Blogging Blue

As first reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Charlene Hardin, a 12 year veteran of the Milwaukee School Board, has been removed from the February 17th primary ballot due to an insufficient number of signatures on her nominating paperwork (emphasis mine):

Hardin needed 400 valid signatures to reach the ballot, Election Commission Executive Director Sue Edman told her in a letter released today. The veteran board member had submitted about 550 signatures on 56 pages of petitions, although she had crossed out some signatures, Albrecht said.

But after commission staffers reviewed the petitions, they found only 361 valid signatures, Albrecht said. Of the invalid signatures, 30 have technical errors that can be corrected through affidavits, he said.

In other cases, however, “many of her signers were outside her School Board district, and there’s nothing a candidate can do to correct that,” Albrecht said.

That leaves Hardin 9 signatures short of the minimum, he said.

Barring a spirited write-in campaign or a miracle, this should mark the end of Charlene Hardin’s tenure on the Milwaukee School Board, and what an ignominious end it is.

James Rowen has more, as does illyT.

As reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the City of Milwaukee had 71 homicides in 2008, the fewest amount of homicides in Milwaukee since 1985. The 71 homicides represents a 32.4% reduction from 2007, when 105 people were killed in Milwaukee.

Officials were quick to attribute the lower homicide number in part to improved cooperation among law enforcement agencies and policing efforts focused on Milwaukee’s most violent neighborhoods, but Elliot over at From Where I Sit thinks it’s no coincidence that Milwaukee’s murder rate declined in 2008, which also happened to be the first year the Milwaukee Police Department was run by a white male in about 20-years.

Some in the comment thread over at From Where I Sit attributed the reduced murder rate to the cold weather we had the first two and a half months of the year and the last month and a half of the year, and while there’s no denying crime rates go up as the weather gets warmer, I’m inclined to believe the the reduced murder rate is a product of more cops on the streets and a more proactive approach to policing in Milwaukee in 2008, as opposed to the reactive type of policing that seemed to be in vogue under the previous police chiefs.

Milwaukee Alderman Bob Donovan never met publicity he didn’t like, and as a result of the recent snowfall, which has resulted in clogged streets across Milwaukee, Alderman Donovan has taken it upon himself blast city public works officials for failing to tow stranded cars which were blocking streets. However, according to Patrick Curley, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett’s chief of staff, Alderman Donovan was briefed about the situation at 11 a.m., which would be 2 1/2 hours before Donovan’s 1:30 p.m. news conference on Friday.

So if Alderman Donovan knew the situation was being dealt with, I’m left to wonder - as is capper over at Cognitive Dissidence - why is Bob Donovan still talking?

Over the years, Donovan has been one of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett’s harshest critics, and I’m wondering why Donovan hasn’t put his money where his big mouth is an run for mayor himself. If Donovan thinks Mayor Barrett has done such a poor job as mayor, then why hasn’t he taken the initiative to run for mayor?

First, the good news:

Births among 15- to 17-year-old girls in Milwaukee have dropped to their lowest level in 28 years, according to data released Wednesday by public health officials.

Births declined to 50 per 1,000 girls in 2007, the lowest rate since 1979 and just over half the highest rate on record.

Similar declines have occurred nationally, although the birth rate among Milwaukee teens has been more than twice that of teens around the country over the years.

While it’s great that teen birth rates are down all across the nation, it’s heartening to see that Milwaukee’s ahead of the curve when it comes to teen birth rates. That’s definitely a bright spot, and coupled with the good work being done to reduce crime in the city, it gives me hope that better days are ahead.

However, while Milwaukee’s reduced teen birth rate is definitely something to be proud of, the news that the mother of a Milwaukee teen may have given that teen a gun so that teen could settle a score from a playground dispute the day before. As a parent, I simply cannot fathom giving my child a gun to settle an argument, and I can’t wrap my brain around this story. Thankfully the victims of the shooting are expected to survive, which is the silver lining in this story.

I just hope the authorities throw the book at the mother who gave her son a gun, because as Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said, “We need parents to be parents, not accomplices.”

On Tuesday, residents of the City of Milwaukee will vote on a referendum to mandate employers in the City of Milwaukee provide paid sick leave coverage to their employees, and so it should come as no surprise that big business is vociferously opposed to the measure. However, MGIC CEO Curt Culver wins the award for biggest hypocrite, as explained so perfectly by the Brew City Brawler in a must read blog entry. The Brawler points out that Culver, who has complained the paid sick leave ordinance would cost his company another $1.8 million in addition to the $562,000 it already spends on sick leave pay for its Milwaukee employees, is the same man who has led MGIC to losses nearly 1.7 billion dollars in 2007 - essentially wiping out MGIC’s combined profits from the three previous years. Additionally, MGCI has lost $245.6 million so far in 2008. Culver’s reward for leading MGIC into unprofitability? A 3.45 milliondollar salary for 2007.

That’s hypocrisy, folks…

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A few weeks ago, I blogged about Sen. John McCain’s statement that he’d “hate to live in Milwaukee,” and the Obama campaign has picked up on that quote, running a really funny web ad:

And I’ve got a message for Sen. Biden: you’re welcome in Milwaukee any time.

Well, I wouldn’t, but Sen. John McCain would. In an interview given to Mark Leibovich for an article in the Washington Post in 2004, Sen. McCain noted he would hate to live in Milwaukee. Now I’m sure there’s no shortage of folks who might agree with Sen. McCain, but I’d be curious to hear why exactly Sen. McCain would hate to live in Milwaukee.

Interestingly enough, if you read the entire article, there’s another quote from Sen. McCain that’s more than a little ironic:

Asked again last week about 2008, McCain says it would be foolish. He fears losing the stature he gained in 2000 by running a bad race in 2008. He mentions perennial candidates Harold Stassen, Ralph Nader, “all these guys who, you know, don’t know when to quit.”

John McCain should have heeded his own advice, because I think it’s safe to say John McCain’s now one of those guys who don’t know when to quit.

Watchdog Milwaukee has done the Milwaukee area a great service by exposing those trying to ruin the Democratic Party of Wisconsin’s name and integrity. It seems Tom Reynolds’ PAC organization, Clean Sweep Wisconsin, has chosen to take the route of planting candidates in Democratic districts and then run them as Democratic “challengers” to the incumbents. For those of you who don’t know who Tom Reynolds is, he was a former Republican State Senator and was quite controversial before being tossed out by his district for a Democrat, State Senator Jim Sullivan (D-Wauwatosa).

It seems Wisconsinites are getting more than their fair share of unnecessary, sleazy campaigns. It wasn’t too long ago when we had a tug-of-war being fought over the TV for our Supreme Court seat. This, however, brings the entire 2008 campaign season to a new low. It’s shameful and outright disturbing that individuals would go to such lengths to unseat Democrats in November.

Members of Clean Sweep Wisconsin should be ashamed of themselves if they knew about this and understood what they were supporting with their contributions. If some contributors didn’t realize this level of trash was going to occur, I’d suggest that they’d ask for their contribution(s) back. To support something like this only shows off a negative characteristic of someone’s inner being.

As for the candidates who chosen to take on this role of being FAKE, I have no kind words for you. To run on a Party platform only to eliminate the true Party candidate is appalling and shouldn’t be acceptable by any means. If you don’t share in the views of the Party in question, you should run either as an independent or as a member of the opposing Party (Republicans). Period.

I agree with Watchdog Milwaukee in asking the Milwaukee County Democratic Party to NOT endorse these wolves in sheep’s clothing. Furthermore, any Democrat in those districts should be informed of the deception(s) right away so they don’t fall for Reynolds’ dirty tactics.

The individuals listed by Watchdog Milwaukee as FAKE are:

State Assembly District 8: Jose Guzman

State Assembly District 10: Charisha Allen

State Assembly District 15: Josh Hoisington

State Assembly District 16: David D. King

State Assembly District 17: Samantha H. Bady

State Assembly District 20: Philip Landowski

H/T: Fairly Conservative & Watchdog Milwaukee

So says Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn. Compared with the first half of last year, violent crime has decreased 19.4% in the City of Milwaukee, most notably in the following categories:

• Homicide, 33 in 2008, compared with 48 in 2007.
• Rape, 88 in 2008, compared with 124 in 2007.
• Robbery, 1,392 in 2008, compared with 1,607 in 2007.
• Aggravated assault, 1,703 in 2008, compared with 2,210 in 2007.

What’s most notable to me about the numbers released by Flynn is the fact that crime is down in Milwaukee even during the summer, when crime rates typically increase. As someone who works in Milwaukee and spends a lot of time in many of the worst neighborhoods the city has to offer, I’ve noticed a difference on Milwaukee’s streets, and while Milwaukee’s worst neighborhoods still don’t feel totally safe, they don’t feel quite as dangerous as they used to.

And now I know some folks might say they don’t feel like Milwaukee’s much safer now than it was last year, but a nearly 20% drop in violent crime rates is damn good, and it’s something to be proud of. Some folks will always consider Milwaukee to be unsafe and dangerous, no matter what, but I think these most recent numbers bode well for Milwaukee.

What’s your definition of a riot?

I know my definition includes any of the following:

• Bottles or other hard objects being thrown
• Police in riot gear using tear gas or other crowd control measures
• Fires being set and looting occurring

However, according to the folks over at the Daily Scoff, this is what constitutes a riot:

Now call me crazy, but I don’t consider that a riot. Now this is a riot:

Like I said, call me crazy, but I don’t see how the first picture could even remotely be construed as being a “riot.”