Thank you from newly elected county supervisor
In an open letter to the voters of District 27 of Washington County and Wards 2, 3, 8 and 9 of Germantown, I would like to thank you for your vote. As your supervisor, I appreciate your trust and confidence in me. I hope to increase that in the future. Thank you to the homeowners who allowed me to put my campaign sign on their property.
Dennis Myers
County Supervisor District 27

Commemorating National Crime Victims Week

By J.B. Van Hollen
Wisconsin Attorney General

This year marks the 26th anniversary of the Victims of Crime Act, a law passed by Congress and signed into law by President Reagan which laid the groundwork for the field of crime victims services. April 18-24, 2010 is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. We will commemorate the week with a public ceremony in the State Capitol from 12:00 – 12:30 on April 21.  The national theme for the week is "Fairness, Dignity, Respect", the cornerstone values of victims’ rights laws including our own, which led the nation in providing meaningful rights to victims of crime. 
Wisconsin passed the nation’s first "Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights" in 1993 and the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office was home to one of the nation’s first two victim/witness programs housed in district attorneys’ offices. The state helped forge a model that has been adopted nationwide to deliver services directly to victims as their offenders are being prosecuted, to secure cooperation and meet victim needs. Today, the Wisconsin Department of Justice – Office of Crime Victim Services provides training and technical assistance to county victim witness offices and administers funds to partially reimburse counties for expenses related to their victim/witness programs. Rights enforcement is inextricably linked to local victim/witness services through reimbursement requirements that ensure victims receive core rights and services in every county.
Wisconsin was one of the first states to legislate a process for rights enforcement to provide victims with a process to redress violations by public officials. While many states passed crime victims rights bills, Wisconsin was one of the first states to provide for the investigation and mediation of crime victims’ rights complaints, and to provide remedies if rights were found to be violated. According to state statute, crime victims in Wisconsin who believe their rights have been violated can seek informal mediation through the DOJ’s Victim Resource Center (1-800-446-6564). Upon completion of the DOJ review, victims may seek a formal review by the Wisconsin Crime Victims Rights Board (CVRB), the state body responsible for victims’ rights enforcement.   The CVRB is a quasi-judicial body with statutory authority to review and investigate complaints, conduct fact-finding hearings and issue remedies to public officials for victims’ rights violations.
Victims’ rights help victims participate in the prosecution of offenders by ensuring victims are fully informed and able to attend and participate in court proceedings. They provide a roadmap for treating victims with dignity and respect and fundamental fairness throughout the process. The DOJ Office of Crime Victim Services works in partnership with victims and criminal justice professionals to promote the meaningful provision of rights and services because without these rights and services, justice cannot truly be achieved.

Perception vs. reality

By Sen. Ted Kanavas

From the moment I began my service in the state senate I’ve also had a job in the private sector.  My experience has mirrored the experience of most people with “real world jobs.”  Some years were good and some were bad. 
Thanks to that experience, I know firsthand what politicians do in Madison can help and hurt the rest of us.  I also know we need to rethink how our state views private business.  It can no longer use employers as the state‚s personal piggy bank.  And government must acknowledge that normal people, everyday taxpayers, can only sacrifice so much before it pushes them to their wits end - unable to sustain their quality of life or provide for their loved ones. 
This is reality.  But does everyone get it?
If you watched Governor Doyle‚s State of the State Address you may question if the Democrats really know what is happening in Wisconsin.  In case you missed it, during the final few minutes of the speech, the Governor reflected on his two terms in office.  To say the least, it was an interesting take on the past decade.  It was also indicative of how delusional the Democrats are when it comes to the realities of our state. 
Here are the last few sentences: 
“When they write the history of this time, let them say we met our generation's challenge.  We helped those in trouble;we made health care available to our citizens; we educated our kids;we invested in our businesses and workers; we seized the new opportunities presented;and we moved boldly into the future.”
If you or I were to write this speech, we would certainly tell a different story.  Hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites are receiving some form of government run healthcare, MPS is failing to educate the children of Milwaukee and the district is bankrupt, businesses are leaving the state at an alarming pace, and unemployment is near 9 percent.  If that is our bold new future folks, then dark days are ahead.   
The Democrats want us to perceive them as having done something, anything, over the last decade to improve our state.  As we all know, in politics and in life, perception and reality are often two entirely different things.  If you just listened to the Democrats, you wouldn’t even know we had a problem.  Forget our record unemployment;We seized opportunities!  We moved boldly! 
Tell that to the family that has gone from having Mom and Dad each working full time jobs, to Mom working two jobs and Dad working less time for less money.  Families are looking for hope and the Democrats certainly didn’t say anything to indicate help is on the way.  

Climate bill a disaster for the economy

By Sen. Alberta Darling

A bill loosely-based on recommendations from the Governor’s Global Warming Task Force was recently introduced in the legislature.  The funny part of this story is that a press conference announcing this bill to fight "global warming" was canceled…due to cold weather and a blizzard.  The not so funny part is that this legislation would kill 43,000 jobs in Wisconsin and cost every person an extra $1,000 per year.
Democrats are pushing a sweeping, 174 page bill that would put strict energy and emissions restrictions on everything from cars to clocks.  Among other things, the bill would adopt restrictive California vehicle emissions standards, which would make the purchase of new cars more expensive.  Electric bills for manufacturers and households alike would skyrocket under the mandate that fully 25% of Wisconsin’s energy come from renewable sources in only 15 years.  (In case you are wondering, about 5% of Wisconsin’s energy portfolio comes from renewable sources right now.)  A new "low carbon fuel standard" would essentially turn off the spigot of gas imported from Canada, which currently supplies more than 50% of Wisconsin’s motor fuel. 
I could go on but you get the drift.
Possibly because the world’s leading proponents of the manmade global warming hypothesis have been caught manipulating their data, authors of the Global Warming Task Force bill decided they needed a new name for their legislation.  This might explain why they are now calling it the Clean Energy Jobs Act and touting all the "green jobs" it will create.  Bill authors point to the new jobs erecting more windmills will create without also acknowledging the devastating effect drastically higher motor fuel and electricity costs will have on every other sector of Wisconsin’s economy.
Even if this bill were to pass, or even if Wisconsin were to ban the use of automobiles and shut down every coal-fired power plant, there would be no measurable effect on the world’s temperature.  Democrat backers of this bill are willing to destroy Wisconsin’s manufacturing industry for what amounts to a rounding error in the calculation of the earth’s greenhouse gas output.

Waiting for road repairs
To the Editor,
You got to know that the roads in Germantown are in lousy shape when you see a guy whacking weeds. Everyone is well aware that our roads are in lousy shape, but this was the frosting on the cake. Maybe 20 or 30 weed whacking residents can make it a party so it sinks in.
Mequon, Ozaukee County and Milwaukee County have been restoring their roads this year — but not in Germantown, no sir. Germantown has done next to nothing.
I thought it was unequivocally clear especially during the last election, that Germantown residents wanted their roads brought up to reasonable standards. Instead, funding went to other projects.
Maybe Santa Claus will bring Germantown some new asphalt for 2010.

Paul Mraz Jr.
Germantown.

Extra traffic safety enforcement next week
To the Editor:
 Although deaths and injuries from traffic crashes devastate individuals, families and entire communities throughout the year, they seem to be even more tragic during the holiday season.
To prevent these horrible crashes, the Germantown Police Department will mobilize along with other law enforcement agencies throughout the state for the "Booze and Belts" traffic safety effort from Dec. 7-15.
We are providing ample warning that we will be cracking down on impaired drivers and unbelted motorists during this mobilization. Although this may be the time of the year for the "holiday spirit" of forgiveness, we absolutely will not accept excuses or make exceptions for disregarding traffic safety laws.
   Our goal is to save lives and prevent injuries–not write more safety belt tickets or make more drunk driving arrests. We hope that people will voluntarily decide to buckle up and drive sober. But if they don't, our intensified traffic enforcement will increase the risk of getting caught. Our ultimate goal, during the Booze and Belts mobilization and throughout the year, is to one day attain zero preventable traffic deaths in Wisconsin.
   Peter G. Hoell
   Germantown Police Chief

Keep up the support for United Way
To the Editor:
As a six year board member on the United Way of Washington County Board of Directors, I have seen and been part of the leaders helping to make our United Way an organization that Washington County can truly be proud of.
Our United Way has made a commitment to support agencies through a variety of programs that touch the lives of one out of every three individuals in our county. United Way supports 34 programs through 19 local agencies. Again this year United Way has added additional agencies to support programs that will be funded by this year’s United Way Campaign. United Way is committed to funding new and emerging needs in Washington County. This creates additional monetary needs.
The question is “How will we be able to continue to support our current programs as well as the new programs that continue to be introduced? The new programs are also essential to our county.” The Board of Directors has not stepped away from our responsibilities and is confident that the citizens in Washington County will not step away from their responsibilities either. That is how we will be able to fund the long standing programs as well as the new and emerging programs that continue to be introduced.
The United Way Campaign is currently at over 90% of our targeted goal. The Board, the Loaned Executives, the Division Leaders the United Way Executive Director and office staff have done all that we can to bring awareness to the funded programs.
The time is here for all citizens of Washington County to reflect on who do you know has been helped by programs funded by United Way. “Give at Home, Make a Difference” it is up to all of us. What can you do….
I ask for everyone living in Washington County to support this year’s United Way Campaign! With your help I know we can raise the funds we need to keep the future of our community and your family strong.

Co-owner of Klotz’s Piggly Wiggly

Neither the mayor nor money will solve MPS’ problems

By Rep. Don Pridemore

A lot of time lately has been spent discussing the proposed mayoral takeover of the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS).   The discussion comes on the heals of another report that clearly indicates that MPS is failing to show any progress in educating children while minority students continue to lag behind in basic skills such as reading and math. 
Is this sudden fix to bring new leadership to head MPS all about the concern for improving the educational achievements of Milwaukee’s kids or just an attempt to get more of our federal tax dollars? Is it about quality education or to qualify for the "Race to the Top" program?  My concern is not who is going to run MPS, my concern is who is going to realize that since money is not the problem, then more money cannot be the solution.
In an article that I wrote (published in this paper) back in April of 2007, I pointed out that MPS was spending more than its share of education dollars.  Here is a quick recap.  In 2005 MPS received $62 million more in general school aids, $25 million more in categorical aids and $42.5 million in the chapter 220 programs than other school districts (adjusted for student population).
Thus, the Milwaukee public schools received from the state nearly $130 million dollars more than if the money was divided evenly by student population.  The fact of the matter is that MPS has been fully funded (or overly funded) by the taxpayers of the state and has not been able to produce similar results as the rest of Wisconsin’s school districts. 
Last month I discussed parental involvement as a compelling factor in a successful child’s education.   If the lack of parental involvement can be improved in other school districts, why can it not be addressed in Milwaukee? If we continue to allow an environment of gangs, drugs and crime into our communities, how can we expect our children to place any value whatsoever on getting a good classroom education? 
When I spoke to the Governors "Commission on Racial Disparity in the Incarceration Rates", I pointed out that 82% of African-American babies born in Milwaukee have no father listed on their birth certificates. We can see this shocking statistic as an example of the need for personal responsibility and the failure of our government safety net to encourage it. The gap in incarceration rates for minorities and the gap in test scores are both symptoms. The problem is that the family structure has been decimated and government mythologies have only accelerated the decline.
The fact that the leaders in Milwaukee and the state do not acknowledge the social problems makes the solution extremely difficult.  The danger of continuing to send more money to Milwaukee is the illusion that it will have long term positive results.  Nibbling around the edges of the educational achievement problem such as what a mayoral takeover would do, will only give us false hope that expanding the educational bureaucracy will again provide a solution.
State Representative Don Pridemore
Rep. Don Pridemore can be reached at:
• Madison Address: Room 318 North,
State Capitol, P.O. Box 8953,
Madison, WI  53708
• Madison Office: (608) 267-2367
• E-mail: Rep.Pridemore@legis.state.wi.us
• Internet: www.legis.state.wi.us

Wisconsin must improve dismal business climate rankings

By Sen. Alberta Darling

Recently, the Tax Foundation and Forbes magazine ranked the 50 states on their business climates.  It wasn’t good news for Wisconsin.  According to the Tax Foundation, our state’s business tax climate is the country’s 9th worst.  Forbes says we’re the third-worst state for business.  In both rankings, Wisconsin’s standing fell from last year.
Some quibble with the methodology that determined these lists and say we should therefore ignore them.  That kind of head-in-the-sand thinking is very dangerous to the long term health of Wisconsin’s economy.  Whether or not we like the conclusions drawn by the Tax Foundation and Forbes is not the point. 
These rankings matter because multi-state businesses refer to them when it’s time to consider locations for a new plant or office.  When Wisconsin’s business climate is listed among the country’s worst, we’ve already lost the jobs game before it even started.
That is why we must not ignore these bad rankings; we must fix the underlying problems that caused them.
So what is to blame for our rapidly worsening business climate?  The biggest culprit is the latest state budget that increased taxes by $5 billion and piled expensive mandates on job providers.
Republicans’ warnings about the consequences of the Democrats’ taxing and spending binge went unheeded during the budget debate earlier this year.  I sincerely hope the legislature spends the balance of this session trying to undo the damage of these latest budget actions. 
 Sen Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) serves Wisconsin’s 8th Senate District which includes portions of Germantown, Menomonee Falls, Mequon and Richfield.
Sen. Alberta Darling can be reached at:
• Madison Address: Room 316 South,
   State Capitol, P.O. Box 7882,
   Madison, WI  53708
• Madison Office: (608) 266-5830
• Madison Office: (800) 863-1113
• E-mail:
   Sen. Darling@legis.state.wi.us