Category Archives: Local Government

Franklin

Greg Kowalski is Bitter Over Loss … Mark Dandrea Shows He is a Gracious Winner!

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From the April 3rd – FranlinNOW:

Kowalski, who narrowly lost to Olson in the 2010 election, said he was upset with fliers that were distributed - by members of Dandrea’s campaign, he assumes – throughout the city last weekend that were full of misinformation.

“The bottom line is that there was a negative piece that was circulated last minute and obviously the people didn’t have much of a choice,” Kowalski said. “There were a bunch of lies and incorrect statements about me in that flier. And that’s basically what I think was reflected in today’s election.”

Dandrea called the fliers a “comparison piece” that put his qualifications side-by-side to Kowalski’s.

“It was a very truthful and candid piece about (Kowalski’s) involvement with different political groups compared to mine; my business and marketing expertise, compared to his lack of expertise,” Dandrea said.

“He was disappointed,” said Dandrea, referring to Kowalski. “If I was in that position, I would have been disappointed, too. I was the strongest candidate running for the 1st District, and the voters recognized that.”

Unfortunately Greg Kowalski misconstrued factual information for lies and misinformation. If what Greg says is true and these are lies and misinformation, will Greg Kowalski be taking this issue to the Government Accountability Board or are these just the rantings of a LOSER!

61% of the 1st District apparently disagree with Kowalski and his qualifications!

What Would Greg Do?

Sour Grapes?

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More Last Minute Rhetoric from Greg Kowalski. All Talk with NO ANSWERS!

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In his last hours campaign push for 1st District Alderman, Greg Kowalski is making some statements he has no idea of how to fulfil nor does he have the power to fulfil “IF” he was elected to the Common Council. I received a copy of his flier from one of the residents of the 1st district and they have these questions to ask the 26-year-old sage.

Lets go through his statements one by one.

  • First Kowalski is claiming his opponent is Mudslinging.  - Is it mud-slinging if it’s the truth? Factual information to compare candidates positions are not mud-slinging. Aren’t candidates responsible for past actions and statements? Kowalski doesn’t think so!
  • Kowalski says he will Launch EDC initiatives - What kind of initiatives does he propose? Who will do the work? To whom would you launch? A part-time group of people that have only come up with a glossy brochures and have no expertise in economic development? Is he saying that current AlderVisor Steve Taylor (a supposed political endorser and member of the EDC) has done a poor job in EDC initiatives and needs Kowalski’s guidance?
  • Kowalski says he plans to restart discussions with the community and owners on the civic center - What would he talk about? Cost of the land? Sidewalks? Remember Kowalski was part of this group that raised money for a Civic Center that never happened! Would anyone listen to someone with Kowalski’s credentials?
  • Work on solutions for pedestrian safety on Puetz – Kowalski never states how he plans to pay for it? Will he be doing the “work” himself? Does he plan to do it twice? Once now and once when the street gets rebuilt?
  • Work on reconstruction of Hwy 100 and 76th st.  – First off, these are Milwaukee County projects. Aren’t these already designed and scheduled?  What would Kowalski do to change the plans and design?
  • Kowalski says he plans to connect 76th and Rawson to the Rock Sports Center - Another grandiose plan by Greg Kowalski!  What is he going to do to connect it?  Fly helicopters? Build Bridges? Who will pay for it in the end?

Greg Kowalski is following in the footsteps of his favorite liberal AlderVisor Steve (don’t cut my salary so I will actually have to work) Taylor who will tell voters anything they want to hear and then doesn’t do a thing when elected. Kowalski and Taylor are your typical liberal Democratic candidates. The only difference is Taylor is known as a REPUBLICAN IN NAME ONLY.

 

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1st District Aldemanic Candidate Greg Kowalski Whining Again!

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Mark Dandea today put out a factual piece of campaign literature that his opponent Greg Kowalski does not like. The reason why Greg does not like this piece of literature is because it dares to actually compare the qualifications and stances that Mark as his opponent and he are running on. Since we have not had a head to head debate for either candidates for the 1st or 2nd district Alderman races, it now comes down to the candidates attempting to offer a comparison for the voters to peruse.

Kowalski, has made claims that “he is the best candidate” due to his experience on commissions and boards. He makes claims to “knowing what business wants” in Franklin. However the problem is that candidate Kowalski has absolutely nothing to back up his claims.

I have know Greg since 2007, I know what his experience with the city of Franklin is, what his background is and  it comes down to this…. Greg is a spoiled boy-man, who when people point out the truth about him he screams “You are Picking on Me” over and over again until someone believes him. Now he is calling this factual literature “slanderous”. (please see the actual definition of Slanderous at the bottom of this posting)

Please review the piece of literature that was distributed in the 1st District today that Greg Kowalski on his FaceBook Campaign page states  “My opponent, Mark Dandrea, has just taken us back 10 years. Those of you that remember past politics have seen this type of slanderous literature before. It is from the same type of people who have been involved in this tactic in the past, who can’t stand not being in power.”

Here is that literature:

Dandrea3_30_13

Definition of Slanderous:

slander n. oral defamation, in which someone tells one or more persons an untruth about another which untruth will harm the reputation of the person defamed. Slander is a civil wrong (tort) and can be the basis for a lawsuit. Damages (payoff for worth) for slander may be limited to actual (special) damages unless there is malicious intent, since such damages are usually difficult to specify and harder to prove. Some statements such as an untrue accusation of having committed a crime, having a loathsome disease, or being unable to perform one’s occupation are treated as slander per se since the harm and malice are obvious, and therefore usually result in general and even punitive damage recovery by the person harmed. Words spoken over the air on television or radio are treated as libel (written defamation) and not slander on the theory that broadcasting reaches a large audience as much if not more than printed publications. (See: defamation, fair comment)

Copyright © 1981-2005 by Gerald N. Hill and Kathleen T. Hill. All Right reserved.

Greg, if you want to be an Alderman, you really need to choose your words more carefully.  

 

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Greg Kowalski – Liar Liar Pants on Fire!

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Greg Kowalski, the 26 year old, live at home student running for Alderman in Franklin’s 1st district has pulled out some real whoppers for his latest campaign flier.

He is now claiming to have taken the lead to encourage city and business leaders to direct development into centralized areas according to Kowalski. I’m sorry, how many business leaders take seriously a person who has not been able to complete an Associate of Business at MATC since graduating High School in 2005. Maybe it is those same business leaders who look for him to guide them through the turbulent economic times with all his suggestions of spending property tax dollars, for aquatic centers, sidewalks, community centers, parks, all of which he has never paid cent one for as he is still living with his Mom, Step Dad and two sisters.  Could it be the same business leaders that look to him in guidance with selling beanie babies on ebay with his mom?

Kowalski goes on to say that he brought new concepts to the city as a city commissioner on the Environmental Commission, a Commission he became the chair of because no one else wanted it. Then like a little child, publicly quit (see the FranklinNOW about that one) because the Mayor did not like how he was running it. Later he begged the Mayor’s forgiveness and promised not to write any more blogs that put the city and the Mayor in a bad light. The mayor then put him on the Trails committee, a place where he could do no further harm.

Kowalski now claims that a group (that he founded) Citizens for Community Development were the ones who prompted Franklin developers to create the transformation of the Crystal Ridge Ski Hill into The Rock Sports Complex. When Mike Zimmerman, the developer of The Rock Sports Complex was asked at a Common Council meeting if he was aware of the CCD’s efforts in trying to get the Central Park concept off the ground. Zimmerman replied that he was not aware of those efforts but would be willing to listen to what they found.

I guess we have to remember when it comes to running for a political office, embellishment is just a fact of life.

For Kowalski, it is a “Way of Life“!

 

Pants on Fire

Greg Kowalski – Pants on Fire

 

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Mark Dandrea Makes the Most Sense for Franklin’s 1st District Alderman

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I have said it many times before, if I had chosen where I lived in Franklin by the person who would represent me at Franklin’s City Hall, it would have been in Alderman Steve Olson’s district. Olson who has been Franklin’s 1st district alderman for the past several terms has made the decision to not to run again for another 3 year term.

There are four residents who have chosen to run for 1s District Alderman, but only one shows the true qualifications to take Franklin’s never-ending issues, head on, to getting us back on track, just as Alderman Olson has in the past. That person is Mark Dandrea.

Dandrea, a long time resident of Franklin and the 1st District, is being endorsed whole heartedly by Alderman Steve Olson. I think that speaks volumes to the 1st district residents who in past elections voted for Olson in complete confidence.

I feel I should pass along Marks recent endorsement for your consideration as 1st District residents go to vote at City Hall on Tuesday, February 19th. I like many others who support Mark, hope the District 1 residents vote for Mark, putting him one step closer to giving us an equally qualified Alderman who will help Franklin actually move Forward.
Alderman Steve Olson’s ENDORSEMENT:

MarkDandrea_64847 by

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AlderVisor Steve Taylor Quickly Changes His Tune!

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A year ago on April 3, 2012 , Steve Taylor received his Milwaukee County Supervisors crown along with his current crown of Franklin’s 1st district alderman, which residents found out later he had no intention on giving up.  What also happened during that election, that Steve wants you to forget, was how a non-binding referendum in Franklin passed by an extreme margin in in favor of reducing the size of the County board to 13. The newly elected Aldervisor chastised Mayor Tom Taylor and his fellow aldermen for bringing the referendum to vote in the first place. Not to mention that they certify it at the very meeting he was wearing his two crowns.

In a condescending speech to the Mayor and the Council the AlderVisor Taylor had much to say about the results of that referendum. The following is taken virtual verbatim from the Common Council meeting on April 17, 2012  in the first meeting following his coronation as a Supervisor.

 Lets talk about a number of things here. First being there was an election and you had 13 incumbents that ran…. All 13 were re-elected! Some were unopposed obviously, but what that tells you is that every single one that was opposed voted AGAINST the downsizing of the board. YET ALL THOSE BOARD MEMBERS WERE RE-ELECTED! It’s the same thing in Congress that you hear all the time…. Congress has an approval rating of 10% yet 87% of the individuals get re-elected. So this issue which was on the ballot and people overwhelmingly were for. People still put the same Supervisors back in place.

So in my conversations  down there (referring to the Court House), with every single supervisor, you know …. there’s no momentum that this referendum question did anything coming from that. I can tell you that RIGHT NOW they definitely don’t care for meddling in municipalities  and their business. Which is no shock! You know we don’t like when the County meddles in our business, so that one comment I’ll make on these questions…..  I don’t expect anything to come from the board based on those (referendum questions).

It is now almost a year later and former County Supervisor and now State State Representative Joe Sanfelippo has proposed a binding referendum that if passed would cause a major cut in Milwaukee County Supervisors salaries from $55K to $15K. Now Steve Taylor after trying to unsuccessfully schmooze with his supposed friends in Madison has put together propose cut back to 13 Supervisors from the current 18, with his fellow Supervisor Mark Borkowski. Please remember Steve Taylor’s diatribe back in April 2012.

This is a quote from Aaron Rodriguez’s The Red Fox blog:

Milwaukee County Supervisors Steve Taylor and Mark Borkowski endorsed a plan, in a stunner of a press release, that would reduce the County Board Supervisors from 18 to 13 and cut the board’s budget by 40%. The plan surprised many because it was endorsed without consulting constituents, county colleagues, State Representative Joe Sanfelippo, and minority groups. That’s a whole lot of “not consulting.”

The issue of minority groups raised the specter of the county redistricting battle two years ago which resulted in Hispanics in the south-side gaining a second majority voting age population (VAP) district – one that reflected their explosive growth in Milwaukee. Neither the NAACP nor Hispanics for Leadership were contacted by Supervisors Taylor or Borkowski to see how their plan would affect their minority districts. Reducing the size of the County Board to 13 districts would not properly reflect Hispanic population growth in Milwaukee and would likely lead to a redistricting lawsuit.

Rodriguez further says:

I called Supervisor Steve Taylor twice yesterday and left two messages inquiring about their newly hatched plan. Taylor stopped returning my calls since he first ducked the question about supporting Sanfelippo’s bill on January 13. (Who knows, maybe Taylor feels Senate Democratic Leader Chris Larson tugging at his leash from his Madison office. I hear they’re “besties” now.) Taylor was the special guest of Chris Larson to Walker’s State of the State Address and had even attended the Governor’s Mansion at his side.

Interesting Further Information:

 

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1st District Candidate Greg Kowalski Opposes 27th Street Development, Instead Pushes TIF for HWY 100 & Loomis!

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Last time Greg Kowalski ran for 1st district alderman in April 2010, he was unsuccessful and it was speculated that he was far too inexperienced in life to become an Alderman. Shortly after the election he wrote a posting on his blog Franklin Today stating his opposition to the proposed Drexel Interchange (now built) because it would do nothing for the City of Franklin. Kowalski publicly criticized two experienced driving forces behind the development of 27th street in Franklin. Those driving forces were none other than Ted Grintjes and Jim Rhiner who for many years served on the 27th Street Steering Committee.

It was through hours and hours of uncompensated work that Grintjes and Rhiner were able to promote the 27th street corridor, convincing Northwestern Mutual and Wheaton Franciscan Hospitals to locate to Franklin along this corridor. Kowalski discounts their opinions and recommendations in favor of Alderwoman Kristen Wilhelm’s, who’s expertise is in the area of environmentalism not development.

 In this article Kowalski states that the Drexel interchange is needed only by Oak Creek for their Delphi plant redevelopment at Drexel & Howell  and asks “what does Franklin need the interchange for?”  Could it be that more access to 27th street will continue to grow this area as a “Franklin destination area” such as Brookfield’s Bluemound road?

So lets examine Kowalski’s experience and education that allows him to make these statements?

 Simply said, Greg Kowalski is a 2005 graduate of Franklin High School, he has been attending MATC, (apparently part time since graduation), since the MATC associate degree’s are geared for completion in 2 years. His business expertise is in selling Beanie Babys and stuffed toys on E-bay.  Greg’s basis his life experiences from living with his parents since high school graduation while working on his “exceptional?” career track toward being the 1st district alderman.

Here is his opine on the Drexel interchange and 27th street development from Franklin Today:

Franklin Today – Opposition to 27th Street by

Jump forward to 2013 and his current run for Alderman.  Now Kowalski is boasting on his FaceBook campaign page that he is an expert on the HWY 100 & Loomis Area. It is the one thing that sets him apart from his fellow candidates.

Here is an exact quote from Candidate Kowalski from is Candidates FaceBook page:

I’m probably more informed on this parcel of land and its development history (or lack thereof) than any of my opponents. Since I haven’t heard any views from any of them, I will save some of my thoughts on this for when the primary gets a little closer. As for the city buying the parcel outright, Alderwoman Wilhelm was challenged to convince her colleagues on the Council to purchase only 500 ft to complete a school access road. It would be a significant uphill battle for the city to be convinced to purchase something in the magnitude of the Meijer parcel. An additional problem for the development of this site is the cost to purchase the parcel is too high given the multitude of water and drainage challenges and road access costs. The fact is, a TIF District may be the only reasonable cost-effective method to develop this property.

OK so what has Kowalski written about about the 27th Street TIFFs?

First and foremost, I’m not a fan at all over the city spending millions of dollars for the 27th Street Corridor. While some will just point out and say it’s TIF (tax-incremental financing) money, meaning that those businesses in the TIF will pay it off via property taxes, I still get a little bothered by it. The TIFs along 27th Street do nothing to impact the property tax base that truly needs the additional revenue, the Franklin Public School District. In the meantime, City Hall has been consistent on approving funds and more funds to facilitate a roughly 10-year-long vision to turn 27th Street into the next Mayfair Road. This just extends the TIF Districts that were created for Northwestern Mutual and Wheaton Franciscan drag on longer, and doesn’t provide tax relief for residents.

1st District residents will have to choose which Kowalski they choose to believe!

 

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Did AlderVisor Steve Taylor Single Handedly Kill the Meijers Project?

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Speaking to The Daily Reporter a local Milwaukee newspaper, Stevie may have spoken out of turn and soured Meijers stores from locating in Franklin. The reporter Beth Kevit also asked Joe Dietle, Franklin’s planning manager what was causing the delay for the Meijers planning team. Dietl said that “he assumes the delay is related to state and federal approvals Meijer still need for the project” further “that Meijers need the DNR’s approval for the project because it would damage wetlands in the area, and the agency has final jurisdiction”

The City of Franklin would also be required to over-ride the Franklin  Environmental regulations that require a 50 foot wetlands setback that the city normally requires. Meijers already attempted that exception but the city can’t grant that before they have a makeup public hearing on the issue. That just won’t happen until Meijers restarts it’s pursues of development approvals. Meijers has tabled that until the end of the year.

The Reporter quotes the sophomoric Aldervisor Taylor as saying that “he is not sure that the Company (Meijers) is going to come back to the table” He also emphatically said “the city should have given approval a long time ago.”

Taylor continualy makes it known about his boredom with the Franklin City Government and has shown even more of a lack of courtesy, or common decency to the Mayor and other Franklin Alderman as of late.

Taylor who is on the Franklin Forward Committee and was his brain-child of an idea to scrap the Economic Development Commission, has done nothing to move Economic Development forward, and now looks like he may have single handedly queered the dealings with Meijers by opening his big mouth.

But as his fellow Aldermen and County Supervisors know, Steve Taylor is know for shooting off his mouth without thinking.

On that you can count on Steve!

 

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Casper Green – Too Liberal For The Personnel Commission

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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.

Casper Green – Member of the City of Franklin Personnel Commission

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 guy but 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.

 

 

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AlderVisor Steve Taylor Gets Blasted by a Franklin Resident

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An anti-Meijers stores resident recently blasted AlderVisor Steve (is this common council meeting over yet?) Taylor at Tuesdays Common Council meeting for his snide remarks at the previous Common Council meeting two weeks before.  James Lajsic, 8756 W. Mallard Ct. has retained Milwaukee Attorney Joe Cincotta, and admonished Taylor for implying that his attorney (Cincotta) is an “AMBULANCE CHASER“. The AlderVisor’s statements were referring to the fact that Attorney Cincotta had also been retained by Jack and Michelle Corrao of Grafton (another proposed location) and therefore the attorney was shopping dissatisfied residents of those city’s. The Grafton Common Council did recently approve the Grafton store plans as another new location sought by Meijers.

Please listen to the tongue lashing that Taylor gets from James Lajsic who has been attending all the City Council meetings trying to derail the Meijers proposed store in Franklin.

My observation of Steve Taylor is that he is bored with Franklin politics and if a resident is not a “voting constituent” of Taylor, he does not give a rip about them or their opinions. Taylor is known to show anger with anyone who he disagrees with or who oppose him. His words often filled with sarcastic anger, especially if it is an issue that appears to “waste’ his precious time.

With a little investigation however Wag the Dog has found that James Lajsic, is a retired union member of the Miller Brewery who signed the papers to recall Scott Walker. He has brought up inane questions of the council about “what kind of jobs is Meijers going to provide?” I am sure it is not the cushy pay and benefits he is use to from working a union Miller Brewery job. But then again, with this economy, a job such as one that is offered at Meijers may keep someone off of needing welfare or that extra layer needed to pay the high taxes we experience here in Franklin. Not to mention, opportunities for our young people to get their first job.

Bottom line is again,here is a case of AlderVisor Steve Taylor being bored with the issues he faces here as an Alderman in Franklin versus his oh so important job as a Milwaukee County Supervisor. Maybe now is the time to quit Steve!

Lajsic, on the other hand is just laughable!

 

 

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