From RacineUncovered.org:
"WAY TO GO CITY HALL! It’s confirmed, the 2013 proposed budget is up on the City of Racine’s website. City of Racine.
Budget numbers and documentation show that they want to close a
station. The number of calls are up that the Racine Fire Department
responds to. Data shows the amount of calls is up 4.5% and that aprox
16% of calls can take over 8 minutes to respond to.
Page 10 reflects that they are planning on closing a fire station and
that 3 firefighter positions will be eliminated from city services."
Read more: http://racineuncovered.org/2012/10/city-hall-to-close-a-fire-station-and-eliminate-3-positions-from-rfd/
When they said "belt-tightening," you didn't think they meant at City Hall, did you?
It takes longer to drive to a fire these days, ya know with the streetlights out you have to be more careful driving.
ReplyDeleteWell, now Rome will actually be burning.... I wonder if anyone in a leadership role actually plays the fiddle?
ReplyDeleteI feel for you taxpayer's down there. It's really a problem. Why In hell doesn't someone start a Recall against Dickert? This has to irritate the entire City?
ReplyDeleteDickert is giving Porters a $1,100,000 advance to turn their building into apartments, so he has to close a fire station to make up the money. These are real estate swine playing games with our money. With the closure of a fire station, they are now playing games with our lives. The oink-oink's don't give a damn about us, just more $ and more $ and more $. There's never enough for pigs.
ReplyDeleteOrb's, Your not saying Dickert as a real estate agent has any interest In the Porter's deal are you? I can't ven imagine that being possible? He better hope not. He Is still an agent isn't he?
ReplyDeleteI would seriously like to hear the rationale on this. Sounds penney-wise and pound foolish with what has been written. I understand there was some mention of duplication or overlapping of service areas. Before we jump over the cliff, I'd like to hear the other side. If the argument is that lame quote, "we're broke," that doesn't cut it. There seems to be money for much more questionable projects.
ReplyDeleteThe slush fund for outside legal counsel was also increased from $200,000 to $350,000. That's
ReplyDeletethree hundred and fifty thousand of our dollars to defend Dickert's lies.
There is NO NEED for apartments in the area. In fact, there is a glut of available rental properties. And certainly the people who ran Porters into the ground shouldn't be trusted with our money. They ruined a 150-year old business that they supposedly knew. Now Dickert wants to reward them with taxpayer dollars. WTF? The Porters people have more than enough funds to develop the property on their own. But they're going to use our money to fund a private development. They know it's just a money hole, but they want to get millions and millions more of "free" tax dollars. The rich get richer on the backs of the poor.
ReplyDeleteLike Orbs said, plenty of apartments, plenty of empty retail already. All JD knows is real estate but he doesn't know the words supply and demand. He has to go. A spring recall should be an option. 8,900 signatures would force a recall.
ReplyDeleteKeep in mind all the odd aldermanic districts are up for election this spring. Win all 8 seats and you would have a majority on the common council. Anyone up to helping change Racine for the better?
Keith Fair is my alderman. Maybe I should run against him. I bet you that even with his legal problems, he gets re-elected. People in this district tend to vote by color over character. I could have a lot of fun with a "campaign," though.
ReplyDeleteAnyone else in the mix?
ReplyDeleteIf enough others do run, I would run. You could ip addresses but dont ask the district. Let that incumbant be surprised.
Here is the list of who is up for re-election this spring by district:
ReplyDelete1 Fair
3 Shields
5 Kaprelian-Becker
7 Dehahn
9 McCarthy
11 Helding
13 Morgenroth
15 Mozol
Ask around, let's get more people involved from the business field and the community on the council.
I could just see Orbs trying not to say his famous party on .. slogan in the council chambers.
Fair and Jeff Coe have alternated winning in District 1. Someone white can win there.
ReplyDeleteI know. That was racist of me. I was just reading the AP Poll where they say more than half the whites today don't like blacks.
ReplyDeleteRunning might be fun, but I think being an alderman would be a pain in the ass. There would be a steep learning curve on how the city works and how aldermen work.
My curent understanding is that in Racine, aldermen try to build "coalitions." God knows why, because they all toe Dickert's line. I guess they have to do something if they're not going to deal with our problems.
I'm sure I would be "gaveled down" regularly. Probably escorted out, too.
The part I would hate, though, is dealing with citizens and their complaints. It wouldn't be long before I'd be barking at them.
You would do fine, you are concerned about what happens in Racine otherwise you wouldn't be blogging about jd.
ReplyDeleteNo learning curve, you already know what's going on in the city. Mike Shields recently called jd a dictator, no gavel.
We could raise money for charity, you vs JD in a cage match.
That would be great. It could be pay-per-view on Channel 25. I'm going to practice my on-air trash talking interview technique. Friedel can be Dickert's manager. Who wants to be my manager? Understand that outside the cage, the managers and seconds often end up fighting, too.
ReplyDeleteHow's this?
ReplyDelete"DICKhurt, the lying stops when you and I meet in the cage! No more having your manager, Thug Tommy, intervene in our matches! No more outside interference from your pal, Monte Oh! No more dictating to the wrestling commission! Just you and me, and the devil makes three. I have no idea what that means, but it sounds tough."
I want a no holds barred match. No referee, no disqualifications. You win by your opponent's submission or unconsciousness.
Bring it on!
We can bill it as having an ambulance and EMTs on scene. It might not be a bad idea to have a preliminary match. I'd like to see someone take on the Wolfman.
One of the problems is aldermen/women get on this council and they don't know what to do, so they do as their told by JD, they don't want to rock the boat. You've got guys like DeHahn and Hart who've been aldermen for a combined 60 years!!! They are out of touch and have no clue how to run a city in this day and age. The current aldermen/women for the most part, represent JD and NOT the people. Speak out, call your alderman and bitch, it's the only way to get through to these people, most of them are so brainwashed they really believe Racine is thriving and headed in the right direction, we've gotta make a change!
ReplyDeleteI have to admit this has me puzzled. If the city doesn't have anything to do with the building then why are they giving so much money away. Usually a developer comes in and buys the building to renovate. The city might offer tax breaks/incentives but over a million seems ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteOrbs, I'll be your manager, we seem to work well together. First order of business is to hide the pictures of the get togethers.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, these people get re-elected because there is a clone or a bigger knob running against them. The name recognition of an incumbent, be it good or bad press is hard to overcome.
I guess I will ask again. WHO Is the Real Estate developer that must be part of this deal? The people that owned Porter's all of these years can't be the developers? Somebody has to be making a bunch of money off of this development?
ReplyDeleteOh boy, you guys are going to join the big leagues! We may have a candidate in our midst! You go, Orbs. Someone who cares about the city. All the garbage I've been reading on facebook about Racine's political arena saddens me.
ReplyDeleteI no longer live in Racine, but I do pay plenty of Property Taxes to Racine, the city as well as the county. It is time someone cleaned house up there. I know there have to be some good folks in office, but the bad ones make up for those who are trying to do what is best for the people of Racine.
I wish you luck. If nothing else, get their attention!