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Wag the Dog
Why does a dog wag its tail?
Because a dog is smarter than its tail.
If the tail was smarter, the tail would wag the dog!
An old joke that applys to today.
May 2008 - Posts
By Bryan Maersch
Monday, May 26 2008, 03:24 PM
On this and every Memorial day, I remember and miss one of the people who had a profound effect on my life - My Grandfather. Nicholas Polasik was born on September 9, 1893 in the township of Eaton, Wisconsin. He was the tenth child of eleven children born to Nikolas and Anna (Tobalska) Polasik. He attended primary school until the third grade. He took to the woods as a lumber jack at the age of 12. After his father died January 21 , 1910 he ran the farm for his mother at the age of 16.
On November 19, 1917 he joined the United States Army to fight the Kaiser in World War One as an infantryman in Company B 47th US Infantry, 7th Division. He served in France, May 10, 1918 to November 23rd, 1918 at Chateu Thierry. During his active service he was injured in action on July 30th 1918 when a shell fragment injured his foot. The injury became gangrenous and he was later told he would need to have his leg removed. Refusing to have that done, as a one legged farmer would be useless at that time he opted not to have the surgery. Miraculously the gangrene subsided and he was left with just the lost of a little toe on his left foot. He was Honorably discharged from the service on June 30, 1919.
He returned to Eaton, Wisconsin to help run his mothers farm, in the 1920 U.S. census he is listed as the 26 year old head of household with an occupation of farmer. Farming did not occupy all his attention though. Nicholas met Mary Genevieve Nowicki the daughter of Stanley and Elizabeth (Krupa) Nowicki also of the town of Eaton. They were married on September 6, 1920 at SS Cyril and Methodius Church by Reverend Peter Kurzejka. His best man was his brother Michael and the maid of honor was her sister Rose Nowicki. From that marriage came four children, one of which is my mother.
Had my Grandfather given up and died, I would not be here today. He taught me the importance of family and hard work. He was a respectful man and when I talked with him about politics and the presidency in my idealist youth, he would always say, "You may not like the man, but you must respect the office".
He may not be the last living vet of World War One but he will always be the man I remember on Memorial Day, each and every year.
Nicholas Polasik 1893 - 1976
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By Bryan Maersch
Monday, May 12 2008, 03:28 PM
The great Aretha Franklin spells it out as she says: R-E-S-P-E-C-T find out what it means to me!
For the past couple of weeks, I quietly sat back and witnessed a great deal of Lack of Respect in the City of Franklin. This Lack of Respect has been on many levels.
- Lack of Respect for the citizens of the communities of Franklin and Oak Creek by the 27th Street Steering Committee to dare to criticize the name of Boomgaard District and the costs involved in naming it.
- Lack of Respect for members of the 27th Street Steering Committee who have spent much time working on the 27th Street project. Yes they may be bull headed but have spent a lot of time and sweat on the project which they get paid nothing for.
- Lack of Respect from City officials (like Alderman Sohns) to bloggers (who are their constituents) and to the other vocal citizens of Franklin.
- Lack of Respect from the media as we become a laughing stock due to this Boomgaard fiasco (Sykes, Belling and Stingl)
- Lack of Respect from other communities as we weather the issues of mistrust of our community leaders and their leadership.
- Lack of Respect from the Zizzo group to the citizens of Franklin for not involving us in renaming a major part of our city.
- Lack of Respect to our city officials, who some say, do not deserve our respect on how they have handled this issue.
- Lack of Respect from a fellow FranklinNOW Blogger for other community bloggers that choose to blog about this Boomgaard fiasco. Who asked in one of his blogs "How's that "New Day" working out for you guys?" I guess not too well with all this Lack of Respect!
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By Bryan Maersch
Wednesday, May 7 2008, 04:23 PM
I was sitting next to Fred Keller at the City Council meeting on Tuesday night. My mouth dropped and I was stunned when Ted Grintjes the Chairman of the 27th Street Steering Committee let loose with both cannons in a public tirade against local blogger Fred Keller. You can read the blow by blow description in Greg Kowalski’s on site blog entitled Grintjes v Keller - Boomgaard got heated in Council chambers.
As I said, Grintjes is a citizen appointed member of both the 27th Street Steering Committee and the powerful Community Development Authority which is authorized to transact business and exercise any and all powers, duties, and functions set out in Sections 66.40 and 66.431 of the Wisconsin Statutes for housing and redevelopment authorities. Ted often spends 40 hour plus of his personal hours ,working on these two City committee / commission according to people tha t know him.
The berating of a Franklin Citizen who disagrees with Ted and his committee members leads me to believe that Ted does not realize that this was just outright bad PR for the 27th street project. One can only assume it was his many hours of time he spends on these committee / commissions that set Ted off.
Fred Keller had no intention of standing up to defend his opinion and information he presented asresearch he discovered about the Boomgaard District’s redlight reputation in Amsterdam. But how could he not respond to Ted’s intentional verbal attack on this private Franklin citizen?
Ted Grintjes has done something that is destructive to his committee; he has brought further bad public relations to a public relations fiasco brought about by the naming of the Boomgaard District via the Zizzo group who handeled the annoucement badly.
Ted – You needed to turn this around to become positive public opinion but now have instead blown up this public relations disaster even further.
Had this outburst not happened, I truley believe this issue would have died out sooner than later. However, I believe the personal attack of Fred has encouraged him to pursue his research even further.
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By Bryan Maersch
Monday, May 5 2008, 02:39 PM
In reviewing the agenda for the Common Council meeting on Tuesday May 6th, I have to ask myself the question. Is Mayor Tom Taylor setting up Alderman Steve Taylor and Kristen Wilhelm to take a fall for next years budget?
The agenda shows that both Steve Taylor and Kristen Wilhelm, two adermanic virgins, being appointed to the Finance Committee, which is undoubtedly the most influential committee when it comes to setting the next year’s budget. This is a committee that is normally reserved for experienced alderman who have actually experienced setting a budget for the City of Franklin at least once.
May 6th Common Council agenda items
E. Organizational Business
1. Boards and Commissions Appointments.
m. Alderman Solomon-Finance Committee.
n. Alderman Taylor-Finance Committee.
o. Alderman Wilhelm-Finance Committee.
You may also remember that Mayor Tom Taylor in his reelection bid for Mayor made the following signed pledge:
I pledge if elected to another term as Mayor of the City of Franklin that I will not recommend
an annual budget to the City's Finance Committee that exceeds a 3% tax levy.
This pledge is related to the years 2008 to 2011.
Thomas M. Taylor
Candidate for Mayor
3/30/08
You may further remember that FranklinNOW blogger Greg Kowalski said this in his blog entitled Why Franklin’s Common Council shouldn’t sign a tax pledge :
“Because someone will have to save the Mayor's butt. There's no way with all of the development the community is experiencing that we will be at 3%. The state allows tax levy growth to keep up with construction growth. With no doubt in my mind, construction growth will be greater than 3%. The Mayor may submit a 3% budget, but that bad, evil, nasty Council will just add to it and add to it until it equals the maximum allowed by state spending restraints.
Mayor Taylor will give his most sincere sad/serious face as he apologizes to taxpayers for the extra spending, but bummer, he did his best. It's that big, bad, evil, nasty Council that did all of the harm. You know, the same Council that's never up for election all at the same time, and where 4 members ran UNOPPOSED in the past 2 years for re-election...”
Looks like the Mayor has found his two scape goats for that "Butt saving" Greg is talking about, and it can all be blamed on their inexperience.
More Interesting Reading
Committee of the Whole meeting - Monday May 5, 2008 agenda item H. Discussion of Mayor Taylor's tax levy limit pledge (Ald. Sohns)
Common Council meeting - Tuesday May 6, 2008 6:30pm
Alderman Lyle Sohns Responds to Tax Pledge - Bullseye - Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Alderman Steve Olson Responds to Tax Pledge - Bullseye - Monday, April 7, 2008
Lets see how this Dog Wagging turns out!
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