Our neighbors in Mequon have scheduled a discussion for this evening concerning the use of 'small electric vehicles' on streets with speed limits as high as 35 miles per hour (MPH).  The Mequon Police Chief appears to be in favor having sought ordinance language that would permit this.

These vehicles apparently have a top speed in the 20 to 25 MPH range, are four-wheeled and likely have the necessary lights and equipment to be qualified to operate on a city street.

We have more and more scooters and small motorized bicycles on the streets now that gasoline prices are rising.  Those are difficult enough to see and cause slow downs.  Those are typically operated by young people or younger adults.  My real concern is the operation of such vehicles by senior citizens who may or may not have the reflexes, vision, flexibility and strength they once did.

Cyclists may take me to task but I don't make the same connection with this proposal.

I am torn with my internal debate on this subject.  I am now a senior citizen by definition; I don't feel like a senior but that may come along soon enough.  Members of my family have gone through the process of losing their personal freedom by being unable to drive.  That is a most painful and, probably, humiliating process.

I think of the old fellow (now anyone who is more than twenty years my senior) from Iowa who, feeling he needed to see his brother near Richland Center one more time, rode his John Deere lawn tractor on the shoulder of roadways making his way on that trek.  I see those who have personal disabilities riding around the sidewalks on their electric scooters.

But, the idea of these, essentially, golf carts with lights and a horn traveling on Pilgrim Road or Mequon Road (where speed limits are 35 MPH) is something I can't quite square.  I would be very fearful that accidents would either involve those vehicles or be caused by the distraction of those vehicles.  Autos and trucks are now traveling at speeds up to 10 MPH greater than the posted speeds on those routes.  Imagine a golf cart being overtaken by a pickup truck that is traveling at twice its speed.  Imagine the sudden braking and the chain reactions.  Imagine the lawsuits.  Imagine the personal injury or deaths.  Imagine the 'road rage'.

How will such a vehicle fend for itself on the round-abouts being placed here and there?  What if the driver chooses to travel at even less than the maximum speed of the vehicle.  Imagine a 10 or 15 MPH golf cart going down Mequon Road at 4:00PM or at 7:30AM.

How will drivers of standard size vehicles maintain lines of sight so that they can identify and avoid these vehicles.  Full sized vehicles can "suddenly appear" where we didn't see them a moment earlier.

I know I may regret having stated this position if I ever find myself being forced into immobility, but it just seems fraught with problems.

Public Safety Committee meeting...

This committee meeting was called to order last evening by Chair Dean Wolter with Trustee Werdering absent due to vacation.  Trustees Ewert and Vanderheiden were present.

Among the items discussed were these:

The Fire Department presented its proposal for the purchase of 28 new Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) units.  These would replace the old units that are now comprised of units with seven different safety devices that can be confusing for firefighters.  The new units are equipped with new masks that feature a 'heads up display" (HUD) that permits the firefighter to glance at the bottom of his or her sight line to see the minutes of air remaining, will provide for uniformity to enhance training and that permit computerized overviews of firefighter locations in fire situations.  These units come with a price tag of $116,973.50.  The committee unanimously approved forwarding this proposal to the Village Board with a recommendation for approval.

Additionally, four new hydraulic cots and stair chairs that are much improved over the old units that have been causing injury to firefighters in some situations were discussed and approved for forwarding to the Village Board with a positive recommendation.

The upshot in all this is that an ambulance that had earlier been included in budget numbers at a cost of some $185,000 was agreed to be dropped so that these items (with a cost totaling some $173,000) could be recommended to the Board for approval.  The Village has four ambulances with the oldest being about 5 to 6 years and all are deemed to be serviceable.  This discussion actually began a year or more ago according to my recollection and was finally brought forward for action.

Preliminary discussions involving budgets for the coming year were conducted by Police Department and Fire Department personnel.

A proposed ordinance regarding student use of electronic communication devices that have been forbidden during school hours was passed to the Board with a recommendation for approval.  This would result in violations being written up and with fines in the area of $90 being assessed.  There is believed to be a need for something beyond the school regulations that seem to be disregarded in some instances.

~~~~~~~~~~

Sendik's Ribbon Cutting Ceremony...

Invitations have been sent to Trustees and others by the Balistreri Family to celebrate the opening of their Sendik's Food Market on September 4th at 9:30AM.

There will be several speakers including the developer and Sendik's representatives.  Also included are several state and local politicians and the head of the local Chamber.  I didn't see Trustees from the district that includes the new market included, nor were there any Washington County Supervisors from our community included.  Senator Darling was included on the speaker's list but Rep. Jeskewitz' name was not included.  President Tom Kempinski and Trustee Dean Wolter were on the speakers list, as well.

It is great to see the new store opening when it said it would.  Competition is a good thing.

Apparently there is a private, invitation only, affair being held the night before.  My invitation must be in the mail :)

Wal-Mart Security System...

Wal-Mart is installing a fairly elaborate ADT security system in its parking lots today.  There appear to be multiple cameras on multiple poles that will effectively 'see' everything in the parking areas. 

I suspect this may have been prompted by the fairly recent series of attacks on women who were either entering or leaving their vehicles.  There certainly could be other reasons behind this, as well.  It has become fairly common to hear of shop lifters being apprehended and this certainly won't harm that process.

Whatever is/was the reason for the decision, I suspect that mostly only the 'bad guys' will find this objectionable.  I know there are some who believe that all these security devices are a threat to our individual freedoms.  We can be 'seen' as we travel on expressways, we can be 'seen' as we pass through various intersections, we can be 'seen' by security systems both inside and, now, outside retail establishments.

While this kind of information could be used improperly, I have, so far at any rate, faith in our system.  I prefer that our authorities have more rather than less data at their disposal in order to catch 'bad guys'.  We read of the benefits to society on a very regular basis.

~~~~~~~~~~

Germantown Community Library...

Kudos to the fine folks at our library who always treat me in a most courteous and pleasant manner.  I only recently 'discovered' that I could read as much as I liked without having to spend untold hundreds of dollars to satisfy my craving for more and more books.

This is, of course, my better half's fault since she encouraged me to try 'fiction' instead of all the dull non-fiction stuff I had been reading most of my adult life.

My regular visits are always rewarded with a smile and a nice word or two.

Okay, this is 'picky' but I have to do it. 

I loved Thomas Square Bagel Bread in the normal size.  We bought this product regularly until it wasn't to be found on the shelf at any local stores.  It worked well for breakfast and was wonderful as a sandwich medium.  Then, I opted for the 'mini' version and bought that until it, too, disappeared.

(Note: I found that these items appear to still be made based on the Thomas website.  The website permits product location by zip code area and there are no locations in this area that appear to have this product any longer.  I've e-mailed them asking about this situation and when, if ever, the product will return to our area.)

From there, I switched back to English muffins.  I tried several brands and decided that I preferred those with the brand name 'Village Hearth'.  I bought a couple of packages over the course of a week or so from the local Pick 'n Save store on Mequon Road.  Then, they disappeared from the shelf.  I found Thomas muffins and Roundy's muffins and Sara Lee muffins, but no Village Hearth muffins.  I have been eating the Sara Lee brand but it just doesn't do the trick for me.

My morning is started with me thinking about how much I'd enjoy a Thomas square bagel or even a Village Hearth muffin while I eat the Sara Lee version.

This is minor, I admit, but it is indicative of my experience with our Pick' n Save.  I'm pretty sure this is uniform across all Roundy's stores.  There seems to be a near-constant change of brands.  I understood that Roundy's private brands were replacing some of these changed products.  That probably speaks to the profit margins that Roundy's achieves on their private brands.  But the changing of brands seems almost a constant to me.  I don't know if there is that much volatility in the costs from month to month or if this simply points to a special deal having been cut that deprives us of the brands we were accustomed to having available.

Is it just me, and therefore I should just get used to it, or are there other 'picky' readers who have similar feelings?

Nicole Sell...

What a miracle this 16 year old's recovery from a gunshot wound to the head is to behold.  It is nothing short of an act of God that she continues to live with us in this place.

I hope the sheriff's department will be relentless in its efforts to locate the person or persons responsible for this near-tragedy.  Someone knows something, as is almost always the case.  That someone needs to step forward and enable the authorities to close the file on this case.

Kenneth Rogers...

The new superintendent of Germantown Schools will take his new position on July 1st.  Now the superintendent of the Eleva-Strum Schools, he'll be moving to our community soon.  Welcome Mr. Superintendent.

I hope you will be able to work closely with the elected school board members while you breathe new ideas and approaches into our district.

Allan Kehl...

Another politician gets caught with his hand out, and has entered guilty pleas to federal charges that he took $15,000 from Dennis Troha of Kenosha.  Worse yet is the fact that Kehl is the former Kenosha County Sheriff.  He maintains, of course, that this money didn't influence his thoughts about the gaming casino Troha was trying to get established.  Sure Allan, we believe you...sure we do.

Newsweek...

We can all relax now that Newsweek has declared the debate on global warming to be over.  Here I was thinking that an honest, earnest debate had yet to begin on the subject, but I must've been wrong.

Certainly this liberal bastion of a magazine couldn't have misinterpreted all the evidence.  Oh, that's right...we really don't have any hard evidence yet do we?

Charles Krauthammer has a great column in the Journal Sentinel this morning if you're interested.

It is expected that Corsair Capital, a New York based private equity group will sign a deal with National City today that will affect Germantown.  You've guessed by now, if you're a regular reader, that the effect is to keep our newest bank name, National City Bank, in Germantown, at least for the foreseeable future.  Corsair and some other individual investors will put around $6 billion into National City at a share price of some $5.00.

We earlier traced the evolution from St. Francis Bank to Mid America Bank to National City Bank in the first Blog that discussed the plight of National City.  It's shares closed at $8.33 on Friday and that marked a 52 week decline in value of 78%.

So, it appears that my friendly, efficient bankers in Germantown will continue to be there when I need them.  I'm happy for them and for me and the rest of their customers.  Changing banks is a nuisance.  If there are direct deposits, those must be changed.  If there are automatic withdrawls, those must be changed.  New checks and bank cards must be obtained, and decisions as to which of the numerous accounts offered is the right account need to be made.  If Internet banking is involved, there is another level of change, and if telephone banking is involved, yet another level.

We sometimes are oblivious to the things that happen on Wall Street and the world but many of those distant happenings directly involve us in one or another ways.  This whole subject has been one that most of us has not followed...and yet it has an impact on our nice little village.  Our economy has truly become a global economy whether for the better or not.  IBM sold its laptop computer business to a company in China.  The Jaguar and Range Rover nameplates are now owned by a company in India.  GM is building a new engine plant in Brazil.  Medical x-rays are read off shore.  When the Far East markets hiccup, Wall Street flinches.  The demand for gasoline and diesel fuel in India and China have thrown our prices into a seemingly unending upward spiral.

Perhaps more important, these changes have occurred in a relatively short span of time..in decades rather than centuries.

There was, I thought, supposed to have been the 14th Annual Easter Egg Hunt yesterday at Firemen's Park in Germantown unless precluded by 'inclement weather'.  I don't think that hunt happened and I know the weather was beautiful...well at least not inclement...and I didn't see any announcement nor were there, I'm told, any cancellation signs posted, people there to explain, etc.

There may have been a very good reason for the non-hunt, but we've heard nothing about it.  How many youngsters were there and disappointed?  Whose responsibility was this?  The  Rec Department head?  Someone designated to be the project leader?  The Village Board member that chairs the appropriate committee?  Who?

Just as there has been no cancellation notice that I've seen or heard about, there has been no indication that it will be re-scheduled to the 'inclement weather day', March 22nd. 

What's goin' on G'town? 

Banks have been located in grocery stores for the past couple of decades.  Grocery stores love it because they get more money from the space that might otherwise not be filled with merchandise.  Banks love it because people are found in grocery stores and people use banks.  And, a lot of people love it for the convenience; bank and shop with one stop.

Makes sense doesn't it?

It seems to make sense except when we hear about a 'bank robbery' involving one of those grocery store branches.  The grocery store branch bank cannot be as secure and protected as the bank in a dedicated building.  There are nearly always more innocent bystanders near the scene in an 'in store' robbery.  People who rob banks are simply not dependable people; we do not know how far they are willing to go to obtain money; we do not know if they might be armed.  They are, it seems to me, obviously a bit over the edge or they wouldn't be robbing a bank. 

By now you probably know that the bank branch inside the Germantown Pick 'n Save store was robbed yesterday at shortly after 11:00AM.  The layout of this store and the bank branch is such that there is very little room separating the bank from the grocery store aisle that passes in front of the check-out lanes.  It is located very close to the center entrance, has one enclosed office and an open teller counter area.  It is not uncommon to see customers queued up at free-standing tables in front of the teller counter waiting their turn.  Grocery customers are often standing in line or checking out or bagging their groceries.  Others are often at the Customer Service counter.  There is no real physical separation involved and that could lead to innocent people finding themselves involved in a bank hold-up.  Additionally, the grocery check-outs are loaded with money, too.  What's to stop the robber from making a few withdrawls there while he or she is at it?  That is not good.

It seems that, if a bank branch is to be permitted to occupy space in some other venue such as a grocery store or a Wal-Mart super store (which also has such a bank), the bank should be separated physically from the other open areas of the host store.  There should be walls, whether solid or glass, separating the two business activities.  That makes sense as much from a simple 'privacy' perspective as it does from the 'safety' perspective.

There are quite a number of bank robberies every year in Wisconsin.  We seldom hear much since the bank executives and the police agencies don't want to make a lot of 'to do' over these events.  This certainly is not the first such occurrence in a grocery store setting.

Is it a good idea to have bank customers and grocery customers intermingled as they are in the Pick 'n Save?  I don't think so.  Should there be physical separation?  I think that is a good idea.  How could that be accommodated in the Pick 'n Save?  There could be a new bank entrance constructed in the outer hallway with walls separating the bank from the inner grocery store area.  It would still permit one stop shopping and banking, but it would keep the two separate and, I believe, offer more privacy and more protection.

Am I just an Old Curmudgeon, or is there something to this with which you agree?

Seemingly everytime we pick up a newspaper or periodical we see that health care costs have risen again.  The only real question anymore is 'How Much?'.  Of course, if we still have health insurance, the premium rates continue to go up and up.  What in the world can we do about this?  Would statewide mandatory insurance coverage do the trick?  Can we somehow legislate lower insurance premiums?  Are the drug companies really the culprits?  Maybe we simply need to move to Canada or Europe.

Recent studies show that our national health care spending increased in 2006 by 6.7% to $2.1 trillion.  That means that one out of every six dollars spent in our national economy goes for health care.  The 'good news' in this staggering number is that this is actually slower growth than we saw for 2005.  Apparently we're going in the right direction, even if too slowly.

Another amazing fact, to me at least, is the amount of 'out-of-pocket' spending each of us averages after insurance premiums, etc.  In 2006, we spent, on average, 12% out-of-pocket for our health care expenses.  Know what we spent out-of-pocket in 1960?  We spent 47% out-of-pocket for health care expenses. 

That means that we are shielded to a much greater degree today from our real health care costs than we were in 1960.  Our out-of-pocket costs have decreased steadily since 1960.  We are often at the point today where we think of the cost of health care as being the $10 or $20 co-pay we have to come up with when we go to see the doctor.  Or, the $20 or $30 dollars we have to cough up for medicines.  Those amounts are very small percentages of the total costs.

Why is this important?  It is important because we need to think about what we're spending if we're ever going to be able to bring this cost spiral under control.  If we come to understand that the real cost of the doctor visit is in the range of $125 to $150 or more, we can begin to understand that maybe we shouldn't be running to the doctor everytime we have a runny nose or a cough.

Another very interesting fact is this:  more than 50% of all health care claims costs in America today are to cover lifestyle-related illnesses.  Those are the things that you and I can control to one degree or another.  But, we can't control them if we don't know about it or if we choose not to do anything about it.  What are 'lifestyle' issues?  Smoking, alcohol use, obesity and simply laying around doing no exercise.

Does this apply to us?  Here are the most current facts:  One in every four Americans eat fast food every day!  Six of ten Americans do not exercise or seldom exercise!  Two of every three Americans are classified as either overweight or obese!

This is the real source of our health care cost crisis.  We have met the enemy and it is us!

No mandatory state programs, or profit controls on drug companies or anything else is going to solve this problem.  The simple truth is that this is up to us.  All the rest of these proposals are simply pablum calculated to make us feel good.

That is why this 'stuff' is flowing from the mouths of politicans.  And it does nothing to solve the problem!

Let your politicians know that you understand this.  If they really want to help us, they'll begin an educational program using some of the 'smoker money' to get the true message out.  And, be sure to tell them we do not want laws banning fast food or drinking or smoking.  We need to take responsibility for ourselves.  No one else can do that for us.  The marketplace will make its own corrections just as you've begun to see with the menu changes going on in the world of fast foods, for example.

Maybe if insurance companies were permitted to charge people what we deserve to be charged based on our lifestyle habits, we'd begin to see these changes occur.  If I smoke, I pay more.  If I'm overweight, I pay a surcharge.  Make me feel my wallet lightening up if I don't take personal responsibility (just don't think this is your new way to raise taxes). 

Don't just continue to blame big health, or big drugs or big insurance!  You are doing nothing but pandering when you resort to this, and we're on to you!

I don't know about you, but I am excited about having our own Sendik's in Germantown.  I only wish it could be up and running in about a month!

My most recent issue with the local Pick 'N Save was finding a huge hole in the self space where minced clams were supposed to be yesterday.  Apparently everyone in Germantown decided as did I that Clam Chowder was what I needed to eat last evening.  That had to be the case since the empty shelf space would've easily held 100 or more tins of minced clams.

The free market is the best solution to any business that doesn't pay close enough attention to its clientèle.  That has been a problem ever since Jewel closed, and, unfortunately, that problem wasn't solved when Wal-Mart opened its new super center on Appleton Avenue.

The Jewel closure saw the elimination of many brand items by Pick 'N Save leaving us to pick from Roundy's or nothing.

I don't know who or what set up the display areas, but those don't bear any resemblance to where my common sense says I'll find something.  It isn't as though the stockers aren't helpful because they are.  But...I want to get in, make my selections and get out.  The grocery store is not my idea of a destination in which I want to lounge.

Maybe that'll change with the opening of Sendik's!  If they were to install a cash or debit only check-out for fewer than 10 items, I'd think I was in paradise!

The announcement concerning the sale of Medical Associates to ProHealth Care has been expected for months and finally was made.  ProHealth will buy Medical Associates for about $40 Million and the deal is expected to close around the beginning of 2008.

ProHealth owns Waukesha Memorial Hospital and Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital.  Medical Associates has clinical facilities in Menomonee Falls, Hartford, Sussex, Germantown, and Waukesha.  The bulk of Medical Associates' 175,000 patients are admitted to Waukesha Memorial Hospital and to Community Memorial Hospital in Menomonee Falls.

Community Memorial is part of the Froedtert & Community Health system.  That system has agreed to consolidate operations with the Columbia St. Mary's system.

Finally, Advanced Healthcare is being purchased by the Aurora system, and Aurora is building a new hospital in Grafton which is the 'backyard' of Columbia St. Mary's.

There are still other smaller systems fighting for survival, but those named will be the major players and are likely to have absorbed the remaining hospital systems and physician practice affiliations.

My earlier blogs have discussed what all this consolidation could mean to those of us in the Germantown area.

First, Community Memorial Hospital is at risk of losing the bulk of its patient load.  Aurora has promised the doctors at Advanced Healthcare that their admitting patterns will not be changed for at least two years.  (Read that to say, we'll shift patient admissions from Community Memorial Hospital to other Aurora hospitals in two years.)  I don't have any idea of the language of the deal between Medical Associates and ProHealth.  But, ProHealth is buying Medical Associates to gain doctors and to get added patients admitted to its hospitals.

Clinics usually are cost centers for hospital systems.  Hospitals tend to lose money on the clinics they buy and operate, but make that back plus with admissions to their hospitals.

There have been continuing rumors of discussions involving ProHealth and Froedtert & Community.  If those systems were to consolidate, there would emerge a new 750 lb. gorilla to take on the existing 800 lb. gorilla named Aurora.

Again, I have no knowledge of those discussions, if they are even continuing.  If I were running any one of those remaining systems, I'd certainly have determined that my only real chance of survival would be to consolidate with others to get the scale needed to be a true competitor to Aurora.

This bears watching.

So far as those of us in the Germantown area, we're in for a bit of a roller coaster ride over the next few years so far as healthcare is concerned.  Not only will admitting patterns be involved that will determine where we are hospitalized, but the price of healthcare will hang in the balance.  Will consolidation lead to true price competition....or will it ultimately end true price competition?  It could go either way.

On a beautiful almost-Fall day, I found myself at Friedenfeld Park watching Germantown’s Youth Football League in action.

The expanded parking area was nearly full when we arrived at 8:45AM and was brimming when we left again at about 10:15AM. I’m sure that continued for most of the day.

Each game had its share of people on the sidelines watching and cheering the youngsters on. I saw friends and neighbors coaching. I saw innumerable citizens volunteering their time in many different ways. I saw boys and girls of nearly all ages enjoying themselves as either participants or spectators.

There was flag football and tackle football. There was appropriate music during the warm-ups and, of course, the National Anthem before the main game. New Berlin was the visiting team and had their fans along to provide support, as well.

The play-by-play announcer was in fine form. The cheerleaders were in uniform and doing their utmost to encourage the team. The bratwurst smelled delicious when we arrived. Maybe a “breakfast brat” would be a good idea.

The fields bear the names of the various contributors who have provided funding. The teams proudly wore their “jerseys” bearing the names of many Germantown and area firms that were sponsoring each team.

I was reminded that we have a very vibrant program that serves as the “feeder system” for our tremendously successful Germantown Varsity football program. We live in a true community and our friends and neighbors are working hard to keep us just that…a community.

Smaller communities have a certain something about them that just isn’t often found in larger cities. Small town America has taught us well since our founding as a country, and those small towns continue to fill that role. Would that everyone could grow up that way!

Junk mail is driving me nuts. How about you? Is there a real solution that we can use or are we doomed to continue to wear out our delete keys? I’ll be happy to pass along your recommendations.

Perpetual campaigning is robbing us Americans of our rightful expectations of government. This is vividly clear when we look at the federal government. It seems to be getting more rampant on the state level, as well. Every move at the national level is one of posturing, rather than governing, for the majority of our elected officials. And, too many moves on the part of our elected state representatives smack of the same.

General Petraeus, the commander of our forces in Iraq, delivers his assessment on conditions there in a week and one-half. However, both sides appear to not have the courtesy to let us decide what to think of his report. Instead, they have been positioning for weeks to tell us what he’ll say and what it’ll mean. No matter your persuasion, you can make up your own mind; I doubt that many of us need such assistance.

The Presidential candidates for both parties will likely be chosen by very early in 2008, and maybe even before the coming New Year’s Day. On the heels of the “perpetual” campaigning mentioned above, we have this rush to decision being thrust upon us by a handful of states. Would we be further ahead to have a single national primary to be followed in 120 days by the national election, as I’ve begun to hear discussed?

Governor Doyle’s hand has appeared as expected in the budget debate. Unfortunately, he is resorting to fear-mongering by citing this and that calamity about to befall all us Badgers because there is no compromise as yet, on a terrible budget I would add. According to him, our schools won’t be able to run, our state Medicaid system will fail the folks who depend upon it and the Republican’s failure to acquiesce will cause your property taxes to rise precipitously. His budget, even without the addition of Healthy Wisconsin which he does not support, has us paying 23% more than before. With Healthy Wisconsin, it only doubles! What a choice we have. The opposition must not cave in, but instead must continue to work to advance its more rational version of our next biennium.

Our Warhawks football team ran into the seventh-ranked team in the state last evening and came away with a much better understanding of its own weaknesses. Coach will build on this experience and our players will improve having gotten such a solid lesson so early.

Our new motorcycle patrol is having the desired effect. I have been amazed at how invisible that cycle and officer can be, and also marvel at my good fortune to have been at or under the speed limit each time…so far. If you’ve not given thought to the effectiveness of this unit, do so before you pay good money for a transgression.

My true curmudgeonly nature is about to be re-exposed. Is there a space problem in our Germantown Schools or is there a full-day kindergarten problem? If we had no full-day program, we would have no issues with a lottery, and I doubt any issues with space.

I can actually remember some of my year in kindergarten. I remember milk with graham crackers, lying on a rug for the requisite nap, sandboxes, recesses, stories being read to me and being scolded if I didn’t play well with others. I obviously had no choice but to attend half-day kindergarten. It did help greatly in my socialization…although you could argue that I need remedial help.

I may be a bit warped, but I doubt that can be assessed as the fault of having had only a half-day in kindergarten at the age of five.

Full-day kindergarten strikes me as a panacea for parents since day care rates in Germantown for half-days at a local day care center are shown at $132.50 per week. At 36 weeks of school, that has a cost of $4,770 per kindergarten child.

If my children were of kindergarten age, and if both I and my wife worked outside the home, you can bet I’d be all in favor of saving nearly $5,000 per year on day care costs while my child was safely engaged inside the kindergarten classroom.

Does a full-day actually benefit the child more than a half-day? I seriously doubt that there is any measurable favorable impact. The article in the current Germantown Now print edition mentions that, “the curriculum is the same in both half-day and full-day” according to Cynthia Coley, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Germantown District. She went on to say, “…the obvious advantage of full-day is that they have a longer time to investigate and explore those concepts”.

I understand that the student has a longer time to investigate and explore, but I don’t think the attention span of the average five-year old really permits their attention over such a time span.

Does full-day kindergarten cost the taxpayer more money than half-day. The obvious answer is yes. I don’t know if the state gives districts more for a full-day student than a half-day student. I would not be surprised if that were the case. I do know that teachers have either been stretched to cover these hours or that teachers have been added to cover these hours, or a combination of both. I do know that there is some operational cost impact.

No matter the answers to these hypotheticals; full-day kindergarten costs more; full-day students’ parents benefit more; the taxpayers suffer more. Why are we tasked to help offset day care costs for parents?