Inside New Berlin

Because four people are running for mayor and there are six New Berlin School Board candidates (for 2 seats), a primary election is necessary. The primary is on February 17 and the general election, April 7.

Our representative form of government depends on an informed citizenry. People should be as informed as possible when they go to the polls to vote.

Thanks to the efforts of some civic-minded people, New Berlin will have two voters forums:

A pre-primary mayoral candidate forum is scheduled for Saturday, Feb 7 from 1-3 pm. Marta Broge is the facilitator.

A mayoral and school board public forum sponsored by the Rotary Club of New Berlin is set for Saturday, March 14, 1-3 pm.

* Both forums will be held at New Berlin West Middle-High School at 18695 W. Cleveland Ave.

New Berlin Public Schools and the folks putting on the voters forums are performing a great community service. I understand that the forums will be broadcast. That’s wonderful, too.

Unfortunately, there won’t be a school board candidate forum before the primary.

However, NBPS could take action to bridge that gap by providing election and candidate information on its District Web site.

I called New Berlin Public Schools Superintendent Paul Kreutzer yesterday and suggested he look at the Elmbrook School District Web site. In addition to election information, that Web site features profiles of each candidate running for their school board, candidates’ answers to a couple of basic questions, and publicizes an upcoming voters forum being held at Elmbrook Schools Central Administrative Office.

I don’t see why the New Berlin School District couldn’t emulate such a positive and helpful use of technology to inform/educate people about the upcoming elections and candidates running for school board.  

I also informed Dr. Kreutzer that a Muskego-Norway Public Schools’ parent told me he gets a booklet in the mail annually containing profile information about that district’s school board candidates.

* Why aren’t the voters forums taking place at City Hall or broadcast on the City’s cable channel?  In 2006, the New Berlin Common Council passed a resolution that established policies limiting the use of City Hall facilities to government units, thus barring citizen groups from using them. It put an end to voters forums at City Hall and use of the City cable channel to broadcast such forums.  Alderman Harenda made the motion to approve it. It passed 4-3 with Aldermen Harenda, Ament, Hopkins and Gallagher voting yes (Aldermen Moore, Augustine and Hegeman voted no)

Those awful exclusionary policies remain in effect.

Milwaukee Magazine’s February 2009 issue features an article titled “ Best and Worst Legislators”.

Here’s what it says about Mary Lazich:

SEN. MARY LAZICH (R-NEW BERLIN)

“Everybody hates her, even the Republicans. She’s just an idiot,” says a liberal-cause lobbyist.

As for Republicans, one GOP foot soldier says Lazich, 56, is flat-out cuckoo: “Literally nuts”. Conservative activists like him despise Lazich for lying about a GOP leadership vote and for duplicitous statements on the ill-fated Taxpayers Bill of Rights legislation. “There may be no legislator taken less seriously by her colleagues” he asserts.

“One never knows what she will do or why,” sighs another observer. "Mary’s vision doesn’t extend beyond her own short-sightedness.”

The February issue of the magazine was sent to its subscribers. I don’t subscribe. But after I received emails and phone calls from different individuals alerting me to the article and couldn’t find the February issue at newsstands last week, I went to the public library, which has a copy.

Of course, this latest negative assessment of Sen. Lazich has not escaped the attention of other bloggers.  

In fact, Fred Keller’s BULLSEYE had a blog post Saturday similar to this one.

Keller remarked that Franklin deserves better.

No argument here.

I think New Berlin deserves better representation, too.

But unfortunately, what we have is a senator who is on Milwaukee Magazine’s list of ten worst legislators; was ranked at the bottom of the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters “Conservation Scorecard” and on their “Dishonor List”; and on the “Public Enemies” list of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, an organization that tracks money in politics.

Jefferson Davis and Ted Wysocki want their old jobs back.

Four years ago, Wysocki ran for re-election to our city’s top post (mayor) and lost. Although he ran for alderman last year, clearly it's the mayor job he covets. 

Davis is trying to make a political comeback, hoping to be Menomonee Falls Village President again.

The Journal Sentinel newspaper (Jan. 11, 2009) states: “In Menomonee Falls, Jefferson Davis, the former village president who resigned in 2005 to settle a criminal case involving campaign finances, filed for candidacy for the village presidency just before Tuesday's 5 p.m. deadline, setting up a Feb. 17 primary with village Trustee Randy Newman and resident David Phillips. "

In 2005, the Journal Sentinel reported that the “ investigation into Davis' campaign finances resulted in Waukesha County District Attorney Paul Bucher charging Davis with three felonies and 26 other counts of violating the state's campaign finance law. Davis pleaded no contest Jan. 18 to reduced charges - three misdemeanors and five civil forfeitures. He was ordered to pay $1,480 in fines and court costs, and he resigned as village president.”

The recent JS editorial “She’s Back!” (Jan.14, 2009) lambastes Milwaukee Public Schools Board Member Charlene Hardin, who is considering running for re-election as a write-in candidate. Complaining that it doesn’t look as if she’ll “go away easily” and “ Her ego apparently will not allow her to step aside for a more respectable candidate”, the editorial makes a point of reminding us that $2,500 was spent on a Philadelphia school safety conference that she barely attended. It also informs us, “The district attorney investigated Hardin’s junket, determining that she was incompetent but not criminal.”

Did you know that the New Berlin Public Library has a film discussion series?

Next Monday, January 26, 2-4:15 pm, the group discussion will focus on Producer/Director Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films' documentary “Wal-Mart: the High Cost of Low Price.”  

You are invited to join and it's free, but registration is required. Contact the library by phone (262) 785-4980 or email nbinfo@wcfls.lib.wi.us.

Barack Obama’s message of hope, change, and unity resonated with a majority of American voters.

And on January 20, amid much fanfare, he became our 44^th US President.

In his Journal Sentinel column today, Jim Stingl states:

“ Well, I didn’t make it to Washington, but I’ll long remember where I was when Obama became our leader.

And after the past eight years, America is so, so ready to try a president who is smart, inclusive, inspirational and not George W. Bush.”

No doubt, many others feel the same.

Life's most urgent question is: what are you doing for others?
---Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Huffington Post reports that on the eve of his inauguration, President-elect Barack Obama honors Rev. King with community service.

And it states:

Obama appealed to the nation he will soon lead to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King

Jr. through service to others. “It's not a day just to pause and reflect - it's a day to act,”

Obama said on King's national holiday. “I ask the American people to turn today's

efforts into an ongoing commitment to enriching the lives of others in their

communities, their cities, and their country.”

The January 14 Journal Sentinel newspaper editorial “She’s Back!”,  which criticizes Milwaukee Public Schools Board Member Charlene Hardin, reminds us that $2,500 from the district was spent for a Philadelphia conference on school safety that “she barely attended”.

The editorial ends with the expressed hope that Hardin, who fell nine signatures short of the required number needed to get on the spring ballot, will decide against running as a write-in candidate in the Feb. primary or April general election.

Well, the criticism of Hardin is justified.  Elected officials should honor their commitments, not shirk them.  Unfortunately, some don’t. They’ll put other interests first, “barely attend” yet expect continued support.

Hardin “barely attended” that out- of-state conference. Of course, that was irresponsible. 

But isn't it also disturbing when public officials are habitual “no shows” at  government meetings?        

Remember Donna Rathsack? Wasn't it galling that New Berlin Public School District funds (from our taxes) were spent on Rathsack’s salary when she rarely attended meetings in person while serving on the New Berlin School Board?  

And Matt Thomas, you may recall, collected a salary (from our taxes) when he was listed in a Journal Sentinel article as one of the Waukesha County Board Supervisors with the worst meeting attendance record.

A meeting regarding the District Vision for the Arts will be held by New Berlin Public Schools Superintendent Paul Kreutzer on Wednesday, January 28 at 7:00 pm at New Berlin West High School in the Performing Arts Center.

Per the District Web site: “ The purpose of the meeting is to lay groundwork for the future vision of our arts. This is intended to be a "think big" meeting where we will outline a process for establishing wide reaching excellence for our arts programs.  Anyone in the community who is interested in the arts -- visual, written, performing, musical, etc -- is invited to attend.”

Last month, Dr. Kreutzer gave a presentation on the “Future of Athletics in New Berlin”. Click here for the video.

Kudos to Dr. Kreutzer for both community events.  

During a phone conversation this afternoon, he expressed strong support for the 3 A’s---Academics, Activities (including Athletics), and the Arts.

That's great.   Of course, the district also operates under budget constraints, laws, and according to the "vision" of School Board & community.

NBPS accepts federal funds, so must comply with federal laws, such as the controversial, much-criticized 2001 No Child Left Behind Act.  A primary complaint about NCLB is the too-narrow curriculum. The focus is on preparing students to take standardized tests in math and reading and elevating their scores-- while moving away from education of the whole child. Some folks are worried that art, music and creativity will be sacrificed.

Judas betrayed Jesus. Does that make the other 11 Apostles “guilty by association”?

Michael McGee Jr, Chuck Chvala, Brian Burke, Steven Foti & Scott Jensen were accused of illegal actions/misconduct while in public office and earned considerable notoriety. But wouldn’t it be ridiculous to assert that everyone who'd served with or supported them was “tainted”?

Isn’t it also unfair to hold politicians and candidates accountable for every faux pas committed by an acquaintance, family member, colleague or supporter?

Nevertheless, condemning individuals for the views, beliefs, comments, and misbehavior of other people is a ploy some factions hope will serve their political agendas. Indeed, guilt by association was an often-used strategy in the 2008 Presidential election cycle.

During the campaign, Democrats occasionally sought to connect John McCain with controversial figures Rev. John Hagee, Charles H. Keating, Jr, amd J. Gordon Liddy. Sen. McCain was often linked to George W. Bush, our unpopular President.

Desperate to rally their base and divert attention from issues like the economy, Republicans tried to discredit  Barack Obama by repeatedly linking him  to William Ayers and Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Sarah Palin even accused Obama, a US Senator, of “palling with terrorists”.

Recently, national Republicans’ aggressive attempts to tie scandal-ridden Gov. Rod Blagojevich to President-elect Barack Obama has come under fire.  The Washington Post called it “ a guilt by association tactic that represents a significant gamble for a party still looking to pick itself up off the electoral mat.”  Ouch. Sen. John McCain and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich were displeased by their Party’s antics/attacks on Blagojevich/Obama.  McCain told ABCNews "With all due respect to the Republican National Committee, we should try to be working constructively together.” Gingrich chided RNC chairman Mike Duncan and accused him of engaging in a “destructive distraction”. 

Guilt by association attacks--- publicly attributing guilt (without proof) to individuals because the people they associate with are guilty --are designed to whip up resentment and mistrust. In the 50's, Sen. Joseph McCarthy resorted to them when he embarked on “witch-hunts” to root out and prosecute communists and sympathizers. Ultimately, McCarthy was censured by the Senate for abusing his legislative powers.