cur-mud-geon:
anyone who hates hypocrisy and pretense and has the temerity to say so; anyone with the habit of pointing out unpleasant facts in an engaging and humorous manner
Building Needs:
IF we are successful in being able to move from the MATC tax district to the WCTC tax district, the approximate savings to taxpayers would amount to about $1,650,000. Remember that number when we next confront a referendum seeking money for building maintenance and repair to correct the decade of forced neglect. Maybe it is time for us to put something back into physical plant and maybe this would be a relatively painless source for that money.
Technical College Boards:
Our 16 local technical college boards must be responsive to the electorate and the only way for that to be accomplished is if they are elected. Today, our local technical college boards are appointed. These are the boards, by the way, that have been granted taxing authority. The appointees have no real obligation to the public. They may instead feel obligated to the person or people who appointed them. That doesn’t equate to a system that is responsive to the taxpayer. The state board discussed below has no taxing authority. Bills have been introduced in both the Senate and the Assembly that would correct this local board problem. Senator Darling was instrumental in developing and bringing this bill to life, and I believe the Assembly version is supported by Rep. Jeskewitz, as well. Let them know you are supportive, too.
State System Board:
The big IF in my first subject is borne out by looking at the current state technical college board. The board is comprised of appointees of the sitting Governor and consists of:
-one employer representative: Allan Kehl, Kenosha County Executive
-one employee representative: Phil Neuenfeldt, State AFL-CIO
-one farmer representative: Ann Greenheck of Lone Rock
-the State Superintendent
-the Secretary of Workforce Development
-the President of the University of Wisconsin System
-six public members: Michael Rosen, MATC Professor & Union Officer/ Brent Smith, attorney and UW Board of Regents Member, La Crosse/ S. Mark Tyler, President of OEM Fabricators, Neillsville/ Jose Vasquez, Director of Operations, Next Door Foundation, Milwaukee/ Peggy Rosenzweig, Member of UW Board of Regents, Wauwatosa
-one student member: Vanessa Pickar, Western Tech, La Crosse
It appears that every member has the requisite credentials. The simple political reality, however, is that Germantown has a significant disadvantage as it attempts to move from the MATC district to the WCTC district.
You, the taxpayer and voter, need to assert your feelings and desires with your elected representatives (both are supportive of this move, by the way) and you need to interact with the state board members to let them know your feelings. If they do not hear the cries for redress, they will likely not honor our petition.
You can access the state board site at:
http://www.wtcsystem.edu/board/members/bios.htm
