I have long enjoyed my copy of a book called The Portable Curmudgeon and use its 'modern' definition in my Blog overview.  The book was compiled by a fellow by the name of Jon Winokur and is published by the New American Library.  Following are some curmudgeonly comments that struck me over the past few days:

On Politics and Politicians:

"Anybody that wants the presidency so much that he'll spend two years organizing and campaigning for it is not to be trusted with the office."     David Broder

"A politician is a person with whose politics you do not agree; if you agree with him he is a statesman."      David Lloyd George

"I once said cynically of a politician, 'He'll double- cross that bridge when he comes to it'."  Oscar Levant

"Being in politics is like being a football coach; you have to be smart enough to understand the game, and dumb enough to think it's important."     Eugene McCarthy

"All politics are based on the indifference of the majority."     James Reston

"Nothing is so admirable in politics as a short memory."    John Kenneth Galbraith

"You can fool too many of the people too much of the time."     James Thurber

"When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President; I'm beginning to believe it."  Clarence Darrow

~~~~~~~~~~

My family reads quite a bit of fiction and really appreciates the Germantown Library and the folks who provide the service we receive.

One of the things I find I occasionally need is the name of additional authors since I tend to read a whole lot faster than my favorite authors can write.

You may have already found this if you, too, consume books like we do, but here is a great website that provides you with the names of authors most similar to the one you key in for the search.  The closer the name is to the name you've entered (that hovers in the middle of the screen), the more similarities you find in the works of each.

Here is that magic link!

Guest Blog - Pete Hoell, Vice President, Germantown Kiwanis

"I am currently a member of the Germantown Kiwanis group and we are in the process of investigating a community project.  As a Kiwanis organization, our primary goal is to support children through grants for activities and projects, scholarships, donations for children's programs and other miscellaneous children's activities.

Some of you may be familiar with Kiwanis as our primary fundraiser is the July 4th Festivities here in Germantown.

The project we are now investigating is to raise funds and finance the construction of a band shell at one of our fine parks.  Possibly at Fireman's Park to enhance the July 4th event and many other events in the park.

We do understand that there are other groups in the community who are working on projects like a Performing Arts Center and a Community Pool.  By Kiwanis choosing a band shell, that does not mean we feel these other projects are any less important.  We do feel however that the band shell project is much smaller in scale and could also be a great venue for the other groups to host fundraisers for the other fine community projects.

We are in the investigative stages of this project and would like to know how the community feels about a band shell.  For the interest of being brief for this blog, I'll refrain from listing all the benefits we have identified.  But to name just a few, the band shell could become a destination for music and other performing arts entertainment.  It will provide children an opportunity to share their talents and to entertain our community and its visitors.

While we are on the topic of the Germantown Kiwanis, we are always looking for new members.  The only requirement to become a member is the desire to help kids.  If you are interested in becoming a Kiwanis member, call the Kiwanis/July 4th phone at 262-424-4457 for more details.

Pete Hoell, Vice President, Germantown Kiwanis"

~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks Pete.  I encourage readers to make comments to help the Kiwanis determine your feelings.  Obviously, their projects are funded without taxpayer dollars.

I opined a few weeks ago about the state of newspapers across our country.  Much has gone into causing the problems faced by most of the major newspapers in the United States.  Increased costs for much of what makes up a newspaper are largely the fault of this dilemma.

This morning the "new" Milwaukee Journal Sentinel debuted in its 'smaller' size.  The Business section has been reduced largely be eliminating the full financial report in favor of stocks of local interest.  The 'B' section that was formerly tailored to various locales has been changed to the "Local" section providing a little news about most of the outlying area.  Other changes have been made but these struck me as the most visible.

Marty Kaiser, Editor, was featured on the cover page explaining the changes and the reasons for those changes.  The essence is that revenues continue to decline while expenses continue to climb.  That combination obviously cannot be permitted to continue if the newspaper is to have any hope of survival.

My intent is not to "pick on" newspapers in general or the Journal Sentinel in particular.  I believe that Journal Sentinel leaders are doing that which they think will help stem the tide of red ink.  I'm not sure they have any other choices.  Two rounds of voluntary buy-outs and involuntary lay-offs have already come and gone.  I suspect that at least one more will come again before this has been finished.  Whether or not those actions will be good or bad ultimately remains to be seen.

Similarly, the reduction in size/content may or may not be part of the solution.  It could prove to have been part of the problem before all is said and done.

This effort is meant to recognize that much of the content has been available on websites for some time.  It recognizes that advertising dollars are moving to where the readers are and leaving those places where readers are frequenting less and less.

I wonder if the latest changes in content on the printed page will help stem the flow or if it will end up exacerbating the problem by moving more people to the Internet more quickly?

We'll not know that answer for sometime, but I suspect that we will ultimately learn the answer.  I am happy about one thing:  I do not have the responsibilities of trying to operate a newspaper on my shoulders.  I would not wish that on my enemy at this point in time.

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.

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.

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?