From the Village Square

Senior independent living concepts.

2008-11-20T21:37:00Z

With an expected growing elderly population that is increasing faster than the school age population is in Shorewood, it becomes necessary for both the School Board and the Village Board to review their present policies and develop a community approach to an aging citizenry.

People over 60 can make contributions to the services provided by the village as well as be recipients..This is not a one way street as may be commonly believed, where services are only to be provided to the older adults.

Many citizens of Shorewood would like to see the community begin to look into the provision of group homes and independent living accommodations in our community for adults of all ages.

There are many possibilities including existing apartment buildings and facilities that can be grouped together in a meaning way to provide self-servicing and independent accommodations. Although these can be cooperative-type ventures, arrangement for in-lieu-of-taxes can also be made.

Some Shorewood citizens are working toward presenting such proposals. I'd like to see both the Schools and the Village assist in preparing for some studies of the type of facilities and the type of participation that might be available. Seemingly further ideas along these lines will be coming up toward the early part of the year.

Policy, simply on faith?

2008-11-19T13:11:39Z

New analysis give some of us pause to think about how policy is actually set here in our village.

Who is responsible for putting it all together, who gives it direction and who is responsible when it all falls apart like the Sunrise project?

Are any of our elected officials responsible, individually and collectively? When they do something by consensus doesn't that make them all responsible? And if they are wrong, then what do we do with all of them?

Do we actually observe that the Sunrise project is not really rising and roll over and go back to sleep?

Policy is set and people seem to be working based on that policy, but where is it taking us? Are candidates for “powerful” positions in local government responsible to anyone after they are elected to office? Are they only responsible to themselves? Then, if that is the case, what is their purpose?

What about the underlying election rhetoric, the notion that our property taxes will be reduced and our policies are aimed toward that principle goal? When has their consensus produced a tax reduction during their time in office?

It doesn't seem that in the evolution of our community here in Shorewood over the past three or more decades that our taxes have been reduced. Does this mean that all policy based on reducing our taxes has failed?

It does seem that way.

Now on another question:

Should we try to increase our school enrollment for the purpose of reducing our taxes or is our purpose, our policy of increasing enrollment, in some way to improve the education of children?

I believe the improvement of education, the expansion of knowledge and of our knowledge base is more important than the expansion of the tax base?

It seems that converting duplexes into single family units to attract young people with children to Shorewood is falsely based, especially when we now learn that rental properties and duplexes have also been attracting young people with children. (See Steve Koczela's new analyses).

One of our former trustees seemed more interested in removing rental property and duplexes than improving the education of young children.

Still the larger question, as to whether we improve education by attracting more children has not been answered.

So how can we make policy based on any of these premises? Do we make policy simply on faith? Faith in what?

Our policy makers had faith in the rising sun project but it didn't rise. Are we going to just let this project get out our hands now and fall apart? Are will simply going to ignore this event? Now what do we do?

Some important questions need to be asked about where we go from here, so that we can set wiser policy based on real knowledge and on new events.

But then let's discuss these questions openly and publicly, not on the faith in one's own prejudices, so that we can base our new policies on knowledge that reflects real community needs.

Sunrise, sunset.

2008-11-18T20:17:12Z

What to do with the so-called “Sunrise” property?

If I were thinking of the type of use that should go on the Sunrise property along the river on Capitol, from a purely social aspect, I'd like to see some river related use along the river side (there are plenty of clues that we can get from Europe) and east of that, a low rise group living complex for seniors.

From a commercial standpoint, a hotel with a high scale restaurant integrated into the river setting might be another concept to start with.

Here again we might look at European, South American and even California seaside settings for ideas.

These concepts might suggest economically feasible projects to some interested developers.

The first might attract some grants and even donations, perhaps some in-lieu-of-tax agreements, so that we could begin designing right away.

The second, would have to await better times. The way Shorewood operates and as it seems now that Sunrise is not rising to its development proposal, that we'll have to wait until better times anyway. For few private developers are going to be seeking new projects for awhile.

However, we need to find a way of keeping the property attractive and presentable until then.

But for now, Shorewood should begin negotiating to purchase this parcel.

Shorewood projects in limbo?

2008-11-17T16:06:00Z

A request for an update on some of our development projects was made on November 4^th, one was the Sunrise project and another was the Condos on Oakland.

On learning of Sunrise's cancellation, I suggested that Shorewood purchase the Sunrise property as soon as possible.

It seems that I had also recommended its purchase before the proposal for the Sunrise development and later on, I was not the least bit keen on the way we were going to develop it and along the lines it was taking. Now a new start.

The condos on Oakland, on the other hand, are to be built on land that we we bought and this land was made available for the proposed condos. There's been a long delay in the start of construction which is understandable under these economic conditions.

What are Shorewood's obligations in this situation and what are those of the developer? What are our next steps?

During the “great” depression, there was a 16-story steel girding, an uncompleted downtown building that remained standing and unfinished for a number of years in the community where I lived. It stood as a reminder of the depression that we were undergoing.

I don't know who carried the cost of the structure's idleness. I don't know which of the agencies are carrying the cost of the economic idleness of our proposed condos on Oakland while the project remains in limbo?

Should we be anticipating any answers? Are we going to get an update? Or is it really necessary for the public to know about the status of this project?

Ownership is of the essence.

2008-11-17T02:46:57Z

Shorewood like many other communities involved in state supported community development has a serious and significant lesson to learn.

That lesson is that “community development” means community improvement and not merely tax base expansion.

Tax base is the result of community and not the other way around. .

The Sunrise proposal at 1111 E. Capitol Drive was not necessarily going to add more to the community than any other type of development. In fact the project as it has worked out seemed to have created an artificial increase in the value of this property.

And now we're in an economy that will show its true market worth rather than the overstated super value.

The question that should come first in considering these proposals is what is the proposed development going to do to improve the community and then, secondly can it pay its own way, not the other way around. For the improvement of the tax base does not justify a negative community type development.

In fact the subsidies that come with these projects should give us superior type community improvements, greater than what might have been achieved if we hadn't intervened in the market process..

For example our intervention in the improvement of the facade of the building on Edgewood and Oakland (where Sherwin Williams paint store is located) would not have been of the high quality that we see today, had it not been subsidized.

So what did we get for our subsidy and intervention in the Sunrise proposal that was good for the community?

Had the project not been canceled, (something some of us suspected would happen), what would we have gotten beyond an undetermined increase in the tax base?

“Community development projects' ” primary purpose are the improvement of the community and their secondary requirements are to provide assurance that our intervention in these improvements might pay off in the long run.

Now after the cancellation of the Sunrise project on Capitol at the riverside, we need to make sure that we achieve the appropriate community improvement on this site. We need to fully control what takes place there.

It now becomes necessary to purchase this property at today's real and reasonable price, which under these conditions is much lower than the past established value.

Sale to another potential developer, if this occurs, will likely be at a lower price and will call for even a more inferior-type development.

Therefore Shorewood must purchase this property and we must come up with our own proposals for its development.

Who is going to bail out Sunrise?

2008-11-15T10:02:00Z

The Sunrise development proposal for an assisted living complex at 1111 East Capitol Drive, adjacent to the river in Shorewood was a development proposal significantly involving Village Hall.

The demise of this project first came to light this week, reported by Tom Daykin and pointed out by Steve Koczela

We cannot however accept that the failure of the proposed development is fully attributed to our national financial setting. Doubts as to the soundness of this proposal had been expressed by some during the process.

In the same way, the present condition of our economy is not the only factor in the developing situation in which our auto industry finds itself. This is an excuse for the situation that these firms find themselves as they are reaching a certain point in their misguided evolution.

Of course the economy now emphasizes their situations and places their frailties in the full light.

I believe that this is a good time for Shorewood to begin negotiating the acquisition of the Sunrise property, so that it can be put to a better use when the economy begins to recover.

Our ability to hold the land for an appropriate time places us in a good negotiating position.

The holding costs and the need to remove existing buildings and maintaining the property in reasonable condition as it awaits development can influence our acquisition price proposals. It is already an eye sore.

The location of this property and the market being what it is today, should move Shorewood in the direction of acquiring this land quite reasonably.

Sunrise wants to sell it as it cannot afford to hold it. At this time, we'd probably be the only willing buyer.

Simple enough, a Wal-Mart bailout.

2008-11-13T13:04:00Z

The bailout that is going to work is going to be the Wal-Mart bailout.

It works this way, money is put in the hands of working families on a regular and continuous basis so that they can continue to shop. This means jobs.

Job creation begins with the central government funneling money to the States and municipalities who accelerate their plans for digging holes, for replacing sewers, building bridges and upgrading infrastructure.

In this way we upgrade our infrastructure, which is needed and will pay off in the long run and meanwhile the workers can continue to shop at Wal-Mart. Seems clear enough.

Where is the money coming from? From the central government, either by printing it or by taxing those who have more than they need to shop at Wal-Mart. No other social agency can do that.

Printing money de-valuates it. Taxing those that have a lot of it is not as hard on them as devaluation would be.

If the working class does not have money on a regular basis to buy from Wal-Mart, the auto industry will be far gone and so will the stock market.

So a pro-active bail-out of Wal-Mart makes more sense, perhaps more sense than a bail-out of Wall Street. Simple enough.

Nature, beautiful but not always so kind.

2008-11-11T16:28:11Z

Some of us are fortunately located here in Shorewood where over the years we've been visited by deer, raccoons, I believe even by coyotes and other sorts of animals that city dwellers should not be able to see on a daily basis.

The other day I saw a beautiful fox. Of course there are the squirrels, chipmunks and rabbits. Our bird feeder attracts many types of birds. In a sense, we might as well be in the country. We live where, in the winter time, we are barely conscious of the traffic noise of the street.

Once or twice we've been witness to a hawk swooping down on one of the birds. Not a pleasant experience.

In November for the past few years this quiet place has been awakened to the sound of the duck hunters' guns on the lake, bang, bang and another bang, their boats seem almost in swimming distance.

I never order duck at restaurants even though my carnivorous nature turns me to other meat offerings. I try to avoid veal. But then, where would we get milk and cheeses?

Is there a point to this essay? Yes. I want to express my uneasiness at my contemporary existence with beautiful hawks who must feed on other birds, my birds, at the guns I hear at this moment shooting at beautiful ducks, my ducks and to the human desire and need to live on other life for our survival.

If I could only warn these birds. Needless to say, nature is not all that kind even though mostly beautiful. And then, whom to complain to. And what about cheese?

When a billionaire becomes half-a-billionaire.

2008-11-10T13:44:00Z

So the election is over, still proving that we want our princes and princesses and coronations.

But more importantly this event has made it clear that about 50% to 60% of Americans , in the middle of the political spectrum are for a rather free economic system, especially when everything is going right.

At recession and depression times we come running home to mama and big daddy. This time even our largest corporations have turned to big daddy.

It seems that up until now, that we were about to turn away from public education, social security and Medicare. We almost succeeded in rolling back everything that the Roosevelt administration had built into our system.

But one of the candidates was proud that her husband was a member of a union. I would have thought that to be one of the most of unpardonable sins among conservatives.

So now we're going back to Roosevelt solutions, this time before the total economic breakdown. Many elements like social security and later Medicare are going to cushion this economic fall somewhat.

So for this decade now we are going instead to strengthen Medicare, social security and public education. We are going to again turn inward somewhat until we can get the economy running again, although our involvement in globalism makes this more difficult.

We have however, discovered that speculation is the greatest evil and the most injurious disease built into the free market . We have also discovered that all of us are sinners and tend to be strong economic speculators, facilitating the purchase of homes that we can't afford and building up debt that even big daddy can't afford.

So here we are learning the lesson again. A new lesson this time however is to become a billionaire so that one need not depend on anyone, let alone big daddy, even when a billionaire becomes half-a-billionaire.

Light more candles and go less on the humor.

2008-11-09T12:32:00Z

We are now in November. As early as August I predicted but dreaded that Fall and Winter would come. I make these predictions every year and the events come without fail. I guess my hope is that I'll be wrong one of these days.

I couldn't predict how the election would turn out of course. It seems that nature is more reliable than are our institutions. But elections aren't supposed to be predictable, then what would be their purpose?

This morning there are no signs of the sun in the Milwaukee area—a dreary day. Scandinavians have all sorts of candle and lighting arrangements for balancing the dispiriting character of days like these. So my Scandinavian half prepares for all sorts of soul warming lights. One can't imagine how innovative these people can be. They even invented the Sauna to remind them that they might again sense warmth and see the sun.

On the other hand, my more southern friends and especially those living in southern part s of this continent wonder at our staying here in the winter and even keeping a country home where the snow piles up even deeper.

Outdoors men, especially ice-fisherman-types look forward to snow and cold. Why else would they be standing on the ice looking into those holes? I see this as the long 5-month season that we must put up with in order to earn our two and half months of summer. And sometimes we come up short on the order.

On the brighter side, I can get much of my writing done and visit some of the better restaurants and enjoy candle light and wine. Then there is the fireplace and the reading of some of the books that I've put aside.

I gave up pipe smoking a long time ago, so I can't look the peaceful and contemplating philosopher. And I haven't missed that stupidity but was reminded of that by a sign on the door of a small town restaurant that I visited recently, that read, “no pipe smoking.” What about cigars and cigarettes and other stuff? Why pipes?

Some of the bad things about gloomy days, are my increased attempts at humor. I've been advised to light more candles and go less on the humor. But how can one be rational, some mornings hesitating to open the door to pick up the newspaper and knowing that in other parts of the world people are basking in beautiful sunlight and the sun's warmth?

Living in Nebraska in my youth, a winter in Germany after the war, New York state for two winters, the most beautiful winter of all in Sweden and now in Wisconsin for most of my adult life, these accummulated winters haven't diminished my inborn nature for warmth and sunshine.

“we can't do that because . . . ”

2008-11-07T12:37:00Z

“We live a in precarious and dangerous world.” This has been said many times before.

Now that we are in a financial and stock market-based recession and now that at the same time we are moving toward a number of significant social changes, many of the dangers arise out of our human built society, in fact they are built into its structure, developing there and awaiting the sparked events.

At the same time we have undergone an election that regardless of its many underlying distasteful processes and events, its finale calls for celebration. Meanwhile, this young family that now represents the future of this country has placed itself in a position of new perils.

The earth, with all its beauty is not recognized as providing us with the most steady and secure place on which to live. Yet we are here and here is the only place we can be.

In knowing some of the history of humanity, we should however also know that we can cope with most human dangers as well as confront natural hazards. Our most immediate one is what we refer to as an economic recession and another which seems to be at the very nature of human beings, is war.

The questions that arise now, is how do we deal with both these man-made conditions.

Both wars and recessions are supposed to be events that come to an end. Meanwhile as they proceed, many of the devastations that their existence bring into our lives are more than significant and many still unknown.

The fiction of free market and our urge to express ourselves as the strongest military force in the world have got us into the troubles that we are in yoday. We must drop these notions from our national religion, at least for time being.

War, to do any good must come to an end sooner or later. In this case the sooner the better. The purpose of our economy is to provide us a base for survival and not merely give us a religious structure. The war is a drain on our economy and our belief in globalism doesn't bring other nations to our aid now in time of trouble. We must do many if not most of these things for ourselves.

Money has become a social device by which we function. Its strength is in the confidence which we give it. We must have some place to put it. It functions best when we put it to work. The stock market is unable to give it its vitality at this time. Although stock holdings enter all of our lives and the real value of these holdings needs to be maintained.

We've already taken significant steps in maintaining the strength of the financial element of our society, the banking element especially. One of the main purposes of banks is to secure money and to maintain its worth as much as possible and another is to keep that money or credit flowing within the development process of the nation.

We must discourage its use for speculative purposes, at least for the time being and put it into wealth-creating situations, carefully and as soon as possible. Job creation and new sources of energy are the primary avenues presented us for the present time.

Both call for both private and public redevelopment of infrastructure, which also includes investment in existing housing stock, its maintenance and a measured development of new housing as well as the moderization of physical and social elements of our municipalities.

Infrastructure development means bringing our utility system, our transportation systems and our communication systems up to date on a planned and measured basis. This calls for the encouragement of private investment as well as public involvement.

How we do this means that we must be innovative. When we do this means now. We can not continue with doing things as we have before. We must keep the stock market from destroying itself, so we must act now. All these things must be done now, but very carefully.

The president and president-elect must start acting together and the congress must meet immediately and stay in session without recess for the next six months and help find the means for renewing our system. What are the alternative solutions?

We should not at this stage tolerate many sentences that start with, “we can't do that because . . . ”

If we can get away with it.

2008-11-06T12:46:00Z

North Lake Drive is part of the highway system.

It extends from the freeway and then north along Memorial Drive and onto North Lake Drive through Whitefish Bay and beyond Silver Spring.

The signs in Shorewood and Whitefish Bay read speed limit 30-miles per hour. Most drivers, it seems prefer going 35, if not faster. The car behind me can't do that when I'm driving 30 or less. His impatience makes me a bit nervous. I'm hoping he/she is focusing on my presence as much as on the cellphone conversation.

We must assume that either for political reasons or for safety reason that the limit was set at 30.

If that's the case, then no one should be exceeding the limit.

I would suggest new signs be installed that read “25 to 30 miles per hour top speeding range,” and experiment with those for awhile. That might bring down the present 30 to 35 speeding range.

"Stop" signs might read, “caution at intersection, stop only when necessary”. Many drive right through, especially when making right turns. This way they wouldn't be breaking the law.

Yield signs might read, “Caution. Stop when necessary.” Isn't that what yield means. Most drivers seem to ignore "yield" signs altogether.

Coming south into the Glendale area on the highway, most cars are going 65 to 70, some faster. The speed limit signs says 55. Perhaps 55 is unreasonable here. Signs might say, "55 is the suggested speed. Drive faster at your own risk."

I've noticed that few cars slow down when a patrol car has stopped a speeder on the highway. In fact some speed up while the patrolman is busy. So one gets a ticket while many others speed by.

Are drivers the only ones permitted to break the law or does lawing breaking apply to everyone and to all laws, if we are reasonable about it and if we can get away with?

Democracy. Was it always freedom of the people?

2008-11-05T16:32:00Z

Thomas Jefferson, even had he not been president, would have been someone whom I would have admired because of his philosophy of government. Abraham Lincoln held together the union, that Jefferson helped create, while abolishing slavery during the Civil War. And Franklin D. Roosevelt, kept our country from going either fascist or communist during the early thirties, defending our country on two oceans against those who would destroy our union and our democracy.

These three are my favorite Americans regardless of any of their personal foibles.

I'm happy that today we have elected an African-American as president, something I'm sure none of these other presidents could have imagined. It seems that over the years that we have been moving toward “a more perfect union” and a better defined democracy, one admired by most thinking people all over the world.

This was one of those improbable experiments that carried within its beginning one of the worst elements of humanity, that of enslaving members of our own human race.

This election is the first step of many that will be required, if we are to survive as a democracy, as we move toward a multi-racial nation. We are at the beginning of making this happen and we should be steady as we go during the trying years that this overall process will take. I'm happy these events have begun to take shape during my lifetime.

Another historic improbable.

2008-11-04T11:42:00Z

I wonder as to how many thoughtful Americans today, on one of the most significant election days since the days of FDR are giving any thought to the fact that a man of mixed race, one more readily accepted as a black man than as a white man is likely to become president, as a member of the democratic party, the anti-abolitionist party, the pro-slavery party of the civil war?

So-much for party labels and conservatives versus liberals. Incidentally another anomaly is that it was the liberal thought of our founding fathers that gave rise to the the development of our constitution and the democratic principles on which our nation is based, not on what Lincoln would probably today think are the superficialities of aristocracy in this country.

It was the conservative democratic party, that was then upholding their Christian beliefs, conflicting with the real notion of equality and supporting slavery.

Today, November 4, 2008 should be remembered as one of our greatest days, the real end of the spirit of slavery in the new world and another meaningful step toward that spiritual city on the hill, where all humans are equally respected, where the masses are not the means by which a few become rich and therefore the justification of their monetary aristocracy.

Monetary aristocracy, unfortunately however is still a strong force and contributes to the slave mentality, a type of economic religion held by many of those who might be thought of as less than slaves themselves.

Never-the-less, the probability and real possibility that a “black man” can become president today, I'm sure, would have pleased Lincoln.

Am I being unreasonable?

2008-11-03T18:51:00Z

Even attending Shorewood Village Board meetings will not keep the ordinary citizen up to date as to what our government is doing in Shorewood.

The Board's subcommittees and standing bodies, made up of Shorewood citizens, cannot bring all the information together at a single meeting.

We should have bi-monthly reviews, if not monthly reviews of what every committee, commission and board is doing.

For example, what are all the projects that are being considered, which are underway and how are those doing on Oakland for example? I assume that the streetscaping is finished now. Where are the Condos in the present time frame? Where is Sunrise in terms of starting date on Capitol these days?

What are the facts and what are the actual figures?

What is happening in terms of grant applications that we have made, like Wilson Drive? And what are the bases of our priorities for expenditures and what commitments have we made?

We should at least have an annual accounting during December of this year and each year, especially after we are being expected to hike our taxes of up to 4%. What are those who believe that taxes are unpatriotic going to think?

Media reporting is quite thin. If Board members are not going to respond to individuals but have the whole community as their constituency, then the whole community deserves an accounting of what is going on once in awhile.

Am I being unreasonable?

Keeping their light under a bushel.

2008-11-02T12:51:00Z

I had the occasion to visit the Sherwin Williams paint shop on Edgewood and Oakland in Shorewood and I was quite impressed with the exterior treatment of the building, especially the Oakland street side facade.

I'm sure that the Shorewood Design Review Board had influence over its treatment and they should be congratulated.

I haven't kept up with what involvement the Community Development Authority has had as to the design treatment of this particular building or whether any public contributions have been made. If they have had influence over the design, they should also be congratulated.

By the way, it is important to remind ourselves that both these agencies are made up dedicated Shorewood citizens.

It would be interesting to get a review as to the initiation of this project and the process that this underwent. All involved should not have to keep their light under a bushel. I think this is great and I'm sure it did not occur without a great deal of effort.

I don't know how many people of Shorewood would know that this was going on without attending any of the various meetings. Are there any other similar projects?

In a highly communicative world, communications in Shorewood are a bit thin.

Senior Service A Priority?

2008-10-31T19:30:00Z

The total number of older adults, 65 and older is significantly close to the total number of children enrolled in the Shorewood School District and rapidly increasing.

Most of these adults are directly or indirectly paying property tax to maintain the educational process within Shorewood's school system.

And they are happy to contribute in the enhancement of the fabric of their community through the education and cultural development of the children of their community.

These are recognized facts. The question then is: "Are older adults not also to be as significantly considered in their needs at this end, the other end of the age scale?"

They will not require the expenditure that the children of the community require. Far from it. They will be paying their way for most of their living needs and continuing to contribute to the school system as well as to any system that is devised for seniors.

What we need to do is design a system supported by our property taxes in the same manner as we support school districts for providing for dignified living for those citizens of this community.

The present school districts can expand their service to include the seniors of their districts. They can than also develop intergenerational programs.

The State needs to provide the way to make this possible, similar to the way they provide for the education of younger generations. It will undoubtedly be imitated by the whole state and throughout the country.

Let's not forget, senior citizens have not only made their contributions to society but continue and remain taxpayers that contribute to the future of the children of our community.

What we need now is to organize as a group to work toward attaining these and other reasonable goals. Let's get the AARP to wake up and to help in developing plans for the future of the senior citizens in this country.

Shorewood already has a Senior Resource Center on which we can build and expand. It needs the type of financing that our school system has and a Board separate from the others with senior citizens as its priority.

The other end of the age scale?

2008-10-30T19:38:00Z

It seems that politicians are insensitive to needs of the elderly and have an alien disinclination to think about them and their social lives. I find this to be the case here in Shorewood.

Monetary considerations seem more important features of community governments and if seniors are considered at all, they are thought of merely as tax-paying residents.

Seniors have a general tendency to hold low expectations of themselves. And they tend to develop disinclinations toward future and future community living.

Because of often and re-occurring social and self-deprecating experiences in their later years, elderly tend to develop self-doubt and hesitancy toward thinking about future, resulting in a dehumanizing aspect of living, a social quiescence.

Future and thought of future are ingrained fundamental elements of human existence. It is apparent that social attitudes contribute to a condition of social disconnection and feelings of not belonging.

Local governments do not willing engage in these social matters and tend to distance themselves.

However, it is just as much the responsibility of communities to deal with the needs of the elders as they do with the educational needs of children in their communities, but perhaps not by the local government itself.

The educational needs of children seem better served when separated from the financial and physical maintenance aspects of government. We have therefore developed school boards and school districts.

A similar-type agency for dealing with people and the lives of those at the other end of the age scale needs to be invented, perhaps a type of board and district to oversee activities for senior citizens, a “community academy for seniors” with the taxing powers of school districts?

Shorewood would be a good place to begin this experiment. I wonder as to what the citizens of Shorewood would think about this? Perhaps members of both elected boards in Shorewood would like to give their opinions? What do those who represent us in Madison think of the idea?

Are evil means justified by good results?

2008-10-29T09:50:00Z

Human beings concern themselves with good and evil as life and survival encounters both. And both are rather indefinable forces.

A physicist might regard these to be two opposing forces, one negative and one positive. Each is required and both must exist like two magnetic forces in order to maintain the energy field that results from that existence, like two celestial revolviing bodies pulling away but attached to each other by a magnetic force.

Very few people who are considered to be rational will side with the forces of evil. Most religions declare their main intention as the support of what is good. And most of them preach that “man” is made up of both these forces, good and evil.

Honesty is considered to be a basic and good quality, dishonesty, bad. It seems easier to be dishonest than honest. Therefore, we have to work at being honest and we tend to honor honesty as a social accomplishment, but in practicality honesty is often considered it to be fool hearty politically and in the market place, not a forceful characteristic.

Dishonesty is usually practiced in the individual or collective interest, therefore, the expression, “the end justifies the means." Concealment of the truth or deception is considered to be dishonest yet it is practiced in many acceptable forms in societies.

The means may be dishonest or evil, but if the result is gain and therefore survival, we can justify that as being good. Survival at whatever level or quality seems to override what is good or evil, therefore, we can justify war which is considered to be evil but it is for “the greater good” which is survival.

Although societies are rather intolerant of human beings killing other human beings within their own society, war which is evil is acceptable so we honor those involved in the killing of those on the other side.

At one or several levels within our society we justify the means but at other levels, similar acts may become criminal regardless of intent, survival or not.

We have observed on our recent political scene the function of good and evil in the interest of democracy and the destruction of character for the good, not necessarily for party principles but in the interest of gaining power. And here, in politics especially, the end always justifies the means.

In fact, we delight in observing the means as in viewing a boxing match. The means no matter how destructive in the end are justified in a knockout.

Questions, with and without answers.

2008-10-28T03:04:53Z

The purpose of education is to create new ways of thinking of the world based on new information.

Does this mean that we discard information accumulated in the past?

Education is not for the purpose of reinforcing past thinking systems and social systems failed.

Are questions important in finding new answers and in the development of education itself?

Once laid out there, questions cause thinking that lead to their answers.

Is education designed primarily for the askance of new questions?

Unless education is designed to develop new tools for asking inappropriate as well as appropriate questions, students are apt to remain ignorant of present and future, remaining slaves to the failed systems of the past.

Well-thought out questions are usually the result of wisdom and good education and therefore powerful. Do they then call out for powerful answers?

Once a question is asked, if it remains unresolved, it dangles in the winds of time and is reconsidered time after time until there is some agreement as to its resolution.

Questions do not always demand immediate resolution but must be carefully listened to. Is this because the question itself often contains its own answer?

Albert Einstein asked the question of relationships out of what his mathematics enabled him to reason and so to speak, to observe. His answer came out of his powerful questions and he developed the powerful theory of relativity.

Not all questions can be answered when asked but there are many question that when properly framed will eventual be resolved.