I stopped at City Hall on the way to the day job this morning and obtained copies of the latest Mayoral Campaign Finance Reports.

Copying costs were less than the price of a gallon of petrol and you don't even have to make a trip to City Hall.

Here you go:

Didier 07.21.08.pdf          Stepaniak 07.21.08.pdf

Tom

I have been away.

Upon my return to Tosa I was thrilled to learn that I had received my very own personal copy of campaign muck - Authorized and paid for by Tosans for Responsible Government, Stanley L. Zurawski, Sr. Treasurer - as an unbiased and ostensibly independent supporter of the Didier for Mayor Campaign.

Do I sense that things have gone down-hill lately at Didier High Command? 

Since I posted the first of two Campaign Finance Disclosures I have had a number of folks tell me that as soon as they saw a member of the Zurawski clan supporting candidate Didier for mayor...that was all they needed to know.

They would not consider voting for her - no way - no how.

Zurawski, Sr. is predictable for getting the facts wrong.

Seems most well-adjusted Tosans don't get too worked-up over images of - mall mannequins - or related campaign hyperbole.

For sure there are a few others who will see things differently.

So to a certain extent Ms. Didier will be judged by the company she keeps.

If I was running for mayor I certainly wouldn't want the help of someone who has lost so many mayoral elections.

That would be like inviting the Curse of the Mummy.

We'll know after election day.

Tom

Oh.  Almost forgot.

That piece of literature from Zurawski. Sr. that I was talking about - well it was included with Alderman Grimm's reelection piece.

Imagine that.

To learn more about Bernie Grimm just Google Bernie Grimm - last time I looked it was vying for second or third place as a Google hit.

Bernie Grimm - you have arrived.

In keeping with my practice of performing a valuable public service I have saved all of you a trip to City Hall and $5.00 in copying costs.

Here are the candidate's campaign finance reports.

Stepaniak2.pdf       Didier2.pdf

Both reports were received by the City Clerk's office yesterday. 

Curiously, the Didier report is dated March 17. 

Therefore it conveniently excludes any disclosures about the March 19th fundraiser.

You know - the one where the candidate was caught playing hooky from her city duties.

So the question of the day is this:

Why is the Didier Campaign making the voters wait on this information until after the election?

I'm wondering when the mainstream media is going to start paying attention to these shenanigans.

Tom

Edit- The Didier report is in-fact compliant.  The cut-off for the reporting period is the 17th.  The cut-off for the filing date is the 24th. 

No cover-up.  My error.

We'll have to wait until after the election for the answer to the question of the day.

The Joint Committee on the Preparation of the Comprehensive City Plan is the group charged with reviewing the city's master plan on a regular basis.

You know - the vision thing that's been bandied-about in the four public mayoral forums.

The group is composed of members of the City Plan Commission, representatives of the Tosa Common Council and the mayor.

Meeting dates are scheduled months in-advance so that the Committee can be counted-upon to meet and do the people's business.

Guess what.

There was a meeting scheduled for last night and only one Council member was in attendance - Jerry Stepaniak.

I know that Alderman Treis had a good excuse.  I suspect there might be other Council members who have a good excuse.  If they want to share - post it here.  

If any Council members were at a fundraiser for a certain mayoral candidate the taxpayers are looking forward to your posting of an explanation. 

Tom 

Edited to include additional useful links.

The final organized Public Forum devoted to Tosa's mayoral race was held on Thursday, March 13th.  I was there and it was excellent.  I was told that approximately 120 people attended.

The students at Tosa East and Tosa West along with WauwatosaNOW deserve a big hand for all of their hard work in making this happen. 

I have now been to all four of the public forums and two observations stand-out:

I have the candidate's presentations committed to memory.  They both do a reasonable job of consistently repeating their respective messages.

Also, each forum has been a reunion of sorts as I'm always bumping into long and fast Tosa acquaintances.  For instance, the East faculty member that assisted the students at this venue was a classmate with my daughter all the way from Roosevelt to Longfellow through East High School. 

This is the culture of community that Tosa is all about.

According to my Debate Index Calculator - Candidate Stepaniak is the winner.  A copy of my notes are here:  TosaEastForum.pdf

Didier 112 Points and Stepaniak 279 Points

Some observations:

Pandering is back - with Didier injecting the word crime into unrelated topics or using it more than needed. 

When asked about the plans for Hart park she strayed into the past by stating that "the city never had a plan".  This bugs me and I know is has rankled others.  She said the same thing in the March 3rd forum.  She didn't misspeak. 

The truth of the matter is that there has been a Master Plan dating back to 2001.  Candidate Didier has known about this all along.  She was on the committee that is responsible for the Plan.   

Does the candidate have a poor memory, is she engaging in double speak or trolling for votes by misrepresentation? 

If the candidate is so wrong about this can you trust the accuracy of her other statements?  

What we know for sure is that the hard working folks from the city, the Park Board, and volunteers from a variety of community groups might not appreciate their countless hours spent working on the Plan over the last seven years being summarily rejected out of hand.

The loss of only two points but a major faux pas. 

When asked about the lifting of the bonding cap her answer was a rhetorical question about why it wasn't raised years ago - ostensibly before her less than 2 year tenure on the Council. 

Of what use to us is this query today? 

A useful debate adage is never to answer a question with another question.  A correct answer would have provided substantive details about alternative(s).  Redirecting a question to a different subject or backsliding into crime was a reoccurring mistake by the candidate.

Both candidates were Righteous and Hopeful although Stepaniak scored higher on this measure.

As for vision Didier certainly is enthusiastic but fails in taking enthusiasm to the next level - tell us the details please.  Stepaniak comes across as a policy wonk and played his strong suit of being detailed to the point of routinely running out of time.

Everyone was on their best behavior.

Intangibles: Candidate Didier made a point of stepping away from the podium which resulted in sporadic loss of the mic.  Candidate Stepaniak could have been more animated.  The house lights were turned-off and I struggled with my notes and pens in the darkness.  Next time I will pack my headlamp.

There is some time yet leading-up to the election so I'll probably post an observation or two on subjects brought-up in these forums that are deserving of more attention.

Stay tuned.

Tom

So last Sunday afternoon I returned home from hunting with girlfriend - exhausted.  Looking forward to putting my feet-up, I strip down to my long johns and stretch-out in a comfortable chair to read the papers.  

Ding Dong  

My reverie is shattered as the ringing of the door bell launches girlfriend into a frenzy of barking accompanied by a headlong charge for the door.

Since there are rules and social conventions that discourage the greeting of callers in your underwear - my wife springs from the couch, restrains the dog and answers the front door.

Standing on the porch is one of my alderman - Bernie Grimm - with a fistful of reelection literature.

Being the modest guy I am I remain on the chair and listen-in on the conversation that ensues:

"I'm Bernie Grimm - your alderman.  You have Stepaniak and McBride signs"

"Yes, we do"

"You know you don't have to vote for them"

"That's ok - we're decided"

"Do you have a computer?"

"Yes"

"You need to check-out that Stepaniak.  Google Stepaniak.  You won't believe what you see"

"Anybody can put anything on the internet"

"You need to Google Stepaniak"

"My vote is firm"

"You need to Google Stepaniak"

"Really!  My vote for him is firm"

"I ask that you vote for me.  I have the support of the fire and police departments"  (Hands over literature).

End of exchange. 

The alderman wheels-about and departs.

With a twinkle in her eye my wife nods to the Joeythelovesponge For Mayor yard sign in our living room.  We both start chuckling at the same thought - what if we had that stuck in the yard. 

Tom

You can learn more about the 4th District aldermanic candidates here.

Three Forums so far - good ones I might add.

The February 21st forum conducted by the West Suburban Chamber of Commerce has had the largest turnout.  The questions were good.

The February 25th forum held at Eisenhower School included standout questions but was not as well-attended as I would have hoped.

Monday night's forum at St. Matt's included the best of both worlds - good attendance (I counted 60 people) and great questions.  Did you know this was my wife's idea?  Really it was.  She suggested it and I acted on it by contacting the League of Women Voters (LWV).

All the credit goes to the Milwaukee County League of Women Voters for doing the heavy lifting and for St. Matthew Church for providing the venue.  Bravo to them.

According to my Debate Index Calculator (the evening's notes are here: LWV Forum.pdf) candidate Stepaniak was the clear winner.

Stepaniak 160 Points and Didier 109 Points

Here are my immediate observations:

No pandering!  Can you believe it.  The candidates must have been inoculated or something.

Candidate Didier - Received a 2 point penalty for resurrecting the past in her assertion that there has been a lack of planning for Hart Park.  That's simply not true.  The city, many citizens and civic groups have spent countless hours and have been actively engaged in the process of directing the future of the Park. 

Both candidates scored very closely on being Righteous and Hopeful.

Again, Stepaniak's strong suite is detail on the Clear Vision thing; however, Didier is showing gains.  Both made good arguments directed toward their leadership strengths and how their respective administrations would be different.

Candidate Didier needs to renounce the use of clichés.  It's a style thing in public speaking.  The word proactive was used more times than needed. To her credit she admitted to this in one of her responses. No point reductions though.

Intangibles: Stepaniak has a folksy style.  Didier has a rah rah style.  They both need to change their wardrobe and mix it up.

Candidate Didier's closing statements alleged that candidate Stepaniak was a liar on the matter of her voting against the budget that included two new police officer positions. 

The gist of it was that the complicated budget proceedings allowed for money to be spent litigating the levying of property taxes on heretofore tax-exempt independent senior living centers.  Therefore, if money could be spent on litigation and not on cops, then money shouldn't be spent on one or the other or maybe both - which was why she voted against the budget.  I had trouble with the convoluted logic behind this and others in the audience had trouble making the connection as well. 

My suggestion is to adopt the KISS axiom to make difficult concepts easier for everyone.  No deduction of points.

Bottom line - Didier lost her endorsement from the cops to Stepaniak in this election.  

Since candidate Didier brought-up the subject of taxing senior living facilities (not me) I think the subject is deserving of a closer examination - in another post.

A copy of the calculator for you to use at the next forum can be found here: Debate Index Calculator.pdf

Bring one to the next candidate forum which will be:

Thursday, March 13 at 7:00 PM, at Wauwatosa East High School, 7500 Milwaukee Avenue.  Brought to you by WauwatosaNOW, in partnership with the two local high school newspapers - The Cardinal News and West Side Stories.

Score the candidates and have some serious fun. 

Tom

Ok.

I have been to a couple of the Tosa mayoral candidate forums and it is time to unveil the -

Gas Pains Debate Index Calculator

I just recently thought this up and it is very scientific.

It might possibly be brilliant.

Stay with me on this as I explain the intricacies.

I begin with the premise that certain terminology, tossed-about without any context, such as: crime, tough on crime, fiscal responsibility, balanced budget, free universal health care, free beer, no new taxes, I will lower your taxes, Jim Doyle is my drinking buddy, or a chicken in every pot, are mere pandering.  Candidates shouldn't receive credit for pandering to the voters. Politicians only do it because they think it works.  (Hint - don't encourage them - it's like feeding pigeons).

To discourage pandering the index deducts one point every time a phrase like this is uttered out of the context of an answer to a question requiring the use of the word.

Similarly, the Index deducts two points with every utterance that resurrects the past - when used out of the context of answering a question requiring it.  The past is history.  There is no voting on the past - only the future.

The index has a positive bias.  Therefore, utterances that are righteous and hopeful along with clearly outlined visions (as opposed to vague and nebulous generalizations) are to be rewarded.  Candidates earn ten points each time an uplifting and positive point of view or clear vision is articulated.  Details are critical which is why the points are higher.

The index encourages healthy debate and takes a dim view of negativity. 

A candidate who takes a cheap shot - an assertion not supported by factual evidence - gets five points deducted from their score.  The index is neutral on snarkiness as a candidate who engages in it does so at their own peril.

If things get really out-of-hand and a candidate uses a disparaging term such as cat poop or booger to describe their opponent they get a ten point deduction.

Each candidate starts at zero and the candidate with the highest net score (their index) is the forum winner.

The beauty of the Index Calculator is that you can score the candidates yourself.

The absolute scientific genius of it is that any personal biases are built-into the complex algorithm.

Clever, eh?

Yes - you can even delude yourself into believing a candidate without a hope can possibly win reelection - if they show-up for a debate.  A certain former State Senator comes to mind - but I digress.

As for the February 25th Forum at Eisenhower School - here are my results:

Didier - Score +50

Observations-

1.  Reduce pandering.  Unsolicited use of the word crime almost 20 times.  (Remember - no penalty for words used to answer a question requiring their use).

2.  No resurrection of the past.

3.  I think regular town hall meetings are a terrific idea.  Has potential to be more righteous and hopeful (candidate's strong suite) if can overcome lack of detail - see #6.

4.  Clear vision suffers from lack of detail - see #6.

5.  No cheap shots that counted.  Some snideness about the challenger running over time.  The moderator offered the candidate additional time.  The candidate struggled to fill the additional time.  Dead air isn't good in a debate - refer to #6.

6.  Needs more detail.  Routinely falls-back on clichés such as:  reach across the table, come to the table, hit the ground running, new blood, keep the ball in the air - at the expense of furnishing details.  Can do a better job of staying on topic and being certain to answer the question directly.

The candidate pooh-poohed the challenger's endorsement by the Tosa police union - insinuating that endorsements require the mayor to be beholding to other interests.  The candidate must have forgotten her own endorsement by the Magnificent Six announced in a press release written in her own hand only a couple of weeks ago. 

The cops' endorsement is bad, but political cronies' endorsement is good?  No impact on points but a faux pas that left a bad impression. Ugh.

I was puzzled at the glowing suck-up to Alderman Donegan - no change in points but what the heck was that about?  

Intangibles - Likable public presence.

__________________________________________________________________________

Stepaniak - Score +166

Observations-

1.  Little use of pandering terms.

2.  No resurrection of the past.

3.  I liked the comment early-on about raising the level of discourse.  Righteous and hopeful was good - could be better.

4.  Outstanding on the issue of clear vision.  Good command of the facts and excellent detail.   Thoughtful and substantive.

The candidate needs to be mindful of time limits.  If you get too windy you get the hook.

Intangibles - Might remind you of your favorite uncle. 

 ____________________________________________________________________________

My Forum notes are here Eisenhower Forum.pdf

The Calculator still has some bugs in it and I want to get them resolved.  After April 1st, I expect to have a viable tool for use during the Presidential debates.  I already know I have to redesign the sheet for spacing.  I can probably save the Potty Mouth category for presidential debates.  Any opinions about adjusting the point system?

The Tosa mayoral race is an ideal proving ground - so your feedback and suggestions are welcome.

I sense the Calculator will be around to score forums featuring McCain and Obama.  That's gonna be a real gas.

In my continuing effort to provide a valuable public service you can conveniently print a copy of the calculator from here:  Debate Index Calculator.pdf.  

Take a copy along with a pencil to the next forum which will be: 

Monday, March 3rd - 6:30 PM at St. Matthew Church meeting hall - 1615 Wauwatosa Avenue.  Sponsored by St. Matt's and the Milwaukee County League of Women Voters.

Good luck and have some serious fun.

Tom

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Edit 2-28-08    Here is a copy of WPOA's endorsement of candidate Stepaniak

For details on the winning submission go to the bottom of the post-

Before you get your undies in a knot thinking I am pandering with another acid witticism in the title of this post -

I am not.

Take note that Tosa Trivia sometimes gets more views than anything I have to say about the mayoral race.

I think that speaks volumes about where Tosans place their priorities.  But I digress.

I hope you find today's trivia to be challenging.

If you can correctly identify the answer there is a very valuable prize up for grabs.

No run-of-the-mill mouse pad or coffee mug from WauwatosaNOW.

Instead you could win a certain highly prized and coveted mayoral yard sign.

Visitors to the TTS know what I am talking about.

Nope, not a Stepaniak yard sign.

No, not a Didier yard sign.

You can win your very own Joeythelovesponge For Mayor yard sign!

Imagine being the first person on your block to have one of these.

If I had one, I would be afraid to stick it in the yard for fear that one or the other of the two other Tosa candidates might swipe it when I wasn't looking.  They would be jealous.

Incidentally, Joeythelovesponge claims to be the third candidate for mayor of Tosa Town.

In the interest of full and fair disclosure I will remind you readers that Joey did make a campaign promise of sorts - that if elected - I would get to be the town Jaegermeister.

That is a sorely tempting proposition which would seriously stretch the elaborate and carefully-enforced Blogger Code of Ethics. (All 200,000+ entries thereof).

Alas, Joey didn't get his important mayoral paperwork in on time so he will not be on the ballot and thankfully I will not be ethically-challenged.

Seriously, a trip to Joey's website might prove to be a source of entertainment. 

There is Joey's Repository of Haiku. 

If you visit Joey's Store of Trinkets you can purchase all manner of Joey stuff - including the entire clothing line.

There is a good cause involved as well.

Joey has promised that all profits from the sale of Joey stuff go to the Deanna Favre Hope Foundation.  Not my promise, his.

The purchase of Joey stuff might actually be a productive use of your own money that is being returned to you under the guise of economic relief.

Brett Favre's wife + breast cancer = noble cause

In my view - much better than letting Washington spend it.

____________________________________________________________________

Ok - here's the trivia question:

In 1976, what emporium of fine dining was located at 93rd and Bluemound?

(Alright, I know it's not exactly Tosa - but it's close enough)

Submit your entries and I'll publish them along with the correct answer in a couple of days.

The first correct answer wins the authentic Joeythelovesponge mayoral yard sign.

(Wouldn't it be ironic if one or the other of the two candidates won this sign with a correct submission?)

Tom

Note to Joey - I hope you appreciate any increased traffic from this shameless, cheap, obtuse and blatantly commercial endorsement I am giving you and the Joey stuff I purchased this past weekend.  I'm going to take some hits for this. Someone is going to call me a Joeythelovesponge flack.

Good luck with your write-in campaign.

Gotta run, I hear incoming....

________________________________________________________________________________________________

The correct answer is-

TOSAQT got it correctly...

Yep. One of these.  This picture is of the Chips in Merrill, WI

In 1976, five hamburgers and your choice of two small drinks or a large order of fries would set you back $1.49.

QT - Contact me as to how you want to take delivery of your valuable prize. 

Are you candidate Didier?

Maybe candidate Stepaniak?

I wonder?   Congrats.  Tom

This post comes to you remotely from somewhere in the Republic of Texas where I have been enjoying a brief vacation followed-on by day-job business. 

Last evening I read an on-line press release of sorts that was published in WauwatosaNOW.

Some Alder people have endorsed candidate Didier.

They are: Tom Herzog, Brian Ewerdt, Tim Hanson, Don Birshel, Jim Krol, and Bernie Grimm.

You can read it here.

In keeping with my present rugged Texas surroundings I will dub them the Magnificent Six.

The Magnificent Six need to clear the trail dust from their eyes.

According to Herzog, "Alderwoman Didier has consistently voted against tax and spending increases, while upholding our community's high quality of life."

Birshel said, "Jill Didier is a proactive leader who has consistently voted to protect taxpayers, and she has a positive vision for the city."

Grimm says, "Alderwoman Didier has made public safety and fiscal responsibility a priority." 

OK.

Fiscal responsibility.

No spending increases.

Protecting the taxpayers.

Public safety.

Here is a really rude reality check-

Tosa taxpayers may wish to know that Alderperson Didier voted against the last budget that gave us two additional police officers.

You might want to remember that the next time you hear about crime in Tosa.

Yep.  Jill Didier says NO to any additional lawmen for you.

So much for public safety, upholding our quality of life, proactivity, positive vision, safety and protecting the taxpayers.

You can read about it here and here.

I was relating this tale to a buddy - a native Texan I will call Big Mike.

Big Mike is not a fellow to mince any words.  What he would tell you about the candidate is that, "She's all gurgle and no guts."

To be fair I'd be the first to admit that Tosa ain't Texas but I had a chuckle over the characterization.

The Magnificent Six need to read their Council Minutes.

You cannot have it both ways.

As for the six compadres Big Mike gushed, "Gosh Tom, ya'll need to remember they're nuth'n but all hat and no cattle."

Texans...you gotta love 'em.

Tom

This past Saturday hundreds of woodland owners from southeast Wisconsin gathered at the Country Springs Hotel and Conference Center for what we figure might have been our 30th or so winter conference.  Inasmuch as it's the second largest woodland owner gathering in the state you'd think they'd keep better track of how many times they've done this.

As a participant in the conference's organizing committee I was there to make sure everything went-off without a hitch.

In the ballroom to the north of us was a smaller gathering; a group calling themselves Americans for Prosperity - Defending the American Dream.  You can learn more about them here.  They appear to be big believers of free markets.

Anyway, the tree people had some issues with the prosperity people.  Seems they kept helping themselves to our breakfast as they wandered about the conference center.  Some wag even suggested that was likely how they got to be so prosperous.  I figured it to be a simple misunderstanding.  They probably have tree nurseries, John Deere implement dealers and portable logging winches on display all the time when they put food out at their meetings.  

The confusion was cleared-up with a simple announcement.

I bumped into some personal friends attending the American Dream meeting - and a handful of Republican politicians I am acquainted with.  I had a nice chat with former State Senator Tom Reynolds who told me about his new PAC.  I introduced myself to a conservative blogger from Boots and Sabers. 

What struck me about the two groups was the dichotomy in attire. 

Dark, conservative business suits contrasted by Carhartt dungarees, denim shirts and cammo ball caps.  Talk about two different worlds.

Today I read a comment posted over at Boots and Sabers about an exhibitor at the woodland owners meeting - the Wisconsin Farmer's Union.  The comment was obliquely non-complimentary - as if the farmers were somehow subversive.

As a conference organizer I can tell you that our exhibitors pay to be there.  They don't attend unless they have something they think woodland owners are interested in.  The Farmer's Union was there to pitch, among other things, a program they sponsor which allows tree farmers who engage in specific afforestation and reforestation practices to sell carbon credits through their aggregator program.

Trees are incredible carbon sequesters.  Imagine getting paid to engage in these practices. 

What a novel idea - a new market to trade in. 

However, gazing toward the north ballroom I somehow figured this idea would not settle very well with the prosperity people.

The conservative right hasn't been very receptive to embracing the notion of trading carbon credits.

Uh-oh.  Another dichotomy.  Free economics is good as long as it doesn't involve trading carbon credits. 

I got to thinking.

What a novel idea - a new market to trade in.

The markets have evolved ever since.  They don't just trade stocks.  That is the beauty of a free market.

Decades from now there will be trading in things we haven't dreamed possible.

As for the concept of trading carbon credits - if it is such a bad idea why is it that Wall Street and private equity firms are all over it?

Let the markets decide the success or failure of this idea.

Isn't that what free markets are all about?

Capitalism - living the American Dream.

Tom

Wait a 'sec - almost forgot!

I saw someone else from the prosperity meeting.

The double-take when she saw me was priceless!

I think it was the identical twin sister of one of the Tosa mayoral candidates.

Comments below and visit the TTS for more. 

What's with the Tosa Council members that don't want to put this matter of replacing Station 1 before the voters in April?

You will find them here. 

Am I the only Tosan growing weary of the endless talk with no action? 

You've been discussing this matter for almost THREE YEARS.

What?  Is that an insufficient amount of time?

Put this matter before the voters and let's get this over with.

If any of you readers feel the same way you can contact your alder-person here. 

You can tell them you want a binding referendum or you can tell them you want more foot dragging.

You pick.

Tom

A recent commentator to this blog quite reasonably suggested the following:

It will be interesting how TTS fits in the race since its a mix of people like me....don't know these people and those who are personal friends of a particular candidate.  I kind of think that such things should be declared so people know what context the cheap shot or rousing praise comes from.

I agree. 

A perfectly legitimate suggestion.

In the interest of full and fair disclosure this is as good a time as any to tell you where I stand. 

Allow me to begin with candidate Didier.  

I can tell you that she is not a personal friend.

She is one of my alder-persons so I know of her.  

In the short time she has been in the position of alder-person I can tell you that until recently she has always been prompt in responding to anything I had to say.

Preceding her kicking the Mayoral campaign into high gear last year I was somewhat ambivalent about her as she hadn't been in city government sufficiently long enough to form any strong opinions - good or bad.

She never sought me out for support. 

When the Didier Campaign engaged far right wing radio and the peripheral blogosphere to attack the Mayor last year I viewed that as a particularly unsavory development.

The vast majority of Tosans don't want to listen to extremist fanaticism along with its attendant personal attacks.

Didier never considered that the mayor might not run for reelection. 

She over-reached. 

It is for her exceedingly short tenure in city government and her premature, yet enthusiastic embrace of the far-right that I will not support Ms. Didier.

On the matter of candidate Stepaniak I can tell you that he also is not a personal friend. 

Until recently I only knew of the guy as a former Common Council President. 

What is noteworthy is he sought me out.  He told me he wanted an opportunity to tell me about himself and his vision for Tosa. 

We met.  We talked. 

He asked for my support. 

I told him no, that I would have to think about it. 

Apparently I thought about it sufficiently long enough that he sought me out again.  So, we talked some more and I thought about it for quite some time.

My conclusion:  Stepaniak is a bright guy with good ideas and a clear vision for Tosa.  He also has the most executive experience. 

I spent half my life in business - I get it.

In short, experience matters and that would make him the most qualified. 

My wife and I contributed $50 to his campaign.

In closing I would like to add that in the continuing spirit of full and fair disclosure and in the interest of performing a valuable public service-

I am saving you all $4.25 and a trip to the city clerk's office. 

You can peruse the candidate's Campaign Finance Reports here.

didier.pdf and stepaniak.pdf.

I'm sure you will find them revealing.

Bon Appetit!

Tom

I shoot arrows with a couple of hunting buddies once a week and we go out for dinner afterward.  Over dinner the conversation generally shifts from someone's crappy form or high score to politics.  Anyway, it usually does.  At least lately.

Last night Braumeister pointed-out that conservative pundits - radio and cable - were all lining-up to bash John McCain as not being conservative enough to deserve the Republican nomination for president.  (For the uninitiated this phenomenon has been labeled: McCain Derangement Syndrome.)  He was rather taken aback by this - at one point brandishing a meatball on a fork and sputtering, they've labeled McCain a liberal !

After puzzling over this persistent interest in the hijacking of the Republican Party by elements of the extreme right, replete with their collective anger-management issues, we shake our heads and conclude that this is the stuff over which elections are lost.  Go figure.

There has been some very recent chatter over at the TTS about conservatives, liberals and government policy. It's interesting stuff and a remarkably civil discussion.  You might want to read it and chime-in.  I finally posted some observations last night as it seemed timely - considering the dinner conversation.

During my lunch break today, I read the New York Times while pounding out my miles on the treadmill and I absorbed a very compelling editorial by David Brooks. 

Brooks argues that a funny thing has happened this primary season. Conservative voters have not followed their conservative leaders. Conservative voters are much more diverse than the image you’d get from conservative officialdom.

Brooks concludes that the Republican Party, even in its shrunken state, is diverse. Regular Republican voters don’t seem to mind independent thinking. There’s room for moderates as well as orthodox conservatives. Limbaugh, Grover Norquist and James Dobson have influence, but they are not arbiters of conservative doctrine.

It might be seemingly coincidental that three archery nuts, a Tosa message board and a Times columnist all opined upon such closely related topics. 

I think not.

What I sense is a growing backlash among moderate Republicans and independent conservatives who have had their fill of a government that seeks to intrude into so many aspects of a citizen's private life, run-away spending by the current occupant of the White House (ostensibly a conservative) and the general name-calling and marginalization of anyone in the middle who doesn't unquestioningly embrace the extreme right's brand of political correctness. 

That stinks and I figure I'm not the only person to hold that view.

So what does this have to do with the Tosa mayoral race?

I think it has everything to do with the tone of the debate as each of the candidates stake-out their positions leading up to the election - that is if there ever is to be a real debate.  (That being another topic of discussion).

Last fall, the Didier Campaign's opening salvo was calculated to use conservative daytime radio in an attempt to exploit a largely phantom issue and turn it to the candidate's political advantage.

My guess was they figured conservative media would seize upon the opportunity to attack the incumbent Mayor.  They would be correct.

In a couple of posts I called-out candidate Didier over this issue. 

If you use the correct bait you usually get a bite.  Sometimes you get to set the hook.  What was revealing about the angry exchange that ensued was who the candidate's acolytes were.    

Personally, I think it a tactical error as the Mayor sucker-punched them later with the announcement that she wasn't running for reelection.  So chalk it up to inexperience.

Since then things have been quiet.  At least I think they have.  In the sweatshop where I work no one has the time to indulge in daytime conservative radio so maybe I've missed something.

Anyway, I'm hopeful that the campaign discourse remains civil and informative.  Without Terry Estness in the race it is possible that we have been spared a record amount of vitriolic rage from the far right.  Time will tell.

I'm still waiting for a series of debates.

Heck, I'd be satisfied with just one really big, city-wide debate - but I'll not hold my breath.

Cluck!

Tom

Fellow Community Voice - Peter Hart - recently posted news that the Mayfair Park and Fisher Woods Neighborhood Associations are going to sponsor a debate between two of the Tosa mayoral candidates on Saturday, January 19th.

Good for them.

However, it appears that there are going to be some arcane debate rules.

According to Hart, debate questions will be approved by the candidates before the debate.

Furthermore, citizens must keep questions open-ended.

Ha.  I thought that title would grab you.

While having coffee with girlfriend this morning I mused over the attention that this topic seems to have garnered.  It has occurred to me that more than once someone has postulated that the Greatest Generation has paid enough in taxes (or something to that effect) and seniors shouldn't pay any more in property taxes.

Curiously this view has been advanced by some ostensibly conservative individuals.

So, the question of the day is this:

Should seniors in general, whether they live in their own home or in an independent living community, pay property taxes at all?

If so, why? 

If not, why not?

Should all seniors be eligible for PILOT payments? 

Should there be a means test?

Is the Wisconsin homestead credit a sufficient subsidy?

I'm interested in your feedback.

Maybe we'll even have one of the three announced mayoral candidates chime-in on the subject.

Just so you know - my personal and professional life and the girlfriend are off-limits; so play nice.

Tom

The possibility of property taxes being assessed on luxury, independent senior living facilities has been shifted to the back burner while the City Attorney's office and legal counsel for the senior communities lock horns.

Frankly, I'm disappointed that the public hearing to be held by the Committee of the Whole for tomorrow evening has been called-off.

I thought it was about time that citizens - senior and otherwise - had an opportunity to be heard on this issue.  I was anticipating a thorough airing of the truth surrounding this stink.

There has been speculation that the Didier Mayoral Campaign had a hand in the abortive grab for headlines when a bus load of seniors (replete with oxygen tanks) showed-up at a September 5th budget meeting demanding to speak on this issue.

Anyone with a shred of sense knows that open meeting rules do not allow comment on matters not included in the meeting agenda. 

That stunt was political theater - better yet - theater of the absurd.

Alderman Treis was correct in characterizing the exhibition as "elder abuse".

While attending a Wauwatosa Comprehensive Plan Vision Workshop at Hart Park Jill Didier made a point of seeking me out.  The candidate informed me, "I did not call the retirement homes...and I''ll leave it at that".

Plausible deniability?  That's anyone's guess - but readers of this blog are smart enough to connect the dots between the statement of the candidate and the breathless rants of the fervent.

If you associate yourself with loud-mouth daytime talk radio and belligerent bloggers while gleefully allowing these knuckleheads to spread lies and disinformation on behalf of your campaign, then the average Joe is going to eventually wonder what is fact and what is fiction.

The Didier Campaign shouldn't be surprised if someone might hold them to account.

Curious to learn more about the possibility of taxing high-end senior independent living facilities I stopped at City Hall recently. 

I took the time to peruse a pile of letters and emails, measuring about an inch and a half thick, that had been received by the mayor, the assessor and members of the City Council on this subject.

Many of the letters bore evidence of the unsteady hand of age.  Correspondence from Harwood Place and San Camillo uniformly complied with the talking points provided to the author of the letter.  There were a handful of ranting emails and one promise to move from Wauwatosa over this issue.

Curiously, much of the correspondence implored the mayor and the council to vote no. This struck me as odd.

Hasn't anyone informed these folks that there will be no vote?  Do they know that the city hasn't the power to act on this matter or that the assessor is charged under the law with the enforcement of state statutes?

Why haven't these people been told that neither the mayor nor the council - past, present or future - can unilaterally rewrite state law?

Coincidentally, I purchased copies of a stack of relevant documents and resolutions detailing committee discussions and votes on this issue dating back to March of 2004.

Yep, more than three and a half years ago.

It would appear to me that management at Harwood Place and San Camillo should have been burning the midnight oil in Madison for the past three years to remedy this situation.

A certain mayoral candidate has made this a campaign issue.  Nobody should be exploiting old folks over a counterfeit issue like this.

That stinks.

PS - Since becoming a member of the Common Council, guess who voted for this reassessment project?

In case you missed it, Wauwatosa is gearing-up for another mayoral campaign.  So far we have three announced contenders.  Here’s the current roll and my initial appraisals:

Jill Didier – A tad thin on resume but has experience in city government.  I reside in her aldermanic district.  She came out swinging with her early attack on Mayor Estness over the city’s compliance with state law over the proposed taxation of high-end, independent senior housing.  More on that stink later.  Since Mayor Estness isn’t running for reelection Didier will have define her campaign around other issues of substance.

Jerry Stepaniak – Robust resume in business and public service and experience in city government.  Has been on the Council since 2000 and served on the Budget and Finance Committee the entire time.  He clearly has more experience than Didier.  In a brief conversation, Stepaniak outlined a broad vision for everything from redevelopment, infrastructure, the freeway interchange, bonding, budgets and crime.  He has a good grasp of the issues. 

Joey The Love Sponge – A heretofore unknown contender who has produced no resume but is a prolific poster on the Tosa Town Square.  He has promised the good citizenry a benevolent dictatorship, a declaration of war on Venezuela, and an aquarium - mit Haifische.  He has also promised me that, if elected, I get to head the city’s new Office of The Jagermeister.

Clearly the bar has been raised.