Senior Viewpoint

Every Vote Counts

Richard J. Steinberg — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:16:00 GMT

Every vote counts in the upcoming elections for federal, state and local offices on the ballot. Local government has made it easy and convenient to register and vote which is all they can do. It is the decision of the residents to take advantage of the most precious right in our great country.

A simple phone call or a visit to city hall is all that it takes to register and under certain circumstances to even vote by absentee ballot.

Before you vote be sure to be informed of the qualifications of the candidate of your choice, and not just rely on rumors or bogus information.

Your vote is the result of the honest efforts by candidates who seek public office and risk being targets of the press , the media and special interests.

Voter apathy is the most serious obstacle a candidate faces. Some people criticize candidates and demean their character and fail to vote.

Voting is the only way to participate in an election with the guarantee that you made a difference in the final outcome.

We cannot have a representative government unless the electors select the representatives.

Regardless of your partisan or personal beliefs please make it a high priority to vote.

Local Government Salaries

Richard J. Steinberg — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:09:00 GMT

BROOKFIELD NOW publishes municipal salaries for 2006, and for the City of Brookfield, one can only assume are now higher than the 2 years old survey.

A number of persons, excluding the police and fire departments, who work at city hall are very well paid.

Of course, these loyal employees are considered the elite of city government and their skills are judged by someone to be deserving.

At least 9 employees are paid over $90,000 annually and this amount presumably does not include fringe benefits which may not have been included in the survey, and should be revealed.

The salary figures probably do not include special allowance , if any, for transportation, gasoline, meals, conventions, meetings, social gatherings, golf outings, memberships, luncheons, dinners, and other expenses that the city determines are related to the job.

The survey only stated "job title", and omits job descriptions and accountability.

Based on the assumption that these salaries are set by city ordinance or some other methodology, it is fair to say that the city taxpayers have nothing to say.

Oversight seems to be absent as is some type of public venue to determine performance.

There must be more information made public because the public has the right to know.

After all, taxpayers foot the bills.

Mind Your Manners and Emily Post

Richard J. Steinberg — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:59:00 GMT

I remember as a youth the elders reminded us to "mind your manners". That's the way it was and that's the way it should be regardless of our situation.

Emily Post wrote the blue book of social usage entitled "ETIQUETTE". The original edition was copyright in 1922 and is preserved in the Library of Congress, Catalog number 55-7589.

Chapter 1, "The True Meaning of Etiquette", contains quotes by Emily Post, such as "integrity includes not only honesty but a delicacy of motive and fairness in appraising the motives of others", and "loyalty means faithfulness not only to friends, but to principles".

The famous book consists of 54 Chapters , and in each one she writes about a different subject matter.

Chapter 4, "The Use of Names and Titles", has this statement: "First names used in public was in such bad form that even young women and men who had known each other all their lives and habitually called each other by their first names, spoke to each other as "Miss" or "Mister" when with strangers.

In Chapter 6, Ms. Post writes "don't chatter" and "don't pretend to know more than you do. To say you have read a book and then give evidence that you have understood nothing of what you have read, and "no person of real intelligence hesitates to say, I don't know".

There is a special section on how to address certain important persons and she instructs that an Instructor (teacher, professor), is properly addressed as MR. or DR. (may I add also, MRS. or MS.), if that would please Ms Post.

I am impressed with the manners of the young and adult persons in our community and am sure their manners would please Ms. Post, who says in her book, "graciousness and courtesy are never old-fashioned, though their expression does change."

Traffic Law Changes

Richard J. Steinberg — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:24:31 GMT

In order to keep my readers better informed I am including information about traffic law changes in Wisconsin that have been recently amended or changed.

Effective July 1, 2008, these changes are related to how points are determined by DMV and how point reduction is applied. No changes are being made as to how points are assessed. (Trans. 101).

1. Completion of Point Reduction School may be used to reduce points assessed against a drivers license that has already been suspended.

These are existing traffic related laws to keep you better informed.

1. DMV does not maintain records of violations for ATV drunk driving, motorboat drunk driving and snowmobile drunk driving. DNR keeps records of those offenses.

2. Laws regulating operation of motor vehicles on a highway apply on sidewalks as well as on the roadway.

3. DMV runs a computer program twice a year to purge unneeded items from drivers records.

4. Administrative Suspensions must be purged if the underlying OWI is dismissed.

(Source: Wis. DOT Office of General Counsel).

On another subject, a Municipal Court citation may under certain circumstances become a permanent law enforcement record, in a non-traffic case.

LOCAL SPORTS

Richard J. Steinberg — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:09:31 GMT

We have the Brewers, Badgers, Bucks, Packers, Golden Eagles,Waves, Admirals, Panthers and many more local sports teams to enjoy and support.

The greater Milwaukee area is darn lucky to have major league sports and big time college sports.

Then why does the local media emphasize crime rather than sports and human interest stories ?

Television news and weather are disturbing when more prime time is given to crime rather than sports and other positive happenings in our society.

Some attention is given to sports but the personal comments of the TV anchors are not needed as many of them never wore a uniform.

We as sports fans do not need sports announcers second guess the team owners, managers and coaches to form a learned opinion. We can do that ourselves.

The sports media has a long history of good accomplishments but we just don't care what they think about our beloved teams.

No to crime reports. Yes to sports reports.

CUBS WIN

Richard J. Steinberg — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 22:39:29 GMT

Today, Thursday, I went to the game with my Chicago friends who were delighted with their cubbies. And well they should be because the outcome was a total Cub victory in 4 games.

The Cubs have a very good team and and excellent manager who gets the most out of his players and relies on conventional baseball strategy to win.

Conventional baseball strategy includes a bunt, a stolen base, a hit and run and a pinch hitter.

The Brewers have a young and talented team and a manager who relies on his players to play sandlot baseball and does nothing to help them score runs. Teams need to score runs and the home run is not always the answer.

The game started with a no brainer bunt situation for the Brewers but instead the manager called on a weak batter to hit away.

The result was a lost opportunity to take an early lead.

This kind of decision has been the hallmark of the Brewer manager all season.

He is afraid to make a decision and is reluctant to replace a player so he doesn't hurt his feelings.

Brewer management has to decide on having a leader or a friendly guy to manage our team to a championship.

Enough said, now lets play ball.

BEING THERE AT MILLER PARK

Richard J. Steinberg — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 22:38:14 GMT