Now that the flood has crested the city has decided to give away free sand - ostensibly so we can build a bunker or dike around our homes and businesses.

Too little too late?

To prepare for the next flood event you can purchase sand bags here.

For any of you who haven't recently constructed a bunker from scratch - it's back-breaking work.

Since these hundred year floods happen so frequently I propose that the city let us build our sand bag levees and leave them in place - permanently.

Tosa would look more like Beirut.

On a serious note here's a simple tip that I've used in the past to keep that nasty back-up out of the basement:

A standpipe for the floor drain.

For less than $20 you can purchase a length of PVC pipe and a rubber donut gasket to afix around the end.

Jam the thing into the floor drain.

When the sewer backs up, the water stays in the pipe. The system works unless the backup is so deep that it goes over the top of the pipe. 

Trust me - this really works. 

I suppose things could get so bad that the pipe could blow -but it's never happened to me.

Tom

Here it is.  I admit it.  I know absolutely nothing about The American Idol.

Sometimes I think I am the last person on the planet that hasn't had my cultural pedigree enhanced by this phenomenon.

This is a chronic affliction that first manifested itself at a company Christmas party a number of years ago.  We were engaged in a festive camaraderie of potluck food and and Secret Santa - you know - where everyone has to bring a gift valued below a certain amount and it gets thrown into the bag and the managing partner wears his Santa Hat and redistributes the gifts.

The gift I receive is obviously a festively-wrapped CD.  Peeling-off the wrapping I announce I have a Clay Aiken album.

This is met with a chorus of oohs and ahhs.  What do I do?  I lamely ask - so who is this - a rising country music star?

I am clueless.

I trade the CD for a more valuable gift - a small mag light.  As a result this Aiken guy left a small impression on me.

It gets worse.

I few years ago I have to go to New York on business and because it is on the company tab I stay in a fancy schmaltzy hotel adjacent to Central Park. 

Before I leave I have to go to the front desk to settle a charge and am chagrined to find the space of all three desk clerks occupied by a very humongous man in gangsta clothing - you know - baggy shorts that hang to the ankles, over-sized expensive basketball shoes,  a stiff baseball hat worn backwards and what appeared to be about 400 pounds of jewelry. 

I'm a bit frustrated as I'm in a hurry to catch a cab and not miss my flight home and this guy and his people are taking-up all of the space at the front desk and his people are arguing with the hotel people. 

I stay out of it since I figure it's New York, it's basically weird, it's some sort of important rapper dude and you know me - I don't want any trouble.

The entourage eventually resolves whatever issues they have and moves-on.  I spend all of about a minute taking care of my business with the nice lady behind the counter and turn to my buddy Bob and say - Sheesh, let's grab a cab and split.

Bob replies - Hey, you know who that guy was?

Nope.

That was Ruben Stoddard.

Who the hell is Ruben Stoddard?

You moron, he's the American Idol.

Yes - still clueless. 

So there you have it.  I wouldn't know who the American Idol was if the Idol showed-up on my front porch to serenade me.

I am a cultural lowbrow.

Tom

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.

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

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.

That's it. 

Vacation has come to an abrupt end. 

Back to the routine of work and workouts. 

Lunch time is workout time and I typically spend my noon hour at the gym.  Even-numbered days are treadmill and odd days are for resistance training. 

A half hour on the treadmill necessitates some reading material to pass the time.

Today I forgot a newspaper and had to improvise by drawing upon the eclectic selection of magazines off the gym's rack.

A copy of Boating - World's Largest Powerboat Magazine caught my eye.  Hmm... who doesn't like to look at and read about big boats?

As it turns out it was a decent read.  There was an in-depth review of the towing capabilities of my new GMC and lots and lots stories with pictures of big boats populated with curvaceous babes that obviously require boat loads of money to maintain.

One article in particular caught my eye.

I'm not making this up.  The readers of Boating know that they can "leave their inhibitions on shore".  

Apparently the latest trend to hit the big power boat scene is something last viewed in a strip club. 

According to the editor, dance poles are literally popping-up in boats across the United States.  As irrefutable proof of this he cited no less than authoritative celebrity clientèle like Paris Hilton, Jessica Alba and Carmen Electra. 

The company behind the craze believes that the poles are so popular on board because women can "get in a good off-shore workout while simultaneously unleashing their inner sex kitten". 

Poles can be custom colored to match your boat.

Imagine that.

I wonder how soon it will be before Cabelas adds this to their product line?

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?