Category Archives: Politics

February 15, 2011 · 11:21 pm

Election Results: Good Turnout, Strong Republican Success Again in South Milwaukee

This was not your typical February primary … and that’s why voter turnout was a solid 20.8 percent in South Milwaukee on Tuesday.

In all, 2,279 of 13,378 registered voters came out to the polls, according to figures from the city clerk’s office on Tuesday night.

From the report:

  • Not surprisingly, Republicans polled strongly in South Milwaukee. Jeff Stone, the conservative candidate for Milwaukee County executive, drew 1,321 votes, or 48.2 percent, almost twice as many as Chris Abele (716) and Jim Sullivan (639). Now, if you assume that Abele and Sullivan voters will unite behind Abele (who will join Stone on the general election ballot), things might be interesting in April …
  • Lee Holloway received just 49 votes, or just 1.7 percent, for county executive.
  • Conservative Supreme Court Justice David Prosser also did well here, with 1,543 votes, or 59.4 percent, compared with 607, or 23.4 percent, for second-place finisher Joanne Kloppenburg. Both will advance to the general election in April.
  • The Milwaukee County Circuit Court race was much tighter, not surprisingly, with Ray Korte edging Christopher Lipscomb and Pedro Colon. Korte did not fare as well across the area, and Colon will face Lipscomb in the April general election.
  • The 4th District proved a little less conservative than the city as a whole. Stone drew 45.3 percent (327) of the 721 votes cast in the district in the county executive primary, while Prosser drew 57.5 percent (389) of the 676 votes cast for judge.

The general election is April 5, when you’ll see local aldermanic and school board races on the ballot.

This includes my seat. I appreciate your support.

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February 15, 2011 · 11:55 am

Vote Today!

Be sure to get out and vote today in the primary elections for Wisconsin Supreme Court, Milwaukee County Circuit Court and county executive.

Check out my previous post on this for details on where, when and what you’ll need to vote.

And check back to my blog later tonight for updates on how South Milwaukeeans voted on Tuesday.

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February 13, 2011 · 11:24 pm

Walker’s Union-Busting Effort is Bad for South Milwaukee

I support unions and their right to collectively bargain. Let me start by saying that.

Are unions perfect? Of course not. I have my share of concerns about how some unions operate and the tactics some of them use … and I do not support every reform they propose and every position they take.

Still, in the end, I believe in unions and believe strongly that workers should have the right collectively negotiate a fair and equitable contract with their employers when it comes to wages, benefits and work rules.

Knowing that, of course I have big problems with Gov. Scott Walker’s union-killing effort announced on Friday, a plan to gut organized labor under the guise of fixing the state budget. The proposal is draconian and mean-spirited, more political payback than sound policy, as it unfairly vilifies the workers who deliver the services we use every day and wrongly dictates to local governments how we should do business.

So, yes, I think his plan is bad for the state.

But, more importantly, I think his plan is bad for South Milwaukee.

At its core, I hate the fact that Walker is telling us what to do. He and the legislature should leave us alone and let city leaders – all local governmental leaders across the state, for that matter — decide what is in the best interest of our community.

  • Why is it OK for the state to dictate what we can and can’t collectively bargain for with our unions?
  • Why is it OK for the state to tell local governments that they must force union workers to pay more for their health and retirement benefits?
  • Why is it OK for the state to tell local governments that they cannot give pay raises to union employees more than the consumer price index?

The answer? It’s not. Walker and state lawmakers should stay out of our business.

I hope many of my readers will at least agree with me on that point, no matter what you might feel about Walker, unions and what path the state should take to solve our budget crisis.

But, to me, this is much more than an argument in theory about local control. Walker’s proposal will have real negative impacts on how our city is run.

Will South Milwaukee save money on employee costs under his plan? I’m anxious to see the numbers, but I assume we will, especially because these changes will impact all city employees, not just unionized ones. Keep in mind that we typically pass the same wage increases and other important benefit changes on to our non-union workers that we do to our represented ones, so union worker restrictions are really restrictions on all employees.

At what cost do these savings come?

Consider, for instance, the linkage between pay raises and CPI. Consider what we would basically be telling our employees should the legislature pass Walker’s plan: No matter how hard you work, no matter how sound the city’s finances are, no matter the economic outlook of the city, you will never receive a pay raise higher than 2%, give or take a few bucks.

What message does that send to our hard-working city employees, the people who make the city go, the people who plow your streets, pick up your garbage and keep the city safe? What message does that send to the people who teach our children?

And how will that message resonate if and when these workers consider their future in the public sector vs. employment in private industry?

Of course, that’s just one concern I have with Walker’s plan. There are others, such as the proposal that public safety unions, the same unions who supported Walker during his campaign, be exempted from many of its provisions. This sets up a “have and have nots” scenario pitting employee vs. employee, where one class of workers receive more favorable treatment (not to mention wages and benefits) than the others. This benefits no one.

Then there is Walker’s plan to require yearly union certification and no longer require public workers to pay dues to their unions – two tried and true union-busting techniques that have nothing to do with fixing the state budget and everything to do with Walker’s vendetta against organized labor. The fact that Walker even included these provisions in his proposal at all show the real aim of his “budget fixing” plan more than anything.

Indeed, this much is clear: Walker is out to put unions out of business.

However, I urge you to keep in mind who these public workers are. They are your friends, your next-door neighbors, the people you sit next to at church. They are taxpayers. They are us … and they should not be made scapegoats and political commodities by elected officials who on one hand espouse small government and on the other impose new, unfair and unwelcome regulations on how local communities run their operations.

How hypocritical.

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February 12, 2011 · 7:22 pm

Vote Smart: Details on Tuesday’s Primary Election

Tuesday is primary election day, and you can find out all you need to know about voting in South Milwaukee on the Election Information page on the city’s website. Here are some of the basics:

  • Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • All 4th District residents vote at Rawson Elementary School, 1410 Rawson Ave.
  • Anyone planning on being out of town or unable to make it to the polling place on election day can cast an absentee ballot at City Hall by the end of day Monday.
  • Voters can register at the clerk’s office prior to the election date or at the polling place on election day. Voters should bring their Wisconsin driver’s license or state ID card when registering.

Of course, the Milwaukee County executive primary highlights the ballot. Who do you plan on voting for on Tuesday? Be sure to vote in the poll on the right-hand side of the page, and post your comments below.

See you at the polls!

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January 28, 2011 · 11:11 pm

Should Plale Step Down?

The Capital Times, in an editorial, is calling for former State Sen. Jeff Plale to step down from his new state post following his admission that he was actively seeking a job in Gov. Scott Walker’s administration when he cast a controversial vote against new state labor contracts.

From the editorial about the one-time South Milwaukee legislator, a Democrat, and new state facilities director.

Plale, whose actions as a Democratic legislator frequently raised ethics concerns, voted as Walker wanted on a definitional issue — approval of state employee labor contracts. That vote saw Plale, traditionally a labor-friendly legislator, vote against unions and their members; as such, it raised questions about whether the legislator was tailoring his votes to appeal to a potential employer.

Those questions are all the more serious because of a failure on the part of Plale to act in a minimally responsible or transparent manner.

“Yes, just to be clear …” notes Journal Sentinel columnist Dan Bice, “Plale was actively seeking employment from Walker when he voted against the union contracts — something Walker wanted him to do — in last month’s lame-duck (legislative session). He did not disclose this at the time.”

Plale should have made that disclosure. And he should have recused himself from the vote on the contract — and on any other vote that might have been of interest to the administration with which he was seeking employment.

Plale’s failure to take these basic steps may be a matter for further investigation by prosecutors and ethics watchdogs. But he has an immediate responsibility to the voters of the state to acknowledge that his misconduct disqualifies him from serving in the Walker administration.

If the former senator does not make that acknowledgment and step down, then Walker will need to remove Plale.

What do you think? Should Plale step down, or should Walker remove him?

Vote in the poll on the right-hand side of this page, and post your comments below.

I admittedly am torn here. As I’ve said, I agree with his vote on the union contracts. Yet Jeff was clearly wrong not to disclose his efforts at gaining employment on Walker’s team while making that vote. At the very least, he owes everyone an explanation.

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January 24, 2011 · 9:36 am

More on Plale’s New Position

The Journal Sentinel has more details on Jeff Plale’s new position in Gov. Scott Walker’s administration, including quotes from Plale himself, here.

From the story:

Plale told No Quarter that Walker’s team did not come to him offering a post in state government.

“I turned in my resume to the transition team shortly after the election, had an interview a couple weeks later and was hired this Wednesday,” he said in an e-mail.

Yes, just to be clear, that means Plale was actively seeking employment from Walker when he voted against the union contracts – something Walker wanted him to do – in last month’s lame-duck session. He did not disclose this at the time.

While I’ve stood up for Jeff on his hiring, the fact that he was under consideration for a job with the new regime during the time he was voting on issues impacting his potential new boss should have been disclosed. He was wrong not to do so.

That said, I still think I would have voted the same way on the union contracts issue.

For starters, I don’t believe any substantive legislation should be passed during lame duck sessions like this, especially this lame duck session, after which voters had spoken so strongly against the party in power.

And there’s the whole spring-Jeff-Wood-from-jail-so-he-can-cast-the-deciding-vote-in-the-Assembly thing. That was just wrong, an example of politics at its worst.

Let me be clear: I supported the new contracts. They seemed more than fair, and overdue.

But I am also not one to believe that the ends always justify the means. While the end result here — new union contracts for state workers — would have been positive, the means to get there were nothing short of disgraceful. In other words, I couldn’t have held my nose long enough to cast a “yes” vote.

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January 19, 2011 · 3:53 pm

A New Job for Jeff Plale …

Update: Here is the Journal Sentinel story.

Jeff Plale, the former Democratic State Senator representing South Milwaukee and current 4th District resident, has apparently landed a job in Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s administration.

Here is The Associated Press story, and here is even more from the Wisconsin State Journal.

Congratulations to Jeff. I respected him as a legislator, and it’s unfortunate how some are spinning this story as Jeff being “rewarded” for his vote against new state worker union contracts in December. As I’ve blogged about, I agreed with his vote on that issue, especially given how the vote went down.  

That said, Jeff and I didn’t agree on everything (we agreed more often than not), but I think he was a strong voice for the South Shore and South Milwaukee while in Madison. I hope newly elected State Sen. Chris Larson has just as strong a voice. Only time will tell.

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January 5, 2011 · 12:57 pm

Three Candidates for Three South Milwaukee School Board Seats

The South Milwaukee School Board ballot is set.  

Three of the eight School Board seats are up for election on April 5 — those held by incumbents Patricia Bordak (board president), John Haslam and Brett Briesemeister — and there are three people formally running for those seats.

Pat and John will join challenger Carol Dufek on the ballot, according to the district. Brett is not running again after six years of service.

It’s good to see that there will at least be three candidates on the ballot. You’ll recall that in 2009 just one candidate (Theresa Travia) declared to run for two open School Board seats.

Joe Weirich beat Dufek as a write-in candidate to claim the other seat.

School board candidates serve three-year terms. Elected city officials serve two-year terms.

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January 5, 2011 · 11:34 am

Declaration Day: Who is Running for Alderman?

Tuesday’s filing deadline has come and gone, and it looks like the names on the April 5 ballot will be familiar ones.

Of the eight South Milwaukee aldermanic seats up for election, only one race — that for First District alderman — will feature competition.

In that district, incumbent Mike Karbowski will square off against local businessman Mike Moeller and Craig Maass for two seats. (You’ll recall that Mike McCarthy resigned the other First District seat in October.)

In the other three districts, only the two incumbents will have their names on the ballot come April: Patrick Stoner and Ramon Navarro in the Second District, Lisa Pieper and Joe Bukowski in the Third District and Dave Bartoshevich and me in the Fourth District.

Click here to see a complete list of aldermanic candidates whose names will appear on the South Milwaukee ballot.

Here is a link to my campaign website. You can view Moeller’s campaign site here. No other candidate has such a site.

Of course, South Milwaukee is not alone in having most of its local council seats uncontested. Here is a Journal Sentinel roundup of local election filings, and here is a look at what Oak Creek voters will see on their ballot.

On a personal note, the fact that I do not have competition on the ballot does not mean I won’t campaign this spring (although it might mean fewer yard signs). I look forward to getting out in the district in coming weeks and months to continue a dialog with my constituents and talk about the future of the Fourth District and South Milwaukee.

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December 21, 2010 · 10:59 am

Why I’m Running for Re-Election

I am Erik Brooks, and I want to remain your alderman.

I am running for re-election April 5, and I humbly ask for your vote, as I look forward to being the voice of the 4th District — your voice — for two more years.

I filed my declaration of candidacy today.

It’s been a pleasure serving for the past 20 months, and I am asking for a second term because, simply, there is still work to be done.

Investing in our infrastructure. Finding new and creative solutions for our ailing downtown. Improving resident communications. Those are just some of the issues I promise to continue to tackle should I be re-elected.

In doing so, I stand proud of my accomplishments thus far. From co-founding the South Milwaukee Downtown Market to launching this successful blog, I have worked as hard as I can to earn your trust, respect and, hopefully, vote.

You can learn more about me and my campaign on my recently launched campaign website at www.brooks4alderman.com. And look for me around the district in coming weeks as I speak with as many voters as possible about the issues facing the city.

Thanks again for your support!

One additional note: I pledge not to write a lot about the election directly on this blog. I did not launch this blog to campaign. I launched it to keep residents informed on news and information from around the 4th District, South Milwaukee and the South Shore, and that’s what you will continue to see here. So please keep reading … and tell your family and friends!

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December 15, 2010 · 11:42 pm

Plale Helps Kill State Worker Contracts

Update: Plale explains his vote in this BizTimes.com story.

State Sen. Jeff Plale is making his presence felt before he leaves office.

The South Milwaukee Democrat — who lost to incoming Sen. Chris Larson in the senatorial primary in September — was one of two Democrats to vote against controversial labor contracts for state workers late Wednesday night.

The other was Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker.

All Republicans joined Plale and Decker in voting “no” and, with one senator absent, the contracts failed to pass on a 16-16 vote (after passing by one vote in the Assembly). That means Gov.-Elect Scott Walker will have an opportunity to reopen those contracts when he comes into office in January.

Here is the Journal Sentinel story.

From springing a lawmaker from jail to secure a necessary vote to deposing legislative leadership at the last minute, the “inside baseball” involved here is about as ugly as it gets.

Of course, I’d like to know your opinions about how this all went down, including Plale’s vote. Post your comments below.

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November 16, 2010 · 11:32 pm

R.I.P., KRM Commuter Rail Line … and Its Potential

I’m giving up on the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail line. It’s dead, certainly for the next four years.

Of course, my heart still harbors a modicum of hope that political leaders will come to their senses and see that southeastern Wisconsin deserves a transportation system competitive with other major urban areas, one that includes a real commitment to rail and other forms of mass transit as a complement to the almighty car.

I still want to believe that political leaders will see this as an economic development issue, that they’ll realize what Bucyrus CEO Tim Sullivan and numerous other business leaders have said consistently: that the KRM is first and foremost about jobs, about keeping and attracting employers who need to get people to and from work.

I still want to believe that people will see that the KRM is not the Milwaukee-to-Madison high-speed rail line … despite election-year attempts by politicians and right-wing talkers to unfairly vilify and denigrate all rail and all rail supporters, even though not all rail projects are the same, nor of the same value and need.

I still want to believe that people will see just what kind of impact the commuter rail line can have on downtowns like South Milwaukee, which would stand to reap significant development benefits from a KRM station.

I still want to believe that the 20 years of detailed discussion and study of the KRM line — almost all pointing to the viability of the commuter line over the long term — means something and wasn’t wasted.

I still want to believe, against my better judgment, that politicians will realize that we need a viable and permanent regional transit authority to make this all happen, taking buses and other transit options off the property tax rolls and delivering the proper funding source for transit systems that nearly all major population centers across the country already employ.

I still want to believe all of this. But I really don’t. Not anymore.

Not with a Republican governor and Republican legislature bent on spending every last transportation dollar on roads. Not when even Democratic politicians like U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore speak out against the KRM. Not with little other vocal local support for commuter rail.

No, I’m a realist, and KRM is dead. Rest in peace. I hope those who killed it are proud.

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November 3, 2010 · 12:07 am

What Happened in South Milwaukee? Big Turnout, Strong Republican Lean

So, how did South Milwaukeeans vote on Tuesday?

For starters, strongly Republican. Scott Walker and Ron Johnson did well here in their gubernatorial and senatorial races, respectively, and Jess Ripp and Mark Honadel also polled strongly in our city. Even dark horse Dan Sebring outperformed in South Milwaukee.

Local residents also turned out in big numbers on Tuesday. Turnout of registered voters was 60.8 percent, with more than 8,000 residents hitting the polls. That’s a very large number for a non-presidential election.

Those were a couple facts gleaned from formal election results posted to the city’s website late Tuesday night. See the report here. (And thanks to City Clerk Jim Shelenske for getting these up so quickly.)

Among the local results:

  • Walker and Lt. Gov.-elect Rebecca Kleefisch tallied 4,156 votes, or 52.1 percent, to 3,759, or 47.1 percent, for Tom Barrett and Tom Nelson.
  • Johnson got 4,206 votes, or 52.4 percent, to Russ Feingold’s 3,379, or 46.6 percent.
  • Sebring did even better than Walker and Johnson in South Milwaukee, with 4,220 votes, or 54.7 percent, to Democrat Gwen Moore’s 3,361, or 43.5 percent. Moore easily won the overall 4th House District race.
  • Ripp narrowly beat Larson in South Milwaukee, 3,860 votes (50.8 percent) to 3,707 (48.8 percent). Larson, however, rolled to victory in his 7th Senate District race.
  • Honadel easily won locally, with 4,587 votes, or 59.2 percent, to 3,149, or 40.6 percent, for Tom Michalski, an Oak Creek alderman.

That’s a lot of numbers. But what does this all mean? What are your insights? Post your comment below.

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November 2, 2010 · 10:10 pm

Updated: Big Victories for Larson, Honadel

Democrat Chris Larson will replace Jeff Plale as state senator in the 7th District. And Republican Mark Honadel is returning to the Assembly.

The Journal Sentinel has declared Larson the winner over Republican Jess Ripp. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Larson had 56 percent of the vote to Ripp’s 44 percent — a bit smaller margin than he rode to victory over Plale in the September primary.

Here is the Journal Sentinel story.

Also, Honadel was rolling to victory in his race to represent his hometown in the 21st Assembly District. With 96 percent reporting, Honadel was leading Democrat Tom Michalski, an Oak Creek alderman, 63 percent to 38 percent.

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November 2, 2010 · 10:03 pm

Democrat Gwen Moore Declared Winner in Local U.S. House Race

Update: Moore, with more than 100,000 votes, was leading 67 percent to 31 percent with 99 percent of the precincts reporting. Here is the Journal Sentinel story.

Gwen Moore is heading back to Washington D.C. to represent South Milwaukee and the 4th House District.

As of 10 p.m., the Journal Sentinel was projecting Moore, a Democrat, will beat Republican Dan Sebring.

Moore was leading, 64 percent to 35 percent,with 60 percent of precincts reporting.

Here is a complete list of results from the Journal Sentinel. I’ll post South Milwaukee results in this race when I get them.

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