Senior Viewpoint

The pop song "The Great Pretender" was originally recorded by the Platters in 1955 and was featured in the film "American Graffiti" in 1973.

The award winning music has been repopularized by rock bands, country western singers and by pop stars who recreated the words.

     "Oh yes. I'm the Great Pretender, pretending that I'm doing well. My need is such, I pretend too much. I'm lonely, but no one can tell..."

Different versions are available on websites and it is interesting how the words are molded by the music artists.

There is no evidence that the song and words have been used against a politician, although there are many possibilities.

There seems to be a reincarnation of the old pop songs some of which have become favorites again.

In the recently released movie "Australia", the movie theme was enhanced by the legend Judy Garland, in the Wizard of Oz, singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

This reminds me of a tune "those were the days , my friend,we thought they"d never end...".

2 0 0 9 will soon begin and the predictions are already coming in from those with super natural powers.

Some say 2 0 0 9 will be a difficult year and some say 2 0 0 9 will be just another year.

Whatever the case, 2 0 0 9 will be 2 0 0 9, no matter what.

The "senior viewpoint" is to take it one day at a time.

Another way to take it is to think about baseball. Spring training in Arizona is only 2 months away. (Pitchers and Catchers report in February in AZ.).

The Brewers had an exciting 2008 season and there is every reason to count on 2009 as an exciting season, another hot pennant race, and hopefully more.

There will be political issues, some resolved and some not.

And before you know, 2009 will be gone, but not forgotten.

So, "Enjoy Yourself ! It's later than you think". (recorded by Guy Lombardo orchestra in 1949. "The years go by, as quickly as a wink. Enjoy yourself, Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think".). See and listen: www.rvproperty.com.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 

From SONG OF THE SOUTH, a Disney production, and performed by James Baskett (Uncle Remus), came these lyrics.

      Zip-a-dee-doo-dah,zip-a-dee-ay, My,oh my, what a wonderful day, plenty of sunshine headin' my way, zip-a-dee - doo-dah,zip-a-dee-ay. Mister Bluebird's on my shoulder, It's the truth, it's actual,Ev'rything is satisfactual. (www.song of the south.net).

From the great vocalist, Johnnie Ray, mostly deaf in both ears, "Cry", and from the legend Judy Garland as Dorothy in the WIZARD OF OZ, "Somewhere over the Rainbow".

The chairman of the board, Frank Sinatra, changed the words from "the lady is a tramp", to "the lady is a champ".It goes something like this: "she gets so lonely for dinner at 8".

Dean Martin remembered all the Dads, with "Oh my pa-pa, to me he was so wonderful".

These, and many more are Songs for the Seasons, whether about autumn leaves, you are my sunshine, winter wonderland, singin' in the rain or roses are red, and songs for all seasons will be forever just as the seasons which inspired the songs.

My memories of the holiday season include, among st other things, seasonal music like Silver Bells and White Christmas that is music for the ages.

As my memory went back to many years ago there were other songs and music that may not be for the ages but had words and lyrics that are worth listening to.

In 1944 Johnny Mercer wrote the words and Harold Arlen wrote the music for a movie named HERE COME THE WAVES, a tribute to the first female Navy counterpart.

The verse was sung by none other than Bing Crosby, and it's title is "Ac-Cent-Thu-ate The Positive."

     "You've got to Accent-tchu-ate the positive, E-lim-my-nate the negative, Latch on to the affirmative, Don't mess with Mister In-between. (www.johnny mercer.com) Check your internet for the rest of the words.

Another memorable song was introduced in 1948 by the legend and early television star, Nat King Cole, words and music by Eden Ahbez.

     "There was a boy, a very strange enchanted boy, they say he wandered very far, very far over land and sea, a little shy and sad of eye but very wise was he. And then one day he passed my way and while we spoke of many things, fools and kings, this he said to me. "The greatest thing you"ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return"."

NATURE BOY credits to www.sing365.com/music/lyric.

My sincere best wishes for a very happy holiday season.

When a municipal police department issues a citation which purports to be a violation of a civil ordinance it creates a permanent court record and may create a permanent police record.

A municipal citation under state and local law is a violation of a civil ordinance and a finding of guilty results in a fine/forfeiture.

HOWEVER, even though the penalty results in a monetary fine there can be more serious consequences.

Many people are advised that a civil law violation is not a crime and therefore there is no criminal record attached.

This is correct in that a civil law violation is not a crime and that when the fine/forfeiture is paid the case is ended.

Caveat: If that civil law violation results in an arrest and the person is booked, fingerprinted and photographed, those records in some cases may become permanent and forwarded to certain data base agencies.

Caveat: If you plead guilty and sometimes no contest and that plea results in a judgment of guilty, then that record in some cases may become part of a permanent police record (rap sheet). That record may be permanent even in some cases that are dismissed.

Caveat: The Municipal Court has a permanent case file and computer generated record of every citation issued regardless of the outcome.

Examples of a civil law violation are disorderly conduct, retail theft, trespassing, vandalism, possession of controlled substance ,destruction of property and almost all violations described in the municipal ordinance.

Caveat: This type of record may prevent a person from employment and education opportunities and may prevent a person from being bonded or licensed.

Be very careful and seek professional advice before you are convicted of a civil ordinance violation in a municipal court.

During the City of Brookfield 2009 Budget deliberations there were many statements made by public officials and city staff employees.

Were they on the record or off the record ? In the legal system on the record means in a courtroom, under oath, before a judge and transcribed by a court reporter. In politics on the record means at an official city meeting, not under oath and not before a judge and recorded on television. In either situation off the record means it is none of the above and does not formally reflect the truth. Off the record statements includes hearsay, speculation, opinions and rumors, all of which are not credible.

In the published 2009 Budget Statement of the Mayor, he states: "Executive Budget.....gives the Mayor primary authority and responsibility for budget formulation, presentation and execution.....and recommendations of the Mayor, representing the executive branch. (emphasis supplied).

For the Record, this does not look like a "weak Mayor" form of government, when the Mayor controls the purse strings.

For the Record, the Mayor prepared a list of possible cuts for the Finance Committee and he called his list of cuts....."totally ridiculous", which if nothing else is an inconsistent statement. (source/Brookfield News 10/16/08).

For the Record, the budget message announced by a key city official stated that $39,000 might be cut from the DARE program, yet $25,000 was allocated for 2009. If the program continues then what happened to the $14,000 and are the police still paid overtime ?

For the Record, this writer recommended term limits for the Mayor only. Does anyone in city hall wish to raise this issue to a vote, or is the agenda filled with pet limits,commercial signs and our sister city ?

As Sgt.Joe Friday (Dragnet) said "I just want the facts. Give me the facts". 

This is a continuation of my blog Pearl Harbor Day 1 from the memory of an 8 year old boy, now senior citizen.

The unexpected, for most Americans, advent of World War II and the 4 year period following is know as the greatest generation, in part because our dads, sons, brothers and and most of the eligible men went off to war. In that moment in time the moms and all women had to fill the gap their patriotic men left. There was a draft but there were also long lines of men offering their lives to their country.

The moms did a great job and while many worked in defense plants the war moms had the raise the family, care for the children and became head of the household all in a manner never before seen. They were "super".

No homes had television and many did not have a telephone, or had a party line (one shared with others). We walked everywhere, automobiles were a luxury, and food rationing was mandatory.

News was hard to get because the Star and Stripes, a military news network, controlled the news releases, especially about the early war casualties and battlefield losses which were heavy.

There were were newsreels at the movies, i.e., "The March of Time", mostly edited, and the radio and newspapers were the sole source of the news. As a youth I thought that John Wayne was winning the war.

I remember the Nazi Bund meetings across the street and the police cars with their sirens arriving to investigate a "noise" complaint.

The US government and the military did their best to fashion our ability to assist the war effort by issuing statements that were posted everywhere like, "a slip of the lip may sink a ship".

All Americans were filled with patriotism and respected the authority of the President, the military, the police, and the school teachers. 

My Country was at War and each day that passed was another day towards Victory.

This Sunday December 7, 2008 is the anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day, Sunday, December 7, 1941.

On December 7, 1941 I was 8 years old and clearly remember having supper with my parents in our lower rented flat at 2019 W. State St., Milwaukee. The memories of that day have been with me my entire life.

It was late afternoon when we heard on the radio (there was no television then), the famous news broadcaster, Walter Winchell open with his usual promo " Good evening Mr. and Mrs. North America and all the ships at sea, flash". And then he said in a less penetrating tone, "The Empire of Japan has attacked Pearl Harbor by air power in a sneak and unprovoked military action".

The horrid details of death and destruction followed in rapid fashion as we heard of military and civilian casualties and our inability to fight back.

The irony of it all was at that same time Japanese Ambassadors were negotiating a peace treaty in Washington, D.C.

We listened to the stories of being invaded and that we all must take steps to protect ourselves and the rest of the bad and disturbing news.

My parents told me not to worry and that President Roosevelt would make the right decisions.

The problem was that we did not have a comparable military and much of our fleet in the Pacific was destroyed or severely damaged at Pearl Harbor.

The next day the dictator, Hitler, declared war on the United States of America and President Roosevelt declared war on Japan.

THANKSGIVING 2008 is here as we all celebrate the most cherished American tradition.It is a time for Family, Food, Fun and to Forgive.

Families join together, food is plentiful, fun is had for all and to forgive is to be humble.

We all have special memories of this day and I wish you all another special memory.

As for me I never forgot where I came from. (2019 W. State St.,Milwaukee).

HAVE THE BEST THANKSGIVING EVER.

The failing economy raises the cry loud and clear for more open government, the right of the people to know and to understand.

This right to open government is not limited to the feds but is all inclusive of our own local government.

City hall in the City of Brookfield is a prime example. Official meetings are open to the public for observation and private e-mails and side room discussions are not recorded.

Budgetary items are listed in general categories therefore shielding the nuts and bolts expenses.

Various press releases are issued by various city hall people under the guise of apparent authority to bind the city and it's residents to something the residents know nothing about.

Reckless statements are made by certain public officials that later have to be retracted.

Candidate for Mayor Speaker in 2002, bragged, "I'm an open book", when defending being reprimanded 9 times as a police officer. (see JSOnline, Spivak & Brice).

Yet, there is no open book in our city government.

This is my opinion based on my personal observations for 34 years as a city-wide elected offficial.

Open government. Yes or No?

Quid Pro Quo is a legal term defined in Black's Dictionary, as "what for what; something for something; used in law for the giving of one valuable thing for another; it is nothing more than the mutual consideration which passes between the parties to a contract, and which renders it it valid and binding."

The Mayor of the City of Brookfield, Jeffrey Speaker, since first being elected, has defined himself as a member and supporter of the Republican Party and therefore he is bound by the political principles of a partisan political organization whose sole purpose is to elect Republicans to public office.

Since the office of Mayor is non-partisan under our law, so should be the candidates and the incumbent. To do otherwise is to violate the law which does not bode well for a former police officer.            

This translates that former police officer Speaker represents only a part of the residents of the City of Brookfield and that his agenda is driven by politics instead of statesmanship.

There is nothing wrong with being a member of a political party but there is something wrong if you have taken a solemn oath to govern your office in a non-partisan manner.

Mayor Speaker, also a part-time Milwaukee landlord, has been personally endorsing candidates for partisan public office on the Republican party ticket.

This partisan political oriented Mayor has by his actions separated himself from independents, democrats, libertarians and a host of local residents who have heir own personal political beliefs, or none at all.

The result is "Quid Pro Quo", or you scratch my back and I will scratch yours".

During the tenure of the self proclaimed consensus builder this partisan Mayor has been consistent in his support of issues and giant expenditures as a partisan politician which is a conflict of interests.

There will be an election for Mayor in the Spring of 2010 and right after the new year of 2009 begins the campaign for Mayor that will set the tone for the future of our beloved community.

The bidding war for C.C. Sabathia, baseball pitcher elite, is firing up with the Yankees historical offer of 140 Million. The price tag is too high. Babe Ruth earned $80,000 during a depression year and he exclaimed that he had a better year then the President. The Brewers are making a fair offer in a recession year and there is no guarantee that C.C. had or will have a better year than the President. This is not meant to be a pun.

The Brewers, like many other baseball franchises, have already been burnt by paying astronomical salaries to baseball players who did not earn the money. (Sheets, Suppan, Hall and Gagne), all of whom are still on the roster.

The Brewers have an extraordinary minor league system and lots of talent to choose from.

The signing of C.C. for the playoff stretch was a bold move and nearly paid off but for the no.2 pitcher in rotation, Sheets, had not quit for fear of an another of his mystery ailments.

A one year deal for an exceptional player makes sense but to suffer through 5 years of speculation because of a bad deal makes no sense at all.

The Milwaukee Brewers are now a playoff contender and as a team they need to put 9 players on the field who play like a team.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Since pro basketball made its debut in Milwaukee, from the Milwaukee Shooting Stars to the Milwaukee Hawks to the champion Milwaukee Bucks of Lou Alcindor fame, the fan support base has been strong. Recent years have seen fair to mediocre teams fall to better teams.

The present Milwaukee Bucks are a product of their loyal and generous owner, Mr. Herb Kohl. He never gives up and never stops trying to bring a winner home.

Maybe the new edition of the Bucks have what it takes, solid management, solid coach and a host of talented players. The passion of Mr. Kohl for a winning team may soon be a reality.

All we ever asked for is a competitive team deep with talented players. This team looks like that.

Certainly, Mr. Kohl has paid the price but the new philosophy of a team effort than an individual performance will get the Bucks closer to their goals.

With or without Michael Redd the Bucks want to win as badly as their owner.

"Patience is a virtue".

Veterans day at American Legion Post 449 was a tribute to those who served in the military during a wartime period. It is the second year that the memorial service was sponsored by SAL(Sons of American Legion).

For the second year I was asked to by the keynote speaker, and as a member of Post 449 and their Judge Advocate I was proud to accept.

The theme of my address was a review of a book copyright of 1910 and entitled "PATRIOTIC ORATIONS" By Charles Henry Flower, late Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

The introduction states "Patriotism is a lichen clinging to its own rock. It grows by the century in its original habitat. It defies alike the frost and ice of the frigid zone and the suns and sands of equatorial deserts. It resists transplanting".

Bishop Fowler quotes President Abraham Lincoln where in the Gettysburg address he said "We cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract".

 It has always been my firm belief that every man and woman who serves in our military is a hero because they dedicated their lives to serving the United States of America and for that reason alone they have earned our respect.

Bishop Fowler wrote of great deeds of great men: "Heroism is a moral quality. It may be the glory of the humblest man or child. High station furnishes a pedestal on which the Glory of an heroic achievement may be exhibited, but it is no part of the act itself. Many private soldier has stood on picket under the guns of a treacherous foe, when his humble duty was as noble as the conduct of the officer whose sleep he guarded at such peril and whose name appears on the bulletin".

So let us remember all those brave and patriotic heroes from the Revolutionary War to the battlefields of today , both living and dead, who serve our grand nation so that we may live in peace.

Let's revisit the City of Brookfield budget now that the big election is over and focus our attention on the progress our city hall representatives , both elected, appointed and hired have made.

A timely updated public report would be a good start, from the Mayor, and even a refresher summary is in order to remind us of what has been done so far to reduce spending.

If the budget is so difficult for city hall to resolve then it is certainly more difficult for us outsiders to understand.

Many suggestions have been made by citizens, including myself, and an open report of those suggestions will be a nice gesture by city hall.

One suggestion has been to create a citizens oversight board to review where our money goes dollar for dollar, and to publish a reader friendly line item detailing each dollar item from all departments.

Another, was to publish the job/employment descriptions for each city employee at city hall, not including elected officials, but including the time/hours spent for each task.

Silence will not be satisfactory.

Now that the Presidential election and other elections for legislative offices, both federal and local, are suddenly upon us, it is time to look at the forgotten campaign issues.

1. Crime. In past elections crime was at the top of the list and now the issue has slipped towards the bottom as an important problem in our society. It is a legitimate issue wide open for discussion and solutions. Yet, there has been very little or no discussion by the presidential candidates, and the local candidates. Do these people believe or want us to believe that crime does not exist ? Some carefully prepared statistics may conclude that crime is decreasing. Every day on our local television stations there are numerous reports of criminal acts at or near our vicinity. Arrests are made and the jails are overcrowded leaving convicted criminals at large. There certainly are solutions but politicians do not present any. The press has done nothing to pursue crime as a legitimate issue and almost never ask candidates for their viewpoints. We deserve more.

2. Immigration. The issue of immigration was a political football during the presidential primaries and has now been on a leave of absence since the primaries ended. Maybe all candidates have adopted a "do nothing" attitude, and if so, we need to hear from them loud and clear. When the election is over will there be a non-partisan approach to viable solutions.? I think not. There are laws that are not enforced and laws that are not enforceable. We are a nation of laws and our elected officials have a duty to create laws that all men/women that are created equal can live with.

3. Military Service. We keep hearing that the USA has the best military in the world. But, how long will the voluntary military last? And of course, can we afford it? Because there is no choice but to have the best military in the world we need to carefully determine where these people will come from. Volunteers are volunteers and can we depend on them in the future? There have been some hints at some type of national or government service but no specific plan has been brought forward. Every other country knows that we abandoned the draft and that military service in the USA is on a volunteer basis. We need to show the world more to have respect.

4. Social Security and Health Care. There have been so many plans and programs that the good and deserving citizens are by this time totally confused. Unless there is a good faith non-partisan effort made and solutions developed that are in the best interests of the citizens these critical systems will make the "Wall Street" debacle look like a picnic in the park. Time is of the essence to fix these systems.

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The recent website on AOL, "HOW TO FIGHT A SPEEDING TICKET" is a commercial that is misleading.

There is nothing to "fight" just because a police officer issued to you a speeding ticket. Under the law you have the right to defend yourself and state your case in a court of law.

The alternatives offered by AOL begin with Plead Guilty---With Explanation, and sometimes you can get a reduced charge is misleading. A Guilty plea requires the Judge to make a finding of guilty. The explanation is what is called "extenuating circumstances", and should be first raised when stopped by the officer, then at the prosecutorial level and again in court so that you are consistent.

A plea of No Contest is more appropriate because you neither admit nor deny but have the right to make a statement in defense of yourself, although the Judge will make a finding of Guilty. Also, a No Contest plea cannot be used against you in a civil case involving an accident.

A plea of Not Guilty protects your constitutional rights including the right to face your accuser/s and compel the prosecution to carry their burden of proof, along with your right of cross examination of witnesses and the ability to provide your own witnesses.

It is the reputation of some traffic courts that they are simply police courts and revenue producing outlets. This reasoning will not help you defend yourself.

The best and most prudent method of defending yourself is to retain a competent and experienced Attorney to represent you. This will give you the best result possible, save you time and money to make court appearances and to protect your driving record.

AOL refers to Bargaining which in the law is more commonly known as "plea bargaining" with the prosecutor and not the Judge. A pre-trial conference with the prosecutor to attempt an agreed stipulation to be approved by the Judge will for the most part be a fair resolution. However, the prosecution is bound by the facts and the law and is subject to guidlines and precedent. The idea that by paying a higher fine for dismissal of the case is not ethical and has been called "buying points", in addition to appellate court decisions rejecting such a procedure.

If you receive a traffic/speeding ticket be sure to get your current driving record, the Department of Transportation point system and by discovery obtain police department records of your case.

All 256 pages of the proposed city budget do not give a clue of what the line items are for or are about. That , in part, is because nobody ever asked. Line items are the nitty gritty of what goes into a budget, like paper, pencils and personal computer use. The computer in most industries is used partly for business and partly for monkey business. That is not meant to be funny. It is at times a wasteful form of communication. Let's assume that the city hall leaders carefully studied every line item in the budget. The result is that it becomes their person viewpoint of what is needed.

A prudent alternative is to have a group of local residents take a look at the budget and render an independent viewpoint of what is needed and what they will pay for.

This can be done by the establishment of a Citizen Review Oversight Board made of of interested local residents who can make an objective study of the city budget and make valuable suggestions.

In the times ahead the time is now because we have not yet felt the financial downturn at it's worse.

The city of brookfield should act now and not wait until it is too late.

Scripture tells us to "love thy neighbor", but that is not what is being done in the current political climate. Our neighbors include all people who have an opinion of their own. Why do we not respect our neighbors in the USA, instead of finding a way to ridicule them ?

The messages that are being sent out about candidates for public office emphasize the negative. This is self destruction and self endowing.

If you really "love thy neighbor", then emphasize the positive. 

In the past few days I have called 4 aldermen about the budget and the elimination of the DARE program, including the President of the Common Council and the Finance Committee Chair, and only one has returned the call which resulted in a good discussion. This alderman was not one of the above.

Since the citizens have been invited to research the budget and make suggestions I am doing just that. 

A major concern are high paying positions at city hall that are either not needed , can be absorbed by others or can be abolished. The city officials working hard on the budget may want to consider the elimination of the Assistant Chief of Police and the Human Resources director. In the numerous police departments I have been in contact with during 50 years as a trial lawyer and 34 years as a judge, there was a chain of command that went from the chief to the captain, etc. who were very qualified within the department to take charge in the absence of the chief. Human Resources in business has a reputation as the dumping ground for employee issues and serves no real purpose to represent the residents.

A huge cut could be made by having garbage service reduced to every 2 weeks during the winter months (say Nov. to April), because people I speak with say that neighbors don't have much garbage, it freezes in cold weather and is not a hazard in the garage, snow and ice makes it difficult for seniors to prepare their driveway for the ingress and egress of the workers and some say simply they can do without the weekly pickup in inclement weather if it reduces taxes.