Does Evil walks the streets of Racine?

As much as I do not think many wake up and ask “What harm can I do today to the City of Racine”

I do think we have a few that wake up and think “How can I loot the City to keep my pals happy?”

First among them I and others feel is Mayor John Dickert’

After all his Pals vote his way, look away from what I and others see as corrupt activities (CAR 25), and cause The City to be looked on with scorn. (Mound Cemetery)

And serve on Boards to deflect oversight

k

Ethics anyone?

You do what you have to do to keep pals loyal, play to their dreams, have them feel important

Example, more then one onlooker at City Council told me that

  loved hearing the Words “Mr. President”   out of the mouth

of The God

  Mayor John Dickert  Oops my bad

Drat One more time

Perhaps to some with not going on as they wait for a Disney World to be built in Racine they can believe that old days of glory are coming back to Racine and soon!

Others may believe that they are good pals they will get City jobs like City Attorney, after all we all have a price

Mine would be

Thing is if your buying your pals 1) You got to meet the price 2) Will they be still paid when they hear the the words “FBI open the Door”  or will they not only open the door but hand them documents  kept for such a day.

Going back to my first point, IMHO Mayor Dickert does think he is not only the leader of the city, but the City owes him for what his kin did in the pas,t and he is aiming to get it not only for himself but his pals.

Even some of his pals may think they are doing God’s will and therefore its O.K. for them to work with the Mayor on his scams for since they are in their own mind doing God’s Will anything they may do because it has God’s OK is just dandy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Is your streetlight still up?

Will you be going to Mexico this Winter?

Does evil walk the Streets?

Has the J-T hit a new low?

 

If that can be believed.  For what ever reason the J-T is removing anything that may speak badly of the Downtown today. Here is the story  http://journaltimes.com/news/local/first-fridays-looks-at-possibly-using-space-heaters/article_6995e4ba-5577-11e3-96fc-0019bb2963f4.html

the focus of most of the comments being removed is Ms Mary Osterman,  some spoke of not believing that this is not the beginning of a back door gig to get the City of Racine to pay for the Heaters, after all that is our duty right?

Some wanting to know about back taxes on the building (she rents for her business) owes, and one who questioned the ethics of Osterman and her receiving ads from CAR 25 when she (Osterman) is on the Cable Commission providing oversight, of the same folks creating the ads for her business. I like to know how much she paid if anything and how many others are taking out ads.

From what I saw all where removed, wow. Is the paper providing cover for Ms Osterman, Perhaps the City of Racine is asking for the comments to be removed? To keep the public from asking questions about yet another strange idea.

The J-T can do what they want on their Web Page. More power to them.

Makes it interesting very interesting.  Perhaps its now a high crime to question   activities in the Downtown or is it a crime to question the Good Old Boys pals of Mayor John Dickert?

Sadly for the J-T they may be on the verge of a shutdown, I think the public who the J-T needs to read the paper/ take out ads, are finding out that there are far more options the The Racine Journal Times.

The Book Series

 

 

After consultation with a pal who has also written a few good selling E- Books via Smash Words and Amazon. I have come to the conclusion to write a series of books about the Corruption in Racine as I and many others see around us .

I will be looking at the dealings of The Mayor of Racine John Dickert.

The first Book will show a who’s who of Dickert’s pals and the role they play on City of Racine Boards, how that helps to get the Mayor’s agenda finished.

The next two will be about Delta Hawk   and Team Porters two projects sucking up tax money yet very little seen going on with them.

The Books will be less then 100 pages each and have  documentation in them (Copies of Minuets of meetings, Records from RCEDC )

The first book will cost about $1.00 the rest I am thinking less then $10.00 each

Since the stories I talk about will be far longer then a newspaper be interested I thought the Idea of an E-Book would be the best way to go about bringing the readership of this blog information on the game playing going on here under Mayor Dickert in the City of Racine.

Will Racine prove to be the most corrupt small city in the U.S.A.  Time will tell.

Thanks!

Thanks Vanna! Great job!

 

Natives retain control over Mounds but questions remain

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Natives retain control over Mounds but questions remain, Mr X interjects

On Friday 11/15/13  press conference called Mayor Dickert of Racine was called to announce that Meredith had withdraw their offer to buy an area of Mound Cemetery that  many believe to be a native Mound used for religious purposes such as burial.

This effort by the Meredith’s opposed by both Native Americans and local residents. also brought unwelcomed Media coverage, from local, State, and National outlets.

 A new civic group was formed due what was seen by many as an attack on Native rights this group Ogichidaa Mawansomag, (Ojibwa for Warriors Gathering People Together was in the forefront of this struggle).

At the Conference the Meredith referred to the effort opposing the purchase of what could be a native Mound a “  three-ring circus” Mayor Dicker himself would call the protest effort made up of Natives and Residents doing such acts as  speaking in front of City Council during public comments, and holding peaceful Drumming Rallies as acting in “an unprofessional manner”

 We (this readership) should ask if the City of Racine not returning phone calls/emails or meeting with local native leadership was unprofessional.

 Members of the Ho-Chuck Tribe from Baraboo WI, spoke on the effort over the mounds, and now the effort to work with the City of Racine moving forward

 Mayor Dickert also called on Ogichidaa Mawansomag to keep to their Letter offering to buy the site in question and maintain said area.

 Ogichidaa Mawansomag is now scheduled to meet with the City some time in the New Year, to plan the fund raising efforts needed to move forward in order to obtain the site for further preservation what they and others see as a  sacred site.  

As one of the members of the public stated after the conference “ Before today I was unaware of any City response, to any of the Emails or Phone calls made to the City, about this issue to include the letter Mayor Dickert spoke of, this letter was send weeks ago. Why could he not have met with us then?”

 Other questions remain unanswered among them are:

Time and again Leadership of  Ogichidaa Mawansomag  has requested a meeting both by Letter and publicly at a City Council meeting in October, why did this get refused?

Time and again  Ogichidaa Mawansomag  asked to talk with the Meredith’s and that get refused why?

Why did Meredith’s call Ogichidaa Mawansomag  Bullies what did they do? Is there a Police report on that?

Mayor John Dickert once again said the City was out of money that then what happen to the Cemetery fund that once has over a million dollars in the account. What happened to the funds over the years, was this money used for other purposes if so who approved this spending?

Mayor Dickert may this with his song and dance the Mound issue is over.

The public may have questions that the Mayor will have to answer.  

Note:

Mr X my long term source is of the firm belief that until the City and the Natives have an agreement in writing, that Mayor Dickert who still has a permit to test mayl go forward  with a test then use the fact that the city has no money to sell the plot anyway, then move forward to be able to do so.

Mr X sees the City doing this early one morning and closing the gates deploying the RPD so the work can go on and not be interrupted

After all its Mayor John Dickert he hates losing.

I am sure that if Racine did that, we end up in court but  that has not stoped Dickert yet.   He has if you recall sued his own city.

Why stop there? How low can Racine go? How would Dickert’s backstabbing should it happend make you feel?

 

  

 

Vanna White

I need a Vanna White for a Video on Corruption in Racine 2-3 hours paid gig should have good hand writing

Well Mr. Mayor?

 

Good question when will they?

The Mayor got the City of Racine (read the residents) of Racine to pay his legal bills (about 100K)   We got to pay for his trip to France (who paid for his kin to go?) Who went with him?

We will be paying him to go to Mexico to bring Mexican Companies to Racine, with our high taxes , the hoops new businesses  have to jump and the way this City treats Minorities, will anyone come?   Yet The Mayor will be going, are your streetlights still on?

There are many buildings in Downtown Racine behind on back taxes. Some very much so. Why has the County Executive  not started the action needed to take them? If in fact Downtown Racine is booming as we are told it is, should it not be easy to resell them?  Maybe its time to expose the fiction of Downtown Racine? Perhaps we might find out that some business  are having issues paying venders? If that is the case why  Downtown is not booming is it?

In fact if J Way lays off say 50 from the Downtown location, what damage will that do? Maybe the County will give more money to Dickert’s pals is that not the job of folks living near Waterford?

Should not the Mayor’s pals some who have benefited greatly from contracts from City Hall at least insure the property taxes on the building they rent are being paid on? Begs the question if rent is being paid,is it?

How much $$ is spent on Downtown Racine to keep it looking alive? What’s the total amount being paid by the County on Reef Point Marina?

How much will farmers from Union Grove be chipping in for the Uptown?    Will FOJ’s get the work?

Yet vs looking into how the City is speeding $$ with I feel the O.K. of the County (Hell West of the I is rich so lets soak them!) for the Uptown the site of actions of the City of Racine that started yet another legal fight!

When do we call the Mayor to account?

IMHO I think that the Mound issue is not over yet, until a deal is signed in writing.

My First Dickert Press Conference

Today I went to my first Press Conference called by Mayor John (how do I get out of this one) Dickert as a Reporter for the Newspaper I freelance for, subject Mound Cemetery the Conference itself  I will cover the the Newspaper this is just about my experience at City Hall.

The primary I went was to be sure that the Natives would be able to have their story told vs the spin I expect the Journal- Times  to put on the facts  of the massive loss of Face by not only The “Family”  in question but by the Mayor of Racine, a man that does not handle that well (Recall CAR 25 and the years of work it took to remove old staff and give it to a crony)

Got there early, and waited and that’s all good. Interesting how he had his Boy Toy bring in TV First and then invite the Press in by talking one on one of course I was not asked in, yes as I see it it was a insult directed to me.

Sticks and Stones right? Well with three Alderman in the room all knowing that I could not be kept out I recalled the fact that I could NOT be excluded and walked.

One of Pet Aldermen   (I think Kaplin) had to put in his .02 as a way to show his disdain

  Mayor’s pet Alderman Jim Kaplin

The production went off, IMHO The Mayor Spun his web, the song and dance ended I met with a source in the hallway and came back to  HQ.

The most interesting part was as far as I could tell The Mayor wants to be a TV star but not one where he loses face. See I think he put a lot of his presage on the line and lost big and to a group of Minorities and was unable to do as he said he would do for well Good Old Boys with Money.

Now in my mind there will be payback.  How will it be unit? Egging Houses?     Another Newspaper Two new Blogs how does he get away with it?

He does not understand its a new age in Racine

the Year of the Ethics Violations

The year 2013 might be remembered as the Year of the Ethics Violations in Racine Wisconsin. The year started with a series of complaints filed by The Racine Equality Project, and concerns about the outsourcing of Cable Access Racine soon followed.

Dan Macemon, a local business owner filed a complaint after a bid for a demolition project in the Uptown area resulted in damage to an adjacent building. Macemon alleges that the damage was caused by the City’s lax administration of bidding documents and an unfair bidding process.

Those interested in the Cable Access Racine matter, paid close attention to the details of the case. The filing of a complaint by Dr. Ken Yorgan of the Racine Equality Project, alleged that there were multiple ethics violations by the City of Racine, Mayor John Dickert, City staff, and even a member of the City of Racine Cable Commission. http://racineequalityproject.org/

Attendees of the first hearing were shocked to learn that two members of the mayoral appointed Ethics Board also worked on the Mayor’s election campaign   Lincoln Murphy and Doug Nicholson were each featured in literature and advertising for the Dickert campaign.

Another mayoral appointee, Russell Missureli,  fell asleep during procedural phase

  but opted to vote anyway. 

Many were shocked that these three members did not recuse themselves either for at least an apparent conflict of interest or, in the case of Missureli, a lack of information.   

At the time, Dr. Yorgan, the Chairman of the Racine Unity Project, was satisfied by Murphy and Nicholson and felt that they could be trusted to act in an ethical manner. The next ethics hearing was held and in less then 2 hours, all charges were dismissed.

Attendee Kate Remington was one of many who heard Chair Mary Wyant express the sentiment that ‘they (Ethics Commission) was not interested in the truth.’

Still, others were left with the impression that the charges were never really meant to be answered and that the hearing was just for show.

Macemon’s hearing would be even shorter. Conveniently there was  no court reporter on hand to transcribe the hearings

Since that time, another issue has arisen. The recent Indian Burial Mound sale could still lead to more ethics hearings as changes are in the works to address the way in which ethics charges are handled. 

“Cities Pitch Ethics Switch: Racine residents Could Have Kenosha Consider Ethics Complaints” Racine Journal Times 7-22-13  

The solution may involve a change of venue for perceived ethics violations. By partnering with the City of Kenosha, Racine’s cases would be transferred to that jurisdiction’s ethics board, eliminating some of the conflicts, both perceived and real. Kenosha’s cases would similarly be transferred to Racine. Of course, both cities would need to have reciprocity in their rules.

Should the City of Racine follow Kenosha’s lead, one would have to live in Racine or the physical address of a business would have to be in Racine to file. According to various sources, Alderman Gregg Helding does not oppose the concept.

The City of Kenosha is also looking into making changes in their Ordinance

/

That change would mandate that should a charge be filed, and no violations are found to exist, the complainant would be charged a fine. Many believe that this would prevent thwart justice and will only serve stifle the complaints of those who are unable to take the financial risk, especially in light of the Board’s recent actions.

That change has not yet passed in Kenosha, though it is not expected come up against much resistance. If so, it’s possible that the City of Racine will do the same.   

Dr. Ken Yorgan weighed in on the matter:

 

The ethics board in Racine is nothing more than a place where ethics complaints are taken to die a brief and anonymous death.  As Chairman of the Racine Equality Project, I have had occasion to file two ethics complaints against members of the city administration on behalf of aggrieved citizens.  I did not take that responsibility lightly and only signed my name as complainant after being thoroughly convinced that there actually were violations, and not simply someone’s disgruntlement with administrative procedures.

The proposed cooperative agreement between Racine and Kenosha, which would have these cities receive and review each others ethics complaints, is of questionable merit.  This is especially true when a part of the agreement provides for harsh financial consequences against any citizen whose complaint is determined to be “unfounded.”  While the threat of such consequences might act as a deterrent to someone whose only interest is badgering elected officials, it would also deter those who have legitimate complaints but lack confidence in the integrity of the process.  It’s a classic case of a solution looking for a problem, specifically, how many complaints are filed in a given year, and how many can unequivocally be described as “unfounded?”

It is doubtful that a city has the authority to impose costs on anyone for filing an ethics complaint, regardless of the outcome, but it is troubling that such punitive prerogative be placed in the hands of political appointees.  A better alternative would be to establish a process whereby disinterested citizens are called upon to review ethics complaints, in much the same way that juries are selected for judicial trials. 

    Dr. Ken Yorgan

    Chairman, Racine Equality Project 

 This is posted or will be soon in the Paper I write for, in about a week I check the numbers for views.   Yes the Story of Racine is getting out more and more

A typical Story

A typical story that I wrote for the Wisconsin Daily Independent

 

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Unified Neighborhood Inspection Team: Guarding us from bad neighbors? 

 

 

How is an 89 year old Nazi Work camp survivor a threat to her neighborhood?  Why are so many property owners looking over their shoulders? In a series of three installments, we will examine impact of the City of Racine’s the Unified Neighborhood Inspection Teams (UNIT).

Part 1

In 2004 then Mayor Garry Becker took pride in creating the Unified Neighborhood Inspection Teams at the first meeting of the City Council he said, ‘We have torn down houses and buildings in virtually all parts of town,’ Becker said. ‘The word is out. The bar has been raised. The city expects more from its property owners.’ 

At the time, these were welcome words for the residents of Jones St., deep in the heart of a blighted neighborhood where slumlords were an issue. Drug houses in the area, rundown buildings and other major issues were frequently brought up at neighborhood meetings, but what could be done?

At first, UNIT was seen as something to bring help in assisting with the enforcement of building codes in the slums. It seemed to be a gift for home owners interested in thwarting falling property values.

Under UNIT, we’ve seen a turnaround in conditions at houses strewn with trash and sweeps of the area by the Racine Police and Health Departments to deal with issues like abandoned cars to structures that were ready to collapse. At first look, things improved or so it seemed.

Most homeowners will tell you that they were putting time and money into keeping up their properties but still see other inhabitants who opted to do the opposite. Complaints to landlords often fell on deaf ears. With UNIT, something could be enforced and homeowners who cared about their properties in poorer neighborhoods had a chance to save flagging property values.  

Inequity became an issue and some even worried that people’s rights were being violated. Once the Unit wrote a ticket for an infraction, there was little that could be done to fight it. Violations became a selective judgment call as inspectors were charged with determining things like just how much peeling paint was too much? The hopscotch manner in which tickets were issued for snow covered walks, left residents wondering why some were cited and not others? Why was it that banks that owned foreclosed properties were exempt from cleaning snowy walks, cutting grass and picking up trash? When these questions came up at Neighborhood Watch meetings, they went unanswered and when landlords pressed the city representatives for answers, they were demonized as slumlords.  

Time and again at city meetings, Mayor Becker made it clear that he was going to use the UNIT to save Racine WI from the ‘evil slumlords.’

 

Simovic Jadwica has a home which is badly in need of repair (get photo). As my neighbors and I saw her frequently, we knew that she was aging and suffering from the many ravages that time and trauma bestow on us all. She was a Nazi work camp survivor and lives alone.

She creates no issues for her neighbors and we try to look out for her by taking turns at shoveling her walkway, dropping by to check on her well-being and making sure that she has enough to eat.

Time and again I was assured by my former alderman Q A Shakoor that the City/County would allow her to keep her home since she was no trouble.  The trauma that she faced at the hands of her Nazi captors, led officials to determine that it would be a major issue to move her to a nursing home at county expense. Her advanced age only amplified the situation.

When the UNIT began to issue orders for repair work, she was unable to comply due to her age and a lack of funds. We were constantly assured that nothing would happen to Mrs Jadwica and that she’d be able to live out her days in her home. It seems that we were somehow led astray.