more valuable.

It seems to me we've just been given a chance to re-think the entire idea, and we should take advantage.

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Maybe Vrakas should just have Allison give all of his speeches

I hope Allison enjoys the flattery:

And there’s a quote from County Executive Chief of Staff Allison Bussler. A real quote. Real words were spoken. I was once on a hilltop in the Kettle Moraine Forest just before dawn. Just as the sky began to glow in the east, the birds began to sing. First one here, one there, soon the forest was alive with songs. Was it like that?

Almost worthy of Cyrano de Bergerac.

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August relief

The Waukesha County Board failed to over-ride County Executive Dan Vrakas' veto of a tax on non-library building communities to give to the communities that build the libraries of Waukesha County. While I wish it was a sudden revelation of the wrong-headedness of the idea, the reality is less Damascene. From the Waukesha Freeman:

By a vote of 22-9, the Waukesha County board on Tuesday failed to override a veto by County Executive Dan Vrakas on an ordinance to make non-library communities pay toward capital costs for libraries.

The board needed 24 votes to override the veto. County supervisors Jeff Morris, Jim Jeskewitz and Keith Hammitt, who all voted in favor of the ordinance at the board’s July 24 meeting, were not in attendance Tuesday night.

Waukesha Mayor Larry Nelson, whose taxing exertions appear to be indefatigable even as he isn't, vowed to fight for the tax next spring when the new, smaller county board meets. Nelson's support for higher taxes in every area of government suggests that maybe he has too much time on his hands. That, or it merely suggests he should spend less time with his hand out.

The good guys in this battle were: Peter Gundrum, Robert Thelen II, Walter Kolb, Keith Harenda, Peter Wolff, Rodell Singert, Joe Marchese, William Mitchell and Robert Hutton.

The Freeman captured the quote of the night when Supervisor Thomas Bullerman said,

“In New Berlin, we just built a new library and it cost $12 million and you know what? That’s OK because it’s a library,” he said. “You know, it’s OK to pay for something and it’s the same cast of characters that don’t want to pay for anything, and it falls down between towns and those in communities that have libraries.”

Never mind that those outside New Berlin had no say in building the library, whether the cost was $12 or $12 million. Expecting the towns to pay when the cities play is contemptible and even corrupt. Bullerman could have been no more condescending towards New Berlin's neighbors had he uttered, “Villeins ye are, and villeins ye shall remain.” After all, Bullerman expressed the sentiment well enough.

For those that think Vrakas was being divisive with his veto, it wasn't the county executive who decided the non-library municipalities were little piggy banks waiting to be raided.

If the library building communities really feel their neighbors are taking advantage of their generousity, then apply the fees directly when it comes time for membership, overdue fines and other possible revenue generators. Consider charging non-residents for the movies, audio books and other media services. Charge non-residents to use the computers. But if the library building communities truly feel that would be too much of a burden to collect those fees, then surrender the libraries to county control so that all can have a say in the expenditures for which they are taxed.

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Taxing the unrepresented

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board, in a rare bout of common sense, argues against overriding the Vrakas veto of taxing the non-library communities for capital expenditures.

On Tuesday, the County Board will decide whether to overturn County Executive Dan Vrakas' veto of the new funding system, a measure the board approved last month, 23-8, one vote shy of the number needed for override, although four board members were absent.

An override appears likely. But if they want to be fair, supervisors should sustain the veto.

Supporters don't want a tax increase just for the sake of getting their hands on more tax money. They want appropriate funding for library services being used by residents throughout the county. And they sincerely feel that residents from non-library communities, many of them towns, who pay for operational costs should also help pay for capital costs of libraries.

Supporters call the new system a tax shift because the expectation is that library communities will lower their own taxes so as not to increase the overall funding for libraries. But expectations aren't reality, and temporary taxes and tax shifts are often just euphemisms for tax increases.

Vrakas argues that communities with libraries are already re-imbursed by the county for 116% of the operational costs incurred by use from residents of communities without libraries.

What the editorial does not say is that the non-library communities do not have a say in the capital expenditures at the elected official level, and that if a community decides to build the Taj Majal they do not have the right to expect the neighboring communities to pay for it.

If the cost of non-resident usage is seriously driving the library capital expenditures, then alternative revenue should be pursued through greater fees for non-residents. The other alternative would be to have the county take over the library system completely.

But this is a classic case of the city of Waukesha behaving like it's big neighbor to the East in demanding other communities subsidize their wants. The city of Waukesha wouldn't want Milwaukee doing it to them; Waukesha should not be trying to do it to their neighbors.

Two local politicians doing good work

County Supervisor Rodell Singert has been pushing for reform at the Waukesha County Board. Singert's latest effort is to lead the charge for freezing the salaries of the county board members, a proposal passed by the Personnel Committee 6-1. It goes to the Finance Committee today. Singert will also introduce a measure to reduce the County Board Chairman to part time status and pay.

Waukesha Alderman Charles Betker is circulating a petition to stop Al Kropp from landing his helicopter at his business rather than at the airport. The Lovely Doreen from Waukesha spoke to Betker about 5:30pm last night. Betker said he already had over 100 signatures. Anyone interested in stopping Kropp can call Betker at 547-8629 or mail him a letter at 944 Oakland Ave., Waukesha, WI 53186. Kropp can go to the airport like everyone else.

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Mighty Joe Vitale

With Bill Kramer becoming a full-time state representative, the Waukesha County Board selected Joe Vitale to finish the term. Well, he ought to liven up a few meetings. Here's what he wrote in his most recent letter to the editor, lashing out a senior citizen tired of paying increasing taxes (scroll down):

5. You have taken a shot at a person, Bill Baumgart, who has more integrity than you will ever possess in a lifetime. Baumgart is one of the kindest, most caring, intelligent, concerned-for-education individuals who will ever pass your way in your lifetime.

6. Quote: "... how come we have our problems in our schools when the kids come out of school and they are not prepared for the responsibility ..." "The responsibility" of what? I’m not sure what you are trying to say, but back it up.

7. You almost sound like a member of the Tax Payers Alliance Against Everything.

8. By the way, you don’t get to vote for the president of the school board. Sorry!

Such a pleasant soul. I'm surprised Vitale didn't just write, "Shut up and give me the money you old bag!"

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