Loyal readers and guests, I would like to pass on the line to Diane Herried's blog. She is currently campaigning for the position of Supervisor #4 in the Town of Vernon. Diane and I have coordinated much of our campaign efforts.
She has some very good thoughts on her blog: http://dherried.wordpress.com/
Thursday, March 31, 2011
DPW Layoff Article by Sarah Craft
By hitting the link below, you can see an article written by Sarah Craft of the Waukesha Freeman regarding the issue of DPW layoffs. I sure hope Marilyn, Diane and I win, or I'm afraid Mr. Salentine will lose his job for being candid.
Please pass this around the community!
Here is the article: http://tinyurl.com/Freeman3-31-11
God bless you Doug! Sometimes all it takes for tyranny to get a foothold is for good people to remain silent. Thanks for being an honest, good person Doug.
Please pass this around the community!
Here is the article: http://tinyurl.com/Freeman3-31-11
God bless you Doug! Sometimes all it takes for tyranny to get a foothold is for good people to remain silent. Thanks for being an honest, good person Doug.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
GUEST POST: Cut Two Fulltime DPW Employees
Note: This is a guest post by Marilyn Gauger.
The Town Board again has confirmed why I am running for office. They made another decision late in the evening, at a special called Town Board meeting. They made this decision again without input from the appropriate people in the know – this time the DPW Director. They cut 2 fulltime DPW employees. Again, the way this was done was rude and disrespectful - 2 employees were told to leave this AM. The timing is also very curious!
Remember they (Town Board) did this before, very late in the evening; when they voted to sever the 50+ year Big Bend Vernon Fire Department.
What are the short term and long term affects of this latest decision? I personally worked for the previous Director LeRoy Titze for 10 years and I know what it takes to maintain 75 miles of road and maintain equipment to cover 34 square miles of property. How will it affect crackfilling, snowplowing? As a bedroom community; our roads, having them maintained and having them clear of snow, is at the top of resident’s wants and needs. That is one of the reasons the previous Boards felt it necessary to have a 6-man crew. That crew does a superior job for Town residents.
My question is why cut 2 fulltime employees? State Budget Bill? OK, to date we don’t even know how it will affect local municipalities. When we are notified of the Town’s fiscal impact we (Doble, Gauger and Herried) will look to our department heads/DPW Director/Clerk/Treasurer to suggest the best possible ways/items to make any necessary cuts.
I looked at the Town’s budget and believe we can realize savings, as proposed by the new State Budget Bill while maintaining our current level of employees - exactly what Governor Walker proposes for State employees. There are approximate savings of:
- $34,000 in WRS
- $14,000 in Health Insurance
Reductions of:
- $100,000 in Capital Equipment based on 2010 purchases (Do we now have more trucks than DPW workers?)
- $20,000 in Legal fees
Omitting:
- $3,500 Fireworks
- $3,000 Appreciation Dinner
And Now the DPW...
Here we go again folks…last night the town board held a closed session meeting, here is the agenda:
http://tinyurl.com/110330Agenda
Contrary to what is indicated on the agenda, the clerk and DPW director were NOT invited to attend. The labor attorney DID attend. The result of this meeting?
Two DPW employees were laid off by the board!
There was NO input from Doug Salentine the DPW director before or during this meeting! This is absolutely infuriating. ONCE AGAIN, THIS BOARD HAS ACTED UNILATERALLY WITHOUT INPUT FROM ANYONE! No public input, no public agenda to see what issues we might be having, no input from the full time DPW director; NOTHING!
Is this leadership? I think NOT!
Please vote Doble, Gauger and Herried on April 5th! Enough is enough!
http://tinyurl.com/110330Agenda
Contrary to what is indicated on the agenda, the clerk and DPW director were NOT invited to attend. The labor attorney DID attend. The result of this meeting?
Two DPW employees were laid off by the board!
There was NO input from Doug Salentine the DPW director before or during this meeting! This is absolutely infuriating. ONCE AGAIN, THIS BOARD HAS ACTED UNILATERALLY WITHOUT INPUT FROM ANYONE! No public input, no public agenda to see what issues we might be having, no input from the full time DPW director; NOTHING!
Is this leadership? I think NOT!
Please vote Doble, Gauger and Herried on April 5th! Enough is enough!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
WI DNR Visits the Town of Vernon - The Kaishian Issue
Last night I attended a meeting of the Town of Vernon Board. The board had requested that two representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) responsible for the closure approval and filling permits for the “Kaishian Property” come to the town to make a presentation regarding this issue. (If you’re not familiar with this property, please see the side note at the end.) Read this carefully please: they were requested to come to the town to make a presentation to inform the town of their action.
Instead, they got an inquisition. They were grilled by Tom Bird for over two hours regarding their review of this property in a manner that was completely unprofessional and uncalled for. He asked the same questions over and over again, picked on their minor inconsistencies, treated them with disdain if they gave any sort of pushback, etc. If you’re thinking of voting for Tom Bird, I suggest you watch the tape, all two hours and 20 minutes of it, and ask yourself, would I like to appear before a board that acts like this?
Tom Bird should be ashamed; but I know he isn’t. This was completely in character for Mr. Bird. In the end, the representatives from the DNR showed the town quite convincingly that they DID do their job, they did NOT leave any work unfinished, our ground water IS protected, but just in case they WILL continue to monitor groundwater samples during and after any filling occurs. In fact, they will continue to monitor when ANY land disturbance occurs on this site at any time in the future.
I spoke with both gentlemen after the meeting and told them that it WAS necessary for them to explain their findings to the town, and that we ARE concerned, but they DID NOT need to be treated in such a disrespectful manner by our board. I apologized to them.
Now, please do not misinterpret my words. I feel VERY strongly that the town needs to be well informed of issues such as these. There is no resource in our town that needs to more zealously guarded than our groundwater; especially when we’re dealing with chemical contaminates that don’t go away!
Through their reports and explanations they proved that the contamination does exist, but it IS contained within the dump site itself. None of the contamination has leaked from the site into the general groundwater flow. In fact, filling over the dump site would serve to further alleviate any concern. I’ve dealt with Jim Delwiche for the DNR before as a consultant. He is tough and thorough. He does his job and forces property owners and developers to follow the letter of the environmental protection laws. He’s a good man and great person to have on our side protecting our precious groundwater!
Of course all of the facts are very contrary to Dave Nowicki’s campaign flyer against me in the race for town chairman. Here is his flyer:
http://tinyurl.com/Nowicki1
Mr. Nowicki says that we should take legal action against the DNR to require them to complete their work…you can read the flyer. Based on the complete information provided by the DNR, this would be absurd. What I find a little amusing by his flyer is that his issue #2 is controlling legal costs. Now isn’t that interesting. We’re going to file legal action with the court to force the DNR to address an issue that has been put to bed, but we’re going to control legal costs too. He should really do his homework and not listen to Joe Reilly so much.
I ask that you please make an informed decision at the polls next Tuesday, April 5th, and select Doble, Gauger and Herried to serve you on your board! Also, please help re-elect Justice David Prosser to the Wisconsin Supreme Court!
(Side note: Mr. Kaishian owns the old transfer station located at S72 W23820 West National Avenue. It’s the metal building at the top of the hill on National just west of Hwy 164. The property is located in the Village of Big Bend. Mr. Kaishian was recently approved to fill a part of the east portion of this property near Hwy 164. He was approved by the Village and has permits from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. There are no immediate plans for development of this property, just the fill at the corner so he can market the property. The issue is that in the ‘80’s while this property was being used as a transfer station [not by Kaishian], some illegal dumping occurred and there are some nasties buried out there. The WI DNR continues to monitor the situation for any potential groundwater contamination, but has found none.)
Instead, they got an inquisition. They were grilled by Tom Bird for over two hours regarding their review of this property in a manner that was completely unprofessional and uncalled for. He asked the same questions over and over again, picked on their minor inconsistencies, treated them with disdain if they gave any sort of pushback, etc. If you’re thinking of voting for Tom Bird, I suggest you watch the tape, all two hours and 20 minutes of it, and ask yourself, would I like to appear before a board that acts like this?
Tom Bird should be ashamed; but I know he isn’t. This was completely in character for Mr. Bird. In the end, the representatives from the DNR showed the town quite convincingly that they DID do their job, they did NOT leave any work unfinished, our ground water IS protected, but just in case they WILL continue to monitor groundwater samples during and after any filling occurs. In fact, they will continue to monitor when ANY land disturbance occurs on this site at any time in the future.
I spoke with both gentlemen after the meeting and told them that it WAS necessary for them to explain their findings to the town, and that we ARE concerned, but they DID NOT need to be treated in such a disrespectful manner by our board. I apologized to them.
Now, please do not misinterpret my words. I feel VERY strongly that the town needs to be well informed of issues such as these. There is no resource in our town that needs to more zealously guarded than our groundwater; especially when we’re dealing with chemical contaminates that don’t go away!
Through their reports and explanations they proved that the contamination does exist, but it IS contained within the dump site itself. None of the contamination has leaked from the site into the general groundwater flow. In fact, filling over the dump site would serve to further alleviate any concern. I’ve dealt with Jim Delwiche for the DNR before as a consultant. He is tough and thorough. He does his job and forces property owners and developers to follow the letter of the environmental protection laws. He’s a good man and great person to have on our side protecting our precious groundwater!
Of course all of the facts are very contrary to Dave Nowicki’s campaign flyer against me in the race for town chairman. Here is his flyer:
http://tinyurl.com/Nowicki1
Mr. Nowicki says that we should take legal action against the DNR to require them to complete their work…you can read the flyer. Based on the complete information provided by the DNR, this would be absurd. What I find a little amusing by his flyer is that his issue #2 is controlling legal costs. Now isn’t that interesting. We’re going to file legal action with the court to force the DNR to address an issue that has been put to bed, but we’re going to control legal costs too. He should really do his homework and not listen to Joe Reilly so much.
I ask that you please make an informed decision at the polls next Tuesday, April 5th, and select Doble, Gauger and Herried to serve you on your board! Also, please help re-elect Justice David Prosser to the Wisconsin Supreme Court!
(Side note: Mr. Kaishian owns the old transfer station located at S72 W23820 West National Avenue. It’s the metal building at the top of the hill on National just west of Hwy 164. The property is located in the Village of Big Bend. Mr. Kaishian was recently approved to fill a part of the east portion of this property near Hwy 164. He was approved by the Village and has permits from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. There are no immediate plans for development of this property, just the fill at the corner so he can market the property. The issue is that in the ‘80’s while this property was being used as a transfer station [not by Kaishian], some illegal dumping occurred and there are some nasties buried out there. The WI DNR continues to monitor the situation for any potential groundwater contamination, but has found none.)
Change of Blog Description
Please note that temporarily I've changed my blog description. This is how it used to read:
"An exchange of ideas and opinions on matters that are important to our Town of Vernon, Waukesha County, Wisconsin. If you are a citizen concerned with any issue and are looking for honest and respectful discussion of the issues that matter, then this is the place for you to express your opinions and ideas."
I changed it for two reasons: 1) It wasn't clear to some people that I actually write all of these posts; they thought that anyone could write these and post them. I DO allow anyone to comment, but the posts are my writings. 2) I thought it would be easier for folks to know exactly what they were reading when they got to the blog.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love this blog because you can go back a couple years and see my thoughts on issues well before I ever considered running for office. What you see is what you get from me. Judge me as you wish.
I'm passionate about keeping our government open, honest and respectful to the people. We are a government by the people for the people. Sometimes I think the people we elect forget that!
PLEASE VOTE ON APRIL 5TH! VOTE FOR DOBLE, GAUGER AND HERRIED!
"An exchange of ideas and opinions on matters that are important to our Town of Vernon, Waukesha County, Wisconsin. If you are a citizen concerned with any issue and are looking for honest and respectful discussion of the issues that matter, then this is the place for you to express your opinions and ideas."
I changed it for two reasons: 1) It wasn't clear to some people that I actually write all of these posts; they thought that anyone could write these and post them. I DO allow anyone to comment, but the posts are my writings. 2) I thought it would be easier for folks to know exactly what they were reading when they got to the blog.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love this blog because you can go back a couple years and see my thoughts on issues well before I ever considered running for office. What you see is what you get from me. Judge me as you wish.
I'm passionate about keeping our government open, honest and respectful to the people. We are a government by the people for the people. Sometimes I think the people we elect forget that!
PLEASE VOTE ON APRIL 5TH! VOTE FOR DOBLE, GAUGER AND HERRIED!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
I'm back...
Thanks for checking out my blog. I arrived back from vacation early on Saturday AM and am caught up with chores and work. Now, back to politics. I have a couple posts that are coming your way this week leading up to the election.
Keep sending in your comments and questions. And, please don't forget to let people know to become informed before they hit the polls.
Keep sending in your comments and questions. And, please don't forget to let people know to become informed before they hit the polls.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The Forum...and an Apology
Dear Town Residents:
I apologize for not being able to be at the forum this evening. I really want you to hear what I have to say. I'm certain my absence will be used against me in this campaign.
Just so all of you know, Joe Reilly set up this forum. When he did, he did not contact Marilyn Gauger, Diane Herried or I about when and where it would be. Two of the three of us cannot be there for this. It's a shame and a disservice to our community. All it would have taken is a phone call or email. I'm traveling on vacation with my family and I am leaving this morning. This trip was planned since before Christmas.
So, I sent an email out to all the candidates on Monday AM to request a forum the last week of this month. I received a response from only Marilyn and Diane. They are both available anytime that week. None of the other candidates responded.
So, I'll return late next week and I'll jump back into the mix, but you had to know that I made an effort to hold a forum where all could participate. But maybe this was the plan all along, set a date with the hope that some of us who oppose "them" could not be there.
On a positive note, I probably have more information about how I think and feel about issues on this blog than any other candidate in the history of Vernon. We usually make decisions on candidates based on a flyer stuffed in a mailbox. My thoughts and feelings are here for all to see. There are two years of posts here for you to get to know who I am.
I would be honored if you choose me to lead your town! Either way, please vote April 5th!
Regards,
Mike
I apologize for not being able to be at the forum this evening. I really want you to hear what I have to say. I'm certain my absence will be used against me in this campaign.
Just so all of you know, Joe Reilly set up this forum. When he did, he did not contact Marilyn Gauger, Diane Herried or I about when and where it would be. Two of the three of us cannot be there for this. It's a shame and a disservice to our community. All it would have taken is a phone call or email. I'm traveling on vacation with my family and I am leaving this morning. This trip was planned since before Christmas.
So, I sent an email out to all the candidates on Monday AM to request a forum the last week of this month. I received a response from only Marilyn and Diane. They are both available anytime that week. None of the other candidates responded.
So, I'll return late next week and I'll jump back into the mix, but you had to know that I made an effort to hold a forum where all could participate. But maybe this was the plan all along, set a date with the hope that some of us who oppose "them" could not be there.
On a positive note, I probably have more information about how I think and feel about issues on this blog than any other candidate in the history of Vernon. We usually make decisions on candidates based on a flyer stuffed in a mailbox. My thoughts and feelings are here for all to see. There are two years of posts here for you to get to know who I am.
I would be honored if you choose me to lead your town! Either way, please vote April 5th!
Regards,
Mike
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Write-in to Challenge Doble in Vernon
This article was published in the Mukwonago Chief on March 8th. One commenter after the article, MD1955, really doesn’t like me and has said some things that I feel need to be addressed. The parts in quotes below are from his/her comments. He/she is a little misinformed and puts out some outright lies. I know there are people out there like this in any community and I don’t get too worked up, but I hate it when there are lies about me floating out there. Plus, MD1955 is just downright misinformed about some issues, yet acts like an expert.
Here are some of the comments and my responses. Please post a comment here if anyone would like me to respond in any more detail. Remember, anyone is free to comment; I do not require you to register or login to comment.
“Mr. Doble, you up and left the fire department board and we still do not know why.” – I left the fire board because, in quite simple terms, it became clear members of the town board had a vendetta against me and were making up “issues” to discredit me. I think in my resignation letter I characterized them as “slanderous misstatements.” When it became clear that this board member would not back off and I would not be allowed to do the job I was appointed to do, I left. It really not that big of a secret or something I’m ashamed of. In retrospect, it might have been better for me to stay and much of the fighting and whatnot of the last two years might have been avoided. I’d much rather work in a positive direction that always fighting the establishment. We need to work on building stronger consensus in this community rather than always being on one side or the other. That’s why I enjoy working with Marilyn and Diane so much; we can disagree, but then discuss solutions that work for everyone.
“You have lied on several occasions on not being a part of the disgusting signs put up in Vernon.” – I assisted in putting up signs to encourage people to vote for Rodell Singert and write in Diane Herried. I did not have any part in any signs that you characterize as disgusting. I think you’re talking about Vince’s “Bird must go” sign. Nothing to do with me; everything to do with Vince feeling wronged by the town board over his building in Vernon. Were the Bird must go signs really “disgusting?” I didn’t think they were in good taste, and I told Vince so, but “disgusting” is a little strong; just my humble opinion.
“I will expect you to be at the forum! I will expect to see what you have in mind for the Town and this will be in public not by phone so later you can lie and say you didn't say that.” – I won’t be at the forum unfortunately. This forum was set up by Joe Reilly without consultation with Marilyn Gauger, Diane Herried or I. Marilyn has an engagement that night and I’m out of town. This is very unfortunate. May I suggest a forum the Wednesday before the election? I can check with ALL of the candidates to see if they are available.
Oh by the way, MD1955 I don't lie. You’ve said this a couple times. You AND Joe Reilly keep saying that. I've been wrong, I've said things that might not have come to pass, but I don't lie. [Side note: That’s actually why I like this blog so much, I can document my thoughts and opinions for all the world to see in advance of the events. My thoughts and opinions don’t conveniently change over time; they are documented there for the whole world to see.]
“Well, when change was happening you certainly made a big fuss- and that was good change, if you look at the outcome of the fire department.” – Even though the current board has put together a great department, we haven’t realized the long term costs yet. We traded in nearly $2m in equity to get $1.5m for a department that will most likely end up costing us more in the long run. Even if it doesn’t, just think of the money we would have saved if this much positive energy and effort was put into recreating a joint department with a new agreement.
“Also Mr. Doble, regarding the Vernon Citizens for Sensible Government; I believe you are the spokesman, Gauger is the secretary, and Vince Siegel is a major contributor.” – I belong to this group and helped to create it. I’m not the spokesman, but I just happen to be the most vocal. Yes, Vince donated the use of his signs. THANKS VINCE! Not only is Vince a client of mine, but a friend. He runs a very honest, clean business unlike many others in his line of work! Too bad Vernon pushed him out. ONCE AGAIN, when did business become so evil in this country? MD1955 you must be someone who worked for government all your life. I’m sorry to have to bring you to reality, but business is the engine that drives our economy, not government.
“It looks like you are the Village of Big Bend's representative/agent (documented on Siegel [name spelling corrected by mikedoble] annexation papers).” – You have a complete lack of understanding of annexation. I prepared documents for Vince to annex his land to Big Bend. In essence, I wrote a letter and petition for him to sign. This is the first step to request that a community evaluate a potential annexation. I have been working on Vince’s new building site for years and I lost revenue as well when Vernon changed their law to disallow Vince to use this building for its intended purpose. So, no, they didn’t stop him from building technically, but they did put rules in place that would not allow him to sell fireworks.
“I know you are a transplant from Florida and are not thoroughly educated on the Town's business.” – Why the negativity? I grew up the son of an US Army officer. We moved a lot. I’m proud of my background serving this county; first as a child (yes, military families serve too!), but then as an US Army officer myself. I’m sorry you think this is a negative. For the record, I lived in Florida for three years while in college. I am certainly not a transplant from Florida. Out of interest for all of you, here is where I have lived: Washington State, Korea, Georgia, Netherlands, Belgium, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Missouri, Hawaii and now Vernon! In fact I have lived in Vernon since 1998, about 12 years, this is nearly three times as long as I have lived anyplace else. I love it here and am not planning on going anywhere. As to the town’s business, I know much more than you might think!
“You're the one that helped with the annexation and therefore, encouraged the board to look into the same. I hope what you have planned for the town of Vernon is better thought out than just selling the town out to Big Bend. You are all for businesses and that's exactly what Vernon citizens don't want.” – I really appreciate this comment because it gets to the heart of the issue. First of all, ONLY property owners, NOT consultants like me OR villages, can request to be annexed to a neighboring community. So, we should look very carefully at EVERY annexation to understand what might motivate a property owner to annex away from our community! Annexation is terrible for our town, and we must do everything we can to stop it! We stop it by taking away the property owner’s motivation to leave, because legally we can’t do anything to stop it. So we need to have laws, rules and a town board in place that recognizes this, then figure out what is so attractive about the neighboring communities. We can then keep properties in Vernon by having an environment that encourages property owners to stay! It’s quite simple. Helping Vince with his annexation broke my heart, but I wasn’t going to hide the fact that I prepared the documents; that would have been disingenuous.
Anyway my dear readers, thanks for reading along this far and hearing me out on these issues. Please pass on a link to this blog to your friends and neighbors. They need to see who I am and why I so strongly support Marilyn and Diane. Together the three of us can change the tone of the politics in this community.
Here are some of the comments and my responses. Please post a comment here if anyone would like me to respond in any more detail. Remember, anyone is free to comment; I do not require you to register or login to comment.
“Mr. Doble, you up and left the fire department board and we still do not know why.” – I left the fire board because, in quite simple terms, it became clear members of the town board had a vendetta against me and were making up “issues” to discredit me. I think in my resignation letter I characterized them as “slanderous misstatements.” When it became clear that this board member would not back off and I would not be allowed to do the job I was appointed to do, I left. It really not that big of a secret or something I’m ashamed of. In retrospect, it might have been better for me to stay and much of the fighting and whatnot of the last two years might have been avoided. I’d much rather work in a positive direction that always fighting the establishment. We need to work on building stronger consensus in this community rather than always being on one side or the other. That’s why I enjoy working with Marilyn and Diane so much; we can disagree, but then discuss solutions that work for everyone.
“You have lied on several occasions on not being a part of the disgusting signs put up in Vernon.” – I assisted in putting up signs to encourage people to vote for Rodell Singert and write in Diane Herried. I did not have any part in any signs that you characterize as disgusting. I think you’re talking about Vince’s “Bird must go” sign. Nothing to do with me; everything to do with Vince feeling wronged by the town board over his building in Vernon. Were the Bird must go signs really “disgusting?” I didn’t think they were in good taste, and I told Vince so, but “disgusting” is a little strong; just my humble opinion.
“I will expect you to be at the forum! I will expect to see what you have in mind for the Town and this will be in public not by phone so later you can lie and say you didn't say that.” – I won’t be at the forum unfortunately. This forum was set up by Joe Reilly without consultation with Marilyn Gauger, Diane Herried or I. Marilyn has an engagement that night and I’m out of town. This is very unfortunate. May I suggest a forum the Wednesday before the election? I can check with ALL of the candidates to see if they are available.
Oh by the way, MD1955 I don't lie. You’ve said this a couple times. You AND Joe Reilly keep saying that. I've been wrong, I've said things that might not have come to pass, but I don't lie. [Side note: That’s actually why I like this blog so much, I can document my thoughts and opinions for all the world to see in advance of the events. My thoughts and opinions don’t conveniently change over time; they are documented there for the whole world to see.]
“Well, when change was happening you certainly made a big fuss- and that was good change, if you look at the outcome of the fire department.” – Even though the current board has put together a great department, we haven’t realized the long term costs yet. We traded in nearly $2m in equity to get $1.5m for a department that will most likely end up costing us more in the long run. Even if it doesn’t, just think of the money we would have saved if this much positive energy and effort was put into recreating a joint department with a new agreement.
“Also Mr. Doble, regarding the Vernon Citizens for Sensible Government; I believe you are the spokesman, Gauger is the secretary, and Vince Siegel is a major contributor.” – I belong to this group and helped to create it. I’m not the spokesman, but I just happen to be the most vocal. Yes, Vince donated the use of his signs. THANKS VINCE! Not only is Vince a client of mine, but a friend. He runs a very honest, clean business unlike many others in his line of work! Too bad Vernon pushed him out. ONCE AGAIN, when did business become so evil in this country? MD1955 you must be someone who worked for government all your life. I’m sorry to have to bring you to reality, but business is the engine that drives our economy, not government.
“It looks like you are the Village of Big Bend's representative/agent (documented on Siegel [name spelling corrected by mikedoble] annexation papers).” – You have a complete lack of understanding of annexation. I prepared documents for Vince to annex his land to Big Bend. In essence, I wrote a letter and petition for him to sign. This is the first step to request that a community evaluate a potential annexation. I have been working on Vince’s new building site for years and I lost revenue as well when Vernon changed their law to disallow Vince to use this building for its intended purpose. So, no, they didn’t stop him from building technically, but they did put rules in place that would not allow him to sell fireworks.
“I know you are a transplant from Florida and are not thoroughly educated on the Town's business.” – Why the negativity? I grew up the son of an US Army officer. We moved a lot. I’m proud of my background serving this county; first as a child (yes, military families serve too!), but then as an US Army officer myself. I’m sorry you think this is a negative. For the record, I lived in Florida for three years while in college. I am certainly not a transplant from Florida. Out of interest for all of you, here is where I have lived: Washington State, Korea, Georgia, Netherlands, Belgium, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Missouri, Hawaii and now Vernon! In fact I have lived in Vernon since 1998, about 12 years, this is nearly three times as long as I have lived anyplace else. I love it here and am not planning on going anywhere. As to the town’s business, I know much more than you might think!
“You're the one that helped with the annexation and therefore, encouraged the board to look into the same. I hope what you have planned for the town of Vernon is better thought out than just selling the town out to Big Bend. You are all for businesses and that's exactly what Vernon citizens don't want.” – I really appreciate this comment because it gets to the heart of the issue. First of all, ONLY property owners, NOT consultants like me OR villages, can request to be annexed to a neighboring community. So, we should look very carefully at EVERY annexation to understand what might motivate a property owner to annex away from our community! Annexation is terrible for our town, and we must do everything we can to stop it! We stop it by taking away the property owner’s motivation to leave, because legally we can’t do anything to stop it. So we need to have laws, rules and a town board in place that recognizes this, then figure out what is so attractive about the neighboring communities. We can then keep properties in Vernon by having an environment that encourages property owners to stay! It’s quite simple. Helping Vince with his annexation broke my heart, but I wasn’t going to hide the fact that I prepared the documents; that would have been disingenuous.
Anyway my dear readers, thanks for reading along this far and hearing me out on these issues. Please pass on a link to this blog to your friends and neighbors. They need to see who I am and why I so strongly support Marilyn and Diane. Together the three of us can change the tone of the politics in this community.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
March 3, Town Board Meeting Comments
I have to be honest with you; I find it hard to sit comfortably in the town board meetings with this crew. I tend to watch on TV. I have a hard time controlling my temper with some of the comments and attitudes of my board. I am happy the Mr. Reilly has taken Chairman Michalek’s warnings to heart and has tempered his comments.
Here are my comments on the town board meeting:
1. In public comments Dave Nowicki commented that he’s really proud and happy to see a cool new electronic system in use at the fire department that sends an invoice at the conclusion of rescue runs..… (Of course, I paraphrase.) The fact is that this system is far from implemented, even though we have the equipment to do to this. In reality our department has not invoiced ANY rescue runs since 12/18. Mr. Reilly must have fed him the wrong information.
2. On the Kaishian property, we’re talking about sending a strongly worded letter to stop a development that the village has apparently thoroughly vetted. If that does not work, we’re going to seek a court order? You’ve got to be kidding me. Not that I disagree in principle with protecting our groundwater, but if we had any sort of positive relationship with the village, we could ask them to provide the testing we’re looking to compel them to do. I agree that more communication is needed with the DNR and village on this matter. It’s unfortunate that Supervisor Singert’s opinion is so thoroughly rejected. It’s painful to watch.
3. I’m looking forward to control our own zoning, but our board has not completed a fiscal impact analysis. I’m only concerned about the cost.
4. On the park development, it’s a good idea. We should expend the money in a timely manner when it’s collected for a specific purpose. Have we sought any grants? There are grants available for communities our size for park development.
5. I suspected a candidates forum was in the works without the knowledge of the candidates… Ahhh, Mr. Reilly speaks up from the gallery to give the details of a forum. So there is a forum scheduled for 3/16, at 7:30pm. That’s nice to know. I will be in Chicago that night on my way to vacation. If anyone wants to know how I feel, please read my blog or call me. My cell number is 414-708-9466. I’m happy to speak with any resident about how I feel about any particular issue.
6. Mr. Craig must read my blog... Under the item “n. Vernon Fire Department services, and the costs present, and future for the same.” He talked about the town budget and the reduction in shared revenue from the state. It looks like we’re going to lose close to $200,000 in shared revenue. We need to start planning for this. In addition, under this item, we’re discussing school board updates to the citizens….what gives? Discussion items should really be on the agenda….but, that’s just me. Ahh, now the soap issue under this same agenda item. Does anyone want to sit down with me and go through this issue and write a summary for me? If so, give me a shout. I have the data and invoices for this issue. I just don’t know to where to even go with it. Mr. Craig is dead wrong on his representation. And, oh, by the way, a big part of the return of money from the last fire board was Chief Buchholtz’s salary of nearly $90,000 a year in pay and benefits. Under this same agenda item Chairman Michalek is discussing drainage and other issues around the town….these meetings really drive me nuts.
I’m about done watching the board meeting. I have one final thought; why do we do all the business at the board meeting? I’ve sat on several boards, and boards are typically decision making bodies. They receive recommendations from trusted committees, then act on those recommendations. There needs to be a variety of opinions and experiences brought into play on issues. Too bad our board has removed many of the residents of the commissions and committees. My observation is that our board lays out and discusses all the details and formulates courses of action, then decides how to act. There really is very little input from others in the community. This seems like a bit of a waste of time for the board. Don’t they have enough to do? In my opinion we should have trusted committees to do the leg work and prepare recommendations. Then the board can be presented with the facts to accept or reject recommendations. Just my two cents.
Here are my comments on the town board meeting:
1. In public comments Dave Nowicki commented that he’s really proud and happy to see a cool new electronic system in use at the fire department that sends an invoice at the conclusion of rescue runs..… (Of course, I paraphrase.) The fact is that this system is far from implemented, even though we have the equipment to do to this. In reality our department has not invoiced ANY rescue runs since 12/18. Mr. Reilly must have fed him the wrong information.
2. On the Kaishian property, we’re talking about sending a strongly worded letter to stop a development that the village has apparently thoroughly vetted. If that does not work, we’re going to seek a court order? You’ve got to be kidding me. Not that I disagree in principle with protecting our groundwater, but if we had any sort of positive relationship with the village, we could ask them to provide the testing we’re looking to compel them to do. I agree that more communication is needed with the DNR and village on this matter. It’s unfortunate that Supervisor Singert’s opinion is so thoroughly rejected. It’s painful to watch.
3. I’m looking forward to control our own zoning, but our board has not completed a fiscal impact analysis. I’m only concerned about the cost.
4. On the park development, it’s a good idea. We should expend the money in a timely manner when it’s collected for a specific purpose. Have we sought any grants? There are grants available for communities our size for park development.
5. I suspected a candidates forum was in the works without the knowledge of the candidates… Ahhh, Mr. Reilly speaks up from the gallery to give the details of a forum. So there is a forum scheduled for 3/16, at 7:30pm. That’s nice to know. I will be in Chicago that night on my way to vacation. If anyone wants to know how I feel, please read my blog or call me. My cell number is 414-708-9466. I’m happy to speak with any resident about how I feel about any particular issue.
6. Mr. Craig must read my blog... Under the item “n. Vernon Fire Department services, and the costs present, and future for the same.” He talked about the town budget and the reduction in shared revenue from the state. It looks like we’re going to lose close to $200,000 in shared revenue. We need to start planning for this. In addition, under this item, we’re discussing school board updates to the citizens….what gives? Discussion items should really be on the agenda….but, that’s just me. Ahh, now the soap issue under this same agenda item. Does anyone want to sit down with me and go through this issue and write a summary for me? If so, give me a shout. I have the data and invoices for this issue. I just don’t know to where to even go with it. Mr. Craig is dead wrong on his representation. And, oh, by the way, a big part of the return of money from the last fire board was Chief Buchholtz’s salary of nearly $90,000 a year in pay and benefits. Under this same agenda item Chairman Michalek is discussing drainage and other issues around the town….these meetings really drive me nuts.
I’m about done watching the board meeting. I have one final thought; why do we do all the business at the board meeting? I’ve sat on several boards, and boards are typically decision making bodies. They receive recommendations from trusted committees, then act on those recommendations. There needs to be a variety of opinions and experiences brought into play on issues. Too bad our board has removed many of the residents of the commissions and committees. My observation is that our board lays out and discusses all the details and formulates courses of action, then decides how to act. There really is very little input from others in the community. This seems like a bit of a waste of time for the board. Don’t they have enough to do? In my opinion we should have trusted committees to do the leg work and prepare recommendations. Then the board can be presented with the facts to accept or reject recommendations. Just my two cents.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
We're Getting Close Vernon!
I’m sorry I’ve been silent for so long. I thought it was best to just back off and let things ride for a while. It’s clear that a mere 32 days before the election that it’s time to spool this machine up and git-er-dun! Here’s an image of a sign you’re going to see popping up around the town soon:
I hope you’ll join us in trying to move our town forward. Your support is desperately needed for change. If I had to give you the one thing we plan to change, it’s this:
My Predictions:
So, I was asked recently about my prediction of what this election season has to hold for the three of us….Well, here’s some of them:
1. First and foremost, I just couldn’t imagine “them” not putting up someone to run against me. I was floored when Marie at the town sent out the election filing results to candidates shortly after the deadline in January. Well, this prediction is not so prophetic, everyone should know by now that Dave Nowicki is running against me as a write-in. More power to you Dave. I’m glad to see you’ve taken some interest in the public discourse. Even though you’re acquainted with Joe Reilly, I’m happy to work with you to inform the citizens so they can make the best choice between you and I. We’ve always gotten along in the past, and I’m sure we will in the future.
2. Well, this week you got a letter telling you how great things are now that we’re moving forward with our own department. Honestly, at this point, I can only say time will tell. The board has decided to ignore the cost of legal fees, loss of equity, loss of trained personnel, etc., but, I have to be honest with you, I really like Alex Felde and Pat Hayes. I think we’re in good hands. My prediction is that the incumbents on the board will continue to make an issue over the fire department breakup, when Marilyn, Diane and I have, in essence, moved on to other issues even though we stand behind our opinion on this issue. How ironic is that? Maybe before the election we’ll have actually have invoiced our services since 12/18 and we can see how revenues match up to the budget predictions.
3. During the election cycle Marilyn, Diane and I will be deemed “unqualified” and “unfit” for the office by “them”. (I don’t mean to be annoying, but I say “them” and “they” because I’m not really only talking about Bill Craig and Tom Bird, but Joe Reilly as well. Mr. Reilly tends to be the mouthpiece for “them”.) They will say Marilyn quit the town clerk position because the board wouldn’t give her a raise. (A raise strongly supported by Mr. Barikmo at the time, by the way, despite him holding it against her recently.) They will say Diane was “removed” from the Fire Board due to who knows what. They will say I wanted to buy a $450,000 special rescue vehicle, or wanted to buy $13,000 in soap, etc. You’ve heard the dialogue before. Here’s what I suggest, when you hear Mr. Nowicki call me an “annexation hawk”, give me a call to discuss annexation. When you hear Mr. Reilly talk about soap; give me a call. I assure you I know a hell of a lot more about annexation than Mr. Nowicki, and more about that issue with the soap than Mr. Reilly. If you haven’t already, read this blog. I’ve well documented my feelings on most issues on this blog.
4. I predict that Mr. Reilly will “suggest” a candidate’s forum (why is Reilly so involved?) to publically debate past history. Here’s what I’ll say about a forum, I’m glad to attend if one is held, I’m glad to speak my mind and welcome the chance for people get to know me, but I’m tired of rehashing past issues. It’s time to dig in and figure out how to deal with reductions in shared revenue (it’s coming!), costs of services, road maintenance that has been neglected by this board, renewing our union contract with the DPW workers, etc. I like forums, but unfortunately I’m in and out of town most of March. I have to rely on my supporters to campaign for me!
5. It will be said that Mike Doble is “in bed”, or something to that effect, with Big Bend. I love this community! All of this community! That includes Big Bend. How many of you town residents go to work without going through Big Bend? How many of you go to church in Big Bend? Ever bought beer, wine or liquor at Bob and Al’s Mobile station? Ever been to the Dollar [Liquor] Store? How about the bank? You get the point, Big Bend is an integral part of our community. Why can’t we work with our neighbors? Be friendly? Cooperate? If elected, I intend to do everything I can to promote good relations between the town and village. We had a hard time sharing a 4th of July celebration this year for crying out loud! This must change, and if elected, it will change under my watch.
Anyway, I’ve gone on way too long. I’m sure I’ve lost most readers by now….
One final prediction: Should you choose to hire me to run the business of the town, I will protect every dollar you give the town like it was my own dollar. I appreciate your support!
If you have questions for me one-on-one, you’re welcome to contact me at: doble4chair@wi.rr.com
Regards,
Mike
We will put kindness and respect back
into the public dialogue in this town!
My Predictions:
So, I was asked recently about my prediction of what this election season has to hold for the three of us….Well, here’s some of them:
1. First and foremost, I just couldn’t imagine “them” not putting up someone to run against me. I was floored when Marie at the town sent out the election filing results to candidates shortly after the deadline in January. Well, this prediction is not so prophetic, everyone should know by now that Dave Nowicki is running against me as a write-in. More power to you Dave. I’m glad to see you’ve taken some interest in the public discourse. Even though you’re acquainted with Joe Reilly, I’m happy to work with you to inform the citizens so they can make the best choice between you and I. We’ve always gotten along in the past, and I’m sure we will in the future.
2. Well, this week you got a letter telling you how great things are now that we’re moving forward with our own department. Honestly, at this point, I can only say time will tell. The board has decided to ignore the cost of legal fees, loss of equity, loss of trained personnel, etc., but, I have to be honest with you, I really like Alex Felde and Pat Hayes. I think we’re in good hands. My prediction is that the incumbents on the board will continue to make an issue over the fire department breakup, when Marilyn, Diane and I have, in essence, moved on to other issues even though we stand behind our opinion on this issue. How ironic is that? Maybe before the election we’ll have actually have invoiced our services since 12/18 and we can see how revenues match up to the budget predictions.
3. During the election cycle Marilyn, Diane and I will be deemed “unqualified” and “unfit” for the office by “them”. (I don’t mean to be annoying, but I say “them” and “they” because I’m not really only talking about Bill Craig and Tom Bird, but Joe Reilly as well. Mr. Reilly tends to be the mouthpiece for “them”.) They will say Marilyn quit the town clerk position because the board wouldn’t give her a raise. (A raise strongly supported by Mr. Barikmo at the time, by the way, despite him holding it against her recently.) They will say Diane was “removed” from the Fire Board due to who knows what. They will say I wanted to buy a $450,000 special rescue vehicle, or wanted to buy $13,000 in soap, etc. You’ve heard the dialogue before. Here’s what I suggest, when you hear Mr. Nowicki call me an “annexation hawk”, give me a call to discuss annexation. When you hear Mr. Reilly talk about soap; give me a call. I assure you I know a hell of a lot more about annexation than Mr. Nowicki, and more about that issue with the soap than Mr. Reilly. If you haven’t already, read this blog. I’ve well documented my feelings on most issues on this blog.
4. I predict that Mr. Reilly will “suggest” a candidate’s forum (why is Reilly so involved?) to publically debate past history. Here’s what I’ll say about a forum, I’m glad to attend if one is held, I’m glad to speak my mind and welcome the chance for people get to know me, but I’m tired of rehashing past issues. It’s time to dig in and figure out how to deal with reductions in shared revenue (it’s coming!), costs of services, road maintenance that has been neglected by this board, renewing our union contract with the DPW workers, etc. I like forums, but unfortunately I’m in and out of town most of March. I have to rely on my supporters to campaign for me!
5. It will be said that Mike Doble is “in bed”, or something to that effect, with Big Bend. I love this community! All of this community! That includes Big Bend. How many of you town residents go to work without going through Big Bend? How many of you go to church in Big Bend? Ever bought beer, wine or liquor at Bob and Al’s Mobile station? Ever been to the Dollar [Liquor] Store? How about the bank? You get the point, Big Bend is an integral part of our community. Why can’t we work with our neighbors? Be friendly? Cooperate? If elected, I intend to do everything I can to promote good relations between the town and village. We had a hard time sharing a 4th of July celebration this year for crying out loud! This must change, and if elected, it will change under my watch.
Anyway, I’ve gone on way too long. I’m sure I’ve lost most readers by now….
One final prediction: Should you choose to hire me to run the business of the town, I will protect every dollar you give the town like it was my own dollar. I appreciate your support!
If you have questions for me one-on-one, you’re welcome to contact me at: doble4chair@wi.rr.com
Regards,
Mike
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