Plenty of Horne

CENTER STREET DAZE

2010-09-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

By Michael Horne

The gentle folk of the Riverwest neighborhood held their annual Center Street Festival between N. Humboldt Blvd. and N. Holton St.
Activities included the Sexy Bike Wash, which was part performance art and wholly beneficial for the bike.

Five bucks is a good payday for bike washer Jake Newborn.

Armahn snakes his way through the Fuji Flair frame while Jake does his stuff with a rag. (I cleaned up afterward.)

Armahn gives Fuji a good buffing with his well-appointed posterior.

The bike wash was near the middle of Center Street, not far from the site of a shooting the previous evening that may have dimmed the crowds.

On the west end of the street, for example, there was bowling at Erik Peterson's house, while a friend whipped up a batch of homebrew right there on the sidewalk.

I guess I'm going to have to learn to rotate these pictures before I post them.

LICENSE APP FILED FOR POINTS EAST PUB

2010-09-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

CHANGE FOR EAST SIDE INSTITUTION

Special to the Readers of Plenty of Horne
By Michael Horne
And the Plenty of Horne Hound Dog Team

Lori A. Hassett has applied for the Class "B" tavern license for Points East Pub, 1501 N. Jackson St., at the northwest corner of E. Lyon St. It's just a block east of the Y-NOT II, which has been much in the news lately as a source of political intrigue.
Hassett will pay $7,500 per month rent for the 160-person capacity pub which is owned by Mark Rasmussen.
Rasmussen was convicted of Child Pornography charges in Milwaukee County Circuit Court earlier this year, and faces certain restrictions, such as Huber residency, that might impact his ability to operate his tavern. He is also prohibited internet access, including to such sites as Point East Pub's own.
The club discontinued live music in December 2009 with a memorable Zappafest featuring the Danglers, Dr. Chow's Love Medicine and others.
Rasmussen made many changes to the club since he purchased the former Brett's from Brett Mazzone in 1994, restoring its architectural integrity and cementing its presence as a neighborhood gathering spot.

Here is the application of Lori A. Hassett for Points East Pub.

NEW OWNERS FOR OLD SALOON

2010-09-15T14:56:00.000-07:00

IT'S A SWINGIN' DOOR,

NOT A REVOLVING DOOR:

SALOON TO HAVE FIRST NEW OWNER IN 4 DECADES

Special to the Readers of Plenty of Horne
By Michael Horne
And The Plenty of Horne Hound Dog Team

[Iit's time for the Journal Sentinel to write about this, so let's prime the pump.--Ed.]
Michelle Sincere and Kevin "Casey" Swan have filed an application as "Sincere Swan" for a Class "B" tavern license for the Swingin' Door, 219 E. Michigan St. The bar, located in the Chamber of Commerce building, has been operated by Michael Murphy since he assumed the license in 1967. The matter will come before the License Committee and the full council during the October legislative cycle.[Here is the application.]
Swan, a veteran of Slim McGinn's, and an occasional bartender at the Door, plans to upgrade the bar's menu, but to continue to maintain it substantially as it is -- namely a saloon whose history is rooted in the midst of time.
A photo on the wall shows the already well-worn tavern on the first day of repeal in 1933.

[above: 1891 photograph of first U.S. bicycle messengers at Western Union office, now site of 'Door.]
SITE WAS BIRTHPLACE OF BICYCLE MESSENGER INDUSTRY

Much earlier photos date to the 1800s when the space now occupied by the Door was the city's Western Union office -- which itself predated the 1879 building at the spot.
My research for Milwaukee Magazine resulted in the August 2008 article "Full Cycle," which established the location as the birthplace of the bicycle messenger industry in the United States based on contemporary accounts and historical research.
That led to yet another photo -- a portrait of today's bicycle messengers who continue to give the place life now hangs inside.
Mr. Murphy is expected to divide his retirement time between his residence in the city and his country place in Elroy, Wisconsin.

BOOKING PHOTOS HERE FOR PEDO COUGHLIN BROS

2010-09-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

VILLAGE PRESIDENT, BROTHER HAVE MUCH IN COMMON:
THEY SHARE A TASTE IN BOYS --
-- AND A DAY IN COURT

DAN COUGHLIN, [above] 48, CHARGED WITH HIS VILLAGE PRESIDENT BROTHER WITH SEX CRIMES AGAINST MALE YOUTHS AGE 6 - 17

DON COUGHLIN, PRESIDENT OF THE VILLAGE OF LYNDON STATION WISCONSIN
CHARGED WITH 5 FELONY COUNTS OF SEX WITH MINOR MALES

Special to the Readers of Plenty of Horne

By Michael Horne

And The Plenty of Horne Hound Dog Team

Here are the photos of the Coughlin brothers, charged with sexual offenses against male children aged 6 - 17 in Juneau County. The victims are in their 20s and 30s now, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Here is Donald Patrick Coughlin, 53,-- he's the President of the Village of Lyndon Station, Wisconsin. He's charged with 5 felonies dating from 1989 to 2008. His arrest on September 13th 2010 came just two months after his wife, Dawn Marie Coughlin, filed a divorce petition against him. Coughlin was the Lyndon Station Fire Chief for 30 years, from 1978 to 2008.

His younger brother Daniel J. Coughlin of Coughlin Road, Lyndon Station, is only facing one felony -- that for a second degree sexual assault of a child in 1990. Dan is an organic farmer, and his telephone prefix is 666!

Lyndon Station is just northwest of Wisconsin Dells, which is simply loaded with boys during the season. It is also near the community of "Hustler."

FEINGOLD TAKES LEAD IN DEBATE GAME

2010-09-08T10:21:00.000-07:00

CANNY MOVE BY SENATOR
PUTS RIVALS AT DISADVANTAGE

By Michael Horne

Sen. Russ Feingold beat his rivals to make his acceptance of six debate invitations seem like a challenge for his eventual Republican rival to follow his lead.

The video, below, uses the word "challenge" on numerous occasions. Nowhere does Feingold mention that his "challenge" was, in fact, an acceptance of invitations to debate before 6 groups across Wisconsin. It is assumed these debates would have been known to his (as yet undetermined) Republican opponent.

But Feingold's announcement worked, and he got the headlines he wanted:

"Feingold Calls for 6 Debates," says the Janesville Gazette.
"Feingold Calling for 6 Debates," says WTMJ620AM.
... and more.

Feingold's blog headlines that he "Challenges Opponent to 6 Debates," but the text correctly noted:

"Today, Russ accepted six invitations to participate in candidate debates for the general election and challenged the winner of next Tuesday’s Republican Party primary to join him."

Feingold said he "always challenges his opponents to debates," [and he always creams them. --Ed.]However, by taking the lead in the Debate Game, Feingold places his opponent, presumably Ron Johnson into the position of being perceived as "accepting" the challenge.

And if Johnson declines the challenge, or calls for fewer debates, he also will be at a disadvantage.

The debates are listed below, and are all scheduled by nonpartisan public policy organizations.

* * *

1. Sunday, Sept. 19: Eau Claire. Sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and the Western Wisconsin Press Club.

2. Friday, Oct.1, Milwaukee. Sponsored by WISN-TV; Marquette University Law School; Wispolitics.com; Channels 10/36; and the UPFRONT network affiliates (WKOW, WAOW,, WXOW, WFRV).

3. Friday, Oct. 8, Milwaukee. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association.

4. Monday, Oct. 11, Wausau. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy; Wisconsin Public Radio; Wausau Daily Herald; WAOW and WSAW.

5. Monday, Oct. 18, Oshkosh. Sponsored by the Oshkosh Northwestern and Gannett Wisconsin Media.

6. Friday, Oct. 22, Madison. Sponsored by We The People, Wisconsin Public Television.

PLALE $35K, LARSON $16K REMAINING

2010-09-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

GAB STILL PROCESSING FILINGS

Special to the Readers of Plenty of Horne

By Michael Horne

And The Plenty of Horne Hound Dog Team

Chris Larson has $16,000 on hand for the remaining week of his campaign to unseat Sen. Jeff Plale for the Democratic nod in the 7th district, according to a report from the State GAB sent at the request of the Hound Dog Team. This is the first time this information has been made available to the public.
Plale has $35,000 on hand, according to his GAB2, already filed and processed by the GAB.

Larson's report, which will show he raised $52,875 YTD, (vs. Plale's $70,992) is being processed at this time, as are others.

It was filed yesterday as Excel and hasn't been converted yet. The staff here needs time to run a script, convert the file, clean it up, and file the report. There are others in line for processing too. I have attached the excel report that we received for Chris Larson. Please allow for time for the staff here to convert the excel files that we have received. New reports are being added to the website every 30 minutes.

Tracey Porter

Ethics and Accountability Specialist

WI Government Accountability Board

PHOTO OF WEST ALLIS MAN JAILED FOR POISONING DAD'D DRINKS

2010-09-07T08:17:00.000-07:00

PHOTO OF WEST ALLIS MAN
WHO POISONED FATHER'S DRINKS

ROBERT JACK MOORE
SON OF THE YEAR

By Michael Horne

Here is a picture of Robert Jack Moore, Jr., 54, taken by the Waukesha County Sheriff's department when he was booked for trying to poison his father by putting lighter fluid and other contaminants in his drinks while at the Pendulum Pub in New Berlin.

He was detected by an alert bartender. The father survived.

(Journal Sentinel story: http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukesha/102110774.html)

The West Allis man has been living in his father's basement and things have not been going well between the two, to the point that the old man threatened to cut his son out of his will. This is apparently what prompted the poisoning -- to get rid of dad before getting disinherited.

As of 9:45 a.m., Tuesday, September 7th 2010, Moore remains in jail under $2,500 bond. I guess dad never came by to bail him out!

Even worse for Moore, the Judge ordered:

Defendant to have no contact with Robert Moore, Sr. (father) or with his residence. Defendant may return to residence 1 time only and only with a police officer to retrieve his personal items. Defendant is not to possess or consume any alcohol.

So, to recap: Moore will be out of the will, out of a home, and probably not out of jail by his September 14th birthday.

This morality tale is brought to you with the compliments of Plenty of Horne.

BECKY KLEEFISH, PALIN WANNABE, NO STRAIGHT-SHOOTER

2010-09-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

ABOVE: Rebecca (Mrs. Representative to the Assembly Joel) Kleefish shooting clay pigeons
(Could you see Barbara Lawton doing that?)
(Or Margaret Farrow?)

Special to the Readers of Plenty of Horne

By Michael Horne

And the Plenty of Horne Hound Dog Team

By Michael Horne

On her website, RebeccaForReal.com, former television anchor and Republican Lieutenant Governor candidate Rebecca Kleefish adopts a Sarah Palinesque persona while shooting sporting clays (with Atty. Mike Hupy, of all people!)

On her Facebook page, she cites Psalm 20:7:

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”

Remind you of a former Alaska governor?

In her new, red, white and blue television ad, though, Kleefish makes it clear she won’t be relying on chariots, horses or “an $800 million high-speed train” to get her to work “fixing” Madison.
“I’m a mom,” she tells us. “I have a minivan.”
O.K. We get it.
Well, if the mode of one’s commute to work is a relevant subject for a campaign for the state of Wisconsin’s second-highest office, it is fair to ask, “Why wouldn’t she drive to work with her husband, Rep.Joel Kleefish [R-38]?
Joel is nowhere to be found in the ad, and is but a minor player in Rebecca’s website biography page, where he is introduced as a young reporter “whose quick rise to a Top 30 TV market interested her,” then promptly forgotten.
The candidate’s bio pays homage ancestors as far back as her Great Great Great Grandparents, including the formidably named Horatio Gates Howard Reed, builder of a railroad. She cites other ancestors and their enterprises before launching on a breathless account of her career enterprises, starting in childhood filing invoices for dad and choosing names for the pastel papers he produced. She goes on to talk about her tv stint and “contract work in marketing, public relations and media,” along with her duties as a Sunday school teacher.
“Becky arranged freelance work when Joel was home to watch Ella and Violet.” Sounds like Joel is Todd Palin, sitting on a sofa, and not a full-time legislator / career politician and dynasty builder..
So, with no mention of her husband’s service in the legislature, Kleefish is trying to avoid the stigma of being what Mark Neumann, her possible running mate, might call “a political insider.” And there is nothing Palinesque about that.

http://www.youtube.com/RebeccaForReal#p/u

RON JOHNSON CPA? BRADLEY FOUNDATION FUNDS FREEDOM WORKS PAC

2010-08-28T13:01:00.001-07:00

FREEDOM WORKS PAC,
FUNDED BY BRADLEY FOUNDATION,
ENHANCES JOHNSON'S RESUME
HE IS NOT A LICENSED WISCONSIN CPA

Special to the Readers of Plenty of Horne

By Michael Horne

And The Plenty of Horne Hound Dog Team

Ron Johnson's senate campaign website includes his endorsement from Freedom Works PAC, the right-wing Tea Party organization headed by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey.

According to the endorsement:

Johnson is both a Certified Public Accountant, and the creator of hundreds of manufacturing jobs. Given the current record-breaking levels of both the unemployment rate and the federal deficit, these are two skill sets desperately needed in the Senate.

Johnson's own biography is more circumspect, noting merely that he had worked as an accountant in the past while he was creating hundreds of manufacturing jobs.

An examination of the records of the State of Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing shows that while there are loads of Johnsons serving as Certified Public Accountant, Ron Johnson is not one of them.

However, who's to complain if an outside group like Freedom Works engages in a little credential enhancement on behalf of a candidate like Johnson, whose resume is rather thin?

BRADLEY FOUNDATION GIVES $270,000 TO FREEDOM WORKS

An article in Politico this month entitled "Tea Party's Growing Money Problem" notes how Freedom Works receives considerable funding from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation of Milwaukee ... but for "policy research and development."

"Likewise, the president of the Lynde and Henry [sic] Bradley Foundation, which grant reports show has contributed $195,000 to Americans for Prosperity and $270,000 to FreedomWorks between the time of their split and the end of last year, said his group’s focus will remain on policy research and development, rather than grass-roots mobilization.

“We are not directly funding their tea party activities,” foundation President Mike Grebe told POLITICO. “We’re funding public education programs run by Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks, both of which are very active in the tea party movement, but our monitoring of that would be indirectly, as opposed to having direct contacts with tea party people.”

So, the Bradley folks will fund the ideology, but not soil their hands with "direct contacts with tea party people."

This tends to strengthen the argument of those who believe the Tea Party movement is a phony populist organization whose members are unwittingly advancing the agenda of the power elite they claim to disdain.

IS LITE TAP HANDLE IN ANTI-BARRETT AD A PAID PLACEMENT

2010-08-25T15:34:00.000-07:00

MILLER LITE TAP HANDLE FEATURED IN
ANTI-BARRETT AD
MILLERCOORS EXEC IS
SOLE DONOR TO RGA WISCONSIN 2010 PAC
* * *
What $1,000 Will Buy You

Super Special to the Readers of Plenty of Horne

By Michael Horne

And The Plenty of Horne Hound Dog Team

The R(epublican) G(overnors) A(ssociation) Wisconsin 2010 PAC has a new advertisement in its "Worst Ever" series, in which the title character is Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, the Democratic candidate for governor.
This advertisement is set in a tavern, where a young bartender tells us his customers are of two minds about what makes Barrett the "worst ever."
"More taxes!" shouts one group of unhappy whites.
"Less jobs!" shouts the other, grammatically challenged group.
As the bartender goes on to chronicle Barrett's failings, and as a Beer Hall Putsch gets organized in the background, the camera remains tightly focused on him -- and the Miller Lite tap handle just inches away.
Curious.
No other beer tap handles are clearly visible in the spot, so you've got to wonder if the set was as carefully staged as the script.
Well, what do you know?
According to form GAB2, the July 2010 continuing report for the RGA Wisconsin 2010 PAC, the most recent figures available, the RGA's sole contributor for the cycle was Michael "Mike" Jones of Delafield, identified as "Vice President Corporate Affairs Miller Coors."
Jones gave the PAC $1,000, and it appears he got his firm a nice return on his investment -- so far.
I think MillerCoors should do everything possible to disassociate itself from this inflammatory advertisement, and suggest the Government Accountability Board invite the RGA folks to explain their involvement with this sponsorship.
I can't wait to hear about what a coincidence this is.

[Unfortunately, I haven't found the ad on the internet yet. Somebody please post it and notify me. --Ed.]

BUD SELIG'S STATUE UNVEILED

2010-08-25T12:33:00.000-07:00

Commissioner's Effigy Unveiled
A Milwaukee Fly-In for Billionaires
A Couple Laughs from Uecker

Special to the Readers of Plenty of Horne

By Michael Horne

And The Plenty of Horne Hound Dog Team

Hundreds of invited guests gathered inside a large tent in front of the ticket booths at Miller Park yesterday, Tuesday, August 24th, 2010, for the unveiling of a 7-foot bronze statue of 9th Commissioner of Baseball, Allan H. "Bud" Selig.

The enclosed white tent was only partially open to the gaze of the general public, several hundred of whom were drawn to the event whether for reasons of history or just to pass the time. For some, being within a couple dozen feet of Hank Aaron was reason enough. Aaron was joined by Robin Yount, making for a total of three living statues within pigeon-dropping distance of their own bronze effigies.
Apparently the invited guests had been treated to a luncheon prior to the 1:30 p.m. event, and they filed from the stadium into the tent's confines to the accompaniment of recorded music while the actual Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra sat mute on the stage.
The orchestra was arrayed in a semicircle around a shrouded figure that may as well have been an armless crucifix in a Catholic church at lent.

MS. SELIG PRIEB HAILED FROM THE CROWD

The general public, barricaded from the invited guests, watched as the dignitaries entered the mysterious confines of the tent. One cadre seemed intent upon calling their presence outside the gates to their "friends" inside the gates, who were appropriately mortified.
One woman, dressed in a black suit in the blazing sun, eagerly (and loudly) shouted out to Wendy Selig Prieb.
"Wendy! Wendy! We-e-e-ndy!"After an initial feint, Ms. Prieb approached the woman by a few steps and gave a curious little gesture imitating a cell phone chat. "We'll talk! We'll talk!," Ms. Selig-Prieb said. They won't talk.

HALL OF FAMERS NOT THE ONLY GREATS AT THE EVENT
[Mr. Greenberg, your limousine is waiting. Right here!]

Local dignitaries, including Common Council President Willie Hines, Jr., Ald. Michael Murphy and Frank Gimbel made their way through the queue along with such folks as Johnny Logan (he could have taken the bus from West Allis), Frank Robinson, Joe Torre, Ernie Banks, Al Kaline, Dick Ebersol and Rachel (Mrs. Jackie) Robinson.

Mixed in were numerous glossy looking men accompanied by their impeccably expensive wives. These were not retired players, but active owners of Major League teams. Their rented limousines were huddled together in a corner of the parking lot, in a sea of exclusive black.
No limousine was parked closer than that with "Greenberg"printed in block letters on a sign in the car's window. That must be Marty Greenberg, a Jim Doyle appointee to the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District board, arriving bright and early for a busy day including a 3 p.m. meeting of the board. Some board! No agenda has been posted, and it may be months until we find out what weighty matters were discussed there.

EVENT ENLIVENED BY WIT OF UECKER

Once the guests were corralled into their seats, the program got underway, emceed by Bob Uecker.
Owner Mark L. Attanasio kicked things off by saying, "simply put, there would be no major league baseball here in Milwaukee without Allan H. "Bud" Selig."
He then gave a brief bio of the Commissioner and former Brewers owner emphasizing his down-home qualities that so endear him to Milwaukeeans and are so many light years away from those of the typical team owner, judging from the ones on display. (I could not imagine a single one of them waiting in line at Sendik's Bayside. They'd have their chauffeurs dash in for their bananas and oranges.) Still, Bud's tenacity and his academic achievements were also noted. (He went to the elite Washington High School and the University of Wisconsin, attaining two baccalaureate degrees.)
Uecker said, "I have two bachelor degrees. Two. Divorced twice."
Uecker added, to emphasize still more Bud's character, "I never had a contract with Bud. That is unique in professional baseball. I never got paid either."
Childhood friend Sen. Herbert H. Kohl gave an anecdote about how Bud got a much taller substitute to pitch in a championship game with young Herb's team. Apparently the switcheroo still stung, since Herb said, "Imagine. This is the man who is responsible for the integrity of professional baseball."

ABOUT THE SCULPTURE

Regrettably, the event was getting rather tedious, and I wasn't about to jump a barricade to see a tented sculpture that would be exposed to the elements for the rest of time, so I skipped the unveiling to explore the Hank Aaron Bicycle Trail (which is just a fancy name for Canal Street).
Yet here it is, a day later, and there is still no good photograph of Bud Selig's statue, the oeuvre of Yellow Springs Ohio sculptor Brian Maughan. Maughan's biography notes that he was inspired to enter his career after seeing Michelangelo's David, so his subjects tend to be well-hung. (Just ask Robin Yount's girlfriends!)
Sports sculpture occupies an aesthetic realm somewhere between waterfowl decoys and miniature golf course gnomes, and the great museums of the world accordingly have shunned his prolific output. However, Maughan's works are in the collection of President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter, take that for what it's worth.
Miller Park now has three of his sculptures, and they capably express their subjects.
As Maughan notes in his "Artist's Philosophy":

For me the process of figurative art is to imbue the abstract elements (the stuff we’re really working with: lines, shape, volumes, textures…) with emotional qualities—strength, joy, tenderness, bravado, etc.—that express the character of the subject matter.

Strength, joy, tenderness, bravado. Such are the lines, shapes, volumes and textures of Bud Selig, cast in bronze for the ages.
Here's a video of the unveiling. .

HIGH SPEED RAIL IMPROVEMENTS WOULD AID CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILROAD FREIGHT

2010-08-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

The State's Application for High Speed Rail
Would Benefit Private Freight Hauler
* * *
Railroad Repair Shop Planned for Madison (!)
* * *
Busalacchi's Letter of Dismissal of Oconomowoc Seen in New Light

Special to the Readers of Plenty of Horne

By Michael Horne

And The Plenty of Horne Hound Dog Team

[Secretary Frank Busalacchi's abrupt and curt dismissal of Oconomowoc as a train station reveals the anguish of a suitor spurned, as the Hound Dog noted while sniffing through the state's application for high speed rail funds.--Ed.]

The final sentence of Transportation Secretary Frank J. Busalacchi's letter to Oconomowoc Mayor James Daley "discontinuing further discussions on a proposed station in Oconomowoc" is a classic:

As the overall project moves forward, we will continue to work with the City and residents on rail crossing issues and a rail corridor management plan to ensure the train passes swiftly and safely through the City of Oconomowoc."

Ouch! You can feel the pain of Busalacchi, the spurned suitor. "If you don't want me, I'll leave you in the dirt. Or perhaps in the gravel deposits with which Mother Nature has so abundantly pitted your county."

If you take a look at the State of Wisconsin Department of Transportation Rail Grant Application filed late in 2009, you will find that Busalacchi was practically wistful while ruminating about the attractiveness of Oconomowoc as a rail station:

"Oconomowoc is a community that thrives on its natural beauty, rich history and lake access.
"Public service buildings such as the Oconomowoc Public Library and City Hall are all within walking distance to the proposed train station.
"In addition to connecting the community, the station will provide a link to other modes of transportation such as direct connection to the local transit system, Waukesha Metro."

Positively lyric, and only slightly disingenuous -- that part about access to Oconomowoc Lake is a corker, since homeowners there have been quite successful in limiting lake access to themselves.

In a similar vein, and in retrospect, we can see how Busalacchi's application must have frightened the residents of Oconomowoc and their tremulous new mayor. Why, the DOT envisions "connecting the community."
Among the insular Oconomowocowians, there is no need for a connection, particularly --
"a direct connection to the local transit system, Waukesha Metro" -- which itself has direct connections to the Milwaukee County Transit System.

Whatever made Busalacchi think the citizens of Oconomowoc would stand for that!

NOTES AND COMMENT FROM THE APPLICATION

A reading of the application reveals a few nuggets of information:

A train maintenance / repair / shop facility is planned for Madison.

Comment: Madison! The city that can't find the screwdriver, and wouldn't know which end to use. The train shops should be located in Milwaukee.

Plenty of the money for the rail corridor will go to a private corporation. The Canadian Pacific Railroad will perform the Milwaukee - Watertown improvements using its crews and contractors under DOT supervision. (The Watertown to Madison improvements will be done via DOT contracts.)

The rail improvements throughout the corridor will also benefit freight trains by providing faster service and lower cost per mile.

Comment: Profit-making companies like CP could become more profitable. [Second quarter earnings $162 million, up 96%]. More freight will be carried on Wisconsin rails; the state will benefit from increased revenues both direct and indirect from its natural position as a freight corridor.

The rail improvements will make for more skilled employees at Canadian Pacific, according to the application:

"Canadian Pacific Railway uses projects such as this to provide valuable understudy experience for new and existing employees. Employees and others who gain experience from this project will be valuable for deployment of future high speed rail vision."

Comment: Future high speed rail vision should probably include the complete separation of high speed passenger rail lines from the much slower freight traffic, such as we find in many developed nations. There is concern over the incompatibility of freight and passenger traffic in many transportation circles, as seen in this item from the transportpolitic.com site.

But, for now, CP will get some much-needed improvements to its corridor while we await the era of true high speed rail. This is a complicated, nuanced subject. For further enlightenment on the matter, make sure to turn off your AM radio.

http://www.dot.state.wi.us/projects/recovery/docs/rail-grant-5.pdf

DECISION NEAR ON SALE OF COUNTY BUILDING

2010-08-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

County Says Board Will Hear Recommendations in September

By Michael Horne

According to RFP 6562, Milwaukee County staff should make a decision today among the 11 bids submitted for the sale of the county's City Campus, 2711 W. Wells St., and the related lease of space for the county's Department of Aging, now located at 235 W. Galena St.
Bids were due July 30th 2010.

The proposal has several moving parts.

The county asked for bids for the lease of space suitable for the aging department, whose lease expires next year. That lease would also include those county departments now on Wells St. That would free up the county to sell the 265,000 s.f. City Campus, built as a hospital.
Or, what the heck, the county would consider simply moving the Department of Aging into the City Campus, thereby filling it to capacity.

Gerald Baker of the county's Real Estate Department, said staff would forward its recommendation to the County Board for its consideration in September, with a final decision expected to be rendered in October, with a lease to commence in January 2011.

LARSON LEADS PLALE IN ON-LINE FUNDRAISING

2010-08-19T13:10:00.000-07:00

CHALLENGER RAISES $13,793

WHILE INCUMBENT RAISES LESS THAN $1,000
ON DEM FUNDRAISING SITE

By Michael Horne

Milwaukee County Supervisor Chris Larson has raised $13,793 from 179 donors on the ActBlue website, while incumbent 7th District Senator Jeff Plale has only raised $830 from 6 donors on the same site, which describes itself as "the online clearinghouse for Democratic action."

Larson's 179 donors is more than recorded by any other Wisconsin Senate candidate, and his $13,793 is the second-greatest amount raised by any of those candidates.

Website fundraising has been around for a couple of elections, but Larson's ascendancy shows a divide between old and new politics. Starting the race with a great disparity in fundraising, Larson has shown a knack for embracing new technologies that seem to have eluded his opponent.

Larson offers several online fundraising options on his website, which itself is further energized with links to his Facebook and other social networking sites. Plale's site also includes ActBlue and Facebook buttons, but, while Larson's site is brimming with stories, Plale's "Newsroom" page is "under construction" with less than a month to go until the primary. That's a red flag for the internet generation.

Plale's July 2010 continuing campaign finance report [GAB2] showed him with $33,187 cash on hand, while Larson had a balance of $19,302. That would have spelled disaster not too many election cycles ago. At the very least the disparity would have forced the candidate to spend even more time shaking the money tree than he would spend knocking on doors, where he belongs.

Larson can afford to knock on doors this campaign, since it is clear that a few well-written and well-timed e-mail messages and Facebook posts can raise considerable funds, such as would have been unimaginable just a few election cycles ago.

It can not be determined at this time with the information available how much (if any) of Larson's online contributions were included in the July report, or how much either candidate has raised since then from more conventional means, but it is clear that a substantial money gap can be bridged by an active campaigner with an energetic presence both on the streets -- and in cyberspace.

Plale has a greater number of powerhouse union endorsements in this race, while Larson has been successful in corralling a few himself. The district is as bizarre as ever, stretching from South Milwaukee - Cudahy to the Upper East Side, hey.

Will the south side unionists vote in the Republican Primary, caught in the siren song of the Neumann-Walker campaign for governor -- and thus precluding a vote for anybody on the Democratic ticket, including the presumably favored Plale? Those south siders have been getting a little cantankerous lately, and they might feel like a little teabagging this September.

Will Larson be able to convince a great number of young and new voters to support his candidacy, especially in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee portions of his district, and actually show up to vote? He'd be the first in history.

Larson's youth and social media adroitness will give him an advantage with that segment, it appears, at least vis a vis Plale, and if anybody bothers to vote.

Like all elections, it all depends on who turns out and whom they vote for.

There seems to be a chance that Politics-As-Usual will have to face the new realities of Social Media and its opportunities for public engagement -- and fundraising.

It is clear that Larson has the edge in the social media arena, and this election will be closely followed.

2010-08-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

POLICE EDUCATIONAL PATROLS
VISIT CITY TAVERNS

The Subject is Enforcement of Cigarette Litter Laws
But Conflict with State Law Seen

Special to the Readers of Plenty of Horne

By Michael Horne

And the Plenty of Horne Hound Dog Team

Attention bartenders and tavern owners in the City of Milwaukee. Expect a visit from the police. I was present at a Brady Street tavern when three MPD officers walked by on foot patrol Tuesday evening.
While two officers remained outside, the third entered the tavern and asked the bartender to speak with him.

Rather sheepishly, the officer said he was instructed to make the rounds of taverns to inform operators that the police will begin enforcing cigarette litter complaints, and that both operator and customers could be subject to fines for cigarette trash outside licensed establishments.
At the end of the educational session, the officer asked for the bartender's name so he could document the visit to his supervisor.

(Experienced tavern operators recognize that these mandatory visits give the cops a chance to have a look-see to make sure everything is in order in their establishments.)

I took the opportunity to ask the officer a couple of questions on a topic that perplexed me since I first read 2009 Wisconsin Act 12.

It's this bit:

101.123 (2m) RESPONSIBILITY OF PERSONS IN CHARGE.
(b) A person in charge may not provide matches, ashtrays, or other equipment for smoking at the location where smoking is prohibited.

This provision of the law has not only made it apparently illegal for taverns to hand out matches, but it would seem to prevent taverns from providing the ashtrays that would help discourage customers from flinging their butts into the street.

The officer said the police department interprets that law to mean that matches and ashtrays may not be provided inside the establishment. [See the Legislative Brief issued in 2009 and the Wisconsin Legislative Council's July 2010 memorandum. --Ed.]

So, tavern owners, go ahead and leave ashtrays and matches outside your establishments if you so choose, but be prepared for inconsistent enforcement. You might want to ask the officers about this when they come to visit you.

I also asked the officer about probable cause: How could they cite a tavern owner or person in charge without proof that the offending smoker outside the tavern was indeed a customer, and not a passerby.

The officer said he would cite the person outside and not the tavern owner in such a case.

My takeaway: Be prepared for police to begin ticketing anybody they chose to who tosses cigarette butts other than in an approved receptacle.

2010-08-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

MORE PARKING FOR WOLSKI'S?
CHANGES AFOOT ON N. PULASKI STREET

Special to the Readers of
Plenty of Horne

By Michael Horne

And the Plenty of Horne Hound Dog Team

On June 15th, 2010, the City of Milwaukee Common Council abolished the East Village Conservation Overlay District it enacted in 2006. [File 091603] It appears the Bondar Brothers, owners of the fabled Wolski's Tavern [Est. 1908], longtime opponents of the district, are poised to take advantage of the lack of special zoning restrictions to tear down two buildings for the purpose of creating an outdoor patio and additional parking -- and perhaps to assemble a sizable parcel for future development.

The Wolski's parking lot at 1826 N.Pulaski St was once occupied by dwelling units torn down in the late '90s. It was perhaps Milwaukee's first Green demolition, as practically every board in the building was recycled.

Now, the buildings on either side of the lot -- one next door to the tavern -- may be demolished. A four unit building at 1822 N. Pulaski St. owned by the Bondars, and immediately south of the parking lot is being vacated by its long term residents according to my personal observation and discussion with neighbors.

A duplex at 1832 N. Pulaski St. not owned by the Bondars, immediately south of the tavern (1836 N. Pulaski St.) could be pulled down to give Wolski's a possibly needed Beer Garden / smoking area.

It doesn't take much to pull down a building in Milwaukee, but a parking lot would require an appearance before the city Board of Zoning Appeals, which says no application has been received thus far. There is likewise no record of application for permits for demolition for any of the properties.

However, the tavern and its contiguous properties could eventually provide a sizable building site at some point in the future. The Bondar Tower has long been a dream. The Zoning Overlay District specifically prohibited accumulation of properties for the purpose of creating large developments there. It was hoped the overlay would help preserve the character of the neighborhood, consisting mostly of frame dwellings on narrow, crowded lots dating to the late 19th century.

In the meantime, vacant land would provide considerably less tax revenue to the local taxing authorities. Tax collections on the two properties mentioned above totaled about $13,000 for 2009. Minus the improvements, tax collections would drop to about $5,000 for the vacant land.

plentyofhorne@gmail.com

WAYWARD BARGES IMPERIL HOLTON SPAN

2008-06-07T19:36:00.000-07:00

Dock Wall is Failing Where Barges are Tied Up

Special to the Readers of Milwaukeeworld.com

By Michael Horne

Two construction barges, lashed together, one carrying an erect 70 ft crane, are breaking free and within 6 feet of striking the Holton Viaduct. The Milwaukee Fire Department is on the scene, and three fire fighters are on board one of the barges. The barges are moored immediately upstream from the Holton Viaduct and are part of the construction equipment involved in the Edge condominium project.
Typically the vessels are moored parallel to the riverbank. However, the high waters and stiff currents have angled them at nearly a 45 degree angle, increasing the pressures on the dockwall to which they are moored. The two barges, lashed to each other, are separating. About two thirds of the flow of the river is going into a "V" created between the barges and the dockwall. That amount is increasing, leading to the stress.
A series of "pops" was audible around 9 p.m., when this writer sought refuge under the bridge during a torrent and took a stroll on its Marsupial Bridge walkway to observe the river's condition after heavy rainfall. Clearly something was wrong with the position of the barges, which had been at that site for some weeks. It was then that the "pops" were heard. First one, (dismissed as bottles being disposed at the adjacent Lakefront Brewery, where an event was taking place) then perhaps five more. The blue rope holding the barge fast to its failing anchor was stretched taught. The once-perpendicular dockwall, of quite recent vintage, is bowed for perhaps a twenty foot length, and extends some 6 feet further into the river than previously. The construction crane could easily be a hazard in its position, since it might crumple should it slam into the bridge, which itself might be able to handle the brunt of a wayward barge.
I'll be back to tell you what transpires. It would be reasonable to assume that the brunt of the water from the recent storms has yet to reach the vicinity. The amount of debris and snags accumulating in the crotch where the two barges (one longer than the other) merge is threatening to pile on board. An armada of logs, piers and other flotsam marches rapidly downstream.