Tag Archives: Steve Taylor

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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UPDATE: Item G3 – Steve Taylor Doesn’t Really Care What The Mayor Thinks!

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1) Can a Milwaukee County Supervisor at the same time hold the position of Alderman in the City of Franklin?

 

2) Can a Milwaukee County Supervisor at the same time hold the position of Acting Mayor in the City of Franklin?

 

As expected City Attorney Jesse Wesolowski pronounced it legally OK for Alderman Steve Taylor to keep his 4th Alderman’s position, Common Council Presidency and Acting Mayor (when Mayor Taylor is indisposed). In short he said it was Legal, nothing more, nothing less.

Here is what citizens,  the Alderman and the Mayor had to say:

Bob Swendrowski (Former Mayoral Candidate and Whitnal School Board member,Citizen Comment):

I know you don’t want to see me here. I am here regarding item G3 Compatibility with the office of Alderman and County Supervisor ect.

I just wanted to give you a brief history of people who had dual positions as elected office, one was Kathy Arciszewski who was a Village Trustee for Greendale also a County Supervisor. Over her years of service there were a number of conflicts of interest which she dedicated a lot of her votes to. Was it to Greendale or the county side? Another one was Don Almquist who was a Greenfield Alderman and School District Official. Same thing happened with him.

So first of all Alderman Taylor, congratulations on being elected supervisor. But I personally believe being involved in politics for 30 plus years before I decided to step away from it. I don’t see how you can actually commit 110% of your time to both the positions as a County Supervisor and as an Alderman in your District and representing the city of Franklin.

Yes you are dedicated to the City of Franklin, but again the amount of appointments you’re going to be having in Franklin on committees, as a County Supervisor, granted you are going to have support staff with the county being paid 30 to 35 thousand a year. But again where is your dedication? Is it to the residents of your district and to the city of Franklin? What’s going to happen when it comes down to road widening? What about Highway 100, Franklin and Hales Corners? Where are you going to stand on these issues? Are you going to favor Oak Creek and Hales Corners over Franklin? Or favor Franklin over Oak Creek and Hales Corners?

It is my suggestion sir that you seriously take a look at resigning your position as Franklin Alderman, President of the Common Council and Acting Mayor when Mayor Taylor is not available. 

You have to make a commitment, a commitment that should be one or the other. YOU CAN NOT BE BOTH! If you want to do the job justice, make a commitment to one.

I would urge the Aldermen to support a move to ask for his resignation as an Alderman in the City of Franklin. Let someone else take that job over, making a commitment to the people of his district.

 

Alderwoman Kristen Wilhelm:

Well…. I am satisfied with that answer (referring to the statement City Attorney Jesse Wesolowski made declaring there was no legal reason Alderman Taylor could not hold all offices) without going out and giving the City Attorney more work. I don’t see the necessity for a motion when we have our answer here this evening unless anything else changes and he should then bring that back to us. I am also aware that legal council is available to council members and should something come up, members that have different seats should be able to get legal council to get a judgment if there is a conflict of interest, prior to any meeting votes.

I guess we already have sitting on the planning commission one member who works for the Metropolitan Sewerage District, we have one member who works for the County sitting on that board as well and this hasn’t come up about that issue. I am going to guess the City Attorney opinion here would apply to those individuals as well.

I know the Alderman is one that will do much more and already has done much more that just showing up to meetings that than the previous 9th District Supervisor. So we are already ahead of the game. I’m pleased to have some Franklin representation and I guess I see that he is dedicated and until I see he is putting on weight, from sitting around doing nothing. (Chuckle) I’ll wait to see he can’t pull off all of these duties.  He should be given the opportunity to fulfill his duties as people elected him to do and I guess I will leave it at that. Thank You.

 

Alderman Ken Skowronski:

When you are representing three faces of government and you representing three government bodies in a county wide item….the city Attorney says its legal but there is more than a legal item here. There is a morale or morality issue on who are you going to represent, TRULY REPRESENT in issues that could be contentious, could make a difference on financial items, could make a difference on items that have been kind of laying dormant that has to be done. I have a very uncomfortable about that. You can’t be a master to three communities and three government bodies and three government positions. I will leave it at that and will reserve my judgment.

 

Mayor Tom Taylor:

I think it is pretty clear the city attorney has done massive research on the subject. I am hoping the newspapers will get the story out so that all of us do not have to answer this 10,000 times, the question about how is that possible.

I still have, and Alderman Taylor knows this, as we went through the campaign, I still have reservations and I’ll tell you why.

While it is legal and he can do what he wishes to do, I do see some potential conflicts of interest as to which master do you serve and would site recent negotiations with Milwaukee County and the 19 municipalities on the EMS/Paramedic contracts. In the fact the County Board of Supervisors cut the funding in half, municipalities across the entire Milwaukee County were very upset about that. I was the leader of that revolt so-to-speak and I know firsthand. We have had an issue with North Cape Road for I don’t know how many years. I don’t think anyone driving down North Cape Road would not agree that that road needs repairs. We have been trying to get Milwaukee County to do that and they keep moving money in different directions.

We could have a situation where Oak Creek is asking for 13th street to be repaired. Hales Corners is looking for dollars and we are still looking for the money for North Cape Road.

So that is very difficult.. Maybe Alderman Taylor can walk the fine line, but I think it’s going to be tough and I think there are going to be times where it is going to cause chilling effects on the Council. Especially in the times when we need to go into closed sessions to discuss negotiations on things.

The city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County went after the Kohls Corporation. It hit all the newspapers. They were willing to cough up 125 million dollars to bring Kohls to their city. We are going after Kohls and continue to go after Kohls so there is another conflict of interest.

And as much as the municipalities, the county, and state do not like to get into completion, it is competition and its fierce completion. We fight over positions whether it be engineering positions or city clerk positions in trying to recruit the best. There could be conflicts of interest when we go into collective bargaining negotiations, Oak Creek may want to settle with its firefighters for X amount of dollars and benefit level, were in direct competition with that. Milwaukee County might enter into its negotiations with its unions, sets a pattern.

Zoning restrictions….We had a plethora of zoning issues or zoning WARS with Milwaukee County, it’s just a fact of life.

Park Properties, We have tried to secure land with Milwaukee County and continue to do so. We also ask for land to be placed in surplus with Milwaukee County.

The one that every one remembers is the 76th Street, the county, would say or promise that package was going to be 70 – 30, I am sorry 80-20, and then without consultation to anyone, unilaterally change the policy at the County Board level and change it to something more like 70-30 which for the people of Franklin, we’re all looking at millions of dollars as an impact of that and that is another situation where we have been after the county to repair that road for …… 12 years! And every time we change County Executive hats we get different answers on what’s the status of 76th street so……..

Alderman Taylor and I, we did have discussion during the campaign, he knows full well that I had a strong position on this subject and I’m bringing it forward. I hope him well. I think he’s very bright, I guess your now Second Chair on the County Board or Third Chair and will be appointed to many committees. I would offer my services to him if I can, I do have some experience down there. But I would just ask the Alderman, ahhh County Supervisor, to weigh things that are coming up from the citizens and I think it’s tough and I think you do your job well in both aspects there won’t be a problem.

Alderman Tim Solomon:

 I’d just like to weigh in and I this is a little….

I realize there may be conflicts of interest. He may have to recuse himself in some cases. Some very tough cases, where we would obviously like his input. He does a very good job; he’s a conscientious hard working you man. I would think that if he finds he can’t do it, a month or two or three down the road, then he’s probably going to have to make a choice.

But until then, I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt. Let him move forward and wish him well in both endeavors.

 

Alderman Doug Schmidt:

I would concur with Alderman Solomon.

I think that there may be a perception that there is some potential of a conflict of interest.

I think we are very fortunate at this point that we have someone who is an ally of us sitting here opposed to the other county supervisor who was missing in action. . At least we will gain some benefit from this. I think we should proceed and see how it goes.  

 

AlderVisor Steve Taylor:

Well I appreciate the input from my colleagues and it’s not surprising what was said from each one of em, so I’ll leave it at that.

We have two people that show up to the meeting asking me to go away, that doesn’t surprise me either.

I just want to tell you that I spent the last three months, knocking on doors and everything that came outside my district besides the 72% of the vote was that you better keep doing what you’re doing. As this point in time I have made no decision on if I will leave, when I’ll leave and when I get to the decision at some point and that’s when I tell you I am going somewhere. But in no way shape or form would I put the city in jeopardy or the County in jeopardy. We have the best City Attorney in the state; we have corporate council downtown at the court house, and if there was an issue that came before this body or the county board, at that time I would make a decision to abstain. If it was a closed session, which I cannot prevent from being in I would remove myself so…. In the mean time I am going to do what I do best, serve the residents of the 4th district and I will have the new 9th Supervisory District. I think I have been down there pretty much every day this past two weeks. Which my staff is telling me is more than my predecessor has been in the previous year.

So I appreciate the input and I take in consideration where it came from and we’ll just leave it at that!

 Bottom Line folks is that AlderVisor Steve Taylor doesn’t really care what anyone thinks. He legally won both offices and don’t expect him to give up his Franklin duties in the near future. After all he did quit his day job and bought a new car!

I wonder if he has a staff member drive him around?

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Not So Fast Steve Taylor!

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Life continues to be a challenge for Franklin Alderman Steve Taylor and today he is awaiting his coronation as the new Milwaukee County Supervisor of the 9th District. Taylor is replacing a current “do nothing, inaccessible” County Supervisor so you would think he has free sailing, at least for a little while. Not so fast AlderVisor Steve (sorry, I borrowed this new title for our man from Franklin from a FranklinNow commenter Rachel Ann) as it looks like he is being assaulted on several fronts.

Over the past several days, FranklinNow blogger Kevin Fischer has pointed out the highlights found on  Milwaukee airwaves, with conservative talk show host Mark Belling’s criticism of the soon to be AlderVisor. Fischer wrote how Belling questions Steve Taylor’s presumed conservative stances on  three blogs. In these blogs Fischer is calling into question Taylor’s actual intentions on one of his first votes as a Supervisor for the new County Supervisor Chairmanship. Belling states, Taylor has committed himself to voting for liberal Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic.

Mark Belling on Franklin’s Steve Taylor: An “obnoxious sellout to conservatives” – (3/12/2012) FranklinNOW

UPDATE: Mark Belling on Franklin’s Steve Taylor: An “obnoxious sellout to conservatives” – (3/13/2012) FranklinNOW

What does Steve Taylor do now? – (3/14/2012) FranklinNOW

Top this all off with what is coming up at the next Common Council meeting on Tuesday April 17 at 6:30pm.

Here are two of the Council Agenda Items that will discussed at the meeting on Tuesday night:

Mayor Tom Taylor has requested that the City Attorney address the two following questions:

1) Can a Milwaukee County Supervisor at the same time hold the position of Alderman in the City of Franklin?

2) Can a Milwaukee County Supervisor at the same time hold the position of Acting Mayor in the City of Franklin?

Next item up for Council Action has been a request to act on the following Advisory Referendums that passed in the April 3, 2012 election in the City of Franklin.

With 7,453 total ballots cast, the Franklin Board of Canvassers certified the following results:

Question 1: Do you support compensating the position of Milwaukee County Supervisor at a level that reflects the position being considered part-time in nature?

Yes  - 5,542      No – 1,089

Question 2: Shall the size of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors be reduced from the current number of eighteen (18) supervisors to nine (9) supervisors?

Yes – 5,830     No – 856

 So folks given that none of the Alderman or the Mayor supported Steve Taylor in his run for County Supervisor, it sort of goes without saying that they may be looking to wiping Steve Taylors sh*t eating grin off his face. He is going into a den of “seasoned” politicians who love to wipe their posteriors with the likes of Taylor. I really look forward to his close knit relationship he has developed over time with County Supervisor John Weishan of the 16th District. I am sure there will be snickering by his fellow Supervisors when he brings up his memorable days as Alderperson in the La Crosse or as the President of the Goosetown Neighborhood Association.

But I am sure the AlderVisor (thanks Rachel Ann) will be telling the Common Council that he can juggle Alderman, CCP, and Insurance Salesman for CountryFried.

Will Steve be Restrained at Meetings?

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Steve Taylor’s Candidate Forum Tantrum

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Imagine you as a Franklin voter wanted to actually see, have access to, and get more information about the candidates of both your very own Franklin Public Schools Board of Education along with the 9th District County Supervisor race. So as a public service, something they have done several times before for the April elections, the GrandSons of Liberty, a conservative but non-partisan group from Franklin sponsors a Candidate Forum to make this happen.

This past Tuesday, all four School Board candidates came at 6:30pm at the Root River Center in Franklin where the forum was held. About 30 people were in attendance for this forum, included in the audience were, the Mayor of Franklin Tom Taylor, Alderman Ken Skowronski, Superintendant Steve Patz, Board members Deb Larson, Jeff Traylor and Melissa Klein  even former member Mary Karolewicz was there. All the candidates had a chance to speak and give the audience the opportunity to see what they stood for.

When the forum ended at about 7:15pm, Larry Gamble the moderator announce that the County Supervisor forum would be next and start at 7:30, however, Alderman Steve Taylor would not be in attendance until later as he had another commitment. This was despite the fact that Taylor had acknowledged that he would attend the forum when he was invited weeks before. Offended by Taylors discourtesy many people left out of disgust.

Oak Creek Alderman Ken Gehl answered about 8 questions that were asked by the moderator. Since there was only one candidate available the questions were opened up to the audience. Back and forth discussion went on directly with Ken until out of the back of the room Steve Taylor makes his appearance.

Steve Taylor apologized for being late but then did a 360 and turned on his host Larry Gamble to blame him for Taylor’s bad behavior.

Here is what came next:

 

After this tirade other members of the audience left vowing not to vote for Taylor. Additional arguments broke out between Taylor and the audience. When it came down to a summary, Taylor said there was only one difference between himself and Ken Gehl. That he, Steve Taylor had been on two other governing bodies in La Crosse and in Minnesota.

Most people that stayed said there was one more difference. Ken Gehl showed patients and the capability to work with others on County Board without getting agitated. This is something we are going to need for our next County Supervisor, someone who can work WITH the other board members for Oak Creek, Franklin and Hales Corners. Not a hothead like Steve Taylor who can’t even get along with his fellow alderman or the citizens of Franklin.

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Last Chance before You VOTE on April 3rd

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Wisconsin GrandSons of Liberty – Candidate Forum

Franklin, WI – On Tuesday, March 27th at the Root River Bowling Center in Franklin; the Wisconsin GrandSons of Liberty is hosting another Candidate Forum this time for both the Franklin School Board election and the 9th District County Supervisor.

This is a moderated event and the last chance residents will get to hear the candidate’s views and positions before the election.

Root River Center is located near the corner of 76th Street and Rawson Avenue in Franklin at 7220 W. Rawson Avenue.

Franklin School Board Forum begins at 6:30pm and will last for 1 hour.

Candidates:

  • Janet Evans (Incumbent) – Confirmed
  • Donald Petre – Confirmed
  • Aimee Schlueter – Confirmed
  • John Paul Thompson – Confirmed

 

County Supervisor Forum begins at 7:30pm and will last for 1 hour.

Candidates:

  • Steve Taylor – Invited
  • Ken Gehl – Confirmed

 

 

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Hey Oak Creek Voters – Voting for Steve Taylor for County Supervisor will Really Benefit You – NOT

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Digging through my last years video archives of the April 2011 Aldermanic candidate forum, I found this clip. You know the one where Steven F. Taylor promised to serve the voters in Franklin’s 4th Aldermanic District before he decided to run for 9th District County Supervisor just months later.

Below is some video to let the residents of Oak Creek, Hales Corners and of course Franklin know what he really feels. Read Steve’s campaign literature and compare his vision for Oak Creek then and Oak Creek now. In a current interview with Express Milwaukee Taylor now states “ The 27th Street corridor, which lies in the district, has the potential of $2 billion in tax base and could become southeastern Wisconsin’s medical epicenter. ” 

In this video you will hear Steve Taylor state:

I don’t represent Oak Creek! I wasn’t for DUMPING a half a million dollars to build an interchange in Oak Creek (Taylor is referring to Franklin paying $500,000 for lighting and streetscaping for the 27th Street Corridor). They got what they wanted! You wonder why there is no more communications with Oak Creek.

Sounds like Steve Taylor doesn’t like Oak Creek or what the City of Oak Creek does.

Later on Steve Taylor states:

Does Hales Corners NEED their own Fire Department? Look at the size of that community!

Enjoy and Think about it! Pass it on to your neighbors.

 

 More to come Folks!

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The Only Other Qualified Choice for 9th District County Supervisor

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On February 21, 2012 you will have the opportunity to narrow the field of three candidates for Milwaukee County Supervisor in the 9th District. The only two choices for honest, competent, candidates for this position, are Ken Gehl of Oak Creek and Don Schwartz of Hales Corners.  After doing a complete background search on the three candidates, I found that only these two have  clean political records, are honest, and most of all competent.  Both Ken Gehl and Don Schwartz also have a proven track record of getting things done.

Please consider one of these two candidates when you vote on Tuesday.
gehl

Of course there is always this JOKER! Nah, no one could be that clueless!

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Alderman Steve Taylor – Milwaukee’s Jerk of the Year?

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His fellow aldermen and residents of Franklin have suspected it for a long time with out the need of a published  survey. Our FORWARD FRANKLIN alderman Steven F. Taylor has now been nominated in the Shepherd Expresses 2011 City Guide poll as Milwaukee’s Jerk of the Year.

Vote for Steve Taylor

It brings us to ask the question of WHO nominated Steve as the Milwaukee Jerk?

  • Was it Mayor Tom Taylor?
  • Was it his former friend and Alderwoman Kristen Wilhelm?
  • Was it a group of his constituents? Maybe its other Franklin Residents affected by the Ryan Creek Interceptor that he has pushed for?
  • Was it the former members of the EDC?
  • Was it Greg Kowalski of the CCD who pushed to have his group represented on the Franklin Forward, gave up political blogging, but did not get appointed himself?
  • Could it be all the rest of the Franklin Aldermen that he has burned more than once at one time or another?
  • Could it even be Steve himself who has been overheard to say he is running for County Supervisor this April and needs to get himself better know?

Please vote in support of Franklin in the Shepherd Express on line poll, so we can Move Franklin Forward with the Steve Taylor as Milwaukee best known Jerk!

 

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Steve Taylor doesn’t know the difference between a Sword and a Tiger

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Posted in FranklinNOW our illustrious 4th District Alderman Steven F. Taylor who consistently reminds us of all the community athletic competitions he says attends yet does not know how to spell our high school mascot. We can be proud to admit that Taylor was not educated in Franklin.

Steve Taylor - Educated in Muskego!

 

 OK Steve, Here is the basics:

This is a Sabre:

A Sabre

 
And this is a Franklin Saber:

Franklin High School Sabers

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UPDATE: Kowalski Apologizes – Common Council moves to Private / Public EDC

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It was no surprise that after Greg Kowalski – President of the Citizens for Community Development (CCD) apologized publicly in his Franklin Today blog  to Alderman Steve Taylor saying ” I hope my readers know me well enough by now to understand that my personal passion for helping our community move forward easily could trump writing this blog. If the blog became something that didn’t serve a justice to the city and its residents, it should be shut down. I told CCP Taylor that what he had to say was fair and I fully understood and appreciated his remarks.”  Kowalski then went on to say ” I did, in a nutshell, read “in-between the lines” with CCP Taylor’s remarks to me, which wasn’t appropriate on my part, and I have already personally apologized to CCP Taylor for doing so.”

Lastly Greg states “For the record, I do not fear my 1st Amendment rights will be trampled in any way, shape or form (referring to Taylor’s city editorial review). I believe it was simply CCP Taylor giving a friendly reminder that people are reading and watching, and some might take things a bit too seriously and offensively than others. CCP Taylor did not at all recommend Franklin Today being shut down, noting how the site is basically the new cord that connects the community together, and how that would be a shame if it were to be eliminated.”

Greg did not mention the fact that Alderman Steve Taylor has a politically charged blog on FranklinNOW which his topics often cause the city to be looked at in a unfavorable light.

So now as of last night it looks like Greg is getting his wish as the Common Council looks to be going forward with a combined private / public Economic Development Commission.  In turn last night, Alderman Steve Olson stated for the record, he no longer is a part of the Economic Development Commission. I have been told that Commissioner Joe Haselow will most likely resign today also.

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