With 1oo % of the vote in at City Hall, Franklin has two new aldermen. In the 1st District we have Mark Dandrea who commanded 61% of the vote against Greg Kowalski who lost last election to Alderman Steve Olson.
In the 2nd District we will see Dan Mayer take over Alderman Tim Solomons place on the council.
There is still hope for Franklin’s Common Council with these two new Aldermen taking their seats next to each other.
Thanks again Steve and Tim for all your hard work over the past years.
Just to let you know how left leaning Greg Kowalski, the 26 year old live at home candidate for Franklin’s 1st Aldermanic district feels about Governor Scott Walker, I want to share with you a blog he wrote for the election back in 2010. Kowalski is the ebay, beanie baby entrepreneur who ran unsuccessfully last election against the incumbent Steve Olson. Kowalski states on his bio that he has been working on his 2 year, associate of business degree from MATC since graduation from Franklin High School in 2005. What you may not see is that he lives at home with his mother, step-father and sisters running his entrepreneurial G&C Collectibles.
I pointed this out to you in the past when Casper Green a member of the Franklin’s Personnel Commission spoke out a citizens comment period back in April.
Mr. Green apparently is not only very pro-union as could be heard by his remarks back in April but now is featured in one of Rob Zerban’s commercials now airing on TV. In addition Mr. Green proudly states ” I agree with hardly anything Paul Ryan stands for”.
As I have stated before, and I will publicly state again, I am not happy to have Casper Green on the Personnel Commission. But of course if Mayor Thomas Taylor has no problem with appointing and reappointing Casper with his liberal credentials. Well I guess that is just Tom Taylor, taking his lean to the left (remember Mayors against Guns and his stand with Michael Blumberg until he was called on the carpet)! Casper Green may be a nice guybut his liberal views do not jive with the thinking of the majority of the residents in Franklin. Maybe they are OK for the Parks Committee but not for the Personnel Committee where his liberal point of view is transparent in any negotiations with City of Franklin employees!
Watch for Casper in this TV ad for Rob Zerban, Casper Green is the grey haired gentleman with glasses who shows up third in the ad.
I enjoyed this video created by these high school students. I know at least one liberal former UW-Madison graduate who will belittle this by claiming these are kids are motivated by their parents and can’t think for themselves. You know the type, a Madison liberal that thinks that only UW Madison liberals have any brains.
With the majority of Franklin having a more conservative attitude, I thought you may enjoy it too.
Despite the absurd accusations which a small group of Franklin residents are slinging about the proposed Meijer’s Store’s project to be built in Franklin. The project should get final approval at Tuesday September 4th, 6:30pm Common Council meeting.
Expect to hear last ditch efforts in and attempt to throw up roadblocks by some of the extremists who totally believe the Meijers Project will be the end of Franklin as we know it.
They have recently sent out a flier making all sorts of claims including:
Increased traffic and crime in our neighborhoods. Just like the people in Wyndham Hills said about Target.
Need for more police officers, requiring higher taxes. Because the fact the Police Station is right down the street makes no difference at all!
Gridlocked Traffic on Puetz Road. I know there is total gridlock on Drexel around Target too.
A possible lawsuit by Walmart because they were not allowed to build there. Because they are so mad at Franklin, that not only built a Walmart but later they built a SUPER Walmart in Franklin on 27th street anyway.
Increased takes for ROADS, SIDEWALKS and (oh no) SEWERS. Wait isn’t that why we are spending all sorts of money for the Ryan Creek Interceptor sewer system in the first place!
Plus the fact that Meijers is going to single handedly put Target and Pick n Save out of business in Franklin.
But when it comes down to the vote, comments made at the last Common Council meeting by the Mayor, and Aldermen in attendance are most revealing. The only thing that kept it from being passed last Council meeting was the fact that Alderman Steve Olson was not able to attend that meeting due to business obligations to his full time career. He did however express to the Mayor in a letter, (which the Mayor did not see fit to read to the constituents that were in attendance in the audience) his less than enthusiastic approval of the project due to the fact that the Mayor and the rest of the Aldermen were willing to take whatever mediocre project specifications they were given by Meijers. He also stated that Meijers had done little to appease his constituents in their concerns dealing with traffic and hours of operations. The Mayor for whatever reason neglected to read this letter into the record as had been requested by Alderman Olson.
Last council meeting Alderman Steve Taylor voiced his approval of wanting to GITERDONE and again with his current usual M.O. of boredom and distaste for anything that takes too long having to do with his insignificant second part time job as the 4th district Alderman. Alderman Doug Schmidt concurred with anyone who spoke before him (I heard the Mayor is planning on a Doug Schmidt bobble head to replace him). Alderman Kenny Skowronski, is for anything the Mayor is for, so since the Mayor is for Maijers, well by gumption so is he. Alderwoman Kristen Wilhelm is OK with it (she has shopped a Meijers before according to her and as long as it is environmentally OK so is she.
So basically folks this is pretty much a done deal.
But…………
I plan on watching the Vote and the Council meeting for it’s sheer entertainment value.
Below is a video called Test of Fire: Election 2012. The Catholic Church is circulating it on YouTube and it includes a quote from our former Milwaukee Archbishop (now Cardinal) Timothy Dolan“When the Government Tampers with a Freedom so fundamental one shudders to think what is ahead”.
The bottom line is that the Catholic Church is warning “Good” American Catholics to choose their new president wisely in November, especially rejecting one that does not abide by what the Catholic Church teaches. The teachings that Catholics are reminded about in the video are ones that President Barack OBama has flaunted his support for Abortion,Forcing the Catholic Church as an employer to pay for abortions, Redefining traditional marriages to gain the vote of liberal groups. I would say, three strikes and you are out Mr. Obama, when it comes to the Catholic Church.
We will see in November just how many Catholics heed the warnings of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.
Tonights meeting of the Franklin Public Schools – Board of Education included the swearing in of newly elected Board Members Janet Evans and Aimee Schlueter. But the sweetest part of the meeting was the election of the Board of Education President and Vice-President. First Janet Evans was nominated for President by Tim Nielson and Deb Larson was nominated by Jeff Traylor. On a 4 to 3 vote Janet Evans became the BOE President and the gavel was handed off to Janet Evans as President.
Next came the nominations for VP. as Tim Nielson was nominated by Linda Witkowski and naturally Deb Larson nominated Jeff Traylor. Again in a 4 to 3 vote Jeff Traylor went down in flames to Tim Nielson who then became the Board’s Vice President.
The final unanimous nominations resulted in the election of Mellisa Klein as Treasurer and Linda Witkowski as the Board Clerk.
So here are my personal observations. Both Larson and Traylor were angry having to give up the power on the board at the highest level. Especially Jeff Traylor who stormed out of the meeting immediately after the meeting ended. This is the beginning of the end of a board that is not responsive to the voter, the taxpayer and the parent. But instead one that is going to make the administration, especially Dr. Steve Patz, earn their high pay making sure that they answer to the board rather than the other way around. To quote the former liberal blogger from Franklin, Greg Kowalski when I spoke to him this past April 3rd election night. He said ”this may be beginning of the NEW New Day members on the School Board”. Kowalski was referring to a term he coined and used for then newly elected Franklin Aldermen four years back when Kristen Wilhelm and Steve Taylor began their Franklin political careers.
So now is the time to watch what happens next. It is their time now for the more conservative board members make changes so that they become more responsive to tax payers.
Here is the Video of tonights vote:
If I were to speculate on who voted for whom for the President and Vice President position, I would make this my guesses:
For the BOA President:
Voting for Janet Evans : Janet Evans, Aimee Schlueter, Tim Nielson and Linda Witkowski.
Voting for Deb Larson: Deb Larson, Jeff Traylor and Melissa Klein
Then for the BOA Vice President I speculate:
Voting for Tim Nielson: Janet Evans, Aimee Schlueter, Tim Nielson and Linda Witkowski.
Voting for Jeff Traylor: Deb Larson, Jeff Traylor and Melissa Klein
Hey one last interesting thing about tonights meeting. As a future subject for a future topic at a Board Meeting, Jeff (I can’t stand Bloggers) Traylor stated he wanted to discuss a FPS Blog site on the District Website. Just earlier in the night when the Board voted for the ”Paper of Record”, Traylor was the only one who voted NO, he asked why couldn’t we use our District Website for that too! He was told by Dr. Patz, that that was not legal! What’s that all about?
Maybe Jeff will become a blogger on FranklinNOW too!
In school board elections in the Milwaukee area, the following is a list of candidates who have been recommended by their local education associations.
Burlington - John Anderson and Susan Kessler Cedarburg EA - Troy Forrest and Jodi Heston East Troy - Martha Bresler and Steve Lambrechts Elkhorn - Dagmar Knorr Fox Point-Bayside - Eilene Stevens Franklin - Don Petre and John P. Thompson Germantown - Lisa Laskowski, Greg Anderson, Tom Bowe
Greenfield - Cathy Walsch, Rick Moze & Russ Spahn Kenosha - Carl Bryan & Shanon Molina Kettle Moraine - Colin Butler, Terri Phillips & Amy Lange Kewaskum - Grace Mueller & Harry Roecker Mukwonago - Lisa Werner Oak Creek - Cheryl Cerniglia Racine - Don Nielson, Kim Plache, Gretchen Warner Silver Lake - Bert Christensen Slinger - Kenneth Strupp & Cherie Rhodes South Milwaukee - David Maas and Sophia Williams
Watertown- Mark Putra, Meri Christensen & Kurt Larsen Waterford UHS - Kevin Malchine and Don Engler
Please share this with anyone you know who lives in these communities!
Note: Received this anonymously from a reader. It was from an email to WEAC union members “SUGGESTING” who they might vote for in the April 3rd election. Red bolding is mine.
With a proven ability to work with others and not beholding to special interest, I have the experience to drive compensation and benefit reform to address the County’s long-term liabilities without impacting staff and service levels, And as a Council member where we have not raised taxes for four strait years and driven projects with significant tax base and job creation, I have the skills to successfully and independently represent the 9th Milwaukee County Supervisory District. – Ken Gehl
