Wild Root

Yes I sure do bitch here at this Blog, I see and write about the BS that see  and witness such as the Union Smashing of the City of Racine and other crazy things.

Shockingly this post is not slamming any way shape or form Wild Root so why am I writing about this then? I can’t join as a member the $200 is a bit pricing, I have no Dog in the fight in where its going to open. Why then?

Easy, the forming and start up of this Co-op will do more then anything I can say to wake up a group of folks on the diffacuties small non FOJ (Friend of John’s) have in opening a business. As well it is great to see a group of folks spend there own cast not grants not City funds to open a business. Something Racine does not see a lot of.

Best of all excluding a few hard core Obama is God types this group will sure call out the issues they see going forward.

This is exactly what this city needs, see I and Wolfman and the rest of the merry crew are discounted because we are “negative ”  in the eyes of the Racine Cheerleaders. Now what happens  when more and more start pointing out issues in the City? Start showing up to meetings and scream? Best quit voting for Mayor John Dickert and fools like Cory Mason?  Should Wild Root and other groups fail due to the nuts that run Racine you think there will not be screaming? Some of the Board of Wild Root put a lot of time and cash into this vs say perhaps Root River Council that exist mostly due to grants and City $$.

I do want Wild Root to go forward this City can use a Food Co-op for all the things a good Co-op can bring to a city.

In the right place Wild Root could help other great businesses start around it. Should Wild Root take off the first in line taking credit  will be Mayor John Dickert

.Should it fail he will be as far away as he can get.
Here is a link for more info on the Co-op http://wildrootmarket.com/

 

Correction Wild Root did receive  a Grant from the DRC for a market study.

DRC is more a part of Jwax then the City of Racine. The DRC/Downtown Racine has not escaped this writer

Does only Racine’s City Administrator Tom Friedel Know Best ?

 

 

 

Thank God for City Administrator Tom Friedel!

4/9/11 Journal Times

Without him we would be so lost back when we had a Brewfest downtown he was so worried about our well being

“We’re not happy that we’re kicking (home brewers) out. But who knows how their beer is being brewed?”  Yes everyday we read about the millions who die from Bad home Brew right? I have yet to read story one but he must have read them after all  he like Obama care so much!

I am sure his statement about Home brewing had nothing to do with finding a way to get Brew Fest fundraiser  out so The Local Newspaper could hold a Home Show. I am sure it was only chance that allowed the local newspaper to fill that open date in the Civic Center’s calender!

Why to think that this was all a put up job is just silly. Next you would tell me that Our Mayor sued his own city!….. Wait……..

All the mistruth I thought before our City City Administrator Tom Friedel set me straight was that some of the first food safety laws were the ones passed to make sure he beer brewed in the 1600’s was good to drink!

Now its all about the street venders. Thank God for City Administrator Tom Friedel!

Journal Times 8/28/12

City Administrator Tom Friedel, any peddler not selling his or her wares or services as part of an exempt group or special event would be identified as a “street vendor” and required to purchase a license and wear a badge while doing business.

The badges would be color coded to denote the calendar year and the vendors would also be required to carry a personal ID as well as a state sellers ID. They might also be required to undergo a background check.
At the meeting Alderman Robert “Sanders Park” .Mozol and Friedel talked about background checks to be sure that Pedophiles were not selling Ice Cream to kids  Wow! I did not know the only two folks I have read about being arrested/prosecuted  for Under Age sex games  Ex Mayor Gary Becker and Curt Johnson a Racine Business person  were Ice Cream venders!

I am sure that is is being looked at for our well being and not for forcing more to buy the $35 license or if like Friedel said have to get a building permit and pay that fee (If I heard right and I got this on tape so I think I do) you need to have a permit if you sell out of  10 * 10 tent.

This is not about the money at all its for our own good.

And those who may not want to come to Racine and sell what have you at our parades (what few we have) or events (even fewer) why we do not need them here do we?

Thank God for City Administrator Tom Friedel!

Oh one last thing He is just so worried about the Farmer selling hie crops on Washington Ave. As he said He did not know how they were grown or picked!They could be an issue after all they did not have a 10*10 tent up and I am sure that’s an issue too!

 

The failure of Mainstream Media in Racine WI. Opinion

The failure of Mainstream Media in Racine WI. , or Goebbels be very happy  Opinion

Whats the Status of the City Hall Bathrooms?  How much if anything did the City of Racine (property owners) pay to settle the lawsuit our Mayor was part of  (you know where the history includes Mayor John Dickert suing his own city)? What are the issues with selling Lake Michigan Water outside the Water Shed?

How do Racine Schools compare to Schools in say Detroit?

Good questions lots more that should have been asked over the years. IMHO that should have been asked over the years but where not and only in bits by non Main Stream Press in the last few years.

In Racine the big player is the Journal Times  A good old boy if I ever saw one and from what I have heard over the years may have at one time send copy of the Paper to J-Wax for an OK before printing the said paper.

Is that possible? Your guess is as good as mine.

Here a story the J-T did nothing with that I can find:

SC Johnson, city emails offer intimate look
at how company secured tax exemption

http://racinepost.blogspot.com/2009/06/sc-johnson-emails-offer-intimate-look.html

One would hope that the local paper would cover this story or should I say scandal?

Why do you think the Journal Times does not seam to cover stories that show other good ol boys in less then a great light?

Next we have WRJN

Where should I begin?  Why should I bother? I do not tune the station in since I am not that old that I fit there demographics. In fact I only know a few that ever do and then mostly for the weather in Winter, even that is not so much the case with WTMJ doing more on Cable/Smart Phone aps.

IMHO a nonstarter but historical note this is where Mayor John Dicker has his famous  Radio during his last campaign for Mayor that cost the City of Racine 100K so far and an unknown amount to settle the case.

 

CAR 25

The City of Racine’s Community Access TV Station.

The Staff of CAR 25 coves events and stories that they are directed to do (City Council meetings) or events the staff think is cool. Case in point The Raider Games or when Mr. Butler came to town to donate a large sum of money to the United Way.

With a reach better then WRJN  CAR 25 is becoming the Go To place for City approved event news.

 

Insider News

A Paper aimed for the Minority population of the city  of Racine.. I understand that Ken Lumpken has brought it back and will be resuming publication perhaps as early as this week 8/29/12

 

Racine Mirror

I have seen it not a lot there. IMHO if not for the fact she gets City ads it blow away.

 

One of the main bitchs I hear about Racine is the lack of information on topics like crime, whats going on at City Hall and the like.

I can see why folks are upset.

However as I will talk about The City of Racine does have a very good Underground press. The Good Old Boys are walking up to an issue that should have them in panic mode

 

Worlfman Reports and gives background on storty!

 

 

Racine Property Sales for August 26, 2012

Attempting to verify sales was rather difficult this week – with a record number not showing matching records in the city database, especially the higher value sales. However, the lower value sales have a much better rate of verification and are a much better indicator of where real estate prices in Racine are headed – DOWN. The highest unemployment in the State, high rates of property crime, a burgeoning criminal population that will be an economic drag on the City budget and the City employees suing the City over pay and benefits will continue to lower property sale values and make the City unattractive to potential homebuyers.

High rates of property taxation drive down home values because the more taxes one has to pay, the less income is left to afford a mortgage and insurance. This is why highly paid City of Racine employees choose to live outside the Community – with their current level of income they can afford a much larger house and larger lifestyle out in the ‘Burbs where it is LESS taxing and crime is very low. Higher rates of taxation also makes business less profitable, hence the employees must be paid less – so the City can be paid more – and with the supply of housing exceeding the number of buyers, home prices tumble. This is a strong trend in Racine, and the tax increases slated for 2013 – 6.42% for RUSD, an additional levy of $500,000 for Gateway and who knows what will happen with the City of Racine employees suing the City, the supply of homes in Racine so exceeds the demand that the City is going to spend $$$ to begin tearing down properties! The City is slated to spend $120,000 to tear down 9 properties with an aggregate market value of $517,000 while Bankers are holding many foreclosed properties off of the market – to artificially prop up home prices. There will be no housing recovery in Racine until the City declares bankruptcy – which is coming.

http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/racine-awarded-to-demolish-blighted-homes/article_26c37836-dc98-11e1-ac70-0019bb2963f4.html

Why is the City  Assessor lying about property values and holding the assessed values at an unrealistic market price? Most likely because if a TRUE and ACTUAL assessment were taken, based upon realistic market value – the City of Racine would no longer be able to borrow money – which is what John Dickert is doing at a high rate to finance his pet projects and reward FOJ’s with lucrative City contracts.

 

From the Wisconsin State Constitution: Municipal home rule; debt limit; tax to pay debt. SECTION

3. [As amended Nov. 1874, Nov. 1912, Nov. 1924, Nov. 1932, April 1951, April 1955, Nov. 1960, April 1961, April 1963,

April 1966 and April 1981]

(1) Cities and villages organized pursuant to state law may determine their local affairs and government,

subject only to this constitution and to such enactments of the legislature of statewide concern as with uniformity shall affect every city or every village. The method of such determination shall be prescribed by the legislature.

(2) No county, city, town, village, school district, sewerage district or other municipal corporation may become indebted in an amount that exceeds an allowable percentage of the taxable property located therein equalized for state purposes as provided by the legislature. In all cases the allowable percentage shall be 5 percent except as specified in pars. (a) and (b):

(a) For any city authorized to issue bonds for school purposes, an additional 10 percent shall be permitted for school purposes only, and in such cases the territory attached to the city for school purposes shall be included in the total taxable property supporting the bonds issued for school purposes. (b) For any school district which offers no less than grades one to 12 and which at the time of incurring such debt is eligible for the highest level of school aids, 10 percent shall be permitted. (3) Any county, city, town, village, school district, sewerage district or other municipal corporation incurring any indebtedness under sub. (2) shall, before or at the time of doing so, provide for the collection of a direct annual tax sufficient to pay the interest on such debt as it falls due, and also to pay and discharge the principal thereof within 20 years from the time of contracting the same.

 

GOOD LUCK Brave residents of the City of Racine.

Address                                  Sale Price                  Assessed Value        Difference

1532 Michigan Blvd.                $220,000                     $254,000                     Neg. $34,000

3605 Haven Ave.                     $139,000                     $139,000                            -0-

139 Ohio St.                            $121,000                     $142,000                     Neg. $21,000

141 Main St. No. 429               $116,900                     $159,000                     Neg. $42,100

2809 Ashland Ave.                  $99,500                       $90,000                       Pos. $9,500

2708 Kenwood Dr.                  $95,900                       $108,000                     Neg. $12,100

2221 Winthrop Ave.                $92,000                       $104,000                     Neg. $12,000

3305 Pierce Blvd.                    $90,500                       $113,000                     Neg. $22,500

711 Augusta St.                      $83,000                       $114,000                     Neg. $31,000

2009 Howe St.                        $59,000                       $84,000                       Neg. $25,000

2201 Yout St.                          $33,674                       $88,000                       Neg. $54,326

3601 Republic Ave.                 $30,000                       $90,000                       Neg. $60,000

946 N. Memorial Dr.                $25,000                       $36,000                       Neg. $11,000

1712 Holmes Ave.                   $23,500                       $77,000                       Neg. $53,500

1340 Park Ave.                        $15,000                       $65,000                       Neg. $50,000

15 properties sold with an average overassessmnet of $28,000!

 

_____________________________________________________________

 

Once again I thank Woflman for this report his views are IMHO right on and should he prove to be right how long does the City have before we go belly up?

 

“Racine is worse then Younstown”

 

 

 

So a few years ago my youngest daughter came to Racine, to visit not only me but Her Grandmother who is getting older and thought spending time with us would be a good idea.

She got a job Downtown at a Coffee  place  and even became active in the local Democratic party.

 
She and I spent  a lot of time visiting the  area’s things to do and hung out a lot. The kid came with me to our Neighborhood Watch meetings and Neighborhood Night Out.

Ms. C. took the opportunity to walk the streets and take a lot of photos,talk to other kids her age,even got to know as a pal an officer with the RPD. Ms. C who got a good education in the Kent Schools and by Home Schooling knew how to look into what was going on.

At one time she went looking for an apartment because she liked what she saw in Racine at first.

However as time went on she started asking questions of my Wife and I about why so few Minorities in Downtown Racine, seeing kids bothered downtown Racine for being kids and reading the Journal Times and seeing no real news just as she called it “Candy”.

After about three months she moved back to Kent Ohio. On the way to the Metra Station she said “Dad, this City is worse then Youngstown”   Wow Worse then Youngstown. I asked her what one thing could she point to as something very bad. Thinking she say Crime or maybe City Hall stuff, no She said “Racine hates Black folks” from the mouth of Babes

Wolfman strikes back!

 

 

 

His update of housing sales. I have asked him to do a post on why the the falling prices is the beginning  of a crises  for Racine. The Wolfman has a far better grasp of this then I do.

Hi views are his own

 

Racine Property Sales for August 19,2012

Home sale prices in Racine have tumbled again. Racine Unified School District is once again over budget, overstaffed with  overcompensated Administrators who command bloated salaries. David Hazen, CFo for Racine Unified School District has this to say: “It may not make sense to the district’s taxpayers that property taxes go up when revenue and expenses are down, but in the complex area of school funding, it can and does happen… You might assume that if the district has fewer student, we should be able to easily reduce costs.”

And so, the spending will continue unabated, Racine property values will continue to drop, and residents will continue to flee the City. Note that the average difference between sale price and assessed value has widened to $53,000.

Address                                  Sale Price                  Assessed Value        Difference

2915 Carpenter Dr.                 Foreclosure                 $98,000                               -0-

3520 South wood Dr.              $88,000                       $110,000                     Neg. $22,000

3355 Fourth Ave.                     $63,450                       $90,000                       Neg. $26,550

1629 Illinois Ave.                     $63,000                       $146,000                     Neg. $83,000

1000 Harmony Dr.                  $53,900                       $131,000                     Neg. $77,100

2210 Taylor Ave.                     $52,900                       $96,000                       Neg. $43,100

2604 Ridgewod Ave.               $44,500                       $114,000                     Neg. $69,500

1632 Grange Ave.                   $39,000                       $93,000                       Neg. $54,000

1124 N. Memorial Dr.              $35,000                       $52,000                       Neg. $17,000

1508 W.Sixth St.                     $32,000                       $90,000                       Neg. $58,000

1733 Mt. Pleasant St.              $26,555                       $89,000                       Neg. $62,445

1721 Villa St.                           $20,000                       $70,000                       Neg. $50,000

56 McKinely Ave.                     $17,500                       $70,000                       Neg. $52,500

1625 Albert St.                        $15,000                       $55,000                       Neg. $40,000

1718 Grand Ave.                     $15,000                       $76,000                       Neg. $61,000

937 Grand Ave.                       $11,200                       $85,000                       Neg. $73,800

——————————————————————————————————-

 

My Note

 

The City of Racine wants to build houses at about $200Kas I was told by an Alderman “Someone might come by and buy it.”  Wow.

Malcolm X for RUSD Supernatant of Schools My thoughts about RUSD

The Schools in Racine WI suck Dog Shit  Leadership of RUSD also makes the kids especially Minority kids eat it, in fact IMHO I say they only reason it is as bad as they are is that they are met to be. Yes as I see it RUSD wants the outcome of Minority kids to be as poor as they can make it.

Why in God’d Earth would any School district charged with educating youth want them to fail?  Good question one I am not 100% sure of is it to:

Keep a uneducated work force in Racine so the Temp Labor companies have a pool of labor to work in factory lines?

Is it to keep a large group of folks dependent on the local Democrat controlled  city voting for the Party, that is keeping them fed?

What else could explain the disaster  that is RUSD Schools. Now let me be clear I am not blaming the Teachers I am only blaming the leadership of RUSD. Most of the teachers of Racine Schools are doing the best they can in a horrific environment. Many I have talked to are unhappy with the Leadership of RUSD and feel upset that as they tell me RUSD does not care and only do a song and dance so they can be reelected.

We spend more per kid  then other area of Wisconsin that do a far better job then RUSD Why?

RUSD from what I understand is incapable of spending with in there budget leaving RUSD to ask for more money from the voters who in return say NO! Of course this leads to crying from RUSD.

What I like to know is what % of the leadership of RUSD have there kids in Racine Schools? Might they then be the poor schools or the better schools (perhaps a Johnson backed school) cant have our better’s kids with the riff raft.

Brother Mouzone in the Wire said” You know what the most dangerous thing in America is, right? Nigger with a library card.”

Not if they do not know how to read if they cant read they will not know how fucked up Racine is. They will not be able to find away out of the slums after all all the poor need to do is find the D on the ballet.

Malcolm X would have raised hell if he was here an if he had to taught kids to read on the Block

See with a basic education the knowledge of the world is open to anyone with library card

Perhaps that is what we need here for IMHO Racine Schools do not want the Poor to be able to read it might teach them that they are as good as say Mayor John Dickert

Crime

 

 

Hard to write about crime not because as Mayor John Dickert would like you to think we have none or little, its because I do not want to make this the issue of this Blog.

To some degree we will like any city have some crime, any area be it Racine, Baraboo, or Twin Lakes crime will happen folks drive drunk have fights do drugs nor is there anything any city can do to be crime free, we do not live nor I think want to live in police state we are not going to have a cop on every block and boldly  speaking I think it would not help much.

The issue I have is how our City Leadership like to pretend there is little crime, that there is nothing to worry about party on.

True most of us will not be killed in a gun fight we have over drugs most of us will not be arrested for selling Drugs or running a drug house.

We are however all impacted by crime from the taxes we pay for Police Courts and jails, to homes being robbed  or even being robbed our self’s.

Whole neighborhoods can be destroyed by drug gangs schools can be wrecked by gangs even whole families  destroyed, I can tell you that first hand.

In the past two months we have had  three murders and 3-6 other shootings. If I understand correctly some of the murders have  to do with Gangs as most of the Shootings. I have yet to see in the Racine Newspaper what I will call real  stories about this. Why?  IMHO its because our Mayor and the other Good Old Boys do not want you to know that thee might be areas of Racine that might not be safe to be in cant have that!

I would hope that the Journal Times would want the public to know if there are areas of the city to be very careful in. To perhaps encourage Neighborhoods to form Watch groups right? Are not watch groups a good thing?

To try hide crime is silly just drive down West 6th st see the gangs stop at the corner of 6th and Memorial see the drug deals this would be across the street from the Alderman’s home I can see why he may not want that out in the news, been that way even before I moved here in 98.  I can see why he does not come to the Neighborhood watch meetings  someone might ask him to do something. Hell I quit going since any discussion the Watch does not like is called politics and shut down but by they sure were able to bring up/promote KRM, but this is a topic  for another day and I will revisit it.

Two events none of them action by  the City changed the block I live on:

The man who owned two of the slum dwellings changed his ways and started watching what was going on in the houses he owned.  In fact such a great change I give full credit and Glory to God.

One of my Hispanic Neighbors started buying up the homes  foreclosed  and going out of his way to put the  best families he can in them. No more do the gang scum have safe areas to live in so they do not hang out here. Having no one to sell to there is no reason for the gangs to hang out in the first place.

Yet in most of tracks 1-5 in Racine its slums and empty buildings, folks with little hope and bad outcomes who look for an escape if only via a crack pipe. But like an Ostrage our leaders far rather hide from the issues of the how and why of crime as they drive out of “River View” as fast as they can

 

 

Why

 

 

 

 

I have been asked why I am doing such a disservice to the City of Racine by this Blog. I was asked if it was for “Payback” for some slight. Not at all I do this to document the decline and fall of this city.  No way I can change anything, I have no power to say arrest or prosecute the City leaders who I see as destroying this once fair city.
However I can document this for others who may wonder what the hell went on in Racine to turn it into this  pile of ruble it will soon become I think.  Who will ever believe unless its in writing with links to the proof such things as Mayor Garry Becker ending his days as Mayor because he had a thing for a mythical 14 year old (A State Undercover officer it would turn out), that a Community back idea of a Children’s Museum  would turn into failure but perhaps the closing of the Bank of Elmwood.

Who would think that a sitting Mayor of Racine would sue his own City, agree to pay his own legal bills for law suit brought on him personally yet somehow the City get stuck with the bill?

How else other then by someone willing to document this so years from now when this City is dust will the story of the path to ruin be told.

 

 

 

 

 

Is Han Fuqu Teaching Mayor John Dickert?

So we have read the Wolfman reports of selling prices vs assessed value in the City of Racine.

In Today’s Journal Times there is a story about a decline is Housing sales.  From the Story 8/14/2012  July first month that housing sales fell below same month last year”

John Crimmings, vice president and general sales manager at First Weber Group, 1100 N. Main St., wasn’t sure how to explain the July-to-July decline.

“The other thing that surprised me was that Racine (County) was down and everybody else was up” in southeastern Wisconsin, Crimmings said. As examples, Kenosha County sales were 38.6 percent greater than the previous July, Walworth County’s up by 35.6 percent, Milwaukee County’s 29.2 percent greater and Waukesha County’s up by 32.5 percent.

“I guess I’m more concerned how Racine (County) is tracking compared with surrounding counties,” Crimmings said.”

What he is shocked at this? Does he think folks want to move into Racine with what 3 murders in the last 2 months?  Mr. Crimmings may think that there is no crime in Racine that is all in our heads like Mayor John Dickert wants us too, however even the J-T cant cover up dead bodies.

Nor can the J-T spin what looks like outrage to me  on the spending on the Civic Center as the City crushes City Unions because we are broke.

Why does this matter:

1) Decline Housing values decreases the amount of Bonds the City can issue

2) The City of Racine may lose our credit rating making the cost high and harder to borrow money.

3) IMHO this (decline in Housing sales) means that our housing is still valued too high, that might decrease property values I know I will be fighting my assessment as being too high.

Sadly I see the Mayor not understanding what is going on and how hard this will be on the City. Of course when the Mayor pulls out new fees raises fees and raises taxes any way he can think of  he will see more leave the City.

Are we not so lucky to have John Dickert as Mayor