New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government

I find it interesting that the part-time/Paid-on-call staff is ignored when there are at least 7 Paid-on-call paramedics already on the New Berlin Fire Department.  It is my opinion that the paramedic program is an excuse to try and make New Berlin Fire Department a full time department.  Would we consider hiring maybe 10 paramedics and 9 EMT/FF full time?  Probably not.  Therefore the only way for New Berlin to be a full time Fire Department is for everyone to be hired as a paramedic.  This would be a reason why we "need" so many paramedics.  Think about it.  The Fire Department has requested 20+ full time EMT/FF positions every year and every year they got turned down.  Now we need paramedics so it forces the council to finally provide the full time staff that the Fire Department has wanted for years.  Don't get me wrong, paramedic service in New Berlin is a needed improvement and I am all for it, I just wish that there was some middle ground between 19 full time paramedics and loosing the paramedic service altogether.  Mr. Heun, I agree with your analysis of the situation.  There has got to be other solutions out there.

As a newly licensed EMT-B in the State I was appalled after reading this article. Where does the Assistant Chief Thomas Dobernig get off calling EMT Basic's providers of sub-standard care. In the first place we are trained in the usage of AED's. The training for CPR includes AED's as well.We also trained in the usage of Combi-Tubes, giving Epinephrine ang Glucose.Yes, Paramedic's provide a higher level of care but does ever call require one. I wonder how the rank and file of the New Berlin Fire Dept. feels about how the Chief and Assistant Chief feels about them. I was told that the Chief is only an EMT-Basic. Does he think he provides sub-standard care to his patients? I don't live in New Berlin I only work in this City. I would have no problem calling 911 and having an EMT-Basic take care of me. In closing Mr. Thomas Dobernig,be careful in what you say because you really put your foot in your mouth.

I agree that the Council should scrutinize the Chief's plan. He has a history of asking for more than he needs. Of course it seems like the train has alredy left the station. They should have been looking into this over the last year.

Paul, Paul, Paul,

You were on the Common Council from budget time 2006 to April 2007. Are you aware of anything that the Mayor proposed about the Fire department? You main concern was about cutting the Police department budget.

In regard to blogs and comments written by you and Linda Richter and others,we must remember the basic tenets of Journalism 101, which I quote loosely. "You must get both sides of the story and report them so that the reader can make up his own mind"

Your blogs are design to give one side, inflammatory, and are not balanced.

In regard to the article about DNR and West High School, all that you had to do was call the administration and find out what happened.

In regard to the $51,000 sign at Ronald Reagan elementary school, you are aware that City of New Berlin requires a monument style of sign that would cost at least $25,000 in this case. Dr Benfield authorized the present sign because it includes a message board,

that can be changed instantly. This will SAVE money.   These facts can easily be checked by calling 789 6210. and asking Anthony Goodheer

In regard so to Clown comment, this is just more rubbish!. The Deer Creek Inn and Conference Center is being held up because Deer Creek Apartments LLC, has filed a lawsuit. Possibly the developer has also not obtained his financing. There apparently has been no action taken to secure permits as well.

NBCRG has no connection or interest in this lawsuit. I am sure that Linda Richter is aware of this as I know she periodically checks the financial statements that NBCRG must file as a PAC with the City Clerk office.

I have also made the above comments to the Linda Richter blog site.  It will be interesting to see if it is published or blocked. newberlinnow allows blocking but does not allow comments to be altered or deleted

Thank you

I don't believe blocking comments is suppose to occur unless they are vulgar, thus very few comments should ever be blocked. Despite this there are some bloggers who censor their sites by blocking all comments from those who they do not agree with. It's also not very American.

HAD TO COMMENT, so what you're saying is that Mark Maley and NOW/CNI/JS weren't very American when they deleted comments off of the old Bullseye (now Franklinheit 451) blog over at FranklinNOW.com? Do you really mean to question their patriotism like that?

If they are blocking all the comments of one person for no reason I would say that's not very American Matt. Is that what they are doing ?

(these comments appear here as it it the most relevant thread to the subject. Perhaps it's time for a blog of my own)

I am deeply, deeply disturbed the paramedic program has become the focal point of the 2008 budget debate. To the casual observer it would appear that this is the only 2008 issue.  This has dramatically masked the Mayor’s refusal to deliver a responsible budget for our community.

Perhaps we have all been ‘snookered’ into this headline grabbing debate.  As far as the 2008 budget, creative financing basically has the paramedic program budget neutral.  This still leaves the tentative 2008 budget at a 5.9% increase. The maximum allowed by state law and how much larger would it have been without the cap?

Council requested the Mayor present 2008 budgets reflecting 0, 2 and 4 percent increases.  In a continuing trend of simply ignoring Council, the Mayor delivers a 10% budget increase for Council themselves to whittle down.  Where does all the attention fall? Squarely on the shoulders a valuable, life saving, emotion provoking community program.  Seems every other budget issue has been swept way from public view.

Perhaps the saddest footnote of this year’s debate is the Paramedic program was an issue Jack used in his run for Mayor.  When the trial program began, I received a New Berlin flyer with the Mayor patting himself on the back for the accomplishment.  It is painfully obvious in the current discussion our Mayor had absolutely no plan as to how to pay for his program. Delivering a purposed 10% increase just drives home the fact responsible financial leadership is not in our Mayor’s skill set.

I would suggest the Mayor withdraw the arm he has used to back himself on the back. In my opinion he has given up any a claim to the future success of a New Berlin paramedic program.  It is now on the shoulders of Council or another individual with vision for this program to succeed.

In these last days leading to the final budget I call on City Council to make the hard budget decision our Mayor is unable to make. Set the 2008 levy at a point that will require a reasonable financial diet.  Let’s lose a few pounds city fat.  Then present us with an intelligent plan (one with teeth) to save and run the paramedic program.   Please don’t allow this program to become the 11th hour 2009 debate.

Doug Judy:

Like most people you probably don't watch all the budget meetings, so you can't know all the details, nor should you have to. So you probably aren't aware of the fact that the Mayor has been virtually pleading with the CC for direction on budget cuts. He has made it abundantly clear to them that in order to achieve a 2% or lower levy increase, that some cuts in services will be required. He has asked for some opinions from the aldermen as to what they would be willing to give up. So far, none of the aldermen that are pushing for a lower tax levy have offered any suggestions.

Certainly the Mayor could present a budget with some arbitrary cuts in it. But no doubt he would be critisized for that also. It would be much better for the entire Common Council to work together as a team, and to have some public debate on what services they are willing to cut. That unfortunately hasn't happened. Maybe I'm wrong, but it appears that the aldermen that are demanding a 2% levy are not willing to stick their necks out to make suggestions for cuts.

Former Alderman Gallagher,

Will your shilling for this tax and spend, big government mayor never cease?  He was given direction by the council for the budget.  He was told to prepare 4%, 2% and 0% levy increase budget options with his recommendations for reductions in the increased spending that he proposed.  And what did Mayor Jack "Up Our Taxes" Chiovatero, who makes $95K per year, do?  He refused to do his job, although he is still keeps collecting his bloated paycheck.  He kept telling the council he couldn't find anything to cut out of his bloated 10.2% levy increase budget.  Jack "Up Our Taxes" Chiovatero even looked visibly upset at the October 9, 2007 council meeting when his tax and spend plan to Jack Up taxes by 10.2% failed, with only your protege' Aldermen Bill "Tax and Spend" Moore and Joe Poshepny voting for it.

This Mayor doesn't care how much he Jack's Up everyone's taxes.  He thumbed his nose at the council and sent then a 10.2% tax levy increase budget.  He and his political allies also are trying to shove a tax increase referendum down the throats of city taxpayers, by holding the paramedic program hostage.  

To respond to your statement.  Ya, you're wrong.

Keith Heun

President, New Berlin Board of Education

I thought this was titled Take a Second look at the Paramedic program?

Back on the right subject of this entry.

Let's get some answers before more tax dollars are given to Edward Dobernig to spend.

Citizens of New Berlin Thomas Dobernig (Edward's brother) said in his email and flyer that it is his opinion that we have been tragically misinformed. Let's get answers to a few question to see who is misinforming us.

Why did the City take over the New Berlin Volunteer Fire Department in 2001?

When the City took over it was said that nothing would change except for the name, which would change to the City of New Berlin Fire Department. Note: Edward L. Dobernig was hired (2001) to replace Chief Ronald Rebatzke the very same year the city "took over". My opinion is the "City" lied and mislead all of us.

In the same email/flyer titled ("Life Safety Alert" which I can only assume Thomas had sent out as no one took credit by addressing on the flyer who was responsible for delivering these to our homes). Thomas Dobernig (Edward's brother) claims the New Berlin Fire Department needs more personal..........  Thomas needs to ask his brother Edward Dobernig why he "fired" or "forced to quit" a large number of the 150 volunteers who gave willingly their time and own money to give emergency care to our citizens. I know I would like to know?

What happened to the EMT-Intermediate service which Andrew Wahl and many of the New Berlin Volunteer EMT/FF's worked so hard to bring to New Berlin's Fire Department?

I am not against the EMT-P service.

We however can not ignore how this came to be and why we will be asked to pay more in taxes in the very near future.  Do not allow Thomas and Edward Dobernig get away  giving us more misleading information.

Let's see if they will continue to misinform us?

More questions and comments to follow on the BIG ticket spending by our "Fire Chief".....

NB679