It's local campaign season

Jeffrey Kroll is running for alderman in Tosa.   This is his blog.   Judge for yourself.

It's not slavery if you volunteer

The democrats have their undies in a bunch because some government employees had to contribute to their pensions and health insurance premiums.  So much so that they are trying to recall the governor.  Naturally, it takes peoplepower to make this happen.  Since their issue is supposedly about pay and benefits, one would think the state donkey party would pay their workers a living wage with a great benefits package.   Nope, this Craigslist post mentions that "Internships are unpaid and interns are required to commit at least 10 hours per week."

Using unpaid labor of students in a campaign whose goal is to increase the compensation of government employees?  P.T. Barnum had a saying for those who would volunteer for such a thing . . . .

NOTE:   Prospective slaves interns need to provide their own "transporation" and will also do tasks related to the "fedaeral" elections in 2012.

NOTE 2:  This group will pay you $11.44 an hour to fight for wages higher than $11.44 an hour.

Tosa Tax Time--Act 10 Reform Edition

While the property tax bills are a bit delayed hitting the mail, the math used to figure them is done and you can do a close approximation to what they will be.

Bottom line:  My property tax bill will go up a whole $16!  First time in ten years that my increase hasn't been three digits with that first digit consisting of a crooked  number.  My property taxes have nearly doubled in ten years.  Extrapolate that rate of growth over the next ten years and I would pay a five-figure property tax bill on a very modest home on a postage stamp lot.  This figure would rival the principle payment on my mortgage.  That is unsustainable.

Thanks to Act 10 reforms (and years of big tax hikes escalating their base tax levy), the Tosa schools actually cut a few pennies from their share of the tax bill.  However, all that and then some was wiped out by the County Board, which had the largest increase.  The other entities had small hikes.  In total, the tax hike is seven cents per $1000 of assessed value.

Thank you, Governor Walker.  Half of the amount I normally budget for three-figure property tax hikes is on the way to your campaign.  The rest is to organizations whose dues I cut out of my 2011 budget.

UPDATE:  Saw the actual bill.  Only $13!  That is enough for a beer at a local watering hole that employs people, buys inventory, pays taxes . . . .

And a streak ends . . .

As of right now it looks like Wauwatosa's streak of three consecutive female mayors is over.  As of today, three men have thrown their hats in the ring.  The first guy jumped in a few weeks ago and that is lefty John Pokrandt.  Current alderman Peter Donegan jumped in today and was followed shortly by conservative Jim Moldenhauer.

Without knowing anything about Moldenhauer, the guy I want and think will win is Donegan.   Donegan is known for digging into issues and asking the questions that the others don't think of.  His questioning reduced the cost of the new fire station from a Taj Mahal to merely a palace.  It's not his fault the rest of the aldercritters wanted to spend a boatload.  He hung tough on the latest round of employee contract negotiations and the Tosa budget is better off for it.   He has supported raising the mayoral salary many months before Mayor Didier said she was leaving and he was getting in the race-- that may be an issue that trips him up.  I know Pete and we don't agree on everything, but he does enough right and has showed in the past six years that he is a very capable alderman.

The city unions won't support Donegan because he has pushed them pretty hard, but they will leave him alone if its a race against Moldenhauer.  Pokrandt has no experience and I suspect will be exposed as a standard liberal who the unions will like.  However, I think the impact of union support won't help him with Tosa's big fat middle who likes their candidates to have some experience.  Donegan fits in a comfortable template of the retired long-time resident looking to continue his service to the city.

Restaurant Review: Bunkers

I've been a bit light on the restaurant reviews lately because I made a conscious (and successful) decision this year to eat out less.  It's cheaper and better for you to make your food at home; it is probably the easiest way to cut your budget.   With that said, I haven't become a hermit who lives on soup and grilled cheese.  I still go out; however, I no longer use restaurants as a substitute for my kitchen.  Basically, I've returned dining out to its rightful place of that of a treat and meeting up with some friends.  I've also trended down on the more expensive places that sell atmosphere and style and hide average food with whatever are the popular ingredients that week on the Food Network.

Trending down on those haunts also allows you to try more of the many great neighborhood joints we have around here.  There are alot of fantastic places that offer great food at a great price -- many of them are located on the under-appreciated Greenfield Avenue in West Allis (meaning that yuppies and hipsters don't go there).  One of these restaurants is Bunkers located at 7420 W. Greenfield Avenue.  It is a nice, clean, unpretentious place that delivers great food at an affordable price.  Want a top-notch steak?  Then go on Tuesday nights for Times are Tough Tuesdays and you will get a fantastic eight-ounce filet for $9.   It is a great cut of meat that is tender, thick and done to perfection.  You can ala cart it up with some blue cheese, mushrooms, etc.   They also serve up some great sliders and some damn good BBQ.

Are you going to take someone to Bunkers for an anniversary or some other special occasion?  Probably not.  But if you want to meet your friends at a great spot in the middle of the week or enjoy a great meal and get your money's worth, then Bunkers is the place for you.

Protestapollooza in Tosa

So some folks are going to give in to their inner bully and go protest in front of Governor Walker's personal residence.  They proclaim it is their First Amendment right to do so and indeed it is.  You will have no quibble with me about that.  You also have a right to make an ass out of yourself.

However, just because you CAN do something, does not mean it is a good idea.   Other than feeling good and mingling with like-minded people on a nice fall day, just what do they think they will accomplish?  Just more antics from the goon squad minority.

I believe they actually don't know what they want to accomplish.  I know they proclaim they want Walker gone, but people always want the guy from the other party gone.  I believe many of these people were itching to do this even before Act 10; they were out of power and simply want their power back.  It's not what Walker is doing, it is the fact that they don't have any other way to stop it.

That is the raw political aspect of this, but it takes more than that to create this level of unhinged action.  I believe the true reason of many of the most vehement people against Walker is that they think they are superior to him.  Teachers and many government professionals consider themselves with certain societal status and they simply cannot comprehend that anything could happen to them.  Then came the guy they call Governor Dropout and how dare he do anything to THEM!  They have always chaffed about not making the money the think their status deserves and they really chafe when they perceive the general society under appreciates them.  They have internalized these grievances.  Governor Walker has rocked that world and poured gasoline on those embers of long-simmering resentment.  That is why so many people have abandoned any sense of rational thought, decorum and restraint.  People don't exhibit such a level of deep-seething hatred that causes one to act without any level of restraint or consideration if it is simply about money.  They will do so, however, if they feel that the governor and those who voted for him are beneath them.

We interrupt this blog to bring you the following message

Now back  to the blog.

Since we haven't had an election in Wisconsin for a few months.....

Recall fever is infecting elements of Wisconsin's left wing.  I guess they can't take the hint from the results of the last few elections in this state.  Anyway, the right to recall exists and those people are free to exercise their political rights, even if their intent is to crush the political rights of those who voted in November 2010.

If you are on the fence with regard to this recall please consider the following before you sign  a petition.

1)  What do you personally consider a reason for recalling a public official? 

2)  What is the agenda of those pushing for the recall? 

3)  What would be the results and political environment in Wisconsin after a recall?

4)  Do political office holders have a right to their entire terms to implement their platform through the legislative process and legally exercise their powers granted by the Wisconsin Constitution?

5)  Do you own a home in WI?  Have you had a chance to examine your 2011 property tax statement? 

6)  Do you agree with the activities of anti-Walker people who have harassed his family and his neighbors, boycotted small businesses or threatened state legislators?

7)  If you hate Scott Walker, how big will his mandate be when he wins?

8)  Does the level of rhetoric against collective bargaining reform match with reality?

9)  What is your opinion of the executive capabilities of Dem candidates who would run in the recall election?

A person does not have to agree with Governor Walker's policies but they should take a hard look at the bigger picture before they sign a recall petition.  Do you want to live in a political environment where every policy issue results in an election?   Do the voices of the voters in the regular election have significance?  Should recalls only be reserved to remove officials who broke the law or committed highly unethical acts?  If people take a step back and rationally examine all the information and not let emotions and inflamed rhetoric get the better of you, then you have done your due diligence as a citizen.

NOTE:  It IS legal for an out-of-state resident to circulate a recall petition.   Ask yourself this.  Is a movement that would bring in such people to cirulate petitions truly grassroots effort by the majority of the citizens of Wisconsin?

I'll take a taxpayer-subsidized pumpkin spice latte, please.

The Wauwatosa Economic Development Corporation met the other day to divvy up Community Development Block Grant funds from Uncle Sugar. The primary purpose of these funds in Wauwatosa is to:

The primary objective of the CDBG program is the development of viable urban communities by providing opportunities for decent housing, a safe living environment, and expanded economic opportunities to, principally, low or moderate income persons.

While my inner cynic tells me that CDBGs are simply slush funds for local politicians and do-gooders to play with, let's actually take a look at the current crop of recipients.

Four of the five recipients are local folks either going to start a business or expand their existing one. The one's seeking expansion appear to have their feet under them with regard to their current operation and want to do some bigger and better things. While I don't think that providing Tosa yuppies with more coffee, pastries and French cuisine falls under the purview of the Commerce and General Welfare clauses of the Constitution, I will acknowledge each of these four projects has the potential to enhance our city and do some good things.

The fifth recipient is Milwaukee-area coffee giant, Alterra Coffee Roasters. Alterra does provide an excellent product and, as a result, makes money hand over fist. Tosa's Lockers Point Alterra is definitely a key contributor to the company's balance sheet. That place simply mints money. As a result, it is only logical that Alterra wants to build a second coffee shop at 68th and Wells Street on a site overpaid for by a previous condo developer. Great location! Alterra will mint even more money in Tosa. Why? Because that area is filled with affluent Tosa yuppies -- although I know some of the frugal ones are happy with a senior coffee from the double arches. This is not an area in need of "decent housing," the houses there are architectural gems. It epitomizes "safe living environment" and is not in need of "expanded economic opportunities" because there are certainly very few "low or moderate income folks living in this part of Tosa. Alterra is not some mom-and-pop start-up business -- it's the top dog of its business sector. Alterra is not a local resident looking to enhance his or her community by running a business -- it is the primary competition to three of the other CBDG recipients.

The mayor was on board with this proposal and said "Alterra taking over the corner of 68th and North is a huge investment in the community. This is exactly what the CDBG money is meant for." 1st District alderwoman Linda Nikcevich, while liking the general Alterra proposal (I do also), disliked providing the grant to such an established business. I don't agree with Linda very often, but I do in this instance. However, if Nikcevich is simply mad because Alterra wasn't going to go into her district (something she is quite capable of doing), then she is a hypocrite playing politics.

Would Alterra build at this spot without the $220,000 grant? I suspect they would because it is fantastic location and fits their business model. Is the city tired of a vacant building and perhaps feeling a bit guilty about being intransigent with the previous developer.....yes to the first part and probably unaware of the second. Is there a bit of Alterra worship going on and the fact that they are Alterra played more of a role in the award than the company's merits with regard to the mission of the CDBG program -- most definitely.

UPDATE: Mayor Didier contacted me with her side of the story. She stated that Alterra met every criteria laid out by the Feds used to award the grant and had the superior plan of all five applicants. There are several different pots of CBDG money in Tosa and this particular one is tied to job creation and that there are penalties to the recipients if they do not meet the job-creation terms of the award. I thanked her for direct and thorough response and while I still disagree with the concept of handing money to an established company and would like to see the overall program changed, I do think a legitimate process was followed by the city with regard to these grants and all of the recipients met the grant criteria as established by the Feds.

TOTUS HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED!!!!

link here

But don't worry, TOTUS is somehow able to get messages out and it's doing okay...for now.

Stock Update: Dividends and Old Friends

I love market carnage when I am 25 years away from needing the money. If you are 55 and over and need the money, it does truly suck to be you. I've parked some money during the latest round of market chaos. One can only park so much money in vehicles that pay next to nothing. I want this money to draw something resembling a return, but I want to maintain some semblance of security to the principle since I may still need this wee bit o' cash in the medium term. I currently have all of my emergency funds (one year of living expenses) in place so holding more than that in no-gain areas is highly inefficient. Therefore, on market down days I have picked up a few stocks under these criteria:

1) I already own the stock for its dividend yield and the price has fallen to my established buy zone. Drops in these stock prices increase the dividend yield while a return to the market of March-April 2011 will also result in a nice capital gain on these recent purchases. This is how I bought most of my stocks in the tumult of the summer of 2010.

2) Beat-down stocks that I did not own and now have a significant dividend yield due to the recent turmoil. These stocks also retain their strong forward fundamentals, have a good balance sheet, hold little debt and lead their sectors. They also have a history of dividend increases -- a dividend increase truly is free money. These stocks have also traded in an identifiable range since the lows of late 2008, which means I can presume their floor and thus evaluate that with regard to my goal of preserving capital.

3) Stocks that I owned but have sold in 2011 at or near their 52-week highs in order to capture long-term capital gains. Generally, they have been beaten down with the rest of the market and show every sign of resuming their former highs when the market resumes an upward swing. These are the guys that gave me the pile of money to play with in the first place, why not take another look at a good thing?

Proud to be an S.O.B.

So much for Obama's call to civility. Here is Teamster thug Jimmy Hoffa introducing Obama at a rally.

Hoffa Threatens GOP At Obama Event: "Take These Son Of Bitches Out"

If that is the case then:

How not to run a state: Illinois edition

Illinois took a decidely different path than Wisconsin with regard to its state budget. In the summer of 2010, I happened to be in Springfield, Illinois, for work and stumbled upon a massive public employee union rally that was there there to demand higher taxes so they could keep their jobs. It was attended by thousands bussed in on work time from across the state. Fast forward to November 2010 and the state's voters someone re-elected Democrat Pat Quinn to the governor's chair and he signed a lame-duck bill that raised raised income taxes by 75 percent without significant changes in how the state conducts its business or pays its workforce. Today, Governor Quinn is proposing to lay off thousands of public employees because the state is broke.

Meanwhile in Wisconsin, Governor Walker did not raise taxes. Instead by merely reining in collective bargaining, Wisconsin has a small state budget surplus and didn't have to lay off state employees. Also, many local governments do not have to lay off employees either.

Now I understand that Illinois is truly jacked up and has lots of other issues that contribute to its problems. However, in one state the union mob got its way and got laid off. In the other, they didn't get there way and they still have jobs. So perhaps we shouldn't take the ideas of these folks too seriously, except that they are a violent bunch that gets to hang out with the president.

Fun with Powerpoint