I was in Tipton, Iowa over the weekend visiting In-Laws.

Being the local government expert in family, I was asked how much I thought Mayor Kepford made a year. Knowing who was doing the asking I replied, “I don’t know, but it isn’t enough.”

The issue arose because of some planned street work that was about to start in front of their house. Of course, nothing was being done to their satisfaction and it was all the stupid, overpaid Mayor’s fault.

I still don’t know how much Mayor Kepford makes. But, I will stand by my answer.

That kind of abuse goes with the job but nobody should have to take the abuse for peanuts.

Political enemies. They are everywhere. When you are deeply involved in politics you develop political enemies. Some enemies you like personally even though you disagree with them politically. Some people even marry them.

Then there are the enemies that you really don’t like. Just the sight of them gets the competitive juices flowing.

In this regard politics is much like sports. When you are heavily invested in the fortunes of a sports team there are rivals and then there are RIVALS.

When someone like Senator Arlen Spector defected from the Republicans to the Democrats that was nothing. Did you lose any sleep over it or rejoice with glee? I didn’t think so. Life went on undisturbed.

But,  the possiblity of Brett Favre becoming a Viking?

Order your shirt here.

OK, so he wasn’t hiking the Appalachian Trail.

And, he wasn’t writing.

And, he didn’t need to be alone to clear his head.

It turns out to be just another “Scumbag and Tramp” story.

Oh well … Next.

You know the story.

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford “disappeared”.  

He went hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Missing four days. His wife says she didn’t know where he was. (Did she or didn’t she?)

It got me thinking. If I was to “disappear” for a few days where would I want to go? You can bet it wouldn’t be hiking in the wilderness! It would be someplace I could walk on concrete.

I would like to go to Milwaukee for the Brewers/Twins series, but that wouldn’t be disappearing because I would run into someone I know.  So that would be out.

Disappear? That is a problem. While certainly not as well known as a Governor I can run into people I know anywhere I go in the state. Except … Maybe …

How about Hurley?

Where would you go to disappear?

“If you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative.” - Woody Allen

All politicians fail. Every one of them.

The successful ones learn from their failures and use that knowledge to win the next one.

They innovate.

Here’s hoping your city has innovative officials.

Right Woody?

It is time to plug a couple of websites.

First we have PeopleDirect.Org.

People Direct is an “On-line political community for disgusted Democrats, repulsed Republicans & others favoring widespread political reform in the United States!”  They are not talking Iran type of political reform, they are talking about genuine reform through the ballot box.

The other plug is for VoidNow.Org. 

Vote Out Incumbents Democracy (Void) wishes to see all incumbents defeated. Period. Throw out the batch of them. You know the definition of insanity… Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Ain’t going to happen.

I  talk to many people who are disgusted with both parties and want to throw them both out.

But, like minded people tend to gather together don’t they?

I love other peoples stories about their involvement with local politics. I recently read a great one. It was posted on The Judge Report Blog site. It is the story of one man’s decision to run for City Council in Amersterdam, NY.

If you are interested you can read it here.

If not, see you later.

We interrupt this blog for important non political news.

While this news wasn’t posted in the LaCrosse Tribune obituary section, it is certainly a horrible death.

After 29 years, Clown Camp to bow out after this year.

Paint on a sad face for the Clown Camp.

The long-time annual event that attracted thousands of clowns to La Crosse since it started 29 years ago will cease after the 2009 session  at Viterbo University.

Participants say Clown Camp’s closing is no laughing matter.

“There will never be another experience like this,” she said. “There are other camps and other things to do as a clown, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

To honor the closing let me just say …

“A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants.”

In these troubled money times why do things like this happen ….?

An $87,000 Wisconsin Department of Health Services grant will be used to help create a plan to combat binge drinking among 18 to 25 year olds in La Crosse County.

The five-month planning grant was awarded to the La Crosse Medical Health Science Consortium, in partnership with La Crosse County Departments of Health and Human Services and Coulee Council on Addictions. The partners will work with the Changing the Culture of Risky Drinking Behavior Community Coalition and a team of volunteers to develop the plan for October.

La Crosse was among four counties to receive funding. It is the third-highest ranked county in Wisconsin for binge drinking among ages 18 to 25, at 62 percent.

So, this was one of four grants. We can probably say these grants to CREATE  PLANS easily exceeded $300,000.  Plans to combat binge drinking.

What odds do you put on that coalition of partners creating a successful  plan to combat binge drinking in LaCrosse County?

Jeez, what a waste.

The whole plastic water bottle thing has always fascinated me.   It has fascinated me because I could never see paying outrageous prices when we have some of the finest water in the U.S.A. in my home town. It has placed as high as Bronze in the Berkely Springs International Water Tasting Festival. Yet, the plastic bottles fly off the shelf here also.

The New York Times reports thru Governing.Com of this idea to promote tap water in Venice, Italy.

But here in Venice, officials took a leaf from the advertising playbook that has helped make bottled water a multibillion-dollar global industry. They invented a lofty brand name for Venice’s tap water — Acqua Veritas — created a sleek logo and emblazoned it on stylish carafes that were distributed free to households.

The premise of eminent domain is simple. There are times when property needs to be secured from private ownership for public use. Highways are a common reason. 

The City of Milwaukee is proposing a case of eminent domain that does not pass the smell test of public use.

The Cetinas bought the land in the 1400 block of S. Muskego Ave. in 2002 with the idea of putting up a nightclub. That didn’t sit well with neighbors, and the Cetinas’ liquor license application for a nightclub eventually was denied by the city. That’s fine. A nightclub may not be the best use of that land, especially in the face of objections.

At the same time, the Tsitiridis family, which owns Pete’s Fruit Market, adjacent to the Cetina property, was making plans to expand their store and sought to acquire the Cetina land.

But the two families have not been able to agree on a price, and now the city has stepped in via eminent domain. Officials want to force the Cetinas to sell the land to the city, which then will sell the land to the Tsitiridises. The way the city is doing that is to declare the Cetina property blighted.

This is hardly a blighted lot by any common definition of that term. Visit the site, and you’ll find a wooden fence surrounding a property that is largely vacant except for some material in one corner covered by a blue tarp. On a recent visit, the grass was reasonably short; there was no garbage, no debris, no sign of “blight.”

The city essentially is arguing that because the property is underdeveloped, the city has the right to take the land.

If the Milwaukee Common Council goes along with this scheme everyone in Milwaukee should be wary of who will be next to lose their property. Nobody will be safe.

I’m not a real good golfer. I have to practice, practice and practice just to be mediocre. I shoot in the 90′s. The few times I get in the 80′s I’m ecstatic. When I hit 100 I’m not.

So, last night I’m standing on the last tee needing a bogey 5 to remain in the 90′s. My drive is decent. It is in the short rough just a couple inches off the fairway. I knew what club to hit next. But, instead of grabbing that club, I took a different club. Not by accident, I knew what I was doing.

As I stood over the ball I knew I had the wrong club in my hands. Yet, I still didn’t put it back in the bag and take the correct club. Needless to say my second shot was miserable. Which eventually lead to my double bogey 6 and a score of 100. I was not a happy person. Woke up this morning still upset at myself.

WHY!!!

Why do we do that at times?

Grab the wrong club in our  life and somehow think it will work  out anyway.

At least this was only golf.

I receive the power to turn on my computer and other necessities of life from my municipal owned power company. They purchase the power from Xcel Energy at a discounted rate. I would bet you a monthly bill I pay less for power than you do.

As I understand it, in the future,  the use of increased coal powered energy if off limits. Ditto for nuclear.  Those are the main sources of my power now.

The bird lovers won’t allow wind farms.

Solar? Northern Wisconsin? Need I say more?

Where will my municpal owned power company purchase their power  20 years from now?

I ask that seriously. I honestly don’t know. Does anyone?

I don’t wish anyone to be held in China. No phone calls. No nothing.

But if I did, Mayor Ray Nagin would be near the top of the list.

Every city has good employees and bad employees. They can’t help it. The Normal Distribution Curve cannot be beaten. The more employees a city has, the more good and bad employees they have in equal distribution.

Unfortunately, it is the bad employees who get most of the press coverage.

Police made a gruesome discovery earlier this week while getting ready to tow a heavily-ticketed van – a decomposed body in the back seat.

It was that of a missing man, and now his family wants to know to how officers could ticket the vehicle numerous times — and never notice what was inside

When he was found, his daughter said, he was not covered with a blanket or coat, but was in plain view of anyone who looked inside. She wondered: what if there was a person inside a car who was ill and needed help? 

There was no word from police as to why tickets were repeatedly issued without taking a look inside.

The offsetting good employees are around somewhere. Trust me. They are somewhere.

I have never met a School Board member who claimed to be a politician. They circulate petitions to get their name on the ballot. They participate in pre-election forums or debates. The winner is determined by a secret vote. But, they aren’t politicians? Come on … give me a break.  They may never listen to their constituents but they are politicians.

With that being said …  I don’t agree with Eugene Kane very often … 

How can they continue to allow the following to continue?

This is a much-anticipated time of year for hard-working graduates to celebrate their academic accomplishments with family and friends.

But eighth grade?

Even President Barack Obama has taken note of the increased prominence of eighth-grade graduation celebrations.

“Now hold on a second – this is just eighth grade,” Obama said in his remarks about education last year during a campaign appearance at a Chicago church. “You’re supposed to graduate from eighth grade.”

What is worse than an eighth grade graduation?

A Kindergarten graduation.

Why do School Boards across the country continue to allow these charades to continue?

Do their constituents really want them?

Do you?

One of the methods used by political candidates to get elected is holding Town Hall Meetings. You know, the candidate stands up there and answers any and all questions from those in attendance. Some candidates are very good at this and others aren’t.

The website WWW.LocalVictory.Com has an article How to Hold Successful Town Hall Meetings.

This is really good stuff. So, if you ever think you may be a candidate and want to hold Town Meetings you better pay attention to this …

While town hall meetings can be a great part of your grassroots strategy, they are not without risk. Any time you place your candidate in front of unscripted voters, there’s a chance things could take a wrong turn. In order to hold great, successful town hall meetings, use the following five tips:

1. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare – There’s no substitute for a well prepared candidate. During the week prior to your event, your candidate should carve out a significant amount of time to prepare
for the town hall, just as he or she would for a debate. Know the issues, write out pithy quotes and one-liners, figure out what the tough questions will be, and know how to answer them.

Town hall meetings can and should be a part of your campaign’s grassroots strategy. Be sure to plan for these events well in advance, practice, and remember to publicize them well – the only
thing worse than a hostile crowd is when there’s no crowd at all. 

Now, go do it and get elected.

Featheriver asks the question, “Why so few women in politics?”

I have often asked that question myself. But, I don’t agree with much else he has to say. (Yes, Featheriver is a he.)

Featheriver says:

Personally I have long thought that women were better politicians than men.

I come away with the impression that women are more focused, more determined and work harder than men in seeking election.

Women, in general, seem more engaged in community affairs.

Huh? 

I have found:

Women are just as good, but not better than men as politicians.

Women are just as focused, just as determined and work just as hard as men seeking election when they do run.

Women and men are equally engaged in community affairs.

Who is right? Comment below.

Are men equal to women in politics?

Or, are we second class?

I am assuming there will be no jail time …

An Ohio man arrested for mowing unkempt grass at a public park said he just wanted to make his city look nice. John Hamilton said he took control of the situation because the grass in Sandusky’s Central Park was about a foot high. According to a police report, a witness said Hamilton was blowing grass onto the sidewalk and shredding trash in the park that had not been picked up.

Police said they arrested 48-year-old Hamilton after he refused to stop mowing and charged him with obstructing official business and disorderly conduct.

City Manager Matt Kline called the arrest unfortunate and said he understands Hamilton’s frustration. Kline said budget cuts have left Sandusky understaffed for seasonal maintenance work.

 I knew a Municipal Judge who had empathy.

So much empathy he earned the nickname Turn’em Loose Bruce.

Mr. Hamilton needs a Turn’em Loose Bruce.

I know government.

I love to study and participate in the government process.

I know what government can do well and what it can’t do worth a crap.

I will never purchase a car from a company owned by the U.S. government. 

They are bound to be crap.