I was talking with an alderman yesterday. A relatively new alderman. He was telling me about  two things he has learned in the past few months.

1) He discovered the various groups who promote economic activity don’t work together very well.

2) The city and county don’t get along.

I bet you guess he lives in your city, wherever that is.

I just participated in a poll asking if President Obama should go to Denmark to lobby for Chicago to get the 2016 Olympics. There have been over 60,000 responses so far to this poll. A whopping 80% said he shouldn’t go.

I didn’t vote with the 80%. 

I’ll save my criticism for real issues.

This happened right here in my hometown of Rice Lake …

In mid July an employee of the Parks/Recreation/Cemetery Department was caught red-handed stealing gas from a city pump. He admitted that he had stolen gas multiple times in the past. He was put on Administrative (paid) Leave. Charges were filed by the District Attorney … then dropped. He remained on paid leave.

Finally, after NINE weeks of being paid, and with no criminal charges, he was ASKED to resign.

Not bad for getting caught red-handed.

The City Council remained silent the entire time not questioning the process even once. 

How long would you be paid by your employer if you got caught stealing?

Today I will be putting the finishing touches on a new ebook, Why Your City Council Makes Dumb Decisions … and what you can do about it.

The information in this ebook is so important that everyone should read it. So, In order to make that possible the ebook will be free!

I bet you can hardly wait, huh?

Wow, I  have internet problems for  a couple days and people think I went on strike or died. I’m back in the saddle now, scouring the country for local government issues and news.

It is never easy for a Mayor to make Police Department decisions. No matter how insignificant the decision, it could eventually have unintended consequences.

Think this one might?

The mayor of a small South Carolina town says she banned her police officers from chasing suspects on foot after an officer was hurt running after a man.

Wellford Mayor Sallie Peake said Monday she issued the order in August after the city had to pay for an officer who missed work after chasing a “guy who had a piece of crack on him.” She said a drug possession charge was not worth the cost to taxpayers. But her written order said she did “not want anyone chasing any suspects whatsoever.”

The decision came after two town-issued cars were totaled within a month, although her order applies only to foot chases.

And, keep that bullet in the shirt pocket too!

So, this isn’t really a post about local politics.

But, when you are involved in local politics you deal with all kinds of people. You need to be ready for anyone.

Even guys like this.

A man who said he hurled thousands of golf balls into Joshua Tree National Park for more than a year to honor deceased golfers will be explaining his tribute to a federal magistrate.

Park rangers cited 57-year-old Douglas Jones for abandoning property, littering and feeding wildlife. Park spokesman Joe Zarki said Wednesday that Jones tossed some 3,000 golf balls from his vehicle.

Jones also scattered a few tennis balls and park literature and left fruit and vegetables along park roads. Jones says rangers spent 370 hours cleaning up, at a cost of $9,000.

Finally spotted in action last month, Jones allegedly told rangers he threw the golf balls to leave his mark and honor deceased golfers. The food was for stranded hikers.

I’ve tried to reason with people like this … have you?

Doesn’t work does it.

For the last two days I have been attending a conference with one speaker after another. Every speaker used PowerPoint. What has happened to us?

In the old days a speaker faced an audience and attempted to make as much eye contact as possible with those sitting in the room.

Now speakers turn their back to the audience and reads off the screen.

This is one change I don’t like.

There is certainly a time and place for recalling elected officials.

Then there isn’t. 

Eight of the 13 Monroe County Supervisors who voted for a $30 million Justice Center will face recall this fall.

The recall was organized by Monroe County Taxpayers Relief, which opposes the Justice Center. Its leader, Dennis Clinard, said it wasn’t easy collecting a sufficient number of valid signatures, which ranged from 94 to 178 depending on the district.

I am not making any judgement on the merits of building the Justice Center. I just don’t believe an elected official should be recalled for voting one way or another on a specific issue. That is what regular elections are for.

Recalls are for removing sleaze.

A couple days ago I wrote about some problems in Lake Geneva, WI.

The Mayor had suspended four Council members for misconduct in office.  I still doubt the legality of a Mayor suspending fellow elected representatives, but he did.

Well, here is the latest from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel…

The remaining members of the Lake Geneva City Council took a pass Monday at appointing replacements for four members suspended by Mayor William P. Chesen after deciding there weren’t enough non-suspended members at their meeting to form a quorum.

The action followed a request for a restraining order against the appointments by suspended Aldermen Penny Roehrer, Mary Jo Fesenmaier, Arleen Krohn and Thomas Spellman in Walworth County Circuit Court, according to their attorney David Williams.

“It appears that without a quorum you can’t conduct business,” Williams said after the meeting. “The city is in a bit of a pickle here.”

Chesen suspended the four Thursday, alleging misconduct in public office and violations of open meetings laws.

But the suspended council members say the suspensions were retribution for their voting to appoint former Mayor Spyros Condos, a political rival of Chesen, to replace former Ald. Gary Dunham, who resigned last month.

The suspended aldermen also filed a lawsuit in circuit court challenging the suspensions, Williams said.

Circuit Judge John Race is expected to schedule a hearing on the request for the restraining order within the next several days, he said.

Chesen, who could not be reached Monday night, has scheduled a “removal from office” hearing for the suspended council members on Sept. 23.

It’s unclear how that hearing could be held if there are not enough council members present for a quorum, Williams said.

You just can’t make this stuff up.

Oh, how I wish I could be at that meeting on the 23rd!

I like roundabouts.

I like roundabouts much better than four-way stops or stoplights. Our first roundabout was installed  close to 10 years ago. We now have at least a half dozen of them around town.

I have never bought the argument that “old people” will get confused or any other such nonsense. Anyone who can’t navigate a roundabout should not be allowed to navigate a four-way stop or stoplight regardless of age.

The height of stupidity in the roundabout conversation was recently reached.

At the same time that the Legislature is trying to combat Wisconsin’s problem with drunken driving, a lawmaker is asking transportation officials to reconsider putting two roundabouts near Lambeau Field because some fans might be too inebriated to safely navigate them.

“While we would hope no one will be driving impaired, the reality is that with thousands of people leaving a football game or other event, the odds are that some drivers may be less than alert after spending three to six hours at the stadium,” Rep. Jim Soletski (D-Green Bay) wrote in a letter to state Transportation Secretary Frank Busalacchi.

Don’t install a roundabout because Packer fans might be too drunk after a game to navigate it?

Hey Rep. Soletski, the problem is not the roundabout!

Geez.