That was the title of an editorial appearing this morning in the Journal Sentinel.  It went on with a header that read: "Germantown officials should drop the effort to secede from the Milwaukee Area Technical College.  The savings aren't worth the cost."

I was quite interested to see what logic had led the editorial group to reach this conclusion.  Even though the petition cannot be about money, they admit that this would probably save the Germantown taxpayer with a home valued at $300,000 about $129 per year, or a little more if the change requested led to a slight decrease in the tax rate for the new district, MPTC.

They opined that this was simply not worth the cost...not to those of us in Germantown necessarily, but to the seven county metropolitan area.  It would "deprive" MATC of some $5.5 million in revenue.  They talk about this being harmful to the students of MATC including those from Germantown.  If there are 100 students from our area attending MATC, the cost to the Germantown School District taxpayer has to be in the range of $55,000 per student per year.  If there are 200, then we drop all the way down to an average of $27,500 per student per year.  That is an over-simplification but it helps put all this into perspective.

They discuss what they see as the poor timing of this and, in essence, lay blame for whatever happens to the seven county area economic development efforts at our feet if the petition is approved.  Wow!  If only we'd known what power we had before this, we could've really gone for something big!

We now become an integral part of the Milwaukee metropolitan region.  Funny how that is always the case when they seek our money, but is never the case when they're formulating some master plan.

The editorial does finally admit that MATC's taxes are too high, and they say that officials there need to place "some restraint" on expenditures.  That message doesn't seem to get through, however, to an appointed (unelected) board that rolls over every time MATC President Darnell Cole says "roll over".

Now, back to that $129 that we're not supposed to be concerned about.   For the Germantown School District, that could easily have been converted to a new elementary school.  That would've taken some $84 of the tax relief had this been available when we all voted on that issue...before prices climbed.  It could've likely funded our village road repair coffers very nicely on the balance of $45 per $300,000 of home value.

$129 isn't 'chump change' as so many would try to shame us into believing. 

And why is it our responsibility to pump more and more money into MATC so that it can try, unsuccessfully, to repair some of the MPS damage?  Why is it our responsibility to sit out here in 'the boonies' (from the perspective of the decision-makers in Milwaukee) and continually cough up more money for their needs.  When do they reciprocate? 

Proposed School District Budget...

I received an email from School Board Director Bruce Warnimont today with a link to the "work in progress" budget for 2008/2009.  He was careful to point out that the Board has not yet vetted it.  The Finance Committee meets this coming Monday night and it is likely that the budget will be discussed at that meeting.

Comments from the public are viewed as carrying great weight, especially in these formative stages.  Warnimont pointed out, for example, that "Fund 41", in school accounting jargon, is the area where all the larger physical improvement/repair projects get funded.  This is also unique in that this fund's size is established by District residents by direct vote at the Annual Meeting in October.  Once that amount has been set, the Board has no power to alter the appropriation.  While it tends to defy logic, an increase in this fund  does not necessarily mean higher tax rates.  The additional funding, if approved, would come from another area within the budget.

The upshot is this:  If you have some thoughts about things that need to be improved or repaired in the coming year, this is the time to make those thoughts known in person.

I have not had time to review the information found by clicking this link, but want to get it into your hands, if you desire to review it, as soon as possible.

I can tell you that Warnimont doesn't sound too enthusiastic about this draft and there may be others with similar thoughts.  I suspect there may be a move to task the administration to review and revise.  If it were to be approved as stands, it would involve an overall tax levy increase of 11% over last year.  That doesn't translate into an 11% property tax increase, incidentally.  It would threaten the trend of school district-related property tax decreases we've seen recently, however.

Citizen Observer Program: Initial Observations...

I have always thought that 'someday' I'd love to be able to spend a little time with a police officer during duty hours.  That seemed like a good way to gather information about how they function, what they encounter, and about our community.

Well, the Citizen Observer role was mine during the period from 6:00PM on Saturday through 2:00AM on Sunday.  I was assigned to one of the officers who would be out and about.  I would love to name the officer, but they are a team and I would only be able, in that manner, to call out a single person.  This team is composed of those who handle incoming calls and dispatch officers to situations.  It involves the leadership team in place for every shift; they are sometimes seen at various locations and other times are largely behind the scenes.  It involves those officers who walk into the situation having to be prepared for any eventuality.  And, it involves the support people back in the headquarters location.

My intent is to do a series of Village Buzz editions that discuss our public safety arena.  I will tell you up front that I am a solid booster for Chief Pete Hoell and his team.  They do a lot that most of us never know about, but those are the things that need to be taken care of to give us the peace of mind we enjoy in our community.  They are the reason I can go to bed each night without worrying about my safety and that of my loved ones.

Our 'tour of duty' involved young cyclists being praised for wearing their helmets while being reminded to always ride on the side of the roadway.  That earned them a couple of free McDonald's cones and probably a little higher heart rate than they'd had just before their encounter.  I saw a very compassionate and caring officer who was thinking about them, about the reputation of the force and about the community.

A pizza delivery person enjoyed a little break while he learned that one of his headlights was out.  Two young people were in a vehicle that had 'blacked out' windows which were beyond the permissible level.  One of them proved to have been consuming alcohol while under the legal age.  Another call involved an auto accident that, thankfully, didn't seem to result in serious injury although the fire department EMT team succeeded in having the young female driver taken to Community Memorial just to be sure there were no concealed problems of which she was unaware.

Interestingly enough, that call actually occupied every available squad, a fire engine and an ambulance.  We were critically short of response capability during that episode.  Had a fire, ambulance or accident call (or combination) hit during that period, the overall response would have been challenging to say the least.  These are things we don't think much about except when village budget time rolls around and we try to find ways to cut costs.  Or when we are the ones waiting for help.  Some cuts hit muscle and not fat.

The things mentioned above occurred in the first hour of my full shift 'ride along'.  As I was reminded, this was way before the closing time for bars and taverns when the police and fire team often finds itself very gainfully employed.

My overall initial observations were these:  Our police department is operating in a lean manner.  It has space issues even with the old library building having been in use for some time.  We need to find a way to accommodate more space at a reasonable cost to taxpayers.  The patrol force has not been expanded in numbers for years even though our population has been increasing on a regular basis.  Paper work still is a signifcant time consumer even with computers, etc.  An upgrade to the current system hoped to be accomplished in the next year will see printers in each squad to eliminate the actual hand writing of every ticket.  (And no, there isn't a 'quota' of tickets for the officer.  That is against the law.)  Morale appears to be very high; the team seems quite functional while permitting some individual flexibility in how the officer pursues his or her shift.  This strikes me as a professional unit and that comes from the top all the way down the depth chart.

I feel proud of them as a citizen and taxpayer.

Village Budget...

A few days ago, I Blogged about the "zero budget increase" discussions that have commenced within the Village Board and the concern I had that we could potentially see some valuable things axed that we might later regret not having properly funded.

I have been discussing participating in the police ride-along program and in becoming one of the next class that goes through the Citizen Police Academy (CPA) program.  My hope is that these experiences will give me a much better understanding of our police department.  I think these are good examples of things that have virtually no added cost but that are immensely important to the community.

The ride-along program is just as it sounds.  A citizen is given the opportunity to ride along with an officer during the regular patrol routine of that officer.  There is no added cost to the community.  Both the citizen and the officer complete after-action reports so that the program's value can be constantly monitored and improved upon as necessary.

The CPA program is similar although police instructors do participate in compensatory time off if they are involved on an 'overtime' basis for their segment of these sessions.  The comp time earned in this fashion, if any, can only be taken by the officer when it doesn't create a vacancy for the force.  The 'graduates' have, in the past, felt a kinship that has resulted in citizen donations for various things that the department would've otherwise not been able to secure or that would've otherwise been funded by tax dollars.  The crime prevention budget has community-based donors, the alumni of the program volunteer to assist with many police department outreach programs, and the community as a whole benefits with virtually no taxpayer dollars used.

This is but one example of the types of things I hope will not be adversely impacted during the coming budget debates.

If you happen to see the Curmudgeon in a squad in the not too distant future, I trust I'll be in the front seat and not cuffed in the back seat!

~~~~~~~~~~

Papa John's Pizza...

I don't know when this happened or why it happened, but when we called for a pizza last Saturday evening, the phone wasn't answered.  When we went to place our order in person, the doors were locked and a note taped to the door thanked customers for the last ten years.  It sure didn't seem like ten years had passed since that store opened in Germantown. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Sendik's Market in Village Centre...

will open soon after Labor day according to a Business Journal release this afternoon quoting Greg Devorkin of Devo Properties.  Devorkin said that the 52,000 square foot store is hiring about 135 full and part-time positions to staff the new store.

I wonder what kind of traffic the new Sendik's will have upon opening?  I suspect that prices will be a bit higher on some items than either of the other two markets in Germantown but I also suspect that selection will be better for specialty items.

The other thing of interest will be to judge the reaction, if any, on the part of Pick 'n Save just a few hundred feet to the west.

Zero Increase Budget...

The Village Trustees met to begin discussions about the coming budget process this past Wednesday evening.  The Village President has expressed his desire to see a 'no hiring' policy to cover the next five years.  Others have begun to talk about layoffs of existing village employees; shortened work weeks; service reductions, and so on.

This comes against the back-drop of discussions about a referendum on road repairs and tax increases to support that to the tune of $1 to $2 million dollars per year.  Short of that, the money would be borrowed and the costs of pay-back and interest would be added to the budget.

All this is a bit premature given the fact that we don't have a clue as to what the final figures from the State of Wisconsin will be and won't until mid-August or beyond.

My concern is very simple.  I would hope that we don't permit ourselves to get so focused on a zero increase budget to the exclusion of things we ought not be cutting.  There must be a balance between taxing and services.  Some services, such as police and fire seem to be about as thin today as would be prudent.  Fuel costs obviously will drive up the police budget; does that mean the police department should be cut in order to maintain a 'zero' budget increase?  I think that would be the rough equivalent of tossing the baby out with the bath water.

That is but one example.

~~~~~~~~~~

MATC Board Question Response...

I have received no response since sending the email requesting information as to the status of the Director position that former superintendent Victor Rossetti held for the past months. 

It may be that MATC simply has not had time to respond.  It may be that their 'non-response' is the response.

~~~~~~~~~~

Traffic Signals At Mequon & Legend...

Given that today is August 1st, it looks unlikely to me, as a layperson, that the intersection will have signals installed prior to the opening of the new Sendik's location.  My recollection was that it was scheduled to open in early-September...and, I don't doubt that they'll hit that target, if not open sooner, given the huge level of activity apparent.

Milwaukee seems to view us in the 'burbs' as the enemy that doesn't contribute sufficiently so as to permit it to solve its myriad problems.

Two indications came forth again involving the Milwaukee 'Wheel Tax' that passed the Milwaukee Common Council and the approval of the sale of Lake Michigan water to New Berlin.  These are but two small indicators of a pervasive anti-suburb feeling amongst elected officials.

Mayor Tom Barrett had this to say about the 'wheel tax':

"While I agree with the need to increase our investment in local streets, I am opposed to a funding scheme that is totally financed by City residents while businesses, not-for-profits and non-City residents - all generators of traffic on City streets - pay nothing.  I do not want Milwaukee to become a 'tax island' and I think it's unfair for residents to carry the sole burden of street repair when so many others benefit from those repairs."

Yet again, on the subject of Lake Michigan water being sold to New Berlin, Alderman Bob Bauman tried, unsuccessfully, to block the action.  He was against it on the grounds that it would increase 'sprawl' because New Berlin had failed to agree to conditions such as adding increased public transportation and affordable housing.  Bauman was defeated in another attempt where he sought to limit the agreement to encompass only those buildings already connected to sanitary sewer services for the city.

Barrett was again quoted as saying about this subject, "There are regional issues that continue to demand our attention.  Regional public transportation, housing, workforce and infrastructure investments have to be addressed and solutions agreed upon.  We must keep moving forward."

They seem to forget that the Germantown School District taxpayers are disproportionately supporting MATC that is indirectly supporting the lack of quality within the Milwaukee Public School system.  They seem to forget the 'regional' sales tax that is going to the Stadium District that sits amidst the City of Milwaukee.  They seem to forget all the business done in Milwaukee by people from the suburbs.  They seem to forget inter-government revenue sharing that favors them over us.

If I thought that Milwaukee would use our money to 'successfully' attack and correct its issues, I might be more prone to going along with this tripe.  But, Milwaukee has demonstrated, and continues to demonstrate, that it so far has been incapable of solving its problems.  No amount of suburban support is going to alter the outcomes of their school system, or reduce the tax rates for their citizens, or stimulate more business to want to locate in Milwaukee.

The author I quoted in a MATC Blog a few days ago had it correct when he stated that Milwaukee is inherently socialist down deep in its genes.  Tom Barrett and Bob Bauman believe that we have more and, therefore, we should pay more for their inadequacies of management.  They favor income and wealth redistribution so long as it benefits them. 

They seem to ignore that we in our small communities have our own sets of problems and that we do not look to them for our salvation.  Germantown needs to come to grips with roads and schools and general cost increases...and we'll get that done.  But, the idea that we are somehow responsible for the failures of the City of Milwaukee simply boggles my mind.

Board of Education Meeting Review:

The agenda item concerning the secession petition involved some back and forth amongst board members.  Mr. Warnimont pointed out that the Board was already on record with its action of September 24, 2007 to the effect that the secession petition would go forward.  There was some discussion as to which district would be preferable to MATC.  Mr. Bowe indicated that his position favoring WCTC would probably change given new information he had developed.  Among the reasons was the indication that fire fighters seemed to favor the program offered by MPTC over that offered by WCTC.  Mr. Warnimont indicated that he remained in favor of WCTC based on his analysis.

The long and the short of this discussion and the ensuing vote is this:  The Board will have the petition in its hands by the meeting on September 8th, will make its final decision on desired district and will proceed with the filing prior to the deadline established by the Technical College System.

There was some consternation amongst Board members that they were being castigated in the press for having delayed this process.  It was pointed out that, given the Technical College System process, filing last year or filing this year prior to the deadline would have no effect on the actual date the secession could occur if approved.  The date of such a change, if approved, is set forth and is inflexible.

Discussion concerning the building referendum issue included a review of the findings from the recent survey.  There were 11,647 pieces mailed to district homes, and a response rate of some 15% had been logged.  This was felt to be a good return at a total cost of $4,200.  The results seemed to echo the election results in terms of the number in favor and the number opposed.

Mr. Warnimont indicated that recent reviews of the cost changes since the referendum was defeated showed an overall increase of about 20% if no changes were made to the plan as presented earlier.  This increase was caused by the general increase in prices being felt in most sectors of the economy.

If I had to guess as to what direction the Board will take regarding the referendum, I would expect that we'll not see the question on the ballot again until possibly in the spring of 2009.  I would also expect that the proposal for the elementary building will have been revised.

~~~~~~~~~~

Tax Knowledge Test Answers:

Remember that the questions asked for a true or false answer.

• Property taxes pay for most of the costs of the K-12 public schools in Wisconsin.
• False.  The most recent data we have available states that in 2004-05, gross property taxes paid for 38% of school districts' budgets in Wisconsin.  During that same period, inter-governmental aid paid for 56% of school districts' budgets.  The public opinion survey showed that 65% of survey respondents believed that property taxes fund the majority of costs for public K-12 education.
• Wisconsin taxpayers pay more of their personal income toward state and local taxes today than they did 10 years ago.
• False.  In 1994, the Wisconsin tax burden as a percent of personal income was 13.5%.  The most recent data available is for 2006; that year, Wisconsin taxpayers paid 11.6% of their income in taxes.  The public opinion survey found that 78% of respondents believed the statement was true.
• Wisconsin collects more money from sales taxes than it does from gasoline taxes and corporate taxes combined.
• True.  In 2007, sales tax accounted for 19% of all state and local taxes collected.  Corporate and gasoline taxes accounted for a total of 9% combined.  The public opinion survey found that only 26% of respondents believed the statement was true, while 35% believed the statement was false.

 (This courtesy of The Wisconsin Way.)

Test Your Tax Knowledge... 

A group named The Wisconsin Way sent an email today that had the following test of tax knowledge.  I'll re-publish this tomorrow with the answers added so you can check yours.

True or False:

1. Property taxes pay for most of the costs of the K-12 public schools in Wisconsin.
2. Wisconsin taxpayers pay more of their personal income toward state and local taxes today than they did 10 years ago.
3. Wisconsin collects more money from sales taxes than it does from gasoline taxes and corporate taxes combined.

~~~~~~~~~~

School Board Meeting Tonight...

The Board of Education meeting convenes at 7:00 PM tonight in the District Administrative Offices and agenda item VIII. B. "Discussion with appropriate action regarding secession from the MATC district" is included under "Unfinished Business".

This is an important topic and I'll cover the discussion and any public action tomorrow in another Village Buzz edition.

~~~~~~~~~~

Sendik's: Beehive of activity...

If you've not been past the new Sendik's facility during the day, it is a beehive of activity.  The crews working on this project have consumed most of the parking spaces in front of the building.  If they don't make their target opening date, it won't be for lack of trying!

~~~~~~~~~~

Thomas Square Bread Bagels...

Believe it or not, the George Weston Bakeries company responded by mail to my question about Thomas Square Bread Bagels.  Unfortunately, they told me that these are not currently available apparently anywhere in the U.S.  They didn't say 'never', so I'll continue to hope.  I wonder what the problem is that is keeping those off the market.  They sold very quickly.  Could it be that they stepped on another firm's exclusive process or something along those lines?  Or, is the cost of production so great today that they simply didn't think they could sell them?

If you find out, please let me know.

The Citizen Input agenda item of the Village Board's meeting last evening saw Trustee Jim Langer state his request that Fire Chief Gary Pollpeter resign from his position.  Langer stated that the Fire Chief is lacking in management skills and has been a poor administrator for the department.

No action is taken under this agenda item, so there was no discussion following Langer's statement.

* * * * * * * * * *

The Trustees met as the Committee of the Whole following the Board meeting last evening and the agenda item discussed was that of a possible referendum for Road Repairs that would be on the November ballot if it were to be approved.

President Kempinski stated that he felt this needed to be addressed given the state of road repair in the village and given that there had been fewer road repairs over the past few years as budgets were squeezed and costs increased across the board.  Village staff had prepared an analysis that suggested something in the range of $1 million per year would be required to keep village roads in a good state of repair.  (This was half of the amount originally talked about when this news broke.)  The study concluded that nearly 30% of village streets were in need of structural repair.

Village Administrator Dave Schornack reminded everyone of just how difficult the coming budget was going to be based on the process of last year that would be compounded by increased personnel costs, increased fuel costs and increased salt costs among other things.

Village Clerk Knaack stated that September 19th was the deadline for filing the question with the County Clerk so as to have it placed on the November ballot.

Trustee Langer stated his opposition to the referendum, feeling that the Board needed to work through the issues and that a pay as you go plan was to be preferred over borrowing funds.  Trustee Ewert was adamant that expenses needed to be cut.  Trustee Zabel reminded the others that year-end spending needed to be carefully controlled and that this might generate a surplus that could be used for some repairs.

Trustee Wolter said he favored a three-pronged approach:  Reduce expense costs; then increase taxes; and, finally consider a referendum.  Several other discussion points centering on expense reduction possibilities were made by others.  President Kempinski discussed several points including the decision to replace the Village Engineer that would carry a cost in excess of $100,000 per year, overtime issues in various departments in the village, limited increases in state shared revenue over the past five years and stated that he would be proposing a hiring freeze for the village that would be in place for the next five years.

The question has been referred to the General Government and Finance Committee which meets tonight at 7:00PM to consider the issues. 

I may be in the minority on this, but I haven't had the thought that our roads were terrible.  Maybe I am not driving where there are real problems or maybe I'm just oblivious...many would say it is the latter reason.  I guess I have to presume that the staff-prepared analysis for the Board was on the mark;  I'll try to stay tuned into street conditions more over the next few days and weeks.

The Journal Sentinel carried an article this morning about the Practical Nurse program offered by MATC.  This program has been on probation for some time and that continues.  Another evaluation visit is scheduled for the Fall of this year.

Low rates of graduation apparently had prompted the probationary status and the state Board of Nursing has been carefully monitoring the progress or lack thereof at MATC in this program.

Dessie Levy was quoted as saying, "When you talk about implementing standards, our (graduation rate) will reflect a decline because we haven't had any standards (in the past).  She is Dean of Health Occupations for MATC.

WCTC has a similar program and it isn't on probation from all indications.  I was unsuccessful in contacting the Associate Dean at WCTC today, but there is no indication on the state Board of Nursing's website that WCTC is anything but in compliance and good standing.

We have been told repeatedly that our secession petition cannot simply focus on tax rates because apparently the Technical College System isn't concerned about the waste of our money.  We certainly can focus on substandard performance which seems to be the case in this program.

Students who have failed in this endeavor believe the fault lies with MATC and the curriculum.  Stephanie Wren was quoted as saying, "They just didn't prepare us, and I believe they set us up for failure.  When you have that much of your class failing, it seems like there's something wrong at that point."

How many other instances of low standards or no standards are there within MATC?

Another reason to petition for secession and permission to become part of the WCTC district in my opinion.

News reports indicate that Village President Tom Kempinski is considering asking the Board to approve a referendum that would appear on either the September ballot or the November ballot.  This referendum would deal with just how Germantown voters desire to fund some $2,000,000 per year in road repairs, if they desire to do so.  The choices apparently would be borrowing, increasing property taxes or a combination of both or none.

The referendum could be advisory or binding in nature.  Obviously, if advisory, the Board would then decide what, if any action it would take, but it would do so with some idea of the public's mood.  If binding, the results would stand as the electorate decided at least until the Board was reconstituted or until the Board found some other approach to achieve the end if that were possible.

If property taxes were increased by $2,000,000 annually, the increase in village taxes over 2008 would be some 20.5% without consideration for any other line item increases in the village budget. It is unrealistic to assume that all other expenses will remain constant.  If the amount were to be borrowed, the debt service would be part of the tax increase each year so that both the amount spent each year plus interest would be added to the tax bills over a number of years.

The village's portion of our total tax bill in 2008 was 24.52%; that share would climb to 30.67% if all other taxing units remained at 2008 levels which, unfortunately, is very unlikely.  The actual increase in total property taxes due to the village's portion of the total could be something in the range of 1% to 2% I would suspect.

Use of a referendum will please some people and anger others.  Some will say that this gives the voter the direct voice on specific items that they otherwise lack in representative government.  Others will say the referendum gives the Board a place to hide; still others will say that there should be no referendum.

There are several questions that come to mind about which you may wish to make your views known:

1.  Do we need $2 million worth of road repair every year?  For how many years?

2.  What portion of the village's road surfaces need to be repaired today? 

3.  Have past Boards avoided their responsibilities and not funded road repairs properly?

4.  Is a referendum a good idea or is it a convenient tool for a Board that doesn't wish to stake out a position that may be very unpopular?

5.  If this referendum appears on the ballot, what impact will that have on any issue the School Board may advance at the same time?

6.  If we are to see a referendum, should it be simply an advisory referendum or should it bind the Board to a specific direction?

What think you G'town?

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel featured an editorial this morning concerning the possibility that Germantown will pursue the secession effort from the Milwaukee Area Technical College district.  They spoke of 'outreach' by MATC and re-established their position that Germantown should remain in the MATC district.

The 'outreach' they spoke of consisted of the appointment of Victor Rossetti (then Superintendent of Germantown Schools) to a MATC Board vacancy, meetings held with Germantown officials, contribution of laptops to the library and a couple of 'free' programs.

This so-called 'outreach' seemed a lot like a feeble attempt to head off an embarrassing situation.  The addition of Mr. Rossetti did nothing to alter the course of MATC.  It continues to be, in my opinion, an out-of-control institution that answers to no one.  Germantown pays millions annually and we are supposed to take thirty laptops and shut our collective mouth.

The editors finally get to the last paragraph of this piece where they seem to catch a glimmer of a major reason for our angst.  They state, "And our guess is that until MATC does something to reduce its tax levy, not only will Germantown's efforts continue, but other communities may also start seriously considering secession."

The school board is scheduled to discuss this subject tonight.  I hope that it moves with all deliberate speed to push the secession from MATC.

I don't know if the MATC has a public relations agency under contract but, if it does, they deserve a raise..more than the president of MATC deserves the one he just received!  It is impossible for any PR firm to cover the smell of this institution.

That's right.  The president of MATC, Darnell Cole, just received a pay increase of 5.2%.  This is the same Darnell Cole that was trying to get out of MATC by applying for a position with Lansing Community College in Michigan.  This is the same Darnell Cole that thumbs his nose at the constituency and gets higher and higher budgets passed that take more and more of our money in property taxes.

This almost seems like the college basketball coaches and football coaches who apply for other jobs simply to 'justify' increased compensation when they change their minds and stay in their already over-paid positions.  Maybe this is the way of the world of academia.  Maybe I simply am so out of touch that I can't comprehend that fact.

Cole now receives, effective today, $223,675 in base salary.  That's not all, of course.  He gets a total of $259,131 which includes retirement plan contributions and travel allowance.  The base pay increase was 3.25%.  The retirement supplement increase was 6.7%, and the travel allowance increase was some 44%.  His travel allowance doesn't cover the trips he takes by plane, etc.; it covers the cost of him driving around the MATC world in his automobile.  The retirement supplement is in addition to his already very attractive retirement under the Wisconsin Retirement System.  A little gravy for the gravy, as it were.

Even worse, if that is possible, is the fact that three of the nine members of the MATC Board didn't think it worth their while to be in attendance at the meeting where this was approved.  The remaining six voted, 5-1, in favor.  The sole dissenting vote was from Rep. Pedro Colon (D-Milwaukee) who felt Cole's long-term commitment to MATC was called into question by the recent attempt to leave the college for a better-paying job. 

Kudos to Rep. Colon!  Was his decision prompted by the fact that he must face the electorate?  Obviously, if the full MATC board were comprised of people who were forced to face the electorate, we would very likely see a much different MATC. 

There is but one conclusion.  MATC simply rubs our noses in it every chance it gets.  MATC is impervious to our scolding.  It never has to face the music.  It simply goes on its merry way increasing programs whether or not there is a return on that investment.  It simply goes on providing largess for its own.

This is an example of why the overall tax increase caused by the recently approved MATC budget was 4.9%.  Of course, we weren't told, before the budget was cast in stone, that Darnell Cole had yet to get his.  That might have been too obvious...even for we members of the great unwashed who only pay the toll on this road to nowhere!

Where does the secession petition stand?  Will it be filed on time?  Will the school board and the village board see eye-to-eye on the desired district?  Will our elected officials, both local, county and state, get behind this is a vocal and meaningful way? 

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.

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!

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.

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.

MATC students along with all technical college and two-year college students in Wisconsin have a more difficult time gaining their education as the result of lenders leaving this marketplace.

MATC has nearly 5,300 students now at risk due to the fact that several lenders have decided to pull out of this market stating that it is unprofitable.  That supposedly is caused by too little money being borrowed for too short a time.

The total of loans that are affected by these pull-outs is more than $18 million, and involves five lenders for MATC students.

Several thoughts occur:

What other programs are available to these 5,300 students?  Supposedly there are from six to twenty other lenders available to the students if we are to believe the technical college system president, Daniel Clancy.  If that is the case, why would some big names pull out?  Those names included Chase, Citibank and TCF.  If there is money to be made, wouldn't they still want some of it?  Or is this indicative of some other more pervasive problem?

Will they qualify for replacement loans or is that really part of the problem that causes the lenders to want out?  Many of the students relying on these loans are low income people as you would presume could be the case.  It may not be possible for them to apply to other lenders and expect to be granted access to credit.  The federal government passed the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 and, contrary to what the name might suggest, this limited federal subsidies to those who lend money to students, and more than fifty such lenders left the market.  This suggests that we're talking about marginally-viable loans and that, without government guarantees, there will be fewer dollars available and those will go to better credit risks.

If there is a loss of significant numbers of MATC students, will MATC face up to the need to reduce budget?  There are nearly 5,300 students affected by this situation.  If half of those are unable to obtain different loans, there will likely be a similar number dropping out of MATC.  I don't know what the 'full time equivalent' student number is, but let's assume that these students are half-time.  So we would have a loss of half of the 5,300, or 2,650 and those would equate to 1,325 full time equivalent students.  That is about ten percent of the current total FTE students now attending MATC.  Will we see a ten percent reduction in the MATC budget?

Or, will MATC see this as forcing it to actually increase its tax take in order to offset the loss of student tuition?  Your guess is as good as mine, but I'll be amazed if we see a budget reduction as the result of this situation.  One cannot simply reduce staff because the student load has dropped, can one?  How does one manage to down-size when there are so many fixed costs, so many people relying on MATC for their livelihoods, so much left to do in the building of the empire?

What seems more likely is that this will be dragged out as alternatives are sought, and it will be talked about for awhile until we lose track of the issue.  Maybe state legislators will step up up and recommend new state guarantees.  After all, military veterans are given 100% tuition credits so it is only fair to begin providing everyone with 100% tuition to attend MATC.  It is only fair that MATC have this kind of support since the Milwaukee Public Schools are generating so few qualified graduates any longer.

The last paragraph was intended as 'tongue in cheek' in nature but I fear that it might be closer to reality than not. 

The president of the MATC teachers union, Michael Rosen, says he'll be in contact with Representative Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee) to seek her help in assuring that students still have access to federal loans.  The dominoes have begun to fall and they threaten to crush us taxpayers yet again.  Why do they never topple in the other direction?