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Kevin Fischer is a veteran broadcaster, the recipient of over 150 major journalism awards from the Milwaukee Press Club, the Wisconsin Associated Press, the Northwest Broadcast News Association, the Wisconsin Bar Association, and others. He has been seen and heard on Milwaukee TV and radio stations for over three decades. A longtime aide to state Senate Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature, Kevin can be seen offering his views on the news on the public affairs program, "InterCHANGE," on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10, and heard filling in on Newstalk 1130 WISN. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their lovely baby daughter, Kyla Audrey, in Franklin.
THE TOP TEN FRANKLIN STORIES OF 2012: #3
Alderman Steve Taylor was elected to an open seat on the Milwaukee County Board and now represents parts of
When the Milwaukee County Board met to swear in members that won in the elections and select their leaders including Milwaukee County Board Chairman, the organizational meeting was incredibly important. Five
I’ll be diplomatic.
WISN’s Mark Belling would shish-kebob
The next day Belling reported that he was contacted by Taylor who adamantly denied that he had pledged his support to Dimitrijevic for Milwaukee County Board Chairman. Belling said others he’s talk to have denied
Yes, the vote for the County Board Chair is a big deal, and
Early in my broadcast career at WUWM, late 1970-s to 1980, I covered a Milwaukee County Board organizational meeting. The proceedings should have been a humdrum affair. Members have made their decisions. They vote for their leadership positions. End of story.
Not this time.
Prior to the big vote at the Milwaukee County Board room in the Courthouse, Supervisor Jim Krivitz was all smiles. Getting one pat on the back after another, Krivitz was just moments away from wrestling the Board Chairmanship away from Tom Ament. Yes, that Tom Ament. Everybody knew it because Krivitz had the votes. Well, not everybody.
As the vote was taken, there were some moans and groans and supervisors who had been wearing a smile earlier now looked like they were in a funeral parlor.
The votes were in. The votes were tallied. The vote was announced. Tom Ament was still the County Board Chair.
How could this happen? Krivitz had the votes. He did until the organizational meeting. Going in, Krivitz had the support of Supervisor Fred Tabak. But for some inexplicable reason, Tabak changed his vote (my memory is good but not that good). And this time everyone did know it was Tabak who upset the apple cart.
Somewhere in my basement in a carton filled with old cassettes from my radio news days is the tape of that meeting. I’m not sure who stood up to the microphone. It might have been Supervisor
The supervisor bluntly told his colleagues, people in the audience and the assembled press that Tabak should be dipped in bronze and his statue should be placed in outside the Courthouse as a sign that “man is deceitful.”
My guess is that Belling’s sources are correct. You don’t contact Belling about a story and then lie.
So what was
He could vote for someone other than Dimitrijevic and pull a Tabak.
Or he could choose Dimitrijevic and stick a knife in the back of Governor Walker.
Either way, his
It took 24 ballots but the Milwaukee County Board finally elected Dimitrijevic its chairman.
Supervisor
I will say this about Supervisor Taylor. I’ve been following his votes closely and posting his newsletters on my blog. You may have noticed I haven’t criticized anything he’s done…so far.
In a related story, on April 3, 2012,
Question 1: Do you support compensating the position of Milwaukee County Supervisor at a level that reflects the position being considered part-time in nature?
Yes: 5,542
No: 1,089
Question 2: Shall the size of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors be reduced from the current number of eighteen (18) supervisors to nine (9) supervisors?
Yes: 5,830
No: 856
The biggest election news in
In the primary voters ousted incumbent Judith Bialk, a puppet of the school district administration and school board leadership. Bialk contributed nothing of substance to the local education debate.
During the primary, Bialk distributed campaign literature that was missing the required disclaimer.
Generally, this isn’t a major bone of contention for the voters. This matter is pretty low on their priority list. However, this is important. An elected official and candidates for public office need to understand the most basic of requirements, including a simple financial disclaimer on a yard sign or brochure. Bialk’s illegal flier said she wanted to remain on the board, not because she wanted to improve the quality of education in our district, improve student performance, attendance, test scores, but because she wanted to give back to the community. Maybe a better spot would be volunteering at the library or for seniors or veterans.
Former board member David Works also failed to get enough votes to advance to the general election. Works was a major disappointment when he served, having run as a conservative, but then voting for all sorts of taxing and spending.
That left four candidates in the general election: Board member Janet Evans, Aimee Schlueter, Donald Petre, and John Thompson.
Turns out Petre is a WEAC union leader/activist for Oak Creek. So it came as no surprise
that Petre had a Recall Walker sign on his property. Made we wonder if Petre was recruited by other Franklin School Board members or anyone involved in the Franklin Public Schools administration who share the view that Walker must go which is totally out of touch with the vast majority of Franklin property taxpayers who have supported Walker.
Candidate Petre had his own yard signs up, and in typical union fashion, i.e., we don't have to follow the rules, none of his signs had the appropriate disclaimer on them.
Only after he was exposed did Petre begin to post the disclaimers, and then on only some of the signs not all. Petre commented on the blogs that it was not true that the disclaimers were missing, that they were posted on his signs. But that was done only after he was caught in violation.
The disclaimers Petre had up were so miniscule Mr. Magoo couldn’t find them if you gave him a month to do so. The guy who’s incapable of following a basic campaign law and then lies about it would make a great representative of
Petre signed the
Evans and Schlueter won election, and with Linda Witkowski and Tim Nielsen, the Franklin School Board is more conservative than it’s been in decades and would be even stronger if Witkowski and Nielsen could be counted on to be more consistent. Sorry, but honestly, they disappoint. I wish they could be as strongly consistent and steadfast as Evans. Sadly, they’re not. My thought is that they share the “Go along to get along” sentiment on the board that is flawed. This isn’t a kumbaya festival. You’re there to do a job. I’m not sure they totally get or understand that.
Sending more shockwaves through the
Some board members went bonkers (See Franklin story #8).
Three more big time tax and spenders are up for re-election next April. Ridding them of office would make it a much-needed clean sweep of the school board.
THE TOP 10
1) ?
2) ?
3) THE ALDERVISOR AND A SHAKEUP AT THE SCHOOL BOARD
4) MEIJER REALLY WANTS TO COME HERE, BUT...
5) WELCOME TO THE MMSD
6) PUTTING FRANKLIN ON THE MAP
7) A GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY
8) THE RISE OF THE CYBER BULLIES
9) FRANKLIN DEPARTURES
10) A BROCHURE? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
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