The Journal-Sentinel:

Although neither project [the Hiawatha Line upgrades and the Amtrak Station Upgrade] has a final price tag, state officials say both are expected to cost less than earlier estimates. But both will require the state to spend at least some of its own money on work that at one time would have been covered by a massive federal grant.

The federal government had agreed to pay for the temporary maintenance base and a new $60 million maintenance base in Madison, as part of an $810 million stimulus grant to extend the Hiawatha to Madison at 110 mph, the first step in a broader Midwestern network of fast, frequent trains. But U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood yanked all but $2 million of the grant after newly elected Gov. Scott Walker refused to spend it on the high-speed rail line.

Are these part of the “tools” you’ve given our state, Governor Walker?  Let us add this to the litany of missteps, blunders and outright failures you’ve racked up in your 11 months as Governor.

Wisconsin can’t afford to keep Walker in office in the manner to which he’s become accustomed.  It’s costing the state millions of dollars and thousands of jobs to support his failed business-centric ideological war on Wisconsin families.

Clearly, this messaging has served the Congresswomen well as she has catapulted herself into the national scene while running for President of the United States.  Her message resonates well with the tea party, the group that has held our Country hostage over several important pieces of legislation.   And when it comes to the tea party, this information should incite them, so much so, that they no longer consider Michele Bachmann a viable candidate.

How many of you remember Bachmann calling our President’s stimulus program “fantasy economics?” According to the Huffington Post, Bachmann has a glaring distance between her campaign speeches and her conduct as a lawmaker.  Perhaps this is due to Bachmann petitioning the federal government on 16 different occasions for federal monies.  Or, it could even be attributed to Bachmann making two requests to the Environmental Protection Agency, the organization she “claims” she will disband should she be elected President of the United States.  Either way: It is blatant hypocrisy and needs to be addressed.  Of course, staunch supporters such as John Feerhy, president of QGA communications and top advisor to former Speaker of the House, J. Dennis Hastert, claim this is simply called traditionalism within political circles.  He states: It had been a long standing tradition in Congress to be fiscally conservative in every other district but your own.”  In other words, Mr. Feerhy: Do as I say, and don’t do as I do?

Now: Back to the nearly $787 billion stimulus package that included investments in state aid, infrastructure projects, health care and education reforms, coupled with large tax breaks which our President crafted.  Many of you will recall Bachmann stating “During the last 100 days we have seen an orgy of spending,” and “It would make any local smorgasbord embarrassed.” Really? Then why did Bachmann go to the federal government just three weeks later to get her piece of the pie?  In fact, on May 20, 2009, Bachmann appealed to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, asking him to hasten a decision on an application made by her for aid that the city of Big Lake, Minn. had made to “develop and  finance the Big Lake Rail Park,” justifying the request due to her describing the request as filling an “ambitious commercial and industrial complex which will enhance economic development and job opportunities in this rural Minnesota community.”  She ends her correspondence to Vilsack stating: “We must work together to ensure job creators have access to the vital credit they need to make projects like this a success.”  I agree Mrs. Bachmann, however, you have an adopted political position which is completely counter to this argument and, adding insult to injury, you have labeled those in Congress wanting to procure funding for their respective districts as “domestic terrorists.”

Following up on this act, on May 22, 2009, Bachmann then petitioned Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood for federal funds to “replace twenty-three 35-foot transit buses with compressed natural gas (CNG) powered buses.”  On June, 4, 2009, she appealed to LaHood once again seeking federal funds “to extend the Northstar Corridor commuter service from Big Lake to St. Cloud.”  On June 19, 2009, Bachmann made an “urgent request” to LaHood to “reverse a decision by the Federal Highway Administration that undermined a project in Waite Park, Minn.”   In that correspondence, Bachmann admits “she had already received $2.578 million in federal funding through the stimulus package,” and was “only awaiting the final determination” from the FHWA.

On July 2, 2009, Bachmann wrote LaHood once again, this time requesting federal funding for road improvements in Waite Park.  But, get this folks: Bachmann adds in that correspondence that “she was pleased to learn that Minnesota’s Department of Transportation was not going to pull the nearly $2.8  million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding set aside for the project.” So, let’s get this straight: As Bachmann was out there on the stump, bad mouthing our President, calling his economic recovery policies failed, she was “pleased to learn,” Minnesota did not pull away from the funding?  Nice! Class act there Congresswoman Bachmann!

On September 15, 2009, Bachmann continues her requests to LaHood through six separate letters seeking funding for six different projects.  On October 5, 2009, she then wrote Vilsack again “praising him for putting money into the nation’s beleaguered pork industry and encouraging him to help ‘stabilize prices through direct government purchasing.’” Five days later, however, Bachmann was out on the stump, yet again chastising the federal government for spending in public stating: “The President’s efforts to stem the fallout of the recession amounted to a charade.”

All of this is understandable from a politicians point of view, right? I mean all she was really doing was looking out for her constituents, right? Well, if she left it there, without attacking the current administration’s efforts at saving this current economy, I think her actions would be excusable.  But she didn’t.  She has been nothing more than a consistent critic of our President, his policies, and his supposed “spending” problem, but has no qualms accepting those federal funds when it benefits her! THAT is where the problem lies (no pun intended) for Bachmann!

Finally, and perhaps the worst of all her requests, is Bachmann’s interaction with the EPA.  On her campaign site, Bachmann refers to the EPA as a “jobs killing agency.”  But this did not stop her from writing the EPA in February of 2007, prior to our President being elected, and “urging its officials to help fund technical assistance programs and rural water initiatives in ‘small communities across Minnesota.’”  During the President’s term, Bachmann also wrote the EPA, specifically Lisa Jackson, “asking the agency to support a $270,806 grant application that would assist a St. Cloud bus company.” 

Bill Wilson, President of Americans for Limited Government even admits: “There is a line between representing your district and then trying to lard up on all this pork spending (pun intended).”  Mr. Wilson, while we are most likely on opposite sides of the political spectrum, I absolutely concur! The only question is this: How does Bachmann defend such actions when her rhetoric has been so anti-government, and, in addition, so accusatory of our President being a socialist simply because he wants to stimulate an ailing economy! 

Craig Shirley, a Republican operative, states: “The task of any good candidate is to explain why they did such and such which may not conform with party orthodoxy, and then pivot very quickly to convince enough primary voters why it is they who should be the nominee and not the other contenders.”  While Shirley may be strategically correct, there is another two problems for Bachmann.  First, she has to explain her actions to the tea party, the most anti-government group known to man.  And, second, she has to convince the national electorate, should she become the GOP nominee, that she really is not a hypocrite afterall!  And, Bachmann calls herself an evangelical? Perhaps, she should have read the verse where believers are admonished by Paul to “Judge not, lest ye be judged in the same manner!”  Good luck with this one, Congresswoman Bachmann!

What I’d like to know is when Bob Donovan is going to muster up the courage to stop taking potshots at Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and finally run for the job he really seems to want, which is Mayor of Milwaukee.

Last week I posted a short blog about Bay View attorney Jan Pierce challenging Alderman Tony Zielinski for the seat. Little did I know that this little blog which I expected only a handful of people to care about would garner the most interest and attention of anything I’ve posted. Yes it doesn’t look that impressive on BB, but both campaigns have reached out to me and a number of others have posted on Facebook. So now I have decided to follow up with three related posts. This first one in the series will briefly outline just a few of the issues that I would expect to be discussed during the campaign. I hope to follow with an article about each candidate after I’ve had the opportunity to talk with each of them. The following discussion is not a criticism of any current or future candidate…but just what I think needs to be addressed for the city and district to succeed.

Over the past 5 months a tidal wave of legislation has either been passed in Madison or approved in committee for inclusion in Gov. Walker’s first budget that will have tremendously negative impacts on Milwaukee. The most obvious is the one that has caused the most uproar in the Capitol and that is the nullification of collective bargaining for public employees. And then the cuts to state revenue sharing with the cities, the artificial limits on taxing authorities to levy property taxes to cover the shortfalls, the reassignment of shared funds for local street/road repairs, the abolition of residency requirements for Milwaukee police and fire fighters (there are 122 municipalities in WI with similar laws, why only Milwaukee?). the unfunded mandate of voter ID that will require additional poll workers and the maintenance of poll logs for voters to sign, the $100,000 limit on local governments for local road repair at which point they must bid out the work to private contractors, etc. And although not directly applicable to city government, cuts to MPS which will make it harder to educate our youth and limit our ability to maintain a skilled workforce, cuts to public transportation which will decrease many of our citizens mobility and increase demands for other infrastructure items like roads and parking.

The next alderman needs to be actively concerned about these issues…able to work with citizens to determine immediate needs…able to work with other local officials including county and neighboring municipalities and willing and able to lobby our representatives in Madison to make sure that Wisconsin stops handicapping Milwaukee directly by its actions.

Speaking of infrastructure, the City of Milwaukee has continued effective and efficient city service such as trash/recycling pickup and snow removal. But have you paid any attention to the local streets? Portions of major throughfares including Oklahoma and Kinnickinnic Avenues are pockmarked and deteriorating at incredible rates and the secondary and residential streets are well past their useful life spans. The next alderman will need to address those basic issues.

Development of the district will be critical. The 14th has seen some significant growth over the past 8 to 10 years and we have a great entertainment district now. But we need more businesses that can pay better than waitstaff wages or retail wages. Jobs that provide livable wages and benefits.

Improvements in public transportation are key to the areas growth. The major bus routes running into and through the area have been reduced or eliminated by the last county executive and need to be restored and/or improved. And can we develop a new plan to develop a parking ramp on the city lot on E. Lincoln just east of KK so we can improve parking and traffic flow in the area?

Along with our entertainment district we’ve seen new events and revitalized events throughout the area, including the South Shore Frolics, South Shore Farmers Market, Chill on the Hill, Bay View Gallery Night, Bay View Block Party and more. The alderman needs to be a cheerleader for these events and do what he can to keep them viable. And can we reduce the impact on immediate neighbors without impacting an event…like shuttles for the Frolics or Chill or 4th of July Fireworks along the Bay View lakefront or Humboldt Park.

We have a number of areas that need redevelopment…particularly the industrial area between Bay Street and the Kinnickinnic river…like the junk yard just north of KK and Bay and the old Louis Allis plant. There is also a swath of green space south of Bay Street that might be appropriate for housing that fits with the existing neighborhood (as opposed to the housing proposed several years ago that would have been non-conforming). And care should be taken in the development of new housing, particularly condos or apartments…that they be distinctive without being obtrusive. I’d hate to turn Bay View into the east side or the beer line.

The Sweetwater Organics expansion to the brown field that was the Army Reserve center just north of the Beulah Brinton center must be brought to fruition. Can we finally find someone with the wherewithal to restore the Avalon Theater building. Can we bring more professional offices and services to the area?

And speaking of Sweetwater (and the windmill and community gardens I didn’t speak of) can we continue searching out ‘green’ opportunities for the 14th District. Can we entice one or more of the water initiative companies to locate in the district.

Although Bay View was recently identified as the safest neighborhood in the city, we can’t be complacent. Is the recent reassignment of district stations responsible for covering portions of the district the most effective for the area. (this is an aside…I seldom see MPD in my area unless there is an issue…I see the SFPD far more often since I am about a block north of St Francis and they need to turn around). And with the large number of county parks in the district, can our next alderman work with the Sheriff’s Dept to insure safety for our friends and neighbors in our local parks?

And our alderman needs to be responsive to the constituents and businesses in the neighborhood and be visible in the district.

And although I realize the 14th District is more than Bay View, I see that I am Bay Viewcentric (although I was trying not to be)…so our next alderman has to make sure to represent the entire district.

This has been percolating in my brain since Saturday but I didn’t bother to write down any notes, so I am assuming I have forgotten something I wanted to include. When I recall whatever it is, I’ll add it below with a date stamp so that everyone knows it is new content.

6/9/2011 update: Here are a few other things that I forgot yesterday…development on KK has been the most visible growth in Bay View over the past few years…so now it’s time to fill in other former business streets in the area, Howell comes to mind for instance.

And with the merger of Fritsche Middle School into Bay View HS and the pending migrations of Dover Elementary and Tippecanoe School for the Arts and Humanities into the empty Fritsche building, we have the opportunity to reconfigure these properties.

Under Gov. Walker’s proposed cuts to transit, Milwaukee County’s transit system would see a loss of nearly $7 million in state funding, and under Rep. Vos’ proposal funds that could be used to close the funding gap due to the cuts proposed by Walker will instead be allocated to Racine and Kenosha counties, as noted by Abele.

“The proposal to split this money in thirds between three counties would needlessly divert Milwaukee County tax dollars to other areas when our transit system faces nearly $7 million in transit cuts in the next state budget,” Abele wrote to Vos and state Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills). “I hope that an organization intended to foster cooperation will not be dissolved in such a way as to further penalize Milwaukee County taxpayers.”

Though he’s no longer Milwaukee County Executive, Scott Walker is still finding ways to screw over Milwaukee County, only now he’s got help from fellow Republicans like Robin Vos.