Curmudgeon's Corner - All Comments

re: Police Department Budget Issues...

Chief Peter Hoell — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:08:29 GMT

On The Guard,

No offense taken. I do understand the points you make. Thank you and JAFO In GTown for your responsiveness to my request.

re: Police Department Budget Issues...

JAFO IN GTOWN — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:46:26 GMT

I see that this years budget is viewable on line at www.village.germantown.wi.us/Budget2008.htm What a shame that the villages proposed budget for next year is not posted for public viewing (unlike the school district, who put it out there for all to view at www.germantown.k12.wi.us/.../SemiDetailBudgetDraft%234ReworkedMotion%234.pdf

It's interesting to note the changes in Village budgets since 2006: nearly 100% more in Senior Center operations (not the cost of the building!); 50% more in "municipal development", grounds maintenance and the assessors office; 80% in "general government", "data processing" and the recycling center; and an increase of a quarter of a million dollars in the recreation department.

Over the past five years, according to the Village of Germantown's website, the village tax levy rate has increased by 50 cents from $5.31 to something north of $5.80 this coming year. At the same time, county tax has dropped only slightly from $3.80, and the much-maligned MATC tax has risen by less than 30 cents. Oddly enough, the school tax has dropped by more than a dollar.

Perhaps those school district tax cuts are at fault, here. The village leaders got drawn into the allure of "tax incremental financing" for tens of millions of dollars of taxpayer debt which might be repaid through diverting school taxes from those industries every year. At the time, the school tax rate was nearly triple what it is, now (I went to the library and looked it up: in 1992, the school levy rate was over $30).

Here's a challenge for village officials: publish the financial state of your TIF districts on your website, let the people know the facts. Quit hiding.

Just about a year ago, an article in the Milwaukee Journal quoted village officials as saying they'd have to hit up the taxpayers for a million dollars more in 2009, and beyond, to make the payments for a business park that's only 33% developed after 15 years. Perhaps this is why the police and fire departments are being forced to scale back their services as the village leaders seek to chop a reported $900,000 from the total budget. Instead, though, why not return those other departments such as recreation, senior center and recyling center, to their previous levels of funding as a start?

I'll do what the police chief told me in his post above. I'll refrain from attaching labels to individuals out of respect for him and fear of being tazed (yes, Al Campbell, I did read your other column.) But as an observer, it seems to me that the village people might want to find out what the county board does to hold the line on their share of the property tax, and most especially the school board who keeps dropping their share. I don't know that either of those two groups have had to cut services to the degree that's being forecast here.

re: Police Department Budget Issues...

On The Guard — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:34:02 GMT

Chief Hoell-

Only out of respect for you I will refrain from the phrase “Village Imbeciles”. I would like clarify something first:

The term imbeciles was not meant as “name calling” but as a classification of their mental capacity (or lack thereof). It doesn’t surprise me that there are trustee’s that do not support “this type of cut”. For once they don’t have what they consider the upper hand. They aren’t in control of this blog and there is someone publicly criticizing their horrible decision making. I ask that you pass it on to the trustees that have a problem with how they classified their decisions, that maybe they should really evaluate what they say, in a public meeting, about MY safety and the safety of ALL the residence of Germantown. As a little child I was taught by my parents to THINK before you speak. It was something I learned between the ages of three and seven (give or take), hence why I used the term imbecile. I’m sorry if I offended you, but it was just no shot from the hip. What about how offended I am? Keep up the good work Chief…

CROD-

Excellent!

re: Counterintuitive Argument...

JAFO IN GTOWN — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 13:24:35 GMT

Dear Mr. Curmudgeon:

I respect and appreciate your interest in bringing issues into the public eye. I am not sure that I agree with your chosen title of "Counterintuitive Argument" for this issue, since the principles of "state aid" to the schools in Wisconsin, and elsewhere, has long been founded on enrollments. More students equals more state aid and less dependence on local taxes. What might be counterintuitive, though, is the concept that a large tax base is more of a detraction than benefit. I suggest this is only counterintuitive until you realize that Wisconsin's major population centers have a long history of socialist beliefs, and that the equalization aid law is simply made to "equalize". If your school district's net worth exceeds the state norm, then you're less needy of a share of the appropriation and, in keeping with socialist principals, it's your duty to help fund those school districts who have less worth. Wisconsin's "Two-Thirds Funding" is not "equalized" in the expected sense that all schools merely raise 1/3 of the operating revenue from within.

Dear GTOWNIE:

Your comparison with Menomonee Falls is apples-and-oranges. You give no consideration to the $18.7 million referendum their voters did pass, later, which was for expansion of Menomonee Falls High School and which will result in moving the 9th grade from Falls North Junior High to the High School. Falls North changes from the 8-9 school to a 6-7-8 middle school, and Thomas Jefferson changes from the 6-7 school to a 1-5 school. There are no plans developed, yet, to "close one of the existing elementary schools", but to an observer, closing the tiny Valley View Elementary in favor of the larger Thomas Jefferson Elementary would probably be a wise choice.

And for what it's worth, in a straight line it's a mile from Shady Lane to TJ, another mile from TJ to Riverside, and another mile from Riverside to Ben Franklin. The Menomonee Falls district is 1/3 the geographic size of Germantown, and if you take out the industrial developments in both districts, MF is more like 1/4. Drill into the reasons for declining enrollment in the MF schools and you'll find that families are chosing to move to the Hamilton school district instead of MF due to better schools and lower taxes. They're probably moving to Germantown, too.

A final word on this part of your comparison: I sure wouldn't give any credence to a blog by Jefferson Davis.

Final words on that same post: get your facts right before you post them. The school district doesn't own the Germantown Village library, and the pro-referendum group has never used a district property for their meetings.

Dear GTT:

Your credibility as a supposed authority might be better if you'd stop making claims that stem from made-up conversations with school board member Carrie Brust last March. She wasn't on the school board then, and didn't attend a single "information meeting."

Also, this fixation with "road repairs necessary if this new school gets built." There must be something I am not catching here. First of all, why should the people of Richfield or Jackson have to pay to fix Germantown's streets, isn't that what Germantown village taxes are supposed to be spent on? Second, those 5 to 11 year olds must haul in some pretty hefty allowances if they can afford $4/gallon gas for the cars you apparently think they'll be driving themselves to school in.

I've also noticed in another response of yours, that you had a 5th grade child at MacArthur School last year, you say the class size was 17, and that your child was never given instruction in a hallway. I bet you'd have been in the face of the school principal if that class had been close to, or over 30, though, right? And let's be honest and fair here: one snapshot does not make a movie, nor would a movie in one hallway be representative of the whole panorama, so there's no credibility to be gained by "I didn't see it happening on these few dates and times, in my limited view of the school, therefore it is not happening anywhere at that school or anywhere else. Listen to me, I am an authority on this."

Dear TAXEDTOTHEMAX:

I've read your many posts, and, in response to your challenge to another poster, may I suggest that you consider changing your name to BLOVIATER. Not only does it fit, it would also be entertaining for those who read your constant bitterness. It's just a suggestion, and I hope you're not so filled with self-importance that you can't at least chuckle at that idea. If you really are "taxed to the max", then why not move back to Milwaukee or maybe to someplace cheaper like Trenton or Farmington? I'm not saying you have to, it's just another suggestion. How long have you lived in Germantown, anyhow? I'll wager you've never studied your property tax bill (if you get one) and noticed that school taxes have dropped, as Mr. Magill stated in another thread in this blog.

Dear Everyone Else:

I used to be undecided on this issue, but I'm now persuaded by positive "let's move forward" approaches rather than the "we didn't need this stuff before, why do we need it now" crowd. I think what we're seeing is a clash between those who have hopes and those who have hatred. There are many people, like me, who realize that the community we enjoy today was built by people of modest means, who most likely had to dig very deep into their pockets to build these schools fifty years ago, but did it because they knew it was a part of being a citizen. Maybe that's why we now call them "The Greatest Generation", because they went beyond service to their country in time of war, to service to their country, period. They had a vision and desire to improve things for the successor generations, and they did it. From my vantage point, we're seeing a clash of an interim generation of take-without-returning versus the younger and older generations who have a greater sense of duty.

Perhaps the Germantown school district and the many communities included in it would be well-served by a town-hall type problem solving discussion. Personally, I'd tend to listen closely to what a group of deeply informed neighbors have learned and developed as a strategy that seems to simultaneously address the concerns of families with children as well as those who either cannot afford or just flatly refuse to fund 21st Century public education in their community. I worry about the consequences to be imposed by a small but loud group of people who are intent on keeping Germantown and Richfield "small" by driving away families with high hopes for the future of themselves and their children. Maybe they can afford tax hikes, but I can't. I'm voting for this new school, the wide-spread security improvements, and the 21st Century technologies the kids and teachers need in their classrooms.

re: Police Department Budget Issues...

CROD — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 03:12:22 GMT

What is it going to take for our village Trustees to relize that Public Safety should be their first priority. If we want our fine village to continue being a fine village, our trustees need to switch there priorities. First the Trustees won't even give the residents the choice in a referendum if they are willing to pay for 24 Hour coverage for the fire department, keep in mind many of our residents think we already have that, and now they want to cash strap the police department. It does not make any sense. If anything we should be looking at adding to both the Germantown Police Department and the Germantown Fire Department. 36 square miles is a lot of area to cover for 3,4 or even 5 police officers. Look at the number of calls for service for the police department, and then tell me how this budget is not going to adversly affect the officers safety, response time and performance of the police department. Any failure in funding by this village WILL have an impact on all three. Since the village likes studies, may be it is time for the village to pay for another study to evaluate the police department's staffing level. Oh ya, I forgot, they won't follow the recommendations anyhow, so lets save that money and add it to the police department budget. Chief Hoell, you and your officers are doing an excellent job with the resources you have, but how can the Trustees tell you one thing and do another? The first thing that comes to mind for me is that Public Safety is NOT the number one priority for these Trustees and that puts me and my family at risk as well as every other resident of Germantown.

re: Police Department Budget Issues...

Chief Peter Hoell — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 18:43:29 GMT

First I would like to say that on behalf of the members of the Police Department, we really appreciate the public support. It does mean a lot to us.

I would respectfully make one requests. I know things at times can be frustrating; however I would really like to see a constructive exchange and ask that we refrain from the name calling.

There are Trustees who have spoken to me directly and they do not support this type of cut.

Thank you again and please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions.

phoell@germantownpolice.org

Chief Pete Hoell

re: Who Is Gwen Ifill & Is She Biased?

Charlie Hargan — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:28:28 GMT

I think the reason there is such controversy about it now is because very few people go all over the internet searching for stuff like this and even fewer read press releases from Random House Publications. When it ends up on the news, talk shows or TV, then is when the majority of people hear about it and many other things are learned the same way.

re: Police Department Budget Issues...

On The Guard — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:19:57 GMT

Al- I couldn’t agree with you more! You know as well as I do that if one of our trustees stood up and said, “NO MORE!” it probably would be the end of them. I will be curious to see how this all plays out. I’m almost sure it will continue and all the Village Imbeciles will be running around with their tails between their legs looking for some facade to hide behind. The that façade will probably be the notion that people don’t want higher taxes. Like I’ve said before, I’ll take higher taxes any day, instead of living in fear that there won’t be a Police officer when I need one or an ambulance or fire truck for that matter.

re: Police Department Budget Issues...

Al Campbell — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:37:23 GMT

On The Guard:

The following are not in order of importance:

I agree that we would be exposed to a significant financial penalty if that were to occur. At the very least, the premiums for whatever protection the village might have would surely go through the roof.

Secondly, the word will spread throughout the ranks of the 'bad guys' and our nice "one of the best thirty places to live" will become the target of every crackpot within a hundred miles.

Thirdly, we will lose our excellent department person by person since they'll not want to continue in their positions knowing they have no back-up, and recognizing the community does not appear to support them.

We are engaged in false economy and need the kind of political leadership that is too seldom demonstrated. The really great politicians are those who do what is right in spite of the political fall-out. I'm not sure the senior center handling qualifies in this regard.

re: Police Department Budget Issues...

On The Guard — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:42:11 GMT

Why is it anytime I read anything on the topic of the Village budget I get nauseated? I know, it because I’m reminded of the complete imbeciles that we call our Village administration (sorry for my generalization but the majority fit into that category). The simple FACT that this is even being discussed in the fashion that it is WRONG!!! They are messing with our safety people! WAKE UP!!!! If it’s not the Police Department it’s the Fire Department. All I ever hear is about how under staffed and underfunded both are. The Village Imbeciles know about, do nothing about it and right now want to MAKE IT WORSE!!!!! I guess my real question is, if something were to happen to one of these employees (Police or Fire) due to the gross neglect of the Village Imbeciles (i.e. the constant reminder by both departments of understaffing and not having proper equipment), wouldn’t it cost the Village more money because of all the lawsuits it will encounter?

I never feel like I translate my real frustration to words about these topics… I guess will just have to wait and see what the circus brings us next!

re: Police Department Budget Issues...

GTT — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:24:37 GMT

It is sad that most of the officials in this community have their wants and needs priorities screwed up!!! If I would have done some more reserch I don't know that I would have moved to this community when i did! How that senior center was built without full community support is beyond me!

SAH I have had 2 children go through this elementary system and not once were they ever taught in a hallway! So do not believe everything you hear! Last year my youngest went through the 5th grade and only had 17 kids in his class!!!!

re: Police Department Budget Issues...

sah — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:08:52 GMT

We are a family new to the area as of 2003. I continue to be shocked that the village spent over $1 million for a suped-up senior center (and recently for "security" -- was that really an urgent need?) and yet the village doesn't have enough money to pay for police, closes its school pool, and residents are not fully behind a new school for kids (and are willing to accept that kids to be taught in hallways in some instances). Thank goodness my kids aren't in those classes. What a sad commentary on the priorities of Germantown leaders. From afar it appears a few powerful, older consituents must be behind those allocations of resources.

re: Shocking Experience...

Eagle Keeper — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:31:17 GMT

I also had the pleasure of being tased at the G-town Citizen's Police Academy. CPO Borden recorded the incident to disc. (This disc is now a source of amusement to my co-workers). My respect for the PD and what they do was greatly increased as a result of attending the CPA. I now volunteer my time to help the PD with many community events.

re: Equal Treatment?

Denny Crane — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 01:45:25 GMT

If our own President Kempinski went to the library questioning the procedure of censorship and then fired the librarian (yes, she was fired) within a short time period claiming she 'didn't support him,' I bet the good people of Germantown would be in an uproar about it.

news.bostonherald.com/.../view.bg

re: Who Is Gwen Ifill & Is She Biased?

Denny Crane — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 01:38:45 GMT

Al, I do not believe this was "just disclosed" as evidence points to the contrary. For example, this conservative website posted the schedule well over a month ago: www.redcounty.com/.../presidential-and-vice-presiden

Additionally, Random House books issued a press release on this book months ago. Why all the flap now rather than when the debate schedule with moderators included was released awhile ago?

I fear all the publicity will help this woman sell more copies of her book.

re: Equal Treatment?

Al Campbell — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:05:55 GMT

Denny Crane:

I reviewed an article found in The Frontiersman newspaper that discussed this. Palin did ask the librarian about books being removed if requested and the librarian said she would refuse to do so. The librarian was not fired as the result. She was later removed over an administrative issue. The publication in question was not removed from the library according to my information.

re: Equal Treatment?

Denny Crane — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:52:55 GMT

While in the past I've considered myself an independent as I usually vote based on the candidate, I must say that Palin's credentials concern me. I cannot characterize her as "really good" as I've researched her using a local Alaskan paper. These articles are not recent but are reporting on her actions as mayor in a town of 5,000. One of her first actions was to order the librarian to ban books that did not agree with her conservative viewpoint. When that librarian refused, Palin fired her. Only through the threat of recall did Palin rehire her.

Public speech such as forums like this need to remain protected as the Framers of our Constitution intended; hence the reason they felt the need for the First Amendment.

re: Village Buzz - September 17th...

JAFO IN GTOWN — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:23:31 GMT

I just found this, and have a question for GTT if he or she ever comes back to read this. What's the issue with the roads, and how is that related to a grade school? will the kids bikes tear it up? or will 400 midgets be driving to school? I don't get the relationship, sorry. Please explain your concern, GTT.

re: Counterintuitive Argument...

JAFO IN GTOWN — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:20:34 GMT

Or, you could just gripe about "mismanagement" and how your division shouldn't have been started up in the first place. Kind of another look at the same issue, I'm not taking sides, I'm JAFO.

re: Counterintuitive Argument...

JAFO IN GTOWN — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:58:27 GMT

Let's say you were unemployed but landed a job working for a small startup division within a large factory. Business was off, and former inventory storage space was available to start up your division. You produce what you can in the confined space, but the company still has to go elsewhere to get more of the same component your division makes.

The business recovers. Although your division produces a high quality product and is profitable, the space your division occupies becomes needed by the mainstream business once again, to fulfill the needs of the much bigger customer base. To protect the mainstream business, management announces they have to close your division in a year. You and your co-workers are hopeful that won't happen, and continue to produce a high quality product. But, as the deadline approaches, the main business really needs your space, so the managers reconfirm the closing.

However, the managers recognize the profit potential of your division, so they plead with the stockholders to take out a construction loan to build another factory, enlarging the total space available for the main operations plus have room in both factories to double the size of your division, which gets reopened. The profits from your division alone are enough to pay back the construction loan, your division supplements the main business with the quality it needs to grow itself, and the business is more successful than ever.

You got your job back, the stockholders are really happy as their profits increase, and although you got hired back at the same pay rate as before, you're now included in a lucrative profit sharing plan. And now you really do have a MERRY CHRISTMAS.