Curmudgeon's Corner

Trick or Treat from 5:30PM to 7:30PM...

Please remember that the little witches, ghosts and goblins will be out and about throughout the village tonight and that they cannot always see well through their masks or costumes.

~~~~~~~~~~

MATC Secession Public Hearings Set...

The Wisconsin Technical College Board has two meetings set for the near future at which citizens can testify for or against the petition filed earlier by the Germantown School District to be permitted to move from the MATC district into the Moraine Park district.

Those meetings are to be held on Tuesday, November 11th at two different times in two different Menomonee Falls locations.  The first is from 2PM to 5PM and is to be convened at the Menomonee Falls Public Library; the second is from 6PM to 8PM and will be held at the Menomonee Falls Community Center.

The chances for a favorable ruling are likely slim already given the history that prevails.  Public testimony on issues regarding access and class selection, for example, might help tip the balance.  Remember that tax rates are not something the Board will take into account in reaching its conclusion.

~~~~~~~~~~

Special Board Meeting Results Unknown...

The village trustees met behind closed doors last evening for the following stated purpose:

Adjourn into closed session under Wis. Stats. 19.85 (1)(c) considering employment, promotion, compensation or performance evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility; (f) considering financial, medical, social or personal histories or disciplinary data of specific persons, preliminary consideration of specific personnel problems or the investigation of charges against specific persons except where para. (b) applies, which, if discussed in public, would be likely to have a substantial adverse effect upon the reputation of any person referred to in such histories or data, or involved in such problems or investigations; or (g) conferring with legal counsel for the governmental body who is rendering oral or written advice concerning strategy to be adopted by the body with respect to litigation in which it is or is likely to become involved

A deductive process would reasonably suggest that this closed door meeting pertained to the issue of the alleged sexual harassment recently brought to light.  I know of nothing else that would seem to fit the descriptions provided in the Wis. Stats. section above.  There were allegations that could be damaging.  There is an employee involved.  The employee apparently had threatened legal action if she felt wronged by actions of the Board so far as her position was concerned.

Some three weeks have passed since the story broke, the citizens have no more information than at that time, and don't yet know what is going on.  It seems that there must be something happening, since the Village Board passed its unanimous statement of support for President Kempinski.  It looks as though the Village Attorney was likely in attendance, as one would expect. 

Village Administrator Schornack stated, according to a small piece by Tom Kertscher on the GermantownNOW site, that he would be informing trustees about a personnel issue and that the trustees would not be taking any action.

I certainly hope that we'll all be privy to what has been going on and what may be expected in the future before too much more time has passed.

The Journal Sentinel released its report for the latest period and the news was a continuation of the trend that has been apparent for many newspapers nationwide.

The Sunday edition dropped 3.8% and the weekday edition dropped 3.9%.  My family has become one of those that dropped the weekday edition at our renewal a week or so ago.  I now find my daily news using JSOnline during the day and settle in with a lap full of newspaper on Sundays.  I have had the tactile sensation of a newspaper in my hands for nearly so long as I can remember, and I confess that I miss that experience.  As stated in a much earlier Blog, I delivered the La Crosse Tribune for several years while growing up near that city so I'm accustomed to having smudged fingertips from the newsprint.

I was frankly surprised during a recent meeting of Bloggers when I asked the group nearest me about their subscriptions.  I was in the minority since most had already dropped their print editions.

The newest iteration of JSOnline is improved and more easily navigable from my perspective.  I suspect that more and more people will make the decision to discontinue their daily print edition.  The users of JSOnline continue to increase and the new version should assist that migration...if that is desired by the Journal Sentinel organization.  They find themselves in a bit of a fix.  On the one hand, they want to be in a leadership position as the shift continues.  On the other hand, they need to find ways to boost their revenue stream to offset the loss of subscription money and advertising dollars, and the advertising doesn't seem to have kept pace with the shift from print to electronic media.  Part of that is obviously about the economy, but to what effect may be hard to measure.  If GM and Ford and Chrysler continue to become shadows of themselves, and if their major dealers either go out of business or downsize, advertising dollars will get more and more scarce.

I believe that much of this movement has been driven by the rising prices caused in large part by the price of oil and all things related.  Newsprint is among the real cost increase issues for publishers.  That goes away when printed newspapers are no longer printed.  The leap from the historic "paper", though, is not assured to be successful; we see the struggles of the majority of publishers across our nation.  Those that have significantly diversified, as has the Journal Sentinel organization, should have a better outlook as this migration continues, but nothing is certain in today's economy.

People costs are also a significant factor and we've seen the staff cuts that have been made a couple of times so far.  I suspect there is little if any fat left, so that future cuts will be felt in the overall quality of the effort.  There are those who would claim that is already an issue and that this may be hastening the outflow of subscribers.

Milwaukee is by no means an isolated phenomenon in this regard.  The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times both saw continuing declines.  The old stalwart "Christian Science Monitor" has just announced that it is going to end publishing a print paper by next April.  There will be many more casualties before this storm has calmed.

Germantown Firm Featured...

Creative Lighting Design & Engineering has a string of important projects going.  The most recent project was done for Milwaukee County in the rehabilitation of the Domes.  The newly installed lighting will be unveiled in early-November when the Domes are rededicated.  Marty Peck is the force behind the firm that has also done recent work for Potawatomi Bingo Casino and the Wisconsin Club.

Congratulations!

~~~~~~~~~~

Mequon Road & Pilgrim Road Intersection Work...

A reader asked what was going on with this intersection and Dave Schornack, Village Administrator, advised that the village is having water main repairs done following the three major breaks that occurred in that area last year.  Interestingly, to me at least, is that they are working to bore through the area rather than to create an open ditch.  I don't recall ever seeing that approach used before unless I saw it and didn't know what was happening.

Schornack reports that another two to three weeks will probably be required for completion.  So the work should be done easily before the real snow begins to fly.

The intersection is a bit convoluted now but slower speeds and extra attentiveness should get us through this without major issues.

If you've watched the Fox News Channel chances are good that you've seen Judge Andrew Napolitano, the dapper and perpetually happy senior judicial analyst for Fox News.  He has written a piece titled "Most Presidents Ignore The Constitution" that appears on the Opinion page of today's Wall Street Journal.

He writes about the 2001 Public Radio interview of Barack Obama where Obama was lamenting that the civil rights movement had become too 'court centered' and therefore failed to cause 'reparations' for past abuses.  That, of course, serves as quite a bombshell so far as future implications if he is elected and presuming he has the same thoughts today that he held then.

I thought, however, that the balance of the opinion piece was quite interesting as Judge Napolitano discussed how the majority of presidents of our country have ignored the Constitution and forged ahead as they desired.  Roosevelt caused agriculture to be subjected to a "Soviet-style central planning" process and rejected arguments that this was unconstitutional.  Roosevelt said that the Constitution was "quaint" and that it was written in the "horse and buggy days" and predicted that the public and the courts would agree with him according to Napolitano's article.

Napolitano cites that Jefferson, Jackson and Cleveland were the exceptions he recalled who didn't ignore the Constitution.

As we move into the next presidency, regardless of who wins, I'll have to remind myself that most have ignored our Constitution whenever I feel the current President has crossed the line.  He probably will have crossed the line, and appears to have had a lot of company over the history of our country.

We have survived even with the intentional ignoring of our Constitution...but it doesn't seem right no matter who ignores that document.  Where will it end, if it ever will end?

I received an e-mail containing the following quotations and thought it simply had to be in front of as many readers as possible as we approach perhaps the most important election in my lifetime.  Much food for thought follows:

• Suppose you were an idiot.  And suppose you were a member of Congress, but then I repeat myself.---Mark Twain
• I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.---Winston Churchill
• A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.---George Bernard Shaw
• Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.---James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)
• Foreign aid must be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.---Douglas Casey, classmate of Bill Clinton at Georgetown
• Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.---P.J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian
• Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.---Frederic Bastiat, French Economist (1801-1850)
• Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it.  If it keeps moving, regulate it.  And, if it stops moving, subsidize it.---Ronald Reagan (1986)
• I don't make jokes.  I just watch the government and report the facts!---Will Rogers, Humorist (1879-1935)
• If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it is free.---P.J. O'Rourke
• In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.---Voltaire (1764)
• The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings.  The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.---Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
• What this country needs are more unemployed politicians.---Edward Langley, Artist (1928-1995)
• A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.---Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Patriot (1743-1826)

 Some things, it seems, never change.

There is more and more speculation as to the potential that we'll see a 'clean sweep' by Democratic candidates on Tuesday, November 4th at both the state and federal levels.  I hope that isn't the way it turns out, but I'm tiring of being beaten about the head and shoulders every time I read a newspaper article or watch the bulk of the television news items.  Maybe that is the intent.  If us conservatives can be sufficiently demoralized, maybe we'll just stay home.  Not this conservative!

What do I mean by 'clean sweep'?  I refer to the potential that both the Assembly and the Senate in Wisconsin will see a sufficient Democratic majority that will be able to pass anything they wish in spite of the number of Republican votes that could be massed, with assurances on most such items that those will be signed into law by the Democratic Governor Doyle.

Similarly, I refer to Democratic victories in both the U.S. House and Senate that will be Republican-proof and that will likely find favor with a Democratic President Obama.

Jay Weber has done a good job on setting forth 23 items that could be part of the triumvirate of Sen. Harry Reid (D), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D) and a President Obama and you can find those by clicking here.  Things included on Jay's list include renegotiating NAFTA, ending secret ballots in union organizing, government-run healthcare encroachments, reintroduction of the 'Fairness Doctrine' to control conservative access to the airways, and so on.

At the state level, we could easily see state-run health care, the increase in costs of education, ever larger portions of our income going to state and local taxes,  more and more loss of personal freedoms and so.

There has been, in most of our history, a certain "check and balance" relationship in most of our governments so that not everything that was proposed was ever likely to be passed.  That 'protection' could disappear for years if we see the 'clean sweep' at the state or federal levels, or both, as the result of our national election on November 4th.  Our country tends not to flourish well under such governments regardless of party in power.

Vote your conscience next Tuesday!

Assembly Race Questions...

The Ozaukee County District Attorney, Sandy Williams, filed charges against Dan Knodl in Washington County for making false statements on campaign literature on Friday, October 24th.  This stems from his use of various names stating these people were "Friends and Supporters".  Some of those that were identified have indicated the they are not supporters of Knodl or didn't give him permission to use their names in that manner.  Knodl has offered up different reasons for this having happened although that hasn't satisfied critics.  One of those named on the Knodl list was Washington County DA, Todd Martens, who therefore named Sandy Williams to be the special prosecutor in the case.

Knodl faces misdemeanor charges that carry fines of up to $1,000 and imprisonment of up to six months.  He obviously hasn't been proved guilty; he has only been charged.  Charging, however, seems to suggest that the case was sufficiently strong so as to warrant the trial.  DAs aren't always victorious when they bring charges, so this can't be suggested to be a 'slam dunk' either.

We will likely go into the voting booth on November 4th without resolution to this issue.  Obviously many have already voted using absentee ballots and likely weren't aware of this charging when those votes were cast.

Knodl was the victor in his Republican primary and faces Charlene Brady who was the Democratic victor in her primary race.  The voter turn-out was heavily weighted to the Republican side as is not uncommon in this district.

My question is, "What will this charging do so far as your voting decision?"  Will you change your mind if you had intended to vote for Knodl and vote for Brady instead?  Will you vote for Knodl in spite of the charges?  Will you use the write-in approach or simply not vote in this race?  What will you do when the curtain closes behind you?

Without regard to the eventual outcome, one thing is certain; this casts yet another pebble of doubt and mistrust into the political pool for the skeptics among us.  There were already plenty of ripples on the surface of that pool.

Remodeled & Expanded Senior Center...

I had the opportunity to visit the newly completed Senior Center yesterday and was very impressed with the facility and the people involved.  The Open House ran from 1:00PM to 4:00PM and we arrived at about 3:20PM and were met with a very full parking lot and with parking available only on the street.  I don't have any idea of the actual number of folks who were present but I'd suspect it was somewhere in the 200+ range.

The Center has just about everything you could imagine for such a building including a new kitchen that can accommodate many cooks and many varieties of food simultaneously.  There are special rooms for exercise, a library, a computer lab, places to sit and visit, rooms for recreational activities, and great equipment available along with instructions on its proper use, especially for the older folks.

The newsletter detailed a wealth of activities on a daily, weekly and monthly basis with several special trips and outings.  The meals program had a wonderful selection of foods daily and I can see where many would gravitate here for both the food and the friendship. 

I know that there has been some animosity over the fact that the village didn't put the expansion of this Center on any referendum, especially as our community has been involved in the debate over a new elementary school building, and that the building expansion and modernization was done through bond issues to borrow the money.

I admit to being a "senior" although this was my first visit to the senior facility and I do not expect to become a member or use it on a regular basis for some time to come.

Our population is aging and the 'baby boomer' generation is retiring and will swell the ranks of retirees very quickly and to quite a degree.  We seniors are living longer today than ever before.  So, there will be a very significant need for what this center has and it is good, I think, that the community has had the foresight to attack the issue sooner rather than later.

That doesn't mean that we can overlook the other needs that exist, and the school referenda items will be there when we all go to vote on November 4th.

That having been said, I think the community should be proud of the Senior Center.  The ongoing budget needs should be scrutinized thoroughly, however, since there can be no 'sacred cows' in the current environment.

Main Street & The World...

It wasn't all that long ago that I wrote about the St. Francis Bank being acquired by a northern Illinois banking company called Mid-America followed by the take-over of Mid-America by Cleveland-based National City Bank.

National City Bank has had its problems, as have many banks, with poorly performing mortgage loan portfolios and its stock has been in the dumps for some time.  It received a $6 billion infusion of cash not long ago from a private equity group by the name of Corsair Capital.

We'll have a new bank, at least a new bank name, in our world.  National City Bank agreed yesterday to be purchased by the PNC Corporation which is based in Pittsburgh.  National City "agreed" under duress since the government had told it to either get itself acquired or fail.  The PNC purchase is expected to close by year-end, and is being financed by a government infusion of $7.7 billion, some $5.8 billion of which will go for this deal.  The Corsair Capital group squeaks through this deal whole since it had the sense to build some protective language into the deal it did earlier this year.  That begs the question of why you and me are always at risk when the big capital organizations can do 'sweetheart' deals.

I went through this 'dry' explanation of the change for the simple reason of reminding us of just how global is our economy and of just how much each of us has at stake in the world-wide financial problems now on the front pages.  The people whom I see when I bank are about to get their fourth set of bank 'logo' clothing before the first set ever showed signs of wearing out.  They are about to be "treated" to the need to learn another banking system and another banking language.  I hope they all remain in place because they do an excellent job at customer service!

Even though we live in Germantown, we can't hide from the world wide realities of economics.  We're subject to the ups and downs of the global stock exchange system as much as we are to the ups and downs of Wall Street because it is all inter-connected.  The 'futures' trading in Japan and China set the tone for the rest of the world as it awakens to another day.  OPEC makes our gasoline prices fluctuate when it decides to reduce production...except for yesterday when it dropped production 1.5 million barrels and saw the price go down by $4 per barrel instead of rising as it had expected.  Even the oil barons are flummoxed with the current 'goings-on'.  It isn't just hitting you and me, although admittedly we feel it more intensely since most of us don't have the luxury of big cash cushions.

Another thing this should remind us of is this:  our government makes decisions we don't know about until after the fact, and those decisions are often critical to our existence.  We are the ones who determine who leads that government as we will again in a week or so.  There are already discussions going on in Washington that would impact our individual 401Ks dramatically and that would see the money accumulated being used by our government as it sees fit with guarantees of interest made to those of us holding the account.

Those promises are only so good as our economy and are only so trustworthy as our government.  Let us not go down the pathway that Argentina is on where we permit nationalization of individual accounts.

Conservatives are accustomed to being involved in 'come from behind' situations and many of those, I submit, are created by the media.

For those of you seeking a decent piece on media double standards, I invite you to read the Human Events opinion piece by Patrick J. Buchanan titled Camp Followers.

~~~~~~~~~~

Then we have the debate concerning experience over hope with hope appearing to be ahead at this point in the race.  Charles Krauthammer has done a good job on his Washington Post opinion piece, McCain for President.

~~~~~~~~~~

Finally a cute little item that you may've seen before:

A woman in a hot air balloon realizes she is lost.  She loses altitude and spots a man fishing from a boat below.

She shouts to him, "Excuse me, can you help me?  I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."

The man consulted his GPS unit and replied, "You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above the ground at an elevation of 2,346 feet above sea level.  You are at 31 degrees 15 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees 49 minutes west longitude."

She rolled her eyes and said, "You must be a Republican".

"I am", replied the man.  "How did you know?"

"Well", she answered, "everything you tell me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to do with your information, and I'm still lost.  Frankly, you're not much help to me."

The man smiled and responded, "You must be a Democrat".

"I am", replied the woman.  "How did you know?"

"Well", said the man, "You don't know where you are or where you're going.  You've risen to where you are, due in large part to hot air.  You made a promise that you have no idea how to keep, and now you expect me to solve your problem.  You're in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but, somehow, now it is my fault."

Perplexing Situation...

I have been struggling over the issues involved in the case of the alleged sexual harassment that was reported by Tom Kertscher, the resolution passed by the Village Board in unanimous support of Village President Kempinski, the budgeting process and the general cloud that hovers over some village workers.

It is true that the woman who made the accusations has not filed a formal complaint, at least so far as the public knows, and that may well be a necessary precursor before any other action could be considered.  I am not an attorney and do not profess to know the answer to my question.  If someone does, please comment.

It is true that the board has publicly resolved that it supports the president.

It is true, if the memo is to be believed, that the woman involved has stated that she simply wants to be left alone to do her job.

It is true that the village is involved in developing its budget for the coming year.

My problems are these:

Would the village and the president be sued by the woman who made the allegations if her position were to be adversely affected by the budget process as she has stated would be the case?  If so, is she, in effect, holding the budgetary process hostage?  Does that also transfer over to her job performance?  If so, is she now assured a position no matter the financial or performance questions that may exist?  If performance questions were to be raised, can she legitimately claim that her performance has been adversely affected by the harassment that she alleged? 

The identity of the woman has not been made public.  How do the other women working for the village feel about the notoriety that has been brought on them because they are women and might be viewed by some in the general public as possibly being the person who made the allegations? 

We have a 'she said' - 'he said' - 'they said' conundrum going on and it seems that simply hoping it will go away is fraught with problems.

Does that approach deal with the problem or simply delay the fact that it may have to be dealt with?

Do the citizens simply ignore the allegations and trust that the 'solution' so far revealed has been sufficient in this case?  Again, we are not privy to whatever process may have been used behind closed doors to bring this situation to the point it has reached. 

If there is no truth to the allegations, will the person making the complaint still be able to work in the same environment and be effective.  If there is no truth to the allegations, will the president still be an effective representative of the people or does he risk having been somehow compromised in this process?

I do not know if there is a good answer to all the questions.  I do think the questions are valid.

No matter how long nor how often I've pondered this set of questions, I have continued to arrive at the same position.

Toothpaste cannot be put back into the tube no matter if the squeezing of the tube was an accident or was intentional.  There may be no truth to the allegations made by this woman, as the board seems to believe, but the allegations were made nonetheless.  That toothpaste is out of the tube.  I cannot help but believe that her relationship with other employees has been affected whether rightly or wrongly, and I cannot help but presume this will never be something that doesn't have an effect on relationships.

For example, a male employee would have to think that he might be putting himself at risk if he were to meet alone with this woman if that were ever required.  Female employees could harbor a grudge as the result that would threaten to affect the overall harmonious environment in the building.

I believe that the village should be looking at some kind of termination buy-out that would help the woman through the process of finding other employment and that would bind the woman to making no other allegations or threats of suits against the village. 

I understand that this Blog will probably be something akin to a 'lightening rod' but I believe there is a very real problem needing resolution without any profession of guilt or innocence.  At this point, I don't care about innocence or guilt; I do care about the tenuous position the village could find itself occupying if something such as this isn't done.

I do not believe the current 'fix' is a lasting fix for the reasons I've discussed earlier in this piece. 

The following words are variously attributed to both Abraham Lincoln and to Rev. Wm. J.H. Boetcker (circa 1916).  Without debating from whom they flowed, I thought it very important that these be shared during this particularly important election season.

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's initiative and independence.

You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could, and should, do for themselves.

Powerful words and powerful thoughts, indeed!

Barack Obama could be suffering from too many Joes.

We have become very much aware of "Joe the plumber" who posed a question to Obama and received an honest answer.  Of course, we've become ever more familiar with that Joe since as the result of the 'excavation' of his history including the tax lien, the fact that he is a not a 'licensed' plumber and the fact that he drove without a valid drivers license in Arizona a decade or more ago.

I imagine that Barack Obama would've re-thought his answer if he had a 'do over'.

Then there is the other Joe, "Joe the Senator", who has had more Dan Quayle moments than Dan Quayle ever had but who seems impervious...courtesy of the mainstream media.  His Seattle speech indicating that our country would be challenged within six months of Obama's election as our President certainly was comforting.  He was so certain of it that he asked those present to remember his words.

This comment came easily for him because he had used it before...back when he was opposing Barack Obama, before he became number two on the ticket.

I would imagine that Barack Obama knew there would be these flubs when he selected Biden but I wonder if he has any regrets today with that decision?

The media permits those in power to simply pass these events off as 'gaffes' by Joe.  That's "just Joe" goes the common response.

Is there equity employed by the media?  NO.  But does the media still lay claim to being unbiased?  YES.

Et Tu Brute?

Or should I have said Et Tu Peggy?  The Latin sentence above means "Even you, Brutus?" according to my teacher of Latin, Mrs. Chase.  She had to bear up under the strain of me in two years of her classes.  I'm sure you would send her your condolences just having read this Blog and without knowing how I struggled in her classes.

Peggy Noonan writes in her current Wall Street Journal Opinion Piece, Palin's Failin', about Sarah Palin and my first thought was just that:  "Even you, Peggy?"  Noonan has been among my 'must read' columnists for a long time.  I occasionally find myself disagreeing with her, and this was among those times in which I disagreed, strongly enough to have to express that to anyone foolish enough to be reading this.

Noonan seems to have succumbed to the Eastern Elitist buzz on Sarah Palin.  She mocks the dropping of g's at the end of words.  She seems offended that some of us ne'er-do-wells in fly over country would be dumb enough to think she is one of us.  She feels that McCain made a bad selection while I think it was a stroke of brilliance...even if an accidental stroke of brilliance.

Noonan doesn't yet know what Palin stands for.  I think she pretty well stands for the things that many of us hold dear.  Noonan sees her as a follower, and I can't square that with her history to this point.  How many governors have you seen who were followers.  How many people have you seen who took on members of their own party whom she thought to be wrong-headed?  That doesn't strike me as being a follower.

Noonan takes Palin to task for not speaking as eloquently as Noonan must think she (Noonan) writes.  I would submit that Sarah Palin speaks as the large majority of United States citizens speak...without the affectation that elitism seems to bring forth from some.

I can say that I believe Palin would be far more effective for conservatives and for John McCain if she were permitted by the campaign 'handlers' to be herself.  I am convinced that Sarah would've had the perfect rebuttals for Katie had she been following her own instincts.  Palin hasn't been a wilting house plant in her life to this point.

I know we'll argue as to the 'qualifications' to be Vice President and whether she or Mr. Biden are better qualified to assume the presidency.  That, for me, is for another day.  For today, I am a bit disgruntled with Ms. Noonan.  Would that she could spend a few weeks with real people again.  Maybe it would take a few years, though.  Seems she has succumbed to the charm of the upper crust.

I have long enjoyed my copy of a book called The Portable Curmudgeon and use its 'modern' definition in my Blog overview.  The book was compiled by a fellow by the name of Jon Winokur and is published by the New American Library.  Following are some curmudgeonly comments that struck me over the past few days:

On Politics and Politicians:

"Anybody that wants the presidency so much that he'll spend two years organizing and campaigning for it is not to be trusted with the office."     David Broder

"A politician is a person with whose politics you do not agree; if you agree with him he is a statesman."      David Lloyd George

"I once said cynically of a politician, 'He'll double- cross that bridge when he comes to it'."  Oscar Levant

"Being in politics is like being a football coach; you have to be smart enough to understand the game, and dumb enough to think it's important."     Eugene McCarthy

"All politics are based on the indifference of the majority."     James Reston

"Nothing is so admirable in politics as a short memory."    John Kenneth Galbraith

"You can fool too many of the people too much of the time."     James Thurber

"When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President; I'm beginning to believe it."  Clarence Darrow

~~~~~~~~~~

My family reads quite a bit of fiction and really appreciates the Germantown Library and the folks who provide the service we receive.

One of the things I find I occasionally need is the name of additional authors since I tend to read a whole lot faster than my favorite authors can write.

You may have already found this if you, too, consume books like we do, but here is a great website that provides you with the names of authors most similar to the one you key in for the search.  The closer the name is to the name you've entered (that hovers in the middle of the screen), the more similarities you find in the works of each.

Here is that magic link!

I had a conversation earlier today with an associate on the subject of secure e-mails.  As we digressed he opined that he believes people born after a certain time have actually evolved to the point that they are more capable of absorbing technology.  I'm a bit of a skeptic on that count...but I can't quite put it out of my mind entirely.

I've been blessed with grandkids and marvel at their nearly immediate grasp of new technology.  And, they could do this even before they had the ability to read instructions.  It is as if they simply continue with a variety of key strokes and suddenly have learned how to navigate as they desire.  They have an uncanny ability to instantly recall these links even after they have not used this information for weeks and weeks.

There are those of us who, like me, have to use technology regularly or risk forgetting how to use it.  I have to pause every once in awhile to recall the password that permits me to post a Blog.  And, of course, every IT person in the world tells us we can't write the password down on a 'sticky' note, and glue it to the monitor.  That still seems an efficient, if not very secure, way for me to recall these things.

There is, I'm told, software that manages multiple passwords thus permitting the user to "remember".  Unfortunately, I forgot where I wrote the name of that software down...and probably would end up angry while trying to install it even if I could remember where the note was made.

This is all very frustrating and embarrassing for me since my business is Internet-based...and since I have become a Blogger.

On a more serious note, I marvel at where we've come so far as technology is concerned and I wonder where we'll go in my lifetime.  I remember reading a futuristic tome many years ago that referred to a human being 'hardwired' through implantation.  That doesn't seem at all "futuristic" any longer.  It probably has already occurred, in fact, and I'm simply unaware.

There...got that off my chest.  Now how do I make this magically appear on the GermantownNOW site?

Guest Blog - Pete Hoell, Vice President, Germantown Kiwanis

"I am currently a member of the Germantown Kiwanis group and we are in the process of investigating a community project.  As a Kiwanis organization, our primary goal is to support children through grants for activities and projects, scholarships, donations for children's programs and other miscellaneous children's activities.

Some of you may be familiar with Kiwanis as our primary fundraiser is the July 4th Festivities here in Germantown.

The project we are now investigating is to raise funds and finance the construction of a band shell at one of our fine parks.  Possibly at Fireman's Park to enhance the July 4th event and many other events in the park.

We do understand that there are other groups in the community who are working on projects like a Performing Arts Center and a Community Pool.  By Kiwanis choosing a band shell, that does not mean we feel these other projects are any less important.  We do feel however that the band shell project is much smaller in scale and could also be a great venue for the other groups to host fundraisers for the other fine community projects.

We are in the investigative stages of this project and would like to know how the community feels about a band shell.  For the interest of being brief for this blog, I'll refrain from listing all the benefits we have identified.  But to name just a few, the band shell could become a destination for music and other performing arts entertainment.  It will provide children an opportunity to share their talents and to entertain our community and its visitors.

While we are on the topic of the Germantown Kiwanis, we are always looking for new members.  The only requirement to become a member is the desire to help kids.  If you are interested in becoming a Kiwanis member, call the Kiwanis/July 4th phone at 262-424-4457 for more details.

Pete Hoell, Vice President, Germantown Kiwanis"

~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks Pete.  I encourage readers to make comments to help the Kiwanis determine your feelings.  Obviously, their projects are funded without taxpayer dollars.

There is a very real sense that we have been placed in a new world of politics.  I'll call it Politics 2.0 signifying the coming of a new genre.

As I watched the debate last evening involving Barack Obama and John McCain, it was as if I was witnessing a battle between the old and the new politics.  And, that is exactly what we've been hearing during this twenty-month plus campaign.  Obama has been pointedly making himself the leader of Politics 2.0 so far as the race for the presidency.

Obama has appealed to those of us who are younger and has been successful.  He outlived his Democratic challengers and he appears poised, if we are to believe the pollsters and the mainstream media, to become our next President.  He is a masterful communicator so far as style points.  Too many of us are unable to, or don't feel the need to, dig beneath the smooth, suave surface to get at the underlying meat in his answers and in his speeches.  He has run a campaign of nearly two years in length and we are still waiting for some definition to his talking points; we'll wait until after November, 2008, too.

Obama has deployed one of the most effective campaigns I can recall, and I've been an active observer since Au H20 (Goldwater) days.  He has had an advantage in campaigning against one of the 'old' pols who can 'barely' communicate when viewed in the glow of Obama.  He has, in my opinion, had the advantage of having the mainstream press firmly in his pocket for well over a year, if not longer.  I have seen mainstream "journalism" largely trumped by Politics 2.0, and I have seen the Internet used to very nearly its current maximum potential by one candidate. 

As if this wasn't sufficient, we see our economy reeling and that almost always portends defeat for the party in the Whitehouse without regard to the cause or finding of true fault.

I have made no pretense as to my views of the final two candidates.  I am a fiscal and social conservative and there is but one place for my vote.

That having been said, I can say that I am fearful of a Democrat sweep that leads to control of the Congress and of the Whitehouse.  If that should occur, I will see much of which I disapprove happening in our country.  If there is nothing remaining but a vocal, versus meaningful, minority, the minority's voice will be silenced except for the Internet and talk radio for the next four years.

While our federal government usually takes a long time to get anything accomplished, that is usually because the two-party system is sufficiently active and potent to thwart some of the less-than-wise moves attempted by the majority.  If the Democrats sweep to the degree that they have absolute control in both the House and the Senate, and if they have Barack Obama in the Whitehouse, we'll see an activist government such as we've not before witnessed.

We will see Supreme Court justices that will re-interpret the constitution to their liking.  We will see congressional hearings into everyone who ever served in the Bush administration.  We'll witness the complete take-over of healthcare by the government.  We'll see 'progressive' taxation policies that will cripple the economy and stifle the growth of businesses.  We'll see states governed by liberal majorities creating laws recognizing same sex marriage.  We'll see attacks on our rights to keep and bear arms.  We'll see our education system subverted to become a political indoctrination tool beyond that which already exists.  We will see an inexorable slide toward socialism.

I hope that I am wrong...but I fear that I may be correct.

I had intended to scan a copy of the sample ballot for Germantown however that wasn't sufficiently legible.  So, we'll list the offices for which there are candidate selections to be made by all of us who are registered to vote in the village.

You may elect to vote a straight ticket including, in the order found on the ballot:

• Democratic
• Republican
• Wisconsin Green
• Libertarian

The race for President and Vice President, in the order found on the ballot:

• Barack Obama/Joe Biden (Democratic)
• John McCain/Sarah Palin (Republican)
• Cynthia McKinney/Rosa Clemente (Wisconsin Green)
• Bob Barr/Wayne A. Root (Libertarian)
• Brian Moore/Stewart A. Alexander (Socialist Party USA)
• Gloria LaRiva/Robert Moses (Party for Socialism, & Liberation)
• Ralph Nader/Matt Gonzalez (Independent)
• Chuck Baldwin/Darrell L. Castle (Constitution Party)
• Jeffrey J. Wamboldt/David J. Klimisch (We, the People)
• Write-in________________

Representative in Congress District 5, in the order found on the ballot:

• F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (Republican)
• Robert R. Raymond (Independent)
• Write-in________________

State Senator District 8, in the order found on the ballot:

• Sheldon A. Wasserman (Democratic)
• Alberta Darling (Republican)
• Write-in________________

Representative to the Assembly District 24, in the order found on the ballot:

• Charlene S. Brady (Democratic)
• Dan Knodl (Republican)
• Write-in________________

District Attorney:

• Todd K. Martens (Republican)
• Write-in________________

County Clerk:

• Brenda J. Jaszewski (Republican)
• Write-in_________________

Treasurer:

• Janice Gettelman (Republican)
• Write-in_________________

Register of Deeds:

• Sharon Martin (Republican)
• Write-in_________________

Referendum - Germantown School District

Question #1:

Shall the following Initial Resolution be approved?

INITIAL RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $22,500,000

BE IT RESOLVED by the School Board of the Germantown School District, Washington County, Wisconsin that there shall be issued pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $22,500,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of constructing a new elementary school on school district property next to Kinderberg Park; technology, safety and security initiatives District wide; and acquiring furnishings, fixtures and equipment.

Yes ____

No   ____

Question #2

Shall the following Resolution be approved?

RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET TO EXCEED REVENUE LIMIT BY $500,000

FOR RECURRING PURPOSES

BE IT RESOLVED by the School Board of the Germantown School District, Washington County, Wisconsin that the revenues included in the School District budget for the 2010-2011 school year and thereafter be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $500,000 a year, for recurring purposes consisting of costs associated with the new elementary school.

Yes ____

No   ____

~~~~~~~~~~

The ballot is two-sided as you would expect from the many questions.

As the recent chain of events concerning our country's economy has unfolded, I found myself thinking about 'slippery slopes' and just how easy it would be for us to begin a slide that we'd be unable to overcome.

We have just partially nationalized our major banking entities.  We have effectively nationalized the AIG insurance giant.

I have never felt so close to the point where it could become possible that our country would become the United Socialist States of America.  There will be those among you who see this as pure and unadulterated blasphemy.  There will be those among you who will nod your heads up and down in total agreement.  There will be those among you who have not given this any thought; and among that group there will be those who now begin to think about nationalization/socialization, and there will be those who simply aren't concerned.

We have a candidate for President of the United States of America who has openly stated that he favors re-distribution of wealth so that those on the lower rungs of the economic ladder can enjoy the fruits of our nation's wealth.  And, we have a mainstream media that seems to have missed this statement in its entirety...or we have a mainstream media that agrees with this stated position...or we have a mainstream media that doesn't care.  This is a socialist mantra.

We seem intent on moving ourselves into government run and controlled healthcare.  Our government has become our 'nanny' concerning all kinds of things from the food we eat, to making decisions for us because it knows better than each of us does.

While I have thought, until now, that the alteration of our country to that of a socialist state was so preposterous as to be silly to contemplate, I have come to see how it could happen in the comparative blink of an eye and just how close we have come to that possibility.

The presidents of the major banking firms in the United States met with the Secretary of the Treasury for about an hour, and then left the room having signed off on a deal that has the United States of America becoming the owner of preferred stock in each of those entities.  These bank leaders didn't know what the proposition would be when they entered that room, and they didn't even consult with their respective directors.  They felt as though they had no choice.  This happened shortly after AIG was 'purchased' by the United States of America for $85 billion that was later escalated to just short of $125 billion.  AIG felt as if it had no choice.

We have an automobile industry begging for similar treatment after seeing their stock erode to 1950s prices.  These industry leaders feel as though they have no choice.

This is written in one of the last socialist strongholds of the United States...Milwaukee, WI.  I know several people who prefer the 'good old days' under socialist mayors.

So, as much as you might suspect my sanity at this point, I would submit to you that we have already taken several steps down that slippery slope in the name of protecting our economy.  Our economy got to this point through actions taken and not taken by our politicians.  That was, I believe, simply coincidence...but it could've been part of a conscious plan.  It makes little difference after the fact.  We delude ourselves if we think it impossible.

Once we are at the bottom of the slippery slope, we'll not climb back in our lifetimes.  We were warned years ago about "irrational exuberance".  "Irrational panic" is a much worse taskmaster.  Incremental erosion of our freedoms is insidious, and, too often, we aren't even tuned in sufficiently to comprehend what we're losing. 

We drink the kool-aid and then wonder how in the world we got to the point we're at.