Today was Thanksgiving Day, a national celebration designed to allow people to take a day from their normal hustle and bustle and express their gratitude for the good things in their lives. This celebration is commonly marked by gathering with family and friends and enjoying a lot of good food.
Unfortunately, [...]
From the Letters to the Editor section of this morning’s edition of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Responsible government neededIn his op-ed, Scott Walker writes about “a budget that puts the needs of Milwaukee citizens above the needs of government” (Perspectives, Nov. 17).
A civics lesson, Mr. Walker: Who do you think [...]
Two weeks ago, I warned that the 2010 Milwaukee County budget had a big black hole in it that was not being addressed properly.
Last week, after the County Board finalized the budget by voting whether to override Scott Walker’s vetoes, I pointed out that it was an epic [...]
Earlier this month, about the time that the Milwaukee County Board was considering a wheel tax, State Representative Steve Nass (R-Whitewater) announced that a bill that was being introduced that would eliminate the possibility of local governments of enacting a wheel tax:
State Representative Steve Nass (R-Whitewater) introduced a bill [...]
From a press release from Holiday Folk Fair:
SPECIAL EVENTS AND EXHIBITS SHOWCASED AT HOLIDAY FOLK FAIR INTERNATIONAL
MILWAUKEE, WI – A variety of special events and exhibits will be highlighted throughout the grounds at the 66th annual Holiday Folk Fair International, America’s premiere multi-cultural festival, to be held Fri., Nov. [...]
Representative Jon Richards had an interesting editorial in this morning’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Here is a key part of it, but please do read the whole thing:
Over the past 2 1/2 decades, our parks, once a national model for their size and quality, have been experiencing a slow decline. [...]
The final results are in and the 2010 Milwaukee County budget is done. There are only two words for it: Epic FAIL.
As I have pointed out numerous times during the budget process, Scott Walker’s proposed budget was a fraudulent document that should never have been accepted. It was based on [...]
The following is the official news release from the County Board regarding the veto override votes on the 2010 budget:
COUNTY BOARD OVERRIDES 21 OF COUNTY EXECUTIVE’S 34 BUDGET VETOES
Even with property tax levy increase, average Milwaukee homeowner will pay $2.17 less
Milwaukee, WI – The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors voted [...]
There was a touching story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel over the past weekend. The story was about a couple that was going to get married, but due to Scott Walker’s furlough days, the clerk’s office was closed and the groom was not able to get their marriage license.
Gotta give the guy credit. With one fell swoop of his veto pen, the county executive has at once catered to the wishes of his hard-line conservative base and out-done fellow Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Nemann by trying to strike away the domestic partner benefits law (correction: authorization to conduct [...]
From today’s “Letters to the editor” of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Thoughtless developmentThe idea of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee expanding as a research facility to create economic development has been discussed and challenged, but the decision to locate the engineering school and research park at the Milwaukee County Grounds, northeast [...]
We have already seen how Governor Jim Doyle and Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker are both failing our elderly and disabled citizens by threatening the funding for the vital service of paratransit rides. Without this service, many of our elderly and disabled citizens will become [...]
Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic has been named the “Best Supervisor” by the Shepherd Express for the second year in a row:
For the second year in a row, Milwaukee County Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic has been named the Best Supervisor by the Shepherd Express weekly newspaper.
“Once again, I’d like to thank the [...]
County Executive Scott Walker released the schedule of department and building closures affected by the four furlough days for 2009. Â Please reference the document link below that lists exceptions by County agency of departmental closures and facility closures.
County furlough dates:
·     Friday, November 13
·   [...]
To be honest, I am flabbergasted at Scott Walker’s audacity. It has become increasingly obvious to even the most casual observer that he has completely put his own personal and political aspirations before the common good of Milwaukee County. His level of personal responsibility to Milwaukee County has deteriorated to [...]
This just broke from Dan Bice and John Diedrich of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Milwaukee County Supervisor Toni Clark is the subject of a secret criminal investigation into possible campaign finance abuses, the Journal Sentinel has learned.
Clark declined Tuesday to answer questions about the matter. Last month, she filed three amended [...]
As most of you are probably aware, the Milwaukee County Board went through the amendments in a marathon 17 hour session yesterday. As is my wont, I took the day off yesterday so that I could attend the hearing.
For a complete results of the votes, I would refer you [...]
The Journal Sentinel reports the latest news from the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors’ work on the proposed county budget. So far, the board has rejected “outsourcing of housekeeping and security jobs,” as well as “mainframe computer technician jobs and 25 airport firefighter jobs.”
The board also voted to “to [...]
Dan Diliberti, Milwaukee County Treasurer, submitted a letter to Supervisor Elizabeth Coggs, the Chairwoman of the County Board’s Finance and Audit Committee. This letter was reproduced by BizTimes.com.
In the letter, Diliberti paints a very grim, but completely accurate, picture of the County’s finances, which [...]
From a press release from Supervisor Dimitrijevic:
BUDGET AMENDMENT PROVIDES FULL-TIME SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTOR
Position needed to save tax dollars and oversee County’s environmental and recycling efforts
Milwaukee, WI – Milwaukee County Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic is introducing a Budget Amendment at the Finance & Audit Committee meeting this afternoon to create a Sustainability [...]
This year, the Milwaukee County Board has been given a budget proposal the like of which has never been seen before. It is singular in its unrealistic and unattainable expectations.
Yet, it is your task to take what is nothing more than a grandiose campaign statement from County Executive Walker and [...]
This is not to be tolerated.
Today, County Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic issues a press release in defense of a resolution she cosponsored with Supervisor Chris Larson, which would authorize a study of extending health care benefits to the domestic partners of qualified county employees. Her words were quite polite, [...]
It was revealed today that Milwaukee County is facing a new deficit crisis that no amount of cuts or higher taxes will resolve.
In fact, this new deficit crisis of which I speak has nothing to do with money. Well, okay, maybe it does, but only in an indirect manner.
The deficit [...]
Last night was the first time I had attended a public hearing on the Milwaukee County budget. While driving in to Washington Park, I was struck by the sheer number of cars parked along the street and in the parking lots. It was evident that a lot of people had [...]
Jason Haas, our secretary, and I were at the Annual Public Hearing last night.
It was a very good turn out, with at least 500 people there. About 90 people took their turns to speak their views and give their input on what the County should do in the upcoming [...]
Tonight, Monday, November 2, 2009, the Milwaukee County Board will be holding its annual Public Hearing on Scott Walker’s bogus and irresponsible 2010 Proposed Budget. The information regarding the meeting is thus:
Public Hearing on 2010 Milwaukee County Budget
Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors
Monday, November 2, 2009, 7:00 p.m.
[...]
I’ll side with common sense every time, thank you very much.
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a very well written and must read column by John Gurda, a Milwaukee historian:
As needs mount and resources decline, what are local governments to do? There are, and always have been, only two real [...]
