Academy of Local Politics

Naming streets. Different cities do it different ways. What made me think of this was a request in Milwaukee to name a portion of a street Bob and Brian Way, in honor of Bob and Brians 20th Anniversary of being on 102.9 FM. These two gentlemen (who I have never heard) "have also raised millions of dollars for local charities such as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Wisconsin, the Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee and The MACC Fund".

City Engineer Jeff Polenske tells us the difficulty with this is that they aren't dead or reached the age of 70 which evidently is the ordinance in Milwaukee. Milwaukee isn't exactly building a bunch of new streets as they are pretty much fully developed. So, I'm sure naming new streets doesn't come up very often. 

In cities that are building new streets, many times the developer gets to name the streets. I hate that. It ends up with streets like Angelina Drive, named after their granddaughter or something stupid like that.

Call me old fashioned, but if a street is to be named it should have some significance to the community. Old or dead people are good names. At least there is some history behind the name.

But, many times the City Fathers do not want the hassle of deciding names of streets because no matter what they decide somebody won't like it. So, they let the developers name the streets and the City Fathers can just pass the buck on the issue. That's too bad.

Every city has history and street names are one of the few ways that important individuals from the past can be honored. After all, what has a three year old granddaughter by the name of Angelina ever done for a city?

We all have our enemies in politics. Even in local politics. It normally doesn't go to this extreme, but it makes for a great story.

Five Atlantic City men, including a former City Council president and a current councilman, were indicted Tuesday on charges they took part in a scheme to blackmail another councilman.

That is the lead to the story...it gets better.

They are accused of setting up fellow Councilman Eugene Robinson, who was lured to an Absecon hotel room and videotaped having sex with a prostitute. Authorities have claimed the scheme was orchestrated by Craig Callaway in an attempt to embarrass Robinson politically and induce him to resign his council seat.

Could it get juicier than this? Oh, yes.

Robinson, though, refused to quit, and contacted authorities. The councilman, who also is a Baptist minister, said the sex was consensual and that money he gave the woman was to buy sodas.

Buy Sodas ?!?

Anyway, the five charged have multiple counts against them.

The Baptist minister?

Authorities have said Robinson did not pay for sex and that the Callaway brothers and Tally recruited a 23-year-old prostitute to lure Robinson.

The moral of the story is if you are a man in public office, don't go into a motel room with a 23 year old young lady.

Or, as we have learned this week, tap your right foot in a public restroom.

What next?

Normally I read newspaper editorials for entertainment. They are great at pointing out problems that exist in communities, but very seldom offer constructive ideas for solving those problems. All bark, bark, bark and no bite.

Much to my surprise the Eau Claire (WI) Leader-Telegram actually had a new, good idea this morning! They proposed that Eau Claire and Oshkosh become a kind of Sister City.

The editorial pointed out many similarities between the two cities. They suggested among other ideas:

Get leaders and regular folks together. Tour each other's cities. Sit down over sandwiches in developing downtowns. Stroll riverfronts and point out what's good, what's bad, what's not working. Talk about how to better develop each community and market your educational, recreational and cultural assets.

I know of other cities that constantly "compare" themselves to others who share similar characteristics, but none that actually go the extra step of talking with each other. Really talking with each other and helping each other with similar problems.

I like this idea. 

I wonder if the City and Civic leaders of these two communities will?

My guess is they won't. That would be too bad. It would also behoove other cities, or counties or school boards to do the same. But, they probably won't either.

Even if they don't, it doesn't detract from the fact it is a good idea. Many good ideas are never followed up on.

Everyone is too busy living in their own little world.

It happened again last night. The storm siren was activated at 2:00 am. It has now been a handful of times this summer it has been activated. The question is WHY?

We were having a thunderstorm. A much needed thunderstorm. We have not been inundated with rain like some of the Midwest. We aren't flooding. My lawn is still tinged with brown. We were going to have a much needed thunderstorm, which ended up dropping about 1/2 of rain. Yet, the storm sirens were activated.

Does the National Weather Service now consider every thunderstorm to be a Severe Thunderstorm worthy of activating sirens? Is this what is going on? Or, is my county just trigger happy and itching to throw the switch, just because they can?

Anyway, I went to coffee this morning and met with the regular gang. Not a single one of us took cover in the basement. Not a one. We are now officially immune to the siren.

It use to be when the storm siren was activated, there really was a storm coming that should be taken seriously. Not anymore. One of these days it will happen. A real storm will take shape and to the basement we should head. But, we won't.

I've asked our local officials about it. Others have asked about it. All we get is finger pointing.

I don't get it. They know the citizens no longer believe it when it sounds. Yet, they keep doing it. This is one local political problem that totally stumps me.

Does anyone else have this problem?

It is no secret I am a walker. I walk every day for both physical and mental exercise. Therefore, I like sidewalks.

I read a Letter to the Editor in the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Sunday that warmed the cockles of my heart. Unfortunately it is not available on their web site. Thus, I will reprint a few portions of that letter written by James McGurk of Taylors Falls, Minnesota.

Mr. McGurk and neighbors in 1999 were "confronted with losing our actual property to road widening, curb and gutter, and new sidewalks". Mr. McGurk and neighbors were not happy with this "forced sell".

Now eight years later Mr. McGurk reports, "With the merit of great planning, and seeing the new sidewalk in use, it was all worth the perceived loss of our green space. Sidewalks are a life-line to those who do not drive, who enjoy exercise or who choose a greener lifestyle. Sidewalks are for those who want to 'live' in a neighborhood, not just for those who want to 'house' in a neighborhood. My bet is they even raise real estate values. Neighborhoods are much more neighborly when shared with others. Sidewalks need to be embraced and not feared...I say share and share alike".

Mr. McGurk, you belong in the Academy of Local Politics Hall of Fame!

Walk on!