Fire Department Discussion...

The Village Buzz of January 6th concerning the Christmas day fire has drawn some intense response.  There is more to the story and I learned that from others yesterday.  I have agreed with village officials to wait until later today to post that information.

It will most likely be somewhat in conflict with the original information I received from another individual and I believe it important to print the 'official' version of this incident.

Please stay tuned.

Fire Department Staffing Question...

I received an e-mail from a concerned citizen (whom I know, who has no axe to grind and who isn't a 'crackpot' in any way) yesterday who raised the question as to whether we might be at the point where we needed to add to our full-time firefighter staffing numbers.  He was talking about the Christmas day fire and his e-mail read like this:

"I can't believe that our Village leaders will not provide us with full-time fire protection.  We have many dedicated on-call firefighters upon whom we rely for protection, however, on that Christmas day fire were 3 people who showed up on the 1st truck that went out, and they had to pull an EMT person from the ambulance to be the 2nd person on the other truck that went to the fire.  So Germantown had 4 firefighters at the fire and had to rely on mutual aid from surrounding communities.  As a result, the home sustained a lot of damage.

I think its time to really push the Village to upgrade the paid fulltime fire positions.  As our community has grown, we have seen the increased tax dollars gladly taken in, but not spent on the essential services like fire and police protection, and improved roads."

I recall having broached this subject some months ago with nothing much coming from it at that time.

What are the thoughts from those in the community?  Is it time for this subject to be aired fully?  Are you willing to see some of your tax dollars put to this use?

Let's see how they do with their newfound control.

The state has a record deficit totaling some $2.5 billion using GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) as those of us in the real world must.

The lust to use the power vested in any political party is very strong; it is, in fact, often irresistible to the detriment of both that particular party and the citizens of the state.

Governor Doyle has proved to be a master at maneuvering through the political maze.  He has yet to admit that he'll again be a candidate for the office of Governor but that is a foregone conclusion.  Unless he is tapped for a Washington job or there is some 'pay for play' scandal yet to unfold in our state, he is a shoe-in to run for another term.

The Republicans will be challenged as the 'loyal opposition' to have any discernible impact on the important items even though both houses' leaders claim they'll run their domains on an 'inclusive' basis (don't waste a lot of money betting on that).

Those of us who follow the 'ins' and the 'outs' will have much to occupy our time.  Those of us who don't follow the machinations of our state government will likely come to wish they had paid closer attention.  There are new taxes to be levied.  There are existing taxes to be increased.  There are any number of old fees to be increased; and, there are a number of new fees to be created.

The idea of balancing our state's budget through reductions in expenditures and through elimination of programs and through improvements in efficiency simply is a none starter in Wisconsin.  The only thing we seem to know is creating new programs that require even more funding.

You and me are the only people who can change that...and we only get that opportunity when we walk into the voting booth.  In the meantime, we can do our best to hold feet to fires.

This link was sent to me by a longtime reader and sometime contributor.  He thought we all might appreciate a tuneful look back at 2008, with a few slightly irreverent portions depending upon your point of view.

Please click here. 

Lee Enterprises is in trouble.  It is based in Davenport, IA.  It publishes newspapers.  Its stock sold at $14 per share a year ago and closed recently at $0.41 per share.  It may not be able to continue its operations. 

So what.

We hear about the newspaper industry over and over it seems.  And virtually none of the news is good.  We are shifting our news gathering efforts and the results are that the news gets worse instead of better for newspapers, in general.  Now we learn about a relatively obscure company, to many at least, that is in the same fix in which many newspaper publishing companies find themselves.

So what.

Lee Enterprises has a big footprint in Wisconsin.  It owns half of Madison Newspapers Inc. and that means it impacts the Capital Times and The Wisconsin State Journal, the Daily Citizen in Beaver Dam, the Baraboo News Republic, and the Portage Daily Register.  It owns the La Crosse Tribune.  It owns the The Chippewa Herald in Chippewa Falls and The Journal Times in Racine.  It owns the Dunn County News in Menomonie, the Coulee News in West Salem, the Houston County News in neighboring La Crescent, MN and the Winona Daily News in neighboring Winona, MN.  It owns the Jackson County Chronicle in Black River Falls, The Chronicle in Melrose, the Onalaska/Holmen Courier-Life News, the Tomah Journal and Monitor Herald, the Vernon County Broadcaster in my old hometown of Viroqua, and the Westby Times.  It owns the Juneau County Star-Times in Mauston, and the Reedsburg Times-Press, and the Sauk Prairie Eagle in Sauk City.  It prints and distributes over 1,200,000 copies of various weekly and monthly publications featuring local advertising, homes for sale, vehicles for sale, and on and on.

This company in Davenport, IA has a tremendous footprint in our state and neighboring areas, and it could be on its way out of existence.

I know many people who value their weekly newspapers, and their 'shoppers' for they have received these pieces week in and week out for longer than they can remember, or they have plucked them off the 'free' stands at the supermarket or in the gas station.  Our family still subscribes to the Vernon County Broadcaster since we still have friends and relatives in that area and can stay somewhat in touch with their worlds in that manner.

We read the stories of failing newsprint-based organizations and don't think much about the impact their failure could have beyond the loss that would represent to employees and families and stockholders.  That loss is not to be diminished but it doesn't necessarily have a face.

This potential loss of a publishing company has a face, at least for me, and I know for hundreds of thousands of people where I grew up.  We are witness to a dramatic change in our country and the world from which some will never recover because they're not sufficiently tech savvy.

That's so what.

I received an e-mail that was circulating through a group of military and special operations types.  It purports to be about an Australian Dentist who wrote an editorial.  I checked Snopes and found that this piece was actually written by Peter Ferrara, an associate professor of law at the George Mason University School of Law.  It was originally published in the National Review on September 25, 2001.

I thought it very well written and wanted to share it in the event that you haven't been exposed to it before.

~~~

"An American

You probably missed this in the rush of news last week, but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American.  So I just thought I would write to let them know what an American is, so they would know when they found one.

An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek.  An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan.  An American may also be a Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navajo, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans.

An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim.  In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan.  The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them choose.

An American is also free to believe in no religion.  For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

An American is from the most prosperous land in the history of the world.  The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God given right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.

An American is generous.  Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return.  When Afghanistan was over-run by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country.  As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan.  The best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best athletes. 

Americans welcome the best, but they also welcome the least.  The national symbol of America welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. 

These in fact are the people who built America.  Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11, 2001 earning a better life for their families.  [I've been told that the people in the towers were from at least 30, and maybe many more other countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists.]

So you can try to kill an American if you must.  Hitler did.  So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and every bloodthirsty tyrant in the history of the world.  But, in doing so, you would just be killing yourself.  Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place.  They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom.  Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

And America will welcome them."

(The text enclosed in brackets was added by someone else who is apparently unknown.)

Happy New Year Germantown...

2009 is upon us and brings with it hope for a better year.  Those of us who are optimistic see the new year as containing many exciting new challenges and opportunities.  Those of us who are pessimists tend to dwell on the problems of last year and see those continuing.  We each have the personal decision to take as to how we'll view the start of this year.  I have always been of the belief that each new year will be as good as I make it...no better and no worse.  I am also a firm believer in attitude making a big difference in our lives.  If we pursue each day with a positive attitude, we're much more likely to end each day feeling good about how we spent it.  The choice is mine, and not anyone else's.  Obviously, we'd define some days as being better than other days, but each has its special lesson for us if we search that out.

New Bank In Germantown...

Actually, it is the same bank that has been in Germantown for many years and that we most recently knew as the National City bank.  It is now owned by the PNC Financial Services Group based in Pittsburgh.  I am not aware of the branding changes we may see but expect that PNC will become a very visible presence in our community and in our area as logo changes are introduced.

I happen to do my banking, such as it is, in that bank here in Germantown.  The employees who make that bank what it is will continue to make it that no matter the logo that appears on the signage.  As I've mentioned earlier though, they will probably need to expand their clothes closets to handle yet another set of bank logo clothes.  I confess that I marvel at the number of times the veterans in that bank have had to endure re-training on products and systems.  I can only hope that the transition from National City to PNC goes as well as that from Mid-America to National City.

Village People...

We lost an employee in the village hall a short time ago who had been on an extended leave of absence about which we'll likely never know the details since those things are never made public.

Now the report of Fire Chief Pollpeter having been on a medical leave since December 1st surfaces in the Community NOW news.  Again, since these things are sealed and not made public, there will likely be no way that we'll learn the nature of this situation.  Given the somewhat rocky tenure of the chief, I find myself wondering if something more might be afoot.  Time will tell. 

I received a list of tips for 2009 and decided to post those for you, as well.  There are some good thoughts here, so far as I'm concerned.

1. Take a 10 to 30 minute walk every day; and, while you walk, smile.  It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day; buy a lock if necessary.
3. When you awake in the morning, complete the following thought: "My purpose is to _________ today."
4. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
5. Don't waste precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you are unable to control. Instead, invest your energy in the positive present moment.
6. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a college kid with a maxed-out credit card.
7. Remember that while life isn't fair, it's still good.
8. Life is too short to hate anyone.
9. Don't take yourself too seriously; no one else does.
10. You don't have to win every argument; agree to disagree.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil your present.
12. Don't compare your life to others; you've no idea what their journey is all about.
13. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
14. Frame every so-called disaster with these words:  "In five years, will this matter?"
15. Forgive everyone for everything.
16. What other people think of you is none of your business.
17. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
18. Envy is a waste of time; you already have all you need.
19. Each night before you go to bed, complete the following statements:  I am thankful for _________.  Today I accomplished __________.
20. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed!

 I hope you and those you love have a very healthy, happy and prosperous 2009.  May you be truly blessed!

Obama Smoking 'Issue'...

I continue to see little references to the fact that President-Elect Barack Obama has the occasional cigarette, and musings about whether or not he will or even should quit that nasty habit.  (I can say that because I did smoke cigarettes... a lot...and quit many years ago.)

I am amused that these musings probably come from people who were and are adamantly opposed to smoking but who are now being 'forced' to make excuses for the person they favored in the recent election.  Some of the musings have been nothing short of farcical including the comments that he might well make better decisions if he can smoke a cigarette while pondering the weighty issues of the office he occupies come January 20th.

Will this slow the inexorable tide to rid our nation of any and all cigarettes and all other tobacco products, to close any business that has the audacity to think it is a private entity entitled to make decisions as to the customers it will serve, to outlaw all public use of a lawful agricultural product?  I suspect not.

Does anyone detect any hypocrisy?  Does it matter to anyone?  Is this the sound of one hand clapping? 

~~~

More Scientists Join Global Warming Dissenters...

Dr. Will Happer, award winning Princeton University Physicist says, "I am convinced that the current alarm over carbon dioxide is mistaken."  Happer, who was fired by former Vice President Al Gore in 1993, said of that incident, "I was told that science was not going to intrude on policy."

Additional dissenting scientists include:

• Dr. W.M. Schaffer, Ph.D. who is Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona - Tucson.
• CNN Meteorologist Chad Meyers, a meteorologist for 22 years and certified by the American Meteorological Society.
• Engineer and Physicist J.K. "Jim" August, formerly of the U.S.Navy nuclear power program and former chair of professional standard committees in both the American Nuclear Society and the American Society of Mechanical Engineering.
• Biologist and Neuropharmacologist Dr. Doug Pettibone who has authored 120 scientific publications and holds ten patents and is a past member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
• Meteorologist Tom Wysmuller, former weather forecaster at Amsterdam's Royal Dutch Weather Bureau.
• MIT Scientist Dr. Robert Rose, a professor of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT with approximately fifty years of teaching experience.
• Climate researcher Dr. Craig Loehle with the National Council for Air and Stream Improvements and who has published more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers.
• German Meteorologist Dr. Gerd-Rainer Weber, a Consulting Meteorologist.
• Atmospheric Scientist Robert L. Scotto, who has more than 30 years air quality consulting experience and a past member of the American Meteorological Society.
• Atmospheric Scientist Timothy R. Minnich who has more than thirty years experience in the design and management of a wide range of air quality investigations for industry and government.

The story line of a "consensus agreement" is simply not true as we have come to understand with the more than 650 dissenters who have now made themselves and their views known.  Those who are pushing for rapid adoption of the so-called "consensus" are doing so for fear they are being disproved more with every passing day.  They cannot afford to answer the criticisms since they're hypothesis is riddled with error.

Is there any real need to rush to judgment?  Or is this more a contrived need with those pushing the global warming issue recognizing that once unleashed, the movement will go on and on and on regardless of the validity of the movement.  These things take on a life of their own as we have seen in any number of previous government-backed programs, without regard for facts.

This debate is far too important and far too costly for us to make an incorrect judgment.  We will literally ruin the economy of the United States if this is permitted to take root, and we're already sliding down a very slippery slope created by other government meddling where well enough should've been left to be.

The use of the term "debate" is really a reach since there has been only a one-sided diatribe to date; there has been no true debate. 

This list is that of those people whom I remember that died in 2008; if I've missed one or more that you think ought be included, please post a comment with the name and background.

~~~

• January 17th - Bobby Fischer, world chess champion, age 64
• January 19th - Suzanne Pleshette, actress, age 70
• January 20th - John Stewart, musician & songwriter (Kingston Trio)
• February 2nd - Barry Morse, actor (Lt. Gerard on "The Fugitive"), age 89
• February 5th - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, taught transcendental meditation to the Beatles, age 96
• February 10th - Roy Scheider, actor, age 75
• February 12th - Van Johnson, actor
• February 27th - William F. Buckley, conservative author and commentator, age 82
• March 24th - Richard Widmark, actor, age 93
• April 5th - Charleton Heston, actor, age 84
• May 29th - Harvey Korman, actor and comedian, age 81
• June 2nd - Bo Diddley, musician, age 79
• June 7th - Jim McKay, sportscaster ABC Wide World of Sports
• June 13th - Tim Russert, political journalist and host of NBC's Meet The Press
• June 17th - Cyd Charisse, dancer
• June 22nd - George Carlin, comedian, age 71
• July 4th - Sen. Jesse Helms, politician, age 86
• July 12th - Tony Snow, reporter and press secretary, age 53
• July 22nd - Estelle Getty, actress (The Golden Girls), age 85
• August 10th - Isaac Hayes, musician (Shaft), age 65
• September 2nd - Jerry Reed, musician (Smokey & The Bandit), age 71
• September 26th - Paul Newman, actor, race driver, philanthropist, age 83
• December 25th - Eartha Kitt, sultry singer (Santa Baby), age 81

~~~

Future Celebrities Born in 2008...

• Unknown, but probably quite a few!  I wonder what they'll discover, write, create, invent or do in their lifetimes?

I read an article over the time off following Christmas that puzzled me...not that many don't have that same effect...but this one said that we, Germantown, "thirst for comprehensive water plan".

As I went a bit further, I noted that the vaunted Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission was behind this 'movement' that would result in at least $352 million in construction expense and 53 miles of new water pipe.

Germantown, and other communities would be forced to shut down their water facilities and would buy the Lake Michigan water from the Milwaukee Water Works.  The costs are estimated to be as much as $8.5 million per year...BUT, we'd no longer need water softeners  and the attendant salt and we'd all SAVE at least $8.7 million.

Several things come to mind...

...will our water facilities be purchased from us or will we simply close the doors and the wells and the pumps and the towers and continue to eat those costs until everything is paid off?

...will this result in a fiasco on the order of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage District with the high prices over which no elected board has control?

...why should we do this?  Are we starved for water?  Do we have radium issues that are not resolvable?

...would we be included simply to provide additional funding?

...who says we "thirst for comprehensive water plan"?

...what will happen when, twenty years from now, our former water facilities will be beyond re-use, and we have a Great Lakes problem that threatens to shut down the Milwaukee Water Works?  We'll obviously have no practical alternative at that point, and will be more victimized than I suspect we'll have been for the first twenty years.

How many of our trustees have been briefed on this and who are they and where do they stand on this issue? 

The only thing I've heard anything about are Menomonee Falls with its recent deal done, New Berlin with the radium issues and Waukesha with its radium issues.  Were we involved in these discussions?  Or are we simply being lumped in because, like the MATC, the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) needed more money to even begin to make this boondoggle appear to be affordable?

I am growing very weary of being the flea on the tip of the tail of the doggy.  It is plain that we'll be unable to 'wag the dog' because we've no leverage; to my knowledge, we're not even represented on this Commission...but I guess that's okay since it works well for the technical college system.

Every time that tax eating dog wags its tail, we get whipsawed...if we don't end up being tossed to the ground and run over.

This report is found on the SEWRPC website by clicking here. 

The Journal Sentinel has been going through the throes faced by virtually all in the print media.  Layoffs have been encountered several times, newspaper size has diminished and now the daily news stand prices have been increased with the daily editions going from $.50 to $.75 and the Sunday edition going from $1.75 to $2.00.

I noted a week or so ago an announcement of the hiring of a senior executive and paid relatively little attention to that item.

As I saw the note about price increases, I was reminded about that earlier announcement and recalled that the new hire was given what is commonly called a "Change of Control" agreement.  These agreements typically offer protection of one kind or another to the person hired in the event of a 'change of control', or, in other words, in the event that the company were to change hands.  My recollection was that this agreement carried a term of two years from his date of hire.

I had a personal experience that saw me receiving a similar agreement and that was prompted by inquiries from potential suitors about the availability of the company by which I was then employed.

With this line of thought going, I recalled that there was a recent infusion of cash by an investor who thus increased his stake in the company.

Beyond this, the prices were raised on those things that could bring a more or less immediate increase in income that could cause the 'books' to look better than might've otherwise been the case on top of the decrease in people costs.

As I began to put all these pieces together, I found my self wondering if we're watching the sale of the Journal Sentinel being discussed, or if a suitor or two has or have made themselves known to senior management.

The pattern looks familiar.

Calamitous weather seems poised to hit us every day if the weather report teasers are to be believed.  As the thermometer edged upwards to 50+ this morning, I watched local weather reports that were teased with "more snow on the way" and "stay tuned to learn how much we'll get" messages.  The snow "threat" resulted in me learning that we could get all the way from a trace to 1" over night.

Wow!!

I felt cheated, and not just a little foolish, to have spent the time I did waiting to learn about the next catastrophic weather occurrence.

Television stations try their best to capture us as the result of the battle for advertising dollars, but this has simply gone from being too much to being absurd.

This is one of life's little annoyances which I can do without...and I have many alternatives, just as do you.  Am I the only one that gets annoyed?  Should I just 'get over it'?  Or should I respond by altering my viewing habits similarly to the way in which I've altered my news gathering habits?

That certainly does not do the local channels any good, but, then again, maybe they would get a message and ignore the next high-priced consultant that blows through town with the latest 'idea' dreamed up by some guru somewhere.  That is the same consultant who influences the clothing worn and the hair cuts and the hair coloring.

Could we maybe start a new trend where we have real people wearing the clothing they desire with the hair style they prefer?  Could we maybe get the information we desire without the build-ups that take almost more time than the weather or news itself is given?

I really am getting to be more curmudgeonly, I guess.

The State of Wisconsin and Milwaukee County have been dueling over programs to aid the poor.  This involves the county call center over which the County Board and the County Exec have fought for some time, and it involves the awarding of a $2.4 million job training grant.

The players are Lee Holloway, County Board Chairman, and Michael Morgan, a top aide to Governor Doyle, and Karen Timberlake, head of the Department of Health and Human Services.  Morgan and Timberlake are appointees of Governor Doyle.

Another player is, obviously, County Exec Scott Walker, who has run against Governor Doyle before and seems poised to do so again.

Swirling through the mist is the effort to privatize the call center handling inquiries from people in the county who need assistance in one form or another.  Walker has pushed that at least twice and has been rebuffed by the board in both instances.  The state is threatening to penalize the county for transgressions, imagined or real, and it appears this will happen as it now stands.

The question that comes to mind is this:

Is this really about the people of Milwaukee County or is it about Doyle trying to set the stage to show people just how bad it would be if they voted to elect Walker as the next governor?

I suspect that it is the latter, and that, if the case, simply proves out the old saw that politics is always hardball.  I'm reminded of the title to the Clinton-era book called "Blood Sport".

Frankly, this brouhaha isn't just confined to state-level politics.  It can be found in varying degrees where ever elections are held to pick people for offices.  Too many of our elected officials view themselves as the 'anointed' and come to believe that any tactic is permissible so long as it isn't illegal (and some don't stop for that little inconvenience, either).

Those who suffer in all this back and forth are the people whose welfare was to be paramount.  Elected officials, and their appointees, too often are consumed with re-election.  They seem to believe that it is so important that they stay in office that doing whatever that requires is 'job number one'; people be damned if that becomes necessary.  Once on that slippery slope, the next such decision becomes easier and each subsequent such decision is more easily taken yet.

None of us can sell his or her soul just once.  Once sold, it becomes a commodity with which to barter for more power, more prestige and more money.  Our recent economic tumble can be viewed through this prism, as well.  How many of the 535 elected to go to Washington, D.C. have not yet been infected by this siren's song?  Simple answer:  Not enough!

Those who do not succumb to this 'disease' can be seen along the way; they too often represent the 'road kill' of politics.

Maybe this speaks to term limits.  Maybe this speaks to more aggressive prosecution.  Maybe this speaks to laws that are far more clearly laid out so as to eliminate the decision-making process for the honest.  Maybe we actually vote in our own image; but, I hope that we're simply more uninformed, and maybe overly trusting than we are corrupt when we cast ballots for some of our politicians.

Caring state or hardball politics?

I find myself reflecting a bit at this time of year, and I suspect you may be doing so, as well.  Following are some random thoughts from 2008:

~~~Our election again demonstrated to the world that democracies are workable; sometimes a bit boisterous and rancorous but certainly workable.  Governments can be changed without being overthrown by force.

~~~We have nearly made it through another year without having suffered an attack on our soil; a tribute to the outgoing president when those are seldom heard by him today.

~~~Iraq is moving ahead with its fledgling form of democracy.  That is amazing given that generations had grown up without an idea of what that was.

~~~We have economic issues needing resolution, but we're far from the "Great Depression" of which we continually hear.  The free marketplace will resolve those issues sooner and with less pain if government permits.  The New Deal was not a good deal and should not be repeated.

~~~We need to find the best way to control health care costs.  Our system of health care financing, health insurance, is simply a reflection on costs.  Insurance premiums follow costs, they do not lead costs.  Consumer involvement is among the answers and government needs to permit that to continue to develop.

~~~We must find ways to preclude elections from being influenced by illegal votes; positive identification seems to be a very reasonable answer if we can move beyond demagoguery.

~~~Our education system could be even better than it is today if it were driven from the bottom up instead of from the top down.  Simply throwing more money at the system is not likely to cause the changes that may be necessary.

~~~Each of us has an impact on others beyond our knowledge; we need to be ever mindful of that and conduct ourselves accordingly...someone may be watching (or reading) and we'd like for that lesson to have been a good lesson...although even 'bad' lessons can be good reminders of how not to act.

~~~Faith is an important part of our daily life; it is tested often but will survive if we nurture it and permit it to grow and flourish.

~~~We sometimes imagine that we're more important than we are; and we're sometimes disappointed when that lesson comes crashing down on us as a reminder.

~~~We should strive to keep our friendships alive and well and to not lose track of them in the daily hustle and bustle we create for ourselves.

~~~It is better to give than to receive, but receiving isn't too bad either...balance is important in this as in everything.

~~~Maybe we should use the silver and sets of china passed down over the ages more than just once or twice a year; I find that it evokes fond memories of those who passed these on to us; and, I hope the same will be true a generation or two from now.

~~~It has almost always been interesting to me, since my mid-adulthood, at least, how much a thoughtful gift means without regard to its value.  Would that we all could learn that much earlier in our lives; but learning it at any time is very important.

~~~I can never forget just how wonderful it is to be able to watch the subsequent generations mature and make their own marks on the world.  Just as with snowflakes, each is a different person even given the same parents and heritage. 

~~~Our extended family was blessed with news of healing and we are thankful for that gift this year.  Thanksgiving should come every day, if but for a moment.

~~~I hope your Christmas season has been as rewarding as ours.

From the Contemporary English Version of the New Testament...

About that time Emperor Augustus gave orders for the names of all the people to be listed in record books.  These records were made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

Everyone had to go to their own hometown to be listed.  So Joseph had to leave Nazareth in Galilee and go to Bethlehem in Judea.  Long ago Bethlehem had been King David's hometown and Joseph went there because he was from David's family.

Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem.  She was soon going to have a baby, and while they were there, she gave birth to her first-born son.  She dressed him in baby clothes and laid him on a bed of hay, because there was no room for them in the inn.

That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep.  All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord's glory flashed around them.  The shepherds were frightened.  But the angel said, "Don't be afraid!  I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy.  This very day in King David's hometown a Saviour was born for you.  He is Christ the Lord.  You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay."

Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God.  They said:

"Praise God in heaven!  Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God."

After the angels had left and gone back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about."  They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and they saw the baby lying on a bed of hay.

When the shepherds saw Jesus, they told his parents what the angel had said about him.  Everyone listened and was surprised.  But Mary kept thinking about all this and wondered what it meant.

As the shepherds returned to their sheep, they were praising God and saying wonderful things about him.  Everything they had seen and heard was just as the angel had said.

Eight days later Jesus' parents did for him what the Law of Moses commands.  And they named him Jesus, just as the angel had told Mary when he promised she would have a baby.

Wow!  It's Snowing Again (Still)...

The last prognostication I heard from the weather professionals this morning indicated that we could have another foot of snow between now and Christmas.

I visited with Dave Schornack, Village Administrator, yesterday on another subject and he mentioned that Germantown had burned 1,200 gallons of fuel just on snow clearing over the past week-end.  That also required that our village crew members were on the job for sixteen straight hours at one point.

Dave did mention that as soon as there was a sufficient break in snow falling, the village will begin to haul the accumulated snow banks away to make room for more.  It doesn't sound very promising for that activity in the next few days.

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Property Tax Bills...

That reminded me that I had planned to mention our community tax bills.

My property taxes, in total, increased $5 year over year.  I can live with that quite nicely, thank you!  There is a growing interest within Wisconsin to see the property tax system relieved of the ever-increasing pressure felt by property owners.  Among other things, that would see increases in sales taxes and in numerous fees.

An organization called Wisconsin Way has presented its plan for accomplishing this and we'll likely write about that plan in coming weeks.

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Winter Safety...

The snow that is costing us all money for road maintenance has more serious effects.

First, the rate of accidents, most relatively minor thank goodness, has increased even after we've gotten the 'hang' of winter driving.  The powdery dry snow falling this morning on top of snow-packed streets has certainly made for slick streets.

The huge piles of snow that have accumulated are making our intersections more hazardous and causing youngsters out enjoying winter to be more difficult to see.  We really need to adjust our driving habits and our driving speeds around the community to preclude loss of life in addition to damage to and loss of property.

Politicians, of every stripe, tend to make lots of promises in order to get our votes.  Once they are in office, or even as they prepare to assume the office, we begin to see and hear the back-tracking.  That has gotten into full swing already on the national level and is beginning on the state level.

We are being reminded now that the economic downturn may not end in the next year even though we may've been led to believe that while viewing campaign commercials and listening to speeches.  I recall hearing that this could very well be changing by June, 2009, for example.

Rep. Dave Obey (D-WI), who is among the most powerful members of the House of Representatives since he heads the House Appropriations Committee, is now advising us that "the downward momentum appears too strong to end the recession anytime soon."  I don't mean to pick on Mr. Obey but this is a classic example of the back-tracking he and others are now engaged in to protect the image of the Democrats.

While we elect presidents every four years and senators every six years, we elect members of congress every two years.  That means that we have a two-year election cycle, and explains why we seem to have perpetual campaigning going on and why it costs so much to run for an office.  We see a somewhat similar situation in Wisconsin since our members of the Assembly stand for election every two years.

Candidates are probably reminding themselves that they need be careful for what they wish, since there comes the time when pipers must be paid.

The mood of the people can change several times between now and the next national election in just under two years, but the politicians who find themselves in control cannot forget that they need to tamp down the expectations they raised during the campaign season.

This time it is the Democrats who are experiencing this, and that is true on both the state and national levels.  The Republicans have something behind which they can hide during this cycle; they have no control.  They lost control because the mood of the voters had changed markedly...and it will again.

I do not intend to take any sides in this piece, but to simply state the facts as I see them.  If you feel that I stray, please express your thoughts in a comment.

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We are about to inaugurate the 44th President of the United States.  He, in this case, has much on his platter and has already taken quite a few steps in a relatively short period of time.  All this would indicate that his will be a well-organized administration and that things we see transmitted by picks, statements, leaks and so on are things of which we should take note.  I doubt that there will be a lot of 'wasted motion' from the Obama administration.  That does not appear to be President-Elect Obama's style nor does it appear to be the style of Rahm Emanuel who will be the back-seat driver, and the outspoken commenter when occasions require.

Among his early challenges is that of our economy.  I am reminded daily of just how intertwined our economy is with that of the world at large.  I am reminded daily that there is no such thing as an invincible company or institution.  The most revered names of my time, such as GM and GE and FedEx and Ford are being pummeled in the marketplace.  For example, $1,000 invested in GM at the end of 2007 is now worth $184 according to the Wall Street Journal this morning.  Similarly, $1,000 put into 3M is now worth $690.  That same $1,000 put into GE is worth $460 today.  A similar investment in Alcoa is now worth $273.  All these are the big industrial entities with which I grew up. 

There have been some indications that the Obama administration may well take the view that more government control is the desirable course at this point in our country's existence.  That suggests that our industrial model may see more governmental control over the products that are manufactured, the services that are offered, and the relationships of one with the other.  The buzz word has been "socialism".  That may well be too strong a term, and it was obviously designed to give people pause for thought when introduced by those on the right side of the aisle.

It is valid, I think, that we recognize there will be winners and losers as the new administration assumes its position and begins to guide the country.  There have essentially been two classes of appointees announced so far.  There have been the more conservative announcements such as that concerning defense, and there have been some liberal announcements such as that concerning the EPA.  This suggests that we'll likely be on a dual track from January 20th forward, at least for the foreseeable future.

If I knew who/what would be winners, I'd try to align myself as much as possible; similarly, if I knew the losers, I'd try to take the proper defensive measures.  But, I know neither with certainty.  I can only speculate.  And my speculations lead me to expect some of the following:

• Health care will not be as severely remade as had earlier been indicated since there are many impediments to wholesale change, with the economy and the country's finances being the chief reasons I see.  We just don't have the money to do wholesale change.
• Organized labor will be a beneficiary given the solid support received from those quarters by the incoming administration.  The labor department pick appears as though it could've been hand-selected by labor, for example.
• Our country will be driven to be 'greener' whether or not that is indicated by thoughtful consideration.  The Browner selection virtually assures this direction.
• Education will continue to be driven from the top down rather than from the bottom up.  Choice and charter will not be in much favor so far as I can determine.
• Stimulus packages will be aimed at infrastructure projects thus being of significant benefit to the trades and unions, and with much longer payback periods for the rest of us.  Those projects will be as 'green' as possible given the Browner appointment.
• Foreign policy will be a bit softer around the edges than during the past eight years, I suspect.  We'll be more concerned with what others think of us and that will drive changes.

We're in for an interesting ride into the future, and there will be some new winners and some new losers.

Above all this, my one hope is that you and me will be winners as the citizens of this 'changed' America, and not just those who wield the power.

Time will tell.

Germantown Streets...

Our village employees are doing a great job today on the remains of the snow storm that appeared to dump about 12 inches on my house.  Our street had a swipe taken by about 6:30AM today so that it was passable.  I have resorted to paying to have my driveway plowed and that had been done before 7:30AM.  After some clean-up shoveling, I decided to drive to my office only to find that parking lot full of snow and just beginning to be cleared, so I deferred until later.  The traffic was sparse at that time.

The main streets are very passable considering the snowfall and the wind, and the side streets appear to be a good shape, too, although there is some touch-up remaining to happen.  If I'm not mistaken, I think I noticed that sidewalks on Mequon were being addressed with the small maneuverable plows the village deploys.  If not, they were certainly clear for having had the snowfall that we had.

Germantown People...

On the same theme, when I did go out again about 11:00AM, I was reminded of how nice it is to know that you live in a place where people take the time to help neighbors, and where you can almost always count on a smile in return for yours to others.  Even today, with nerves maybe a bit frayed, that seemed to hold true.

Of course, smiles tend to have magical qualities about them.  They provoke thoughts of kindness in others who almost always have to smile back; such a great payback for so little an investment.

Shopping in Sendik's was easy.  There were still just a few people who had ventured out, but the store was ready and the staff was friendly and helpful...as always.  The parking lot was quite well cleared just prior to noon, and had looked to be quite passable during the Fox 6 reports that were aired from their parking lot during the early morning hours. 

We had free run of Menard's, as well, where employees outnumbered customers by two to one or better, although that parking lot left a great deal to be desired. 

Snow days always seem to have something special about them, even for me as an adult.  Maybe it is the idea that I can justify not being in my office or being a little lazy in the morning until the driveway gets plowed.  And, if we but look about at the youngsters having so much fun when they can be out of school on a school day, maybe that is infectious, too. 

All in all, it is a great day in Germantown!   I hope you feel the same way about your town, too, if it isn't Germantown!