Curmudgeon's Corner

The latest count on the race to replace Sue Jeskewitz is now standing at five.  Randy Melchert (R) and Jason LaSage (R) have been involved in our Assembly "Debate" series as you know.

The additional filed candidates are:

Ms. Charlene Brady (D), a Germantown resident who is currently serving on the Washington County Board of Supervisors

Mr. Torrey Lauer (D), a Germantown resident

Mr. Dan Knodl (R),  Germantown resident who is currently serving on the Washington County Board of Supervisors

We hope to obtain the agreement of the three additional candidates to participate in the Assembly "Debate" Blog series that has begun.  If one or more decide to do so, we'll ask them the same questions already published and print a 'catch-up' Blog to get all five on the same topics from that point forward.

There is still time for another candidate or two if I remember correctly.  I believe that July 8th is the final date for the Declaration of Candidacy filing.

We should have a spirited discussion as we move toward the primary election in early-September.

Former Village President, Charlie Hargan, responded in a comment to the Village Buzz published on Friday with this:

"The trees on Mequon Road in front of Pick 'n Save were diseased and will be replaced in the same locations. The trees in front of Sendik's were healthy ash trees that, as you indicated, had the misfortune to be in front of Sendik's over-sized sign. Sendik's asked Pres. Kempinski to have them removed, who told Adm. Schornack to have them removed, who told the Village Parks & Grounds Sup. to remove them. These were planted in accordance with the Village Street Tree Program, part of the reason we were voted as a Tree City USA community, and the only authorization for this had to come from the Village Board, after a recommendation from the Public Works Committee. It was never brought in front of either of them. They should be replaced in the same location. I think Sendik's will be a great asset to the Village but the trees were also and they were "grandfathered in" (here first)."

I am assuming that Mr. Hargan has his facts correct; if others wish to comment, please take the opportunity.

It seems that, more and more often, the President is making himself a committee of one and determining resolution of issues, and then implementing those resolutions by direct order to village administration and staff.  In my opinion, those kinds of actions can be seen as undercutting the staff and committee members, certainly can adversely impact morale, would appear to be contrary to established protocol and limiting of the proper public discussion that should precede such actions being taken.  There is no public meeting involved if that should've been taken prior to this action.  There is no audit trail available to the public to enable a review process.

If there were diseased trees, it is possible that there could be a reason to circumvent protocol, but the trees that affected the Sendik's signage certainly were a worthy subject of debate before precipitous action (such as destroying them) was taken.

I cannot help but feel that this is unhealthy in any government, even that of a village.  What decision-making will be next in line to be short-circuited if that is what has happened?  

This marks the first of a new class of Blogs that will be labeled 'Village Buzz'.  We'll discuss things that are gathered from what I consider to be reliable sources.  I'll sometimes share the source' names and other times will avoid doing so for obvious reasons.

Barley Pop Update...

I am hearing that the Barley Pop Pub will be able to handle its tax obligation and continue to maintain its liquor license.  Employees have apparently been told that mortgage refinancing or something along those lines will make this possible and they are very upbeat about their futures as employees.

We'll see if this was a reliable barometer.

Mequon Road Trees Cut...

I watched as the new Sendik's Village Center signage was being put into place and thought about the change that seemed to have taken place when the new replaced the old.  It finally dawned on me that this new sign was quite a bit taller than the old and that had caused visibility to be hampered because of trees that had been planted as part of the Village Street Tree program of some years ago.

Now I see that three trees have been removed and the former spots are landscaped over probably indicating that nothing will be there to replace those removed.  I don't know when that happened but it must've been within the past two or three days.

And then, I noted that ten trees had been cut down in the Pick 'n Save area although those stumps are still there.

What is going on?  Does the new sign exceed the height limits that the village has in place?  Why were those beautiful trees removed?  Who made this decision?  Did this go through an appropriate committee?  Is there a public record to be seen?

Why did ten trees need to be cut down a bit further west on Mequon Road?  Were those interfering with sight lines or was there some other reason?

I guess I need to visit with village officials to determine why this all was necessary, unless some of the readers already know the answers.

MATC has now ended the suspense.  Whew!  It has officially increased its tax take by the 4.9% that it miraculously managed to get down to from the original 'straw man' of 6.4%.  This codifies the fact that MATC's appetite for tax dollars has risen by some 30% over the past five years.  MATC's leadership, if it can be called that without demeaning the word, just can't seem to understand that, while it is impervious to the wants and needs of the citizenry it serves, it really has permitted its reach to exceed our grasp.

MATC strikes me as an iceberg looking for a ship to sink.  It is floating along with the tip showing while the bulk of the 'bloat' lies just under the waterline, out of sight and, too often, out of mind.  Until it hits the ship of taxpayers yet again.  The taxpayers on this 'ship of fools' have finally come to understand, at least in Germantown, that they would be better-served if they were permitted to disembark from the current ship that continues to be victimized by the MATC iceberg...year after year after year after year!

That disembarkation is, however, contingent on so many disparate factors as to seem nearly unachievable.  First and foremost is that failure to make the petition to the state technical college board seeking a move from MATC to another contiguous tech college district renders all the other points moot.  If that is filed, then we wait and see what the august state tech college board members decide is to be our fate.  The last such application was made in 2004 and was denied.  That doesn't necessarily mean that this petition would suffer the same fate...but it is probably a decent precursor.  The only other successful action of this nature involved Germantown's petition to be moved into the MATC district back in the early 1970s.  (Ironic, isn't it?)

Back to the basics, however.  This rate of increase could've been far better controlled if the governing board for MATC were subject to re-election.  It isn't.  It is subject only to the parochial appointment desires of MATC.  Talk about a great deal, huh?  If I'm going to be governed by someone, I'd love the opportunity to pick the person without any outside interference over things such as how effective they'd be in administering their responsibilities.  If I 'accidentally' picked someone that was in lock-step with my positions and goals, could I possibly be faulted?  Sure, but it would be meaningless because no one could do anything about it except maybe move away to escape.

Maybe more to the point, I could've used the euphemism of a polar ice mass, a glacier, grinding everything in its path into submission.  Pretty soon there'll be nothing left here to tax.  It'll have been destroyed by the taxes rendered.

I guess the good news is that you can't tax the same dollar for more than 100 cents, so there is some ultimate end point.  Yet, there are so many taxes being levied against each of our dollars that we get less and less while everything costs us more and more.

Maybe, IF we pursue the change in tech college districts, and IF the state tech college board approves, we can rid ourselves of MATC President Cole, his board and his kingdom of fire-breathing dragons that burn everything of value they can identify in their domain.

I believe a full scale audit of that institution is called for and I believe one or more of our elected officials at the state level needs to pick up that banner and carry it high for all to see.  This is way past the point of being mere Blog fodder, although it sure has been good for that!

I've written about the consolidation of local health care organizations over the past months.  In preparing for a talk I delivered to an insurance agent's organization last month, I dug a little deeper to see what the trends seemed to be for the future.

There are some very interesting things happening to and with health care delivery and these things are, in part, already on or affecting the local scene.

Retail Medicine...

Several major corporations have experimented with and made commitments to what I'll call 'retail medicine'.  Major drug store chains have had walk-in clinics in their stores, and have gotten so serious about it that they've actually purchased the companies that were supplying the services.  One of those is Walgreen's and we see the result in Germantown.  Our local Walgreen store is 1 of 13 in Wisconsin with in-store clinics and that number is expected to be as high as 19 by the end of 2008.

Wal-Mart is doing similar development across the country along with the CVS drug store chain and several others.  These models all tend to rely upon the Nurse Practitioner and work to establish referral relationships to local physicians for the more serious conditions encountered.  Costs, according to the Take Care Health Systems (Walgreen) website range from $59 to $74 per visit with additional fees charged for vaccinations (seasonal flu shot priced at $24.99).

Physician Shortages... 

There are serious shortages of physicians in America and that is, in part, prompting the 'retail medicine' movement discussed above.  Massachusetts learned this the hard way when it passed laws that required virtually all citizens to have health insurance.  There were simply too few primary care doctors available in the state to handle the new demand that had been created.  The physicians who are moving through the education system today are too often choosing specialties that pay more and that have better schedules so they can also spend time with their families and pay off their loans more quickly.

These shortages are prompting our medical colleges to step up the effort to cause more graduating physicians to opt for primary care service but this will take time and there will need to be some economic push to make it happen.  This is spawning the following effort.

Nurse Doctors...

Minnesota has graduated at least one class of Nurse Doctors who are entering practice across that state.  This is a doctorate level program that claims to produce practitioners that "can do almost everything" a primary care physician can do except for some surgical procedures.  This program is being expanded to be able to graduate more Nurse Doctors every year as the program ramps up.

As we can all understand, the physicians' organizations are not at all happy about this movement.

Dentist Shortages...

The average age of dentists in many states, Wisconsin included, is increasing at an alarming pace and we are beginning to see a shortage of dentists.  Minnesota again seems to have taken a lead position with legislation that was being considered which would permit Dental Hygienists to both drill and extract teeth in addition to their normal responsibilities.

As you would also expect in this situation, this is meeting strong resistance from the organizations representing dentists, but the simple fact that this found its way to the floor of the Minnesota legislature is significant.  Minnesota has been more prone to experimentation in the general area of health care (health maintenance organizations took off very rapidly in this state in the early-1970s), so these trends aren't all that surprising in our neighbor state.

Summary...

Our health care world is changing very rapidly.  If we were to become a Rip Van Winkle and sleep for even just ten years, we'd likely encounter a strange new health care world when we awoke.

Who can say what is good or not good in these regards.  Time will tell which, if any, of these initiatives we will have accepted and which we will have discarded as bad ideas whose time hadn't yet arrived.  Some way needs be found that will permit us to control costs.  If we rely upon government to do that, I'm afraid that the consequences will be heavy-handed control and rationing of services...and I cannot find it within myself to think that is an improvement.

There are apparently some rules regarding the conduct of exit interviews when an employee (or volunteer in the case of firefighters/EMTs) leaves the position.  Those don't always occur and, in some cases, could become an adversarial encounter depending upon circumstances involved.

Trustee Jim Langer has, I think, an excellent idea and that is requiring exit interviews and requiring that those be done by the human resource director.

I'd hope for there to be some caveats included:

The exit interview would be recorded (audio at least) from start to finish and the tapes would become public records.  The interviews would follow an agreed upon routine with all interview guidelines and questions published as part of the village policy statement concerning employment or volunteer positions such as those in the fire department.  The person being interviewed would have the right to be represented by counsel by providing notice prior to the hearing to that effect.  These new policies and procedures would supersede any and all existing policies and procedures.

All people who leave an organization leave for at least one reason and often more than one reason.  Those retiring may elect to retire early for some reason.  Those being terminated should have the opportunity to state their opinions and vent their grievances.  Those who have found a better job may be able to offer ideas or thoughts that will be helpful to the village in the future.

Exit interviews can be rewarding to both parties, one party or neither party.  That is simply the way it is.  But, there is a certain check and balance process that is triggered through exit interviews.  If, for example, one department loses three people in short order and if each has similar complaints that they claim led to their decision to leave, some initial conclusions might be drawn.  Leaders might conclude that there is a need to counsel the department head or to review compensation tables or any of a number of other things.

Exit interviews should be done by a person as disinterested as possible since the immediate superior may be the reason for the departure.  The recordings will, ideally, establish the full story of the departing person.  That story may be simple 'sour grapes', or it may point to very real issues needing resolution.  The weight of multiple departures with the same 'sour grapes' reason(s) claimed as part of the cause should serve to point to a possible problem even though it sounds like 'sour grapes'. 

Our village relies on relatively few people to make it work.  The loss of a key person can be problematic.  The loss of several people at the lower rungs can be problematic.  The loss of volunteers can be problematic.  The loss of anyone should give leadership the reason to pause and reflect.  Was there some underlying issue that could've caused the loss to be avoided?  If pay scales are the issue, then there may be a need to review that structure if we expect to be able to continue to attract solid performers.  If management styles are the issue, then village leaders need to reflect on those and make adjustments to avoid that becoming a continuing issue.  Managers can be 'in the dark' about their personal management styles, and exit interviews can help focus their own attention on personal shortcomings.

There is, inherently, relatively lower turn-over in villages and cities than in the private sector workplace.  Once one is employed by the Village of Germantown, for example, there is a clear set of expectations, there is a decent income, there are good benefit programs, there is stability of employment, and there is a decent working environment.  Turn-over rates of 15% to 20% are not at all unusual in the private sector, and yet those rates are unheard of in the public sector where 5% to 7% or even less might be closer to the norm.

We all want Germantown to be a good place in which to live and work, and we cannot reach and maintain that 'nirvana' unless those who help keep everything working as we expect also see Germantown as being a good place to live and work.

Exit interviews such as described above will certainly help us get to and stay at that point.

The morning Journal Sentinel talks about a petition being presented to the Milwaukee Common Council today that would require all Milwaukee private employers to provide paid sick days.  Employers with ten or fewer employees would be required to provide 1 hour for every 30 hours worked to a maximum of 40 hours of paid sick time per year.  Employers with more than ten employees would be required to provide 1 hour for every 30 hours worked up to a maximum of 72 hours per year.  Unused sick days would roll over from year to year.

This petition has been pushed by "labor, educational and community organizations" according to the article with the lead organization being 9 to 5, the National Association of Working Women.  It uses a state statute that provides for what is known as 'direct legislation', and requires the petitioner to present petitions signed by 15% of the total residents of the city or village involved that voted for governor in the most recent election.

Presuming all is in order with the petitions and signatures, the city council or village board would then be required to pass it or to put it on the ballot in the next election for a binding decision by the electorate.

I do not believe that a mandated employer sick pay law is appropriate anywhere, and am not suggesting that it ought be tried in Germantown.  The article cites the food service industry, for example; can you imagine how that would affect that industry?  Can you imagine how the costs would escalate if this were to occur?  Can you think of a more 'anti-business' proposition?

* * * * * * * * * *

It is interesting, however, that such direct action is available to citizens in cities and villages in Wisconsin.  Someone at sometime thought this was a good approach, and it found its way into law.  It obviously has a double edge to it.  It could be employed for good things or not so good things.  What it does do, however, is place the ultimate decision in the hands of the electorate if the city or village officials chose to ignore the petitioners' demands.

Is this a necessary 'check and balance' functionality or is it simply a tool that can be misused by the few taking advantage of emotional responses from the many?  Do we destroy the concept of representative government?  Do we permit populism to run rampant?

Unless you've been on a deserted island, I imagine you know that Tim Russert died a few days ago.

I didn't watch his 'Meet The Press' show often, but when I did I was always impressed with how well he did interviewing a wide mix of guests.  The discussions about him, following the news that he had died, seemed to center on the words in the lead-in to this Blog.

He was so good at what he did because he was normal and fair and always well-prepared.  These thoughts were repeated regularly during the past week.  They speak volumes about this man who was born and raised in Buffalo, NY; whose dad was a garbage collector; and, who had a strong faith.  He kept his personal politics in check because he knew it was important that he present an impartial image.  Those who talked about being on his show mentioned that he was something of an 'equal opportunity' inquisitioner.  He was tough on everybody without regard to their politics.

It struck me that the very words being used to describe his uniqueness were also telling in that they were the antithesis of the usual fare we're fed by the 'talking heads'.  Tim Russert stood out amongst his peers because he was normal and fair and well-prepared.  And the words being used were being used by those very same 'talking heads'.  They were not, of course, aware that they were casting stones at themselves at the very same time they were lauding their former counter-part.

I suspect that we can all learn from the likes of a Tim Russert.  I know I can.  He loved his family.  He never forgot his roots.  He never forgot his faith.  He was always prepared when he went to work.  He gave every day his very best.  He remembered his friends and apparently had no enemies, certainly in his mind anyway.  He told people he loved them.  He was himself, not someone he thought he was supposed to be in order to fit into the world that he'd become part of after leaving his roots in Buffalo.

I hope I can remember Tim Russert for a good long time to come.  I probably will somewhat regularly as I see the antithesis on my television screen.

In keeping with the protocol we have established, we'll lead with the response of Senator Darling to each question in this chapter.

 * * * * * * * * * *

What is your position on Ethanol mandates in Wisconsin?

Darling:  I oppose ethanol mandates!  I have asked our federal lawmakers to repeal the federal renewable fuel mandate and eliminate tax credits for ethanol production.  I have also asked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to lift the reformulated gas (RFG) blend mandate.

Wasserman:  I am against Ethanol mandates.

* * * * * * * * * *

Wisconsin is now listed as only the 11th highest taxed state in the union.  Is this appropriate given the services we receive?  Are there ways that taxes can be reduced further and, if so, where do you think that can be accomplished?

Darling:  For way too long, Wisconsin was among the top ten of most highly-taxed states.  Wisconsin is now out of the top ten because legislative Republicans have successfully defeated billions in Democrat-backed tax hikes over the years.  While I am pleased that our tax rank is dropping, the state must start to spend less too.

Wasserman:  Based on the services we receive, I think we could be more in the middle of the pack.  We can do that by restructuring government and eliminating unnecessary layers of bureaucracy.  We also need to stop giving tax breaks to every individual who comes to Madison with a paid lobbyist.  Instead of increasing the complexity of our tax code and favoring the few instead of helping the many, taxes should be cut across the board.  We can all share in tax breaks.

* * * * * * * * * *

Is the UW system working as it should or are there problems that need resolution?  If problems, what do you see those as being?

Darling:  As a proud alumna of UW-Madison, I think it is important that our UW-System remain a top notch higher educational system that is a major driver of our state's economy.  That said, there have been far too many examples where the UW-System has wasted taxpayer dollars.  Everyone remembers examples like the $26 million spent on a new computer payroll system that didn't work and the $700 per month automobile allowances for chancellors.  While the UW-System is very important to our state, it needs to eliminate wasteful spending.

Wasserman:  The overall UW system is the third largest in the country, and I'm proud of it.  I graduated from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, and I'm very proud of my education and what it's done for me.  One area of concern is the administrative system for the UW itself, which needs to be cut.

* * * * * * * * * *

As always, our thanks go to both contributors for taking the time to respond to our questions.  And, we again encourage readers to pose their questions for future chapters in this 'debate'.

I have seen this 'mission statement' advertised in the form of a plaque for a long time.  I always seem to get a laugh from it, and thought it only right that I share this with you.

Please feel free to provide your recommendations as to what organization might be able to adopt this generic version:

                    MISSION STATEMENT

          We, the willing, led by the unknowing

          Are doing the impossible for the ungrateful.

               We have done so much for so long

                             With so little,

                       We are now qualified

                  To do anything with nothing

Barley Pop Pub closing?  Say it ain't so! 

I had the opportunity to get clarification on the story below from the Village Clerk several hours after posting the blog below.  She advised that the license for the Barley Pop Pub had been renewed earlier this month along with all the other establishments' licenses.  The issue concerning taxes owed must be resolved by the owners not later than June 30th according to Village Ordinance to prevent the loss of the current license.  Any establishment that has a liquor license must remain in good standing so far as building codes, taxes and fees and so on in order to avoid the suspension or loss of the license.  Village officials are powerless to make any concessions since the ordinance governs the situation.  Discussion did occur on the subject of amending the ordinance, however that did not result in any action being taken. 

My thanks to the Village Clerk for her clarification.

* * * * * * * * * * 

The liquor license of the Barley Pop is being threatened with non-renewal by the village unless back property taxes are paid by the end of June, and the owners say the Barley Pop may close if that happens.

The Barley Pop has been a fixture for nearly as long as I can remember.  I wonder how many of G'town's citizens have been in the Barley Pop at one time or another?  Probably a significant percentage and probably more than just once in awhile.

I don't recall hearing or reading of the occasional bar fight that I see reported every so often for other G'town establishments.  My food has always tasted fine; the portions are good; it isn't a gourmet stop, but it is a really good pub.  The non-smoking accommodations certainly point the way for an alternative to banning all smoking and the owners did that because they knew it would cater to most all the public.  I've always thought of the Barley Pop as being a well run business.

This business has been around for more than two decades.  I've not heard of this type of situation (unpaid taxes) regarding this business before.  I wonder just what the problem could be?  Could it be that the rising cost of food has slowed the business?  Could the cost of gasoline have depressed the business?  Every time I go into a grocery store, I'm reminded that food costs are rising regularly, and I know this has hit restaurants, as well.  It is not at all unusual to sit down and to be handed a freshly printed menu...with new higher prices.

We don't eat out as often as we did because the costs are going up and our budget is squeezed by other needs.  Maybe that has been the primary cause, or a major part of the problem, at least.

I hope that the owners and the village trustees can resolve this issue before we lose the Barley Pop.  It has become one of the icons of Germantown.  Our 'downtown' area doesn't need more empty store fronts.  Blight tends to lead to more blight and that isn't the mark of one of the thirty best places to live.

The question for today in our 'debate' between candidates LaSage and Melchert is this:

What specific existing state programs can be cut to stop the ongoing issues of budget shortfalls?

LaSage:  The reason that I am running for State Assembly is to return the Republican Party back to being the party that stands for smaller government.  My philosophy of good government is one in which bureaucracy is reduced and local control is increased, which leads not only to a need for less tax revenue, but it returns control and ownership back to the local level, where the people that have first-hand experience with local needs reside.  So while I understand that this office carries a great deal of responsibility, it is not power that I seek, but rather empowerment for our citizenry.

Further, my core belief is that budgetary shortfalls occur because the state fails to operate like a business.  When examining a budget, a business looks at all programs that yield little value.  For example, ethanol has been proven to be an ineffective product and thus state subsidies to encourage its production should be abolished.  Gas blended with ethanol causes even more financial pain at the pump and reduces fuel economy.  Furthermore, taxpayer funded incentives to produce ethanol leads to a government sponsored heightened demand for corn, which in turn contributes to higher prices at the grocery store.  All of this for dubious positive environmental impact, as ethanol needs to be transported on trucks, which of course use gas.

Another item that needs to be addressed is wasteful pet pork project spending.  One example of such spending in the state budget would be $250,000 for a Hmong cultural center in La Crosse.  While I fully support and have worked for preserving cultural heritage in our community, this is simply absurd.  With the state's budget over 1600 pages long, examples such as these abound.

If a deficit still exists after such review, a business would also tell each of its departments to put together proposals that cut spending across-the-board.  Upon making this directive, bureaucratic administrators will say that taxpayers' most valued programs will need to be cut.  When this demagoguery occurs, your assemblyman should call them out on it, telling them to go back to the drawing board and work harder.

In the midst of cash flow problems, a business would also look at the revenue side of the equation.  Presidents ranging from Democrat John F. Kennedy to Republican Ronald Reagan understood that tax cuts for individuals and businesses spurs growth, creating jobs that in turn yield more tax revenue.  What has worked at the federal level (when employed) should be implemented in Wisconsin.  Thus, I support a lower gas tax, as well as individual and corporate income tax rate reductions.

Finally, rather than monolithically telling citizens every program I feel should be cut, I look forward to engaging in an ongoing dialogue with district residents who can share their experiences and frustrations with state government bureaucracy and excess spending.  You can reach me on either my cell phone: (262) 573-6360, or via emailing jason.lasage@gmail.com .  By working together to put Wisconsin on the right track, our collective 24th district voice will be heard.

* * * * * * * * * *

Melchert:  We need to seriously consider a spending freeze for the next biennium.  A spending freeze would keep existing government offices and services in place, but would prohibit new spending.  Rep. Pridemore states that "This budget could almost be balanced with an across the board spending freeze that would allow the level of expected revenue to catch up with spending without any of the tax increases that democrats are proposing."  (http://donpridemore.com/BudgetTaxes/IsNoBudgettheBestBudget/tabid/70/Default.aspx)  A spending freeze may be unpopular, but a $2.3 billion deficit is immoral.

In addition, the budget has grown so much that we need to re-examine every dollar of government spending.  While Wisconsin is already under a form of "base budget review reporting", we need to introduce a more aggressive culture of spending restraint.  Instead of simply justifying expenses, let's require agencies to rank their spending priorities.  What expenses would each department cut if they only had 90% of their existing budget?  Would we lose essential services or would the reduction even be noticed?  Let's have a televised hearing on Wisconsin Eye as we justify to the state why we are going to spend each dollar of the $20 billion of your money.  While Jack Welch was criticized for his cost-cutting, he took GE from a $14 billion market value in 1980 to $410 billion in 2004.

By re-evaluating every dollar of government spending and implementing a spending freeze, we can restore fiscal accountability.

The mainstream media has taken up the fight now that Hillary and Barack have gotten their 'thing' settled; at least until the gathering in Denver. 

The learned political scientists on our college campuses have nearly unanimously opined that Obama is incapable of being defeated.  They have preordained that this election will be among the most lopsided victories for the left that we have witnessed in the entire history of our country.  Polls show Obama up by double digits over McCain.  It is all over but for the voting.

The election of Barack Obama as our next president is, apparently, inevitable.

So...there you go.  We conservatives can simply suck it up, pack it in, and decide how we're going to survive the coming four or eight years.  It is divined: Barack Obama is the next President of the United States...and will create a veto-proof majority for Democrats in both houses of our congress.

But wait.  Is it really inevitable?  Is the smugness of the left such that it will determine the course of history?  Is it really time for undefined change simply for the sake of change?  Are we in such dire straits that we will anoint Obama without so much as a discussion about that inevitable future?  Will the influx of young voters automatically accrue to the benefit of Obama?  Have the liberal professors that dominate our college campuses (98% + and counting) so indoctrinated the student body that inevitability is the only outcome imaginable?

Are 'we the people' so enamored of this man of change as to be taken with his oratorical skills in spite of the lack of depth of our knowledge of the details?  It is commonly discussed in political circles that the 'devil is in the detail', and yet, so far, there is very little flesh to be found on the skeleton of change. 

Will it remain the rule that any question of Obama's positions is akin to unfairly characterizing the man?  We smear him when we reflect upon the pastor that he followed willingly for twenty years.  We smear him when we talk about his very limited experience in politics, let alone on the national scene.  We smear him when we criticize his broadly-brushed position papers.  We smear him when he is forced to restate previous statements, sometimes more than once, to 'clarify' what he originally meant to say.

Obama has created a bubble that seems to surround him.  It is a protective bubble that keeps the hounds at bay.  One is to accept his speeches at face value.  One must not question the lack of substance.  One must not ask from where the money will come (although we know if we but listen to the tax increase rhetoric).  One must not ask which of the ladies in waiting the public would prefer in the White House.

Obama has created a protective bubble with the willing assistance of the liberal media.  Will that media be silent as well when we wake up to the second term of Jimmy Carter?  Will that media be silent when we throw away victory in the war on terror so that foreign governments will profess to like us better?  Will that media be silent when terrorists again begin to strike us in our homeland? 

Is it really Obama the Inevitable?  Or was the only inevitable thing about all this that the liberal media would fall into lockstep?

When I grew up almost everyone had a father living at home.  There were a few who had lost a father to illness or war or, sometimes, divorce.  But most everybody had a dad.  Our dads came in a variety of styles and flavors; some were very involved in the lives of their children; some were working two jobs to make ends meet and were not always home as the result.  But, most everybody had a dad.  We'd complain about our dads making us do this or that, but we had a dad.  I worked on paper routes when I was old enough to become a 'carrier'.  I peddled my bike all over Viroqua, WI delivering papers and collecting the weekly 35 cents that the paper cost in those days.  On the rare occasion when Dad thought the weather too tough, he'd get the car and drive me on my route.  That happened very seldom, but I still remember those times.

I learned a lot from my Dad.  The thing that surprises me the most is that I learned a lot that I didn't know I was learning.  He taught me that you always did what you said you would do.  He taught me that things weren't always going to be easy, but that we had to persevere in spite of the obstacles we encountered.  He wasn't perfect; none of us dads are.  But he taught me much even through my observations of his imperfections.

There is an alarming trend that has gone on for some time having to do with dads.  The result of this trend is that there are many more fatherless homes today than ever before.  Juan Williams wrote an article published in the Wall Street Journal today on this subject and gathered some startling statistics.  Startling to me at least, and I suspect to you, too.

According to a study conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, 22% of white children do not have dads in their homes; 31% of Hispanic children do not a father in their home, and 56% of black children have no father present.  Of course, this is usually the result of the out-of-wedlock birth rate.  The overall out-of-wedlock birth rate in the country today is 38%.  Some 28% of white children are born to a single mom, 50% of Hispanic children are born to single mothers and 71% of black children are born out of wedlock.

There are fewer and fewer male role models in America's homes and that is leading us to some major problems, in my opinion.  About 40% of single-mother families live in poverty.  As Williams points out, "even in kindergarten, children living with single parents are more likely to trail children with two parents when it comes to health, cognitive skills and their emotional maturity."

It is easier to understand the current state of our society when we look at things of this nature.  What might our crime rates be if this were not the case?  Would we have the same rates of drug abuse if there were more two parent homes?  

To borrow the movie title, we really could use a good dose of "Back to the Future" to get our society back on track.  And, that is up to each and every one of us if it is to happen.  It isn't someone else's job.  It is my job and it is your job; and it is a very important job indeed!

Our country was founded with three equal branches of government: the judicial branch, the legislative branch and the executive branch.  The Constitution granted certain privileges to each branch and was careful to separate those duties as the country's founders saw fit.

That effort by our country's founders was overthrown yesterday when the Supreme Court usurped the powers of both the legislative and the executive branches.  The swing vote, as has become the norm in this court's decisions, was Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Justice Kennedy's vote means that non-citizens captured in the war on terror are to be granted the rights of habeas corpus heretofore granted solely to U.S. citizens.  Habeas corpus is the right of American citizens to challenge detention by the government.  This case involved a captured Algerian native who has been in Guantanamo Bay for several years.  He has never contested the finding of the military tribunal that he is an enemy combatant.  His attorney, to the contrary, has only asserted his supposed right to have a habeas corpus hearing in a federal court.

There are likely attorneys queued up this morning filing motions that can lead to the release of these enemy combatants based on the court's decision.  There can be questions posed that the government will feel cannot be answered on the grounds that the answers would give away intelligence sources or techniques.  If the questions are not answered, then the enemy combatant can be released.

Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution, as pointed out in the Wall Street Journal's editorial this morning, contains the clause that says: "The privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the Public Safety may require it."

So, we see the liberal members of the supreme court aligned on the issue.  They see the Constitution as something to be twisted to meet their world view at the time.  The Constitution does not impact non-citizens.  It does permit habeas corpus to be suspended in the case of 'invasion'. 

The man in question is not a U.S. citizen.  The country was 'invaded' when the terrorists attacked the trade towers and killed 3,000 people on a single morning in September.  That was but one instance of attacks that had gone on for some time.

We are not involved in legal semantics; we are involved in the fight for our continued freedoms.  And now, it appears the terrorists have opened a new front in the fight located in Washington, D.C. with its allies in the U.S. Supreme Court.

The left is hung up on what it claims is the "Bush War"; this is an American War and it has dire implications if we should lose the war.  We have been safe in America since 9/11 for a reason; that reason is that we are taking the fight to the terrorists and not sitting on our haunches waiting for their next attack as had been happening through-out the 1990s and into the early 2000s.

Congress must step up to the plate, pass new legislation and take any semblance of ambivalence out of the language.  There must be three equal branches.  We simply cannot permit one branch being more equal than the others...no matter which 'side' has the voting advantage.  Politics has to stop when the welfare of our country is at stake...and it is at stake!

We are all too aware of the 'fabled' 9th U.S. Court of Appeals found in San Francisco.  This is the single most liberal-leaning court in the federal system and can be counted on for ground-breaking decisions that often run counter to the mainstream.

Now, we're being given the opportunity to make our own judgments about the chief judge of that court, a gentleman by the name of Alex Kozinski.  By all accounts, the judge has had a storied career.  He was appointed to the 9th Circuit by President Ronald Reagan and was considered as a possible Supreme Court nominee by then President George H.W. Bush in 1990 and 1991 according to an Associated Press story that ran in the morning Journal Sentinel.

How is it that we are now able to make personal judgments about the chief judge?  Well, he was forced to suspend an obscenity trial that he was presiding over when sexually explicit material was discovered posted to his family's web site.

Certainly anything can happen on the Internet; things can be made to seem something that they are not.  Slack needs to be cut for anyone in this respect.  But, when they open their mouths to defend themselves, they may tend to open the flood gates.

Judge Kozinski said he didn't believe any of the images were obscene. (They were, by the way, reported to have been scenes of a man cavorting with a sexually aroused farm animal as reported in the article.  A female painted as a cow was seen nude on all fours in another image according to the press.)  That seems to be along the lines of what I think of as bestiality and pornography.  He is quoted as saying, in response to the question of whether or not this was prurient, "Is it prurient?  I don't know what to tell you.  I think its odd and interesting.  It's part of life."

The judge is computer savvy.  He apparently builds his own computers, and has battled federal court administrators over Web filters they installed to block porn from government computers.  He seems to know his way around a computer and the Internet.

He said he must have accidentally uploaded the images to his server while trying to upload something else.

He is, or was, presiding over a trial for a man accused of obscenity for selling movies depicting bestiality.

Several thoughts come to mind:

This court is notorious for its liberal bent, and this seems to bear out the sense that many of us have about that court.  I view this court as an embarrassment but I understand that the ACLU would have a different take.

The press has written the story so as to tell us everything good about this judge while sort of lamenting that something like this could beset such a learned jurist.  I submit that had this been a conservative justice, we would see the equivalent of the smear that we witnessed during the hearings to confirm Justice Clarence Thomas.  This story would not have been buried in the innards of the morning paper; it would have, instead, been on the front pages in every newspaper and appear as the lead article on every newscast in the country for a week.

Will there be an investigation in this matter such as was conducted by the Cedarburg School Board?  There ought to be at least that level of scrutiny brought in this instance.

Will people finally admit that the 9th Circuit is an embarrassment?  A few of us will do so, but the majority just don't seem to see things the right way.

Are we being a bit presumptuous by having a Wisconsin global warming task force?  There is no solid scientific evidence of anything other than what our earth has always gone through.  Our emotions are being played "like a fiddle" with pictures of polar bears drowning when, in fact, the pictures were of nothing of the sort, and the fact that there are twice the number of polar bears today as were on this earth 40 years ago.  The Great Lakes were drying up at an alarming rate and today we don't know what to do with all the water that fell on us.

We are reduced to blaming both hot weather and cold weather on global warming.  We are reduced to blaming both drought and flooding on global warming.  We either have more hurricanes or fewer hurricanes, but both those phenomenons are caused by global warming.  We just had one of the greatest snow falls in any winter on record, but it is caused by global warming.

It seems as though the powers that be have succumbed to this burst of 'junk science' that we've been treated to in the past handful of years since Al Gore adopted global warming as his latest crusade.  His Power Point slide show has spawned a great deal for him...at our collective expense.  We can't drill for oil, we can't build power plants using nuclear technology, and we are burning our food as fuel while people starve around the world.  Every one of those decisions was based on politics, not on reason and certainly not on any rational approach to the issues confronting us today.  This whole movement is destroying our economy and we seem blind to that reality.

The reality is that none of us knows anything for certain.  We don't have a clue as to whether we are in a true global warming crisis or not.  It is not sound science to assume that we are in crisis because we cannot prove otherwise.  Where is the rationality to that?  Yet, that is precisely what is happening today.  We could as easily be creating a new problem where none exists today by following the "siren's song" of global warming.

This task force convenes and decides what you and I need to be doing, but it is doing so without any basis in fact.

Why is it that this task force thinks that wind turbine energy must produce 25% of our electricity before they, the task force members, will even think of permitting us to build another atomic power plant?  Have they, the task force members, stopped to consider how many wind turbines at what cost planted where will be required to produce 25% of the electricity we consume today let alone will consume in a quarter-century?  Have they performed a cost benefit analysis for nuclear versus wind-powered electricity generation?  Of course not, since that would destroy any credibility they claim to have.

How gracious of this task force to at least say they will think of atomic power before the Yucca Mountain storage facility has been placed into use provided, of course, that we build the wind turbine farms across our landscape.  I wonder what ever happened to the fears of birds flying into these huge blades?  Is concern for wildlife now being replaced on the left by the overriding concern about global warming even though it is unproved?

The task force leaders say that their intent is to compromise.  If I had the position of manufacturing something from nothing, I, too, would believe in compromise.  The other side would have to give up 50% of its position and, in return, I'd get 50% further toward my goal of this fantastic future-land where everything is balanced, where none of us uses any more than any of the rest of us on the globe...where we are in the same desperate condition as everyone else on the face of the earth.  That makes a lot of sense to me.

Why do we insist on doing these things to ourselves?

Two candidates have declared, so far, for the Assembly 24th district seat being vacated by Sue Jeskewitz.  They are Republicans Randy Melchert and Jason LaSage.  I continue to hear that there will be other candidates declaring between now and the deadline on July 8th, however we want to begin the Assembly 'Debate' so as to help voters learn as much as possible about the candidates.  I have posed much the same questions to both candidates as were discussed in the Senate "Debate' series.

The initial question was this:  If you were to introduce yourself to a roomful of voters, what would you tell them of yourself?

Melchert:  I am Randy Melchert, and I am a 5th generation Menomonee Falls resident.  My great grandmother ran a small café near the corner of Main Street and Appleton Avenue.  My grandfather started his law practice near that same corner as well.  My mother practiced law there as well.  I have lived my entire life in this community and I enjoy it.  Except for one thing.

Taxes.  While we have "The Best Care in the Air" nearby, the Packers up the road, and a beautiful wonderland every winter, the tax situation in this state is hurting the families of the state.  The average Menomonee Falls family over the next ten years will send around $77,000 to Madison in state income and sales taxes.  In Germantown a little less, in Richfield a lot more.  We have the 7th highest state and local tax burden, the 8th highest gas tax, and the 11th worst business tax climate.  Unfortunately the tax bill may rise.  On top of our already large spending habit, we could have a $2.3 billion deficit.  That's $1,655 of debt for every family of four in the state.  We need change now.  We need legislators who are responsible, dependable, and accountable.

* * * * * * * * * *

LaSage:  I am a life-long resident, taxpayer and worker in the 24th district, truly grateful for the support I have received from this community throughout my entire life.  When I was a 5th grader at County Line School, residents, led by my Cub Scout Leader, Jim McNally, generously donated money to provide me with a scooter so that I would have a way to keep up with my friends.  At Kennedy Middle School, one of the many special teachers in my life, now principal, Steve Bold helped spark my interest in social studies by demonstrating how serving others is a rewarding enterprise.  While I was a high school student, area parents came to my aid, as I helped lead the way with a group of friends to promote drug and alcohol-free activities in the community through initiating Youth Future's 1st annual lock-in for middle school students-an event that recently celebrated its 14th year.

In 1998, residents embraced my eagerness for public service, by electing me to the Germantown School Board-an office I was re-elected to.  That same year, current outgoing state Representative Sue Jeskewitz was kind enough to take me to Madison for a day to see first-hand how state government works.  As a board member, the MacArthur Elementary School community welcomed me, as I tutored youngsters and volunteered at MacFest events.  I also worked with Keith Musolff's gifted and talented middle school students for two years.  Additionally, as I was focusing on my bachelor's degree in communication and political science from UW-Milwaukee, state Senator Alberta Darling gave me the opportunity to intern for her.

Menomonee Falls also accommodated me for four years at Guaranty Bank and six years at Strong Investments.  I have kept involved with area youth for the past six years (and counting) by part-time substitute teaching in the Menomonee Falls School District.  I am also thankful to have had the ability to learn even more about the area and enhance my leadership skills through participation in Leadership Germantown this past year.

Now, as a 24th district taxpayer and homeowner, I want to be your representative in the state Assembly, taking my rich experience from the area and championing our shared values-creating jobs through lower taxes, spending and regulation; working to achieve more local control of education and municipal government; addressing healthcare with free market, consumer solutions; protecting individual liberties-while being accessible and willing to listen to all constituents.  I realize that some politicians have the tendency to disappoint, letting the lure of outside money get in the way of doing the people's work.  Though, if given the opportunity to serve as your representative in Madison, I assure you that my values and character, my ties to the community, and my aspiration to deliver sound, conservative leadership are not for sale.

* * * * * * * * * *

As always, we thank both gentlemen for taking time to participate in this 'Debate' and welcome readers' questions for future 'Debates'.  Either email those or frame them as comments to this blog.

The move toward filing the documents necessary to seek secession from the Milwaukee Area Technical College tax district has begun to draw some debate amongst the politicos in Germantown.

Village President Kempinski has been quoted as being concerned with the seemingly slow movement in this process, and School Board President Erdmann says that we shouldn't worry because it is being taken up in July for ultimate filing in August.

Some have pointed to the earlier appointment of Superintendent Victor Rossetti as the death blow to any secession movement since Germantown is now directly represented on the MATC Board.

Mr. Rossetti will serve his last day as superintendent on June 30th.  What happens then?  Does he have to step down or is he permitted to serve out his term since he is then a 'former' superintendent.  What happens if he moves from the MATC district?  Is he immediately susceptible to removal if he doesn't resign?

Interesting questions all.  I have written earlier of some concern since the MATC discussion had been quiet for a seemingly long period of time.  Then we were advised that we shouldn't worry since the school board would resume its discussion in July. 

We are still a long way from the actual filing of documents and then we must await the decision of the state technical college board that is due within ninety days of the filing.  Then, even if we were to be successful...and that is far from a certainty...the actual secession wouldn't occur until the start of a new fiscal period for technical colleges.

And, of course, while this all plays out, we are being over-taxed and under-served by the money-eating monster that we know as MATC.

What we don't need are any artificial obstacles cropping up along the pathway to change.

We have, it appears, survived the presidential primary campaign season. 

During this season just passed, we witnessed the significant defeat of the Clintons.  Yes, of both Clintons, not just Hillary.  There is no 'just Hillary'.  With her comes the other, Bill.  With her comes the remembrances of all that was the Clintonian presidency; the innuendo, the smears, the lost billing records, the huge trading gains, the eleventh-hour pardons and on and on and on.  It wasn't a significant defeat in terms of numbers of votes, but it was significant in terms of the name and the legacy.

During this season just passed, we saw the emergence of a first-term senator from Illinois who is now the Democrat candidate for President of the United States of America.  He is biracial, and that means that a historic 'barrier' appears to have been overcome.  He is inexperienced as compared to the typical candidate for our highest elected position, but he has an eloquence about him that seems to enthrall those to whom he speaks.  He is Barack Obama.  Of that we can be sure.  But, beyond that we are unsure.  There is much about him and his beliefs that needs to be fleshed out between now and November

During this season just passed, we saw the Republicans settle on an elder member of the senate who will be nearly 72 if and when he takes office.  The word 'settle' was chosen intentionally.  The conservative members of the Republican party were forced to 'settle' for John McCain.  They may take up the banner and charge ahead, or they may hold back, contribute little and vote begrudgingly.  We know that he has been bloodied in battle, and that is reality and not simply an expression.  We know the mettle of the man.

So, Hillary is expected to finally make her amends to Barack Obama today by suspending her campaign.  That means that she is still trying to finagle something more for herself.  It might be that promise of a nomination to become a member of the Supreme Court, or it might be the payment of her $20 million campaign shortfall that came from the Clintons' pocket, or it might be the selection as the vice presidential candidate.  We don't know, and we may not come to know anytime soon; but we do know the Clintons and we do know that there will be some price extracted by them.  That is the way it is with them.

And the rest of us are left to make a monumentally important decision as to whom we desire as our next titular head.  I use the word 'titular' intentionally, as well.  The President of the United States influences but seldom decides policy.  The President lives in a world of 'checks and balances' that sometimes seems to be unchecked and imbalanced.  Congress will be very important as it always is.  That is frightening when one steps back and observes the ofttimes childish machinations that come from this body.

As it stands today, we would choose between an elder about whom we know a good deal and a junior about whom we know virtually nothing.  I am reminded of the phrase that refers to the 'devil we know versus the devil we don't know'.  I don't use that phrase in a derogatory manner.  This election is, to my thinking, a classic 'lesser of evils' election.  The campaign will be waged between one who is so far only a passable speaker but whom we know, and between the other who is as eloquent a speaker as any politician in my lifetime but about whom we know next to nothing.

And I confess to great concern since us voters tend to be swayed by eloquence more than substance far too often...and we often pay a dear price as the result.