Given  Mayor Tom Taylor’s political past not only as an Alderman and Mayor or as a Milwaukee County employee, it is no surprise that he is so proficient at the Art of Redirection. When tax paying citizen writers of  local interest blogs (yes – his constituents) are mocked by both the Mayor and his hand picked Council President in a public meeting for showing opposition to the Mayors budget passed by 5 out of the 6 Council members is just bad political behavior.

In this posting you will see just how at the December 7, 2010 Common Council meeting your current Mayor Tom (YouTube ©) Taylor redirects the fact that for a second year the Mayor has raised taxes in the City of Franklin, WI.  He fills his political speech with disdain for anyone who does not sing the praises about EVERYTHING in Franklin. He blames local blogs for negative misinformation and claims they are the cause of the difficulties the City of Franklin , has had in getting development rolling again.

What is obvious is that Tom Taylor is unlike Mayor Dick Bolender of Oak Creek who has taken the bull by the horns while Oak Creek flourishes with development and full malls.  Mayor Tom Taylor now looks for excuses, as he is up for re-election and has little to take credit for in the past three years except for Higher Tax Bills, major companies like Harley Davidson moving out Franklin along with half empty strip malls and a failed Fountains of Franklin development. I guess what he says is true that it is all about elections (who wins and who looses) only now that the Mayor is up for re-election with his Kindergarten Politics to blame.

In all fairness, I am including the complete audio portion of Item G10 Comparison of municipal property tax rates and other municipal charges.

Mayor Tom Taylor on How Great Franklin is and no one should say anything negative about Franklin:

• We should be on the rooftops shouting how great Franklin is instead of the negativity about taxes.

• The Mayor finally in 2010 put together the Mayor Ad hoc Committee to get development back in Franklin. This just happens to correspond with the year of his re-election bid.

• “There should be NO NEGATIVITY in this community – We have a fantastic community!”

• I had foreign nationals from South Milwaukee at the Christmas Tree lighting say that “They all want to move to Franklin!”

• The Mayor blames the Franklin Public Schools for the higher Taxes not the Oak Creek – Franklin Public Schools.

• The Mayor feels he can speak for Northwestern Mutual’s Chief council. I do not think she would appreciate that!

Council President Steve Taylor tells us “If You Don’t like Franklin then Get the Hell out!”

Sorry Steve but I like Franklin just fine and I have for the 21 plus years I have lived here, I just don’t like the things you have voted for that have consistently  raised my taxes. You have been able to screw things up with the 4 short years you have lived here!

• The Press doesn’t  cover the City of Franklin anymore. Just a few negative individuals.
• Nobody comes up to him at baseball games, St. Martins Fair or ribbon cutting telling him that taxes are too high. I guess those same people told him that they wanted a full time Mayor!
• There are only a handful of people that think Franklin is a Tax Hell.
• If you GOOGLE Franklin you won’t find anything positive just that it is a Tax Hell. This is the fault of those few bloggers. (Which he is one of them)

Alderman Tim Solomon – “Read My Blog Baby” 

• Is this the Kindergarten Politics the Mayor talks about?
• 85% of City Taxes goes for Police, Fire and DPW (what about the other 15%?)
• Without Development your taxes will go up. What have you done Tim to reverse that trend?
• “The Apathy OBVIOUSLY is that it is a good city to live in!” It is if you can just ignore your tax bill!
• Alderman Tim says no one is complaining to him at baseball games, and social gatherings so everything  is Okey Dokey!

Kristen Wilhelm our 3rd District Alderwoman

• Now completing her second year on the Finance Committee
• Can’t expect taxes to go down.
  

Ken Skowronski – 6th District Alderman

• Property Taxes are a small part of the decision for Business to move to Franklin
• They (developers) just don’t want to be beat up by all the paperwork required by the city.

Alderman Doug Schmidt – 5th District – Taxes! – We don’t have anything to be ashamed of!

• Doug has difficulty following the actual subject being discussed (property tax comparisons) so he talks about what he knows. Franklin’s Historical Society.
• People come from all over to celebrate Christmas in our historic chapel – Not for the taxes silly!

Steve Olson – 1st District Alderman – Lets pay attention to what we are doing!

• The only Alderman to find ways to cut property taxes.
• Tax Rates are misleading.
• Lets pay attention to WHAT WE ARE DOING and then move on.
• Let’s not worry about selling our Tax Rate ,our bloggers or what people are writing.
• Let’s just go sell our city just as we have done for 54 years. We have clean open land, we are a welcoming community, we’ve got Great Residents, a good School System and we want to work with you!