Politics - Nov. 20, 2009
The politics of the veto
There was certainly no lack of passion at the Milwaukee County Board's veto override session this week, especially when it came to cutting County positions that deal with mental health, alcohol and other drug abuse issues, and other services. Plus, more details on a plan for the mayor's office to take over control of MPS and the latest from the DNR.
Tagged with: milwaukee county supervisors, scott walker, budget, veto, dnr, mps

Politics - Nov. 13, 2009
Campaign finance tool going unused by City Hall
Local lawmakers and other city officials haven't fully embraced they city's electronic system to file campaign finance reports.
Tagged with: city hall, bob bauman, tom barrett, republic airways, midwest airlines

Politics - Nov. 6, 2009
Parking meter madness
County Executive Scott Walker has suggested putting parking meters at popular Lakefront spots like Bradford Beach, Veterans Park and McKinley Marina in an effort to help close a growing budget gap. But, considering how well the LUKE meters have worked at times -- including this week's issue with daylight savings tme -- is it really a good idea?
Tagged with: scott walker, LUKE meters, mckinley marina, grafton dam

Politics - Oct. 30, 2009
Debate rages over a hot corner in Oak Creek
Richard Rothen, who operates Cupid's Toys at 27th and Rawson, has an inkling that local officials don't want his business to thrive. Rothen has had license issues and believes that officials covet his location on the northeast corner of a busy intersection, for development. When a recent road repair was underway, Rothen found his store had been removed from a planning map.
Tagged with: cupid's toys, oak creek, 27th Street, Rawson Ave., terry witkowski, wisconsin democracy campaign, citizens for responsible government, nik kovac

Politics - Oct. 23, 2009
Police suffer from "Communication Breakdown"
While Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn spent most of his time in the spotlight asking that his officers not be furloughed for four days, the Common Council's Finance Committee essentially glossed over a report that the MPD has spent $17.5 million on a radio system that doesn't work and won't be fixed.
Tagged with: edward flynn, police communications, gametime, rosie's

Politics - Oct. 16, 2009
Gun debate triggers grandstanding, hand-wringing
A discussion about guns proved to be a blazing topic this week at a special meeting of the Common Council's Public Safety Committee. And sure, there was plenty of room for grandstanding and collective hand-wringing. "There simply is no excuse for the gun violence in our communities and residents will no longer stand for it. It is high time we take serious action," Ald. Bob Donovan said.
Tagged with: gun control, ald. bob donovan, ald. tony zielinski, kinnickinic avenue, scott walker, ku klux klan, lee holloway, joseph rice, joe sanfelippo, mark borkowski, lynn debruin

Politics - Oct. 9, 2009
Supervisors dive in to battle Walker on public pools
So Scott Walker wants to close six pools -- several on the North Side -- to build one large aquatic center on the South Side? How does that make budgetary sense? It does to County Exec Walker who wants to spend $11 million to build the aquatic center while closing Pulaski and Noyes indoor pools and the outdoor pools at Washington, Holler and Jackson Parks and Pelican Cove.
Tagged with: Scott Walker, Marina Dimitrijevic, Milwaukee Public Schools, Mayor Tom Barrett, Gov. Jim Doyle, Barbara Lawton, Port of Milwaukee, Hoan Bridge, Eric Reinelt, Susan Edman

Politics - Oct. 2, 2009
Bar opponents play the "not in my backyard" card
Riverwest residents turned out en masse this week to oppose the re-opening of Smokey's, 2425 N. Dousman St. Neighbors pointed out that there are four bars in a two-block stretch of Dousman -- which is similar to what opponents in Bay View said about a proposed sports bar -- but they were told, in essence, "if you don't like it, you shouldn't have moved into the area."
Tagged with: riverwest, nathan potter, smokey's, the gig, steven vieth, bay view, tony zielinski, nik kovac, russ feingold, one wisconsin now

Politics - Sept. 4, 2009
Zielinski, Barrett clash over the classroom
Milwaukee Ald. Tony Zielinski got the brush off from Mayor Tom Barrett after Zielinski's challenge to debate the mayor's plan to take over running the Milwaukee Public School system. The mayor wants the authority to appoint the currently elected school board and the superintendent, as well.
Tagged with: MPS, Tom Barrett, Tony Zielinksi, Coast, Joe Czarnezki, Ellen's Catering, Grandview Management, Tamara Grigsby, UWM, Kyle Duerstein, Jay Burseth, Samantha Carter

Politics - Aug. 28, 2009
Taking schools to school
Proponents and opponents of changing the way the Milwaukee Public Schools are run were lining up in droves this week as some public events were held to draw attention to a plan by Gov. Jim Doyle and Mayor Tom Barrett to allow the mayor to oversee the schools.
Tagged with: Milwaukee Public Schools, Tom Barrett, Jim Doyle, Gwen Moore, Josh Zepnick, Tony Zielinski, Willie Hines, Scott Walker, Mark Neumann, Milwaukee Public School Defense League

Politics - Aug. 21, 2009
Senate discusses erasing parental control of alcohol
The practice of parents allowing their children to tip back a few in their presence could be finished as the state legislative assault on drinking continues in the form of Senate Bill 30. The bill would ban parents from letting their kids drink until they are 18. There currently is no such prohibition.
Tagged with: MPS, underage drinking, Peter Blewett, Bill Sell, Milwaukee Public Schools Defense League, EZMONEY, Check cashing place

Politics - Aug. 14, 2009
Waving the flag for free speech
A Crivitz supper club owner will get help from a bevy of lawyers with the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin as he sues the village for denying his right to fly the U.S. flag upside down.
Tagged with: Critivz, Vito J. Congine, ACLU, smoking ban, Milwaukee River Dam, Estabrook Park, Gov. Jim Doyle, Sen. Russ Feingold, Ald. Terry Witkowski, Ald. Robert Bauman, Cash for Clunkers

Politics - Aug. 7, 2009
South Side coalition seeks to save the Hoan Bridge
Milwaukee County Supervisors Patricia Jursik, Marina Dimitrijevic and Christopher Larson, along with State Rep. Christine Sinicki, have formed a Coalition to Save the Hoan Bridge. Things are heating up over the Hoan after the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce asked for further studies involving either repairing the bridge for millions or replacing it for millions more.
Tagged with: hoan bridge, mayor tom barrett, chief edward flynn, ald. bob donovan

Politics - July 31, 2009
City hikes fees on cab rides, snow removal and more
Among the plethora of fee increases passed by the Milwaukee Common Council this week is a hidden one that will not effect the city coffers at all -- a substantial increase in taxi cab rates. Milwaukee already has among the highest cab rates country -- including, for a period of time, more expensive than rates in Chicago and Toronto.
Tagged with: taxi, zoo interchange, Wisconsin DNR

Politics - July 24, 2009
City floats water fee increase
The city is looking at raising water rates as a way to put more money in its general fund, going beyond the traditional water bills being used to cover the cost of running the Water Works. Water Works and city administration officials are looking to raise rates an additional 6.5 percent for suburban users of Milwaukee water and 5 percent for city residents on top of a 3 percent increase that takes effect soon.
Tagged with: Tom Barrett, Jim Doyle, Scott Walker, Republican, Democrat, Robert Puente, Bob Donovan, Joe Dudzik, Chief Ed Flynn, Robin Vos, Wisconsin Business Council, Newt Gingrich, Mark Neumann

Politics - July 10, 2009
Butterfly battles and small-town sheriff recalls
Political battles aren't always waged on the biggest stage. Sure, plenty of folks will be watching the fur (and dollars) fly when Democratic State Sen. Jim Sullivan faces off against Republican Rep. Leah Vukmir next year. But, a controversial sheriff recall election is rocking Price County and a group closer to home is concerned about what the Zoo Interchange project will do to the Monarch butterfly (pictured).
Tagged with: price county, sheriff recall, wally krenzke, monarch butterfly, county grounds, jim sullivan, leah vukmir

Politics - June 19, 2009
Task force seeks to update liquor license process
A special task force, chaired by former state Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler, would like to see the Common Council modernize the mechanism for hearing license requests in order to keep politicians from tampering with the process and alleviate the appearance of "aldermanic privilege."
Tagged with: common council, liquor license, over-concentration, tony zielinski, scott walker, barry mandel, noyes pool, pulaski pool

Politics - June 13, 2009
Parks advocates set sights on transportation tax
A strapped government sometimes pits good groups against each other. This week, there is a battle between people who probably agree more often than not. Jim Goulee of the Park People crafted an e-mail calling for the preservationists to quickly call their legislators to make sure that a half-percent tax increase doesn't just go for Regional Transportation Authorities, but that lawmakers put another half-percent tax increase for the county parks.
Tagged with: parks people, jim goluee, scott walker, jim sullivan, jim doyle

Politics - June 5, 2009
Sheriffs say "Check, please" to fight drunk driving
Lawmakers are considering stiffening penalties for drunk driving in the state and the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department has an idea -- just one -- to help. Sobriety checkpoints are the solution, Sheriff's Department representatives said this week at a hearing in front of the state Senate's Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform and Housing Committee. "We cannot arrest our way out of this problem," said one sheriff's rep.
Tagged with: drunk driving, sobriety checkpoints, jb van hollen, scott walker, citizens for responsible government

Politics - May 29, 2009
Pouring predicament persists at Jazz in the Park
Jazz in the Park kicks off its 2009 season Thursday night at Cathedral Square Park. Earlier this week, a state assembly committee, prompted by Rep. Leon Young, unanimously passed a bill allowing carry-ins, but officials likely will uphold their plans to ban patrons from bringing their own beer and wine to the event.
Tagged with: jazz in the park, cathedral square, alcohol, leon young, scott walker, tom ament