Category Archives: Milwaukee County

Causes of Convenience The M.I. A. Leader

Posted by Wonder Woman on

Causes of Convenience  & The M.I. A. Leader

brandon-johnson
Brandon Johnson, Darrius Simmons and other cases “Leaders” seem to forget.
Funny when we needed support for the Derek Williams family it was not hard to find. Press releases, marches, weekly protests, tweets and FaceBook pages were found everywhere. Now the Brandon Johnson family is awaiting justice but little community activism has been done on their behalf.
So I ask you family where are those same “leaders” and groups that claimed to fight every injustice in this city and march and protest until this city complied with the people’s rights? Well that didn’t last long did it?
Brandon Johnson was the young man at the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex who died in their care. Supposedly he died of complications of a broken neck he sustained in an injury. However he complained for some time and gave ample warnings. A simple blood thinner and he would be here today. His trial has been ongoing with no public outcry, no leader standing by with the family to give updates, no nothing. Why is this? Is he not worthy of the same love and support? Certainly this case has the same stink of foul injustice as in the Derek Williams case. Where are our leaders and was all that just talk? One must wonder!

mother

http://fox6now.com/2012/10/09/mans-family-blames-his-death-on-nurses-at-mental-health-complex/

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/after-john-doe-ends-brandon-johnsons-mother-remains-convinced-neglect-led-to-his-death-p292grd-195989261.html

Asking around the community many reasons about “why” were shared with me. “There ain’t no money to be made!” “They can’t get no fame, they don’t care!” and “It’s over they heads!” Whatever the reasons may be, the community activists and groups that we have come to depend on were next to silent on this case and have been missing in action on a few other cases. Again Why? Does Brandon Johnson not deserve the same amount of fury that this community poured out for Derek Williams? Do we not owe it to ourselves to see that the Milwaukee County Health Complex is a safe place for all of us? After all it is widely used by this community for a variety of reasons and one never knows in what crisis we will find ourselves in the care of this facility.
Our Milwaukee County Board who usually has something to say about these matters was brief in this case, a county case. Supervisor Bowen did release one statement that I know of regarding this matter and it was quite brief. I know of no follow up and I am sure he will correct me if I missed something.

http://county.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/cntySupervisors/d10/bowen/Press_Releases/2012-2016/10-11-12BowenJohnsonStatement.pdf

County Supervisor’s Press Release:
“First and foremost, my heart goes out to the family of Brandon Johnson. Mere words cannot express the magnitude of the pain the family is assuredly feeling right now.
“I want Brandon’s family and all of Milwaukee County to know that I pledge to do my part to ask the right questions and to seek information in this case.
“Additionally, I will do everything I can as an official elected by the people of Milwaukee County to ensure that all residents of all Milwaukee County facilities are treated with dignity and respect and are granted the medical care and attention they deserve.”

So family I guess I still have hope that one day we will find leadership that will be consistent and will understand you cannot pick up the sword and carry it sometimes. High profile or low, they all matter. We all matter. If you take the name of leader, king, organizer, etc. You have put yourself in the seat of that which is called to a different journey and that means you are called to take on injustices, not just the easy to organize ones, but the ones that require work and sacrifice. This family needed you and you dropped the ball. Our elected, if you pick one case, then you must remain consistent as well; otherwise you too look like you are rolling with the tides. Let us unite behind every injustice that affects our community or do not sign yourself up for that position if you are not ready for the responsibilities that come with it.

Peace Family,

WW

american_ww_gold2

TMD Heard: Political Musical Chairs in Milwaukee

Posted by the editor on

TMD is checking with another source before releasing details (and names) of what will surely be the biggest political news of the year. If what we heard is true, look for major shakeups in Milwaukee politics. Look for some to possibly take  appointments and then the musical chairs will begin. That’s all that we can say at this time until we can confirm the information we received.

A City Of Unrest-Exploring the Milwaukee Police Department & Black Milwaukee

Posted by Wonder Woman on

A City Of Unrest-Exploring the Milwaukee Police Department & Black Milwaukee

And so here we are at the point where I sadly warned in a previous blog that this rogue police department might hurt or kill someone if we did not pay attention to the warning signs laid out clearly not so long ago. Anyway here we are….

So What Do We Now?

First Off We Need To Identify All The Problems of the Community

Derek Williams sadly is not the only issue on the table here. We have a city that is crime ridden and infested with guns and senseless violence. Police response time is slow, homicides are way up, and as we see some police are now playing Judge Dred. Think of the unreported cases of this type of behavior and the people in fear that have not come forward and will not report their stories. Imagine the people who may be one time offenders, wrongly accused, or simply got caught up. No Mr. Belling we are not all thugs and one day someone’s baby will die at the hands of a judge/jury MPD godlike monster. What will happen then? Now turn it around and think of the officers who are doing the right thing and the harm they are now facing because their fellow officers have now declared war on a community stirred up and untrusting of those who are supposed to protect them. This makes for an unsafe working condition for those officers who are committed to serving and protecting this community.

GUNS & VIOLENCE

For too long the crime rate has been spiraling out of control. We have not gotten outraged at our own for the damage we inflict on each other. Where are all these guns coming from? Why are people being gunned down like animals. Just this past weekend 5 people were gunned down, one fatally. Where is the outrage and the protests against this? We cannot accept this either. We must be a consistent people.

POLICE BRUTALITY!

I already blogged about police stops and speed traps that left young black men on streets in positions that looked very questionable.

http://themilwaukeedrum.com/2011/06/22/chief-flynn-invokes-chief-brier-to-curb-crime-in-the-inner-city/

These stops and traps were/are set up in specific areas of town that are designed to “catch us” and then I went on to question how these unfair stops leave young black men with towed and impounded cars, tickets, criminal cases and records. This then leaves them in the system and then makes them products of the criminal justice system and unable to find jobs and productive futures. This was and still is phase one of the brutality. It is still happening. However we watched and we did little. Some complained as I did but these traps and stops continue. They must stop!

Secondly, we watched as a police officer beat up a man on TV not too long ago. The victim was not black so it washed over us pretty much. Whatever the circumstances, it did not look acceptable to me and I did not buy the excuses, or Flynn’s defense of his rogue officers.

Look at the pattern. This has been going on for some time and we are going to need to identify and expose each and every misstep in order to correct and change the behavior that has been allowed.

JUST SAY NO TO CHRIS ABELE!

Note that County Executive Chris Abele wants to use our city police to replace county sheriffs to staff county parks. This cannot be. City police are already out gunned and outnumbered in the city streets and we cannot afford to let Abele play politics with his sheriff department because he wants to assert authority over David Clarke.

If Chris Abele thinks that pulling MPD out of overrun city streets to put them in quite decently managed parks is the answer to anything in this city or county, he is not only telling us that he thinks nothing of our health and wellbeing in this city. He is also telling us that politics is his only concern above all else! That is scary! We need to watch him too. He and his henchman Farley took down Johnny Thomas so we must be concerned with who is next on his list. He too is not a friend of the black community right now! You may not like Clarke but he is a brother first and sheriff second. Remember that FAM! What is done to one is done to the whole.

WE MUST WATCH OUT FOR THE PITFALLS!!

UNITE!!!!

There are a few different groups that are strong and organized. If we could get those groups to combine as one force for a singular cause this would scare a lot of folks. This time we mean business!

In speaking to someone last night I was reminded that this is not a black cause alone. This is a humanitarian issue. Very true indeed! That being said we should accept the helping hands that come our way and welcome and invite others who want to join us to do so. It only serves to make us that much more powerful. The purposeful murder of a human being in what should have been the safety of civil servants is a humanitarian issue.

We also should remember those who do not support us. Those who find time to make their way to the hood during elections but cannot find their way when we are in need of assistance. They must be called into question for their hypocritical actions. They really don’t care about us and only show up when votes are needed. They know who they are. The white van driving, fake community concerned folks who claim to care so deeply about us, but disappear when it’s time for real action. Come November 6th I bet they will show up and act as if nothing happened expecting us to get back into their warm vans and do as they say.

The common tactic here is to divide and conquer. Meaning if they can keep us fractured and separated using egos, power plays, lack of solidarity and other devices that typically keep us from coming together as one family, they will win again. As a family, we must stay away from the things that keep us separated and stand firm in one voice. In Milwaukee this is a difficult task because there is so much back stabbing and bravado that goes on behind closed doors, especially in Black Milwaukee. Gossip, innuendo, purposeful divisiveness, not allowing people to have their individual voice yet still be part of the family. These are the things that keep us separated. However I do believe that times like these either bring out the best or the worst in us. I chose to believe that this horrible event will bring out the best in us and that this young man’s death will not be in vain.

MARK BELLING VS. EARL INGRAM & JAMES CAUSEY!

This common tactic always gets somebody and now here it is being used again successfully. Mark is the MPD union’s boy. They bring him out to run a screen play on us every time and it always works. He makes a statement and somebody uses their power that should be used to move the cause and then diverts that power of time and media to use people power to do what get an apology? Come on man? How kindergarten is that? We got bigger fish to fry! Game peeps game. You are being used to get people off message.

First off, words only gain power over you if you allow them to. If I were to let words people call me or use against me, have power over me, I would be in a crawled up in a corner somewhere crying and you would never hear from me again. Ha ha not happening!! So I ask why allow Mark Belling have this power over you? There is a now a “march” against Belling coming up which directly conflicts with the Williams movement. You have now become a mark for the opposing team. That is what they wanted and their screen play has once again diverted time, resources, column space, and momentum from the main, most important movement. In my opinion this is an error in judgment. Mark Belling has a show. He lives in America. He has a right to his silly, petty opinions and to express them out loud. If anything it is important we know “his truth” because his truth is many other people’s truth. It is better to know it than not to know it at all. Would you prefer we lived in a bubble of ignorance thinking everyone is standing with us? We do not have to like what Mark says, but we also do not have to support him by transferring his message, giving him ratings by listening in, writing and talking about Mark Belling (gross) rather than about Derek Williams and we do not have to keep building his audience for him. All of which we are doing now. I do not blame Earl or James at all. I do think their hearts are in the right place, but like with anyone you disagree with, you ignore them and they tend to go away or put them out of sight and out of mind. Mark depends on this tiny backlash for ratings and headline boosts. As an aside, I also question one of the people backing this particular movement who is not backing the Williams movement from where I sit. This person always has an ax to grind with Mark Belling so taking people off course must be called into question and we need to understand their motives are not our motives at all.

The movement is Derek Williams, the City of Milwaukee, and the community. We are not on Mark Belling right now. There is a time and a place for everything. Right now justice is what we seek and we need all hands on deck. Art of War, good book, get a copy and make use of it.

WHERE YA AT?

Just some months ago many people where knocking on doors, on our radios, on our phones, at our churches and wherever we turned there they were asking for our votes. Now they have disappeared except for a few faithful who are standing with us.

This almost makes me want to recall the very people we just elected and those “securely” in office. Some of these people, not quite elected, some still on the ballot in November (take note) have already shown they cannot be trusted to have our backs. They are not even sworn in and they are M.I.A!!

Some of our elected are M.I.A!! They nowhere to be found. This cannot be. Either you get your butts in these streets or we will hold you as accountable as we do Chief Flynn. Some of you are on the ballot in November but you seem to think you are a shoe in and therefore this call for justice does not affect you. I hold you to the same standard as I do the chief of police. Your silence is complacency!! Make the time!! Tom and Willie for far too long you have let this chief run rogue and not held him accountable for any of his mismanagement. And I will do you one more. When this chief got in troubles the mayor used that to have a chief he could control and make his b…….. Yes I said it!!

Now bear with me because here comes my conspiracy theory:

This is how we got here and how the MPD went rogue on this mayor’s watch…

Stay with me: Tom Barrett in his infinite wisdom knew he had a man down in Flynn, a man who needed cover he could provide. Barrett knew he needed a department he could control, a department that could furnish critical numbers, crime reports, give false safety and security, and provide citizens a feeling of a “happy and safe city.” Tom Barrett knew he had aspirations of getting out of the mayor’s office and knew that by controlling MPD reports he could make himself look good. What he did not count on is that this chief would be so infective that he would allow and look the other way while rogue bans of officers grew and flourished. Instead of investigating the many stories that Flynn knew full well were occurring, he decided he was going to support his troops no matter what. Thus that silly statement he gave regarding the Williams case when he should have kept his mouth shut. A good mayor knowing Flynn was going to address the press would have told him to shut the hell up and put him on lock down. Barrett sat and watched that train wreck so he could put him in the position of an expendable causality because he can no longer afford to cover him.

Back to reality: Barrett’s Bad Luck!

With a horrible economy and no clue how to create or grow jobs, Barrett decided to focus on the most revolutionary, job creating choo choo trains and even more important than that becoming governor of the state. He stayed attached to a president that left him for dead in the recalls, a president that gave him no hope or change for Milwaukee that he could bank on to get him out of the hot seat he current holds for another 3 years. So now he too sits next to Flynn and must be as accountable because he watched some of this mess unfold with the DA, with the Medical Examiner, with his own personal police force. No excuses!!

Barrett also did not realize that a horrible mayor 90 miles south of here would make for a crime spree that would reach to Milwaukee and back. Yes Tom Barrett’s luck is bad and is getting worse and he has no idea how to stop it. Now he has a city of unrest and it won’t stop because he requested a federal review. Oh no!! There is much he must do to make this right.

He is going to have to listen to us, he is going to have to do something with these officers, especially the ones who have prior offenses, and he is going to have to revamp his Medical Examiner’s office. Yes they need review too!! They too are just as culpable. Yet their carelessness goes unnoticed because we are not scientifically savvy as a community. All one needs do is think about general fact finding. The ME’s Office knows full well there was video evidence available to them at that time. At any time they could have inquired and opened their mouths to request squad car footage. So to say they did not know there was a tape they are just as much full it. Any Medical Examiner knows that squads carry video cameras and knew that this man was riding in a squad car and that they would need to secure any video evidence to help them piece together missing pieces to complete their investigation. Complacency has run amok all over this city and just laying it at Flynn’s feet is doing a disservice to all of the community in the interest of the Williams family and humanitarian justice!

Think about this. The MPD says they see this every day, people in custody, using stunts to get free or get air when in custody. It stands to reason others see “these excuses” or complacency at the ME’s office, at the DA’s office, court system, criminal facilities, everywhere in the city. The cops are not the only ones immune to compassion and humanity, so we cannot let this rest on the feet of one man solely because really there is enough blame to go around on so many different levels. Look at our complacency at the murders of our own by our own. That too is an injustice. It all leads to the fact we need to take back our city and our streets in a very bold way.

The time is now, the moment is now. Let this be the last death that unites us in this way. We have an opportunity to make real change and we can only do that by calling out all truths and all offenders of injustice to humankind.

Peace Family,

WW

Wonder Woman is a community activist and blogger.
She is a proud member of the JustUs League!
She contributes to The Milwaukee Drum, Black Convo and Black Bloggers Connect.
Her personal wesbite is http://wonder2woman.blogspot.com
Contact Information:
411wonderwoman@gmail.com
Twitter @wonder2woman

The Wisconsin Democrat: Defeated or Determined?

Posted by Wonder Woman on

The Wisconsin Democrat: Defeated or Determined?

Are you feeling down and out, neglected by your supreme leader, local Dems not in sync with each other and infighting, not sure what the next step is? Here are some reflections and advice for your future!

I have taken quite a bit of time off to reflect on the recalls and lessons learned from the whole mess in Wisconsin. Did I gloat? Not really! Anyone who looks at the price tag of the union instigated hissy fit could not possibly see anything funny or laughable about the recalls. Did I take some gratification that once again I was dead on? A tad, I am human after all but still we have so much to do and we are so far behind there is no time for victory dancing, Lambeau Leaps, or brat summits. There is much to do!

The recalls and the race for reform have left this governor behind the eight ball in terms of policies and things that should have been in the implementation phase by now. Plans and meetings that were put on hold so that the governor could go around the state and explain his direction, are now being arranged and the business of the state is now priority #1 again. Governor Walker’s message and direction were things the governor admitted he did not do a good job of promoting the first time around. Hopefully with this lesson learned among others, he will be more proactive in sharing the direction of the state with everyone, including those who do not agree and most likely will have to come along forcefully.

Is the Wisconsin Democrat Down and Out?

Not by a long shot! However there is so much dissension and infighting within the group someone will have to heal and reunite the party from its current state of chaos. This person(s) will have to be union free, meaning unlike many of our state elected, this person will not be compromised by union temptations, outside money and other private interests. They must be extremely knowledgeable about plight of the entire state of Wisconsin from the loss of manufacturing jobs, the problems of public education, and all issues in between. This person must be able to understand and reach residents no matter what county they reside in and be able to strengthen the base of the party again.

The Mistakes that the Democrats made were so easy to spot and expose that it is interesting that they are not acknowledging them on their own and making critical changes for November right now.

 The Weird Protestors-The hippie/hemp/kumbaya protester is not a friend to the current Democrat. They represent lost nostalgia that most people do not want to revisit. It was messy and stinky and got pretty gross, Woodstock style. They were only looking for a return to the 50’s-70’s era of sit-in’s and protests. They were not really vested in current politics and issues.

New college students who joined in wanted to feel what those times and protests were like. They enjoyed it I think, accept the outcome. They probably did learn to be a little less complacent about the way things are in politics as a whole. In reality though college students are not finding jobs and are so far in debt that they are returning home “re-nesting,” and they are not liking life after college. They are turning to the Republican Party as some students feel the DNC has abandoned them as some current reports revealed. The national student debt/loan conversation will certainly be very important for both parties to address in legislation and media-wise. It is a battle for future voters really. Also a few weeks ago on Toure’s show on MSNBC, the young Republican correspondent gave Toure this same run down and Toure was left speechless. The stats and the new wave of younger Republicans was an amazing testament that the Republicans are working on reestablishing the party for the future. Democrats are busy putting out current fires and not able to do necessary rebuilding and recruiting. The Republicans will have to win the debt/loan debate to solidify this movement.

As an aside I do hope a new wave of young Republicans and Tea Party members will move out the old guard along with the “old white man imagery” of the party. It should be way more reflective of the society we live in now, not the GOP of Newt, Rush, and the typical list. The new generation leaders look more like us and there are many of them, young, vibrant, and diverse!!

Protests at Public Events-I have said this many times yet Democratic protestors still do this and it never wins them any fans. You simply CANNOT protest at the Special Olympics, you cannot protest outside schools and use vulgarity where innocent children are in class (do you really need someone to explain why?). You cannot appear in elected folks personal neighborhoods and homes (especially where their elderly parents rest, blowing your horn all day and night, HELLO), nor protest on bridges that working folk are trying to use to get home from a long day at work. You cannot show up at their family events (i.e. Walker’s son’s football game is off limits), and such things as these. There is a line as to what is politically acceptable and what is personal and the Democrat crazed lunatics of the left crossed that line each and every time without fail. Not only did they cross it, they jumped over that line by leaps and bounds and kept setting the bar lower and lower. Shame, shame, shame, the chants continued but they were the ones who were shameful.

Occupy the Inner City-You cannot come and scoop us up any longer and think we are not going to question your motives. Gone are the days of the white van “pick-ups” voting for whoever you say vote for!! The days of using Blacks as your Plan B are just about over.

In this recall, Blacks, especially in Milwaukee realized some things and voiced these things for the first time in mass numbers out loud. Most importantly they voiced how they are not being respected by their own representatives. They also noted how Democrats only come to “the hood” for election season and moved on leaving us back to square one as soon as the voting polls closed. They also realized that this particular Democratic candidate has been their worst enemy. Mayor Tom Barrett is horrible on many issues concerning Milwaukee Blacks. He did not take over MPS as he once touted and should have done. He gave “no-bid contracts” to his friends cutting out Black businesses and potential employees. Then there is the whole trolley debacle that many inner city people could care less about. Those who do know about the trolley costs and plans know that it is of no benefit to us and may potentially hurt us even more.

There were the dreaded Milwaukee stats; highest unemployment, lowest graduation rates, #1 in segregation consecutively, and CRIME IS UP not down controversially. Barrett accused Walker of many things but when we really analyzed Milwaukee, we found Tom Barrett was possibly corrupt or questionable himself while he levied charges against the governor. He gave a half-hearted welcome to Mahlon Mitchell and just expected we would be okay with sending a political newcomer, not well-vetted to be a band aid for these issues. Certainly he was not prepared and his lack of knowledge proved to be upsetting and disrespectful to Blacks who wanted more from a party with no clear plan for them. Adding insult to injury, Mitchell was found to be in support of the governor (in written form no less) and did in fact mislead people about signing a boycott letter.

Another aside, white Democrats continually say “Milwaukee has always had segregation problems.” This is no excuse to be complacent about racism and segregation EVER. It is not acceptable to Blacks who have to live with it daily.  Every time the words are uttered by some white liberal it really means “we are okay with racism and YOUR little segregation” issue. This cannot be glossed over and for Milwaukee to hold onto the #1 spot for consecutive years means many of you liberals must be willing and practicing participants. Milwaukee Blacks are starting to understand this and see your lack of concern or compassion for them. For Barrett to have been in the mayor’s office for nine years and not have formed a task force, committee, or even brought up segregation in discussion with the community says a lot about his leadership. He is not a leader on many government policy issues and that message spread all across the state during the recalls.

Black Choice Parents is a group unacknowledged and therefore part of the silent majority. These are thousands of families with a vested interest in their children’s future. Democrats did not address them, didn’t even register them on their radar along with a lot of other silent majority unusual suspects. And this is where the downfall of the Democrats got deep into trouble, so much so that Obama and the National Democratic Party pulled out very fast. Like many of us political watchers, they too saw this train crash coming for miles. The Wisconsin Democratic leaders seemed angry all the time and did not put together a good package of talking points. They did not conduct the business of the party like the newly crowned “architect” RNC Chair Reince Priebus who smiled, looked personable and was inviting. I do think some Democrats and most independents did not like the hostile new tone of the party. Some Democrats were more likely to be enraged and argumentative, which in turn ignited the silent majority and independents to vote and vote Republican. Evidence of this can be found in the exit polls that showed Obama still holding a narrow lead over Romney in Wisconsin.

Exhibit A: Anger Management

http://www.livinglakecountry.com/blogs/communityblogs/158162085.html

Looking at the left blogging sites and editorials, Democrats and left wing folk were very upset about the National lack of support and/or money not given to Wisconsin. I warned you months ago this would be the case because they are more vested in November than Wisconsin recalls. Yet again another dropped ball by Wisconsin Democratic leaders. The local leaders went public with their outrage with national Democrats and the party became discombobulated instead of unifying to dethrone Scott Walker. In the final hour when Obama tweeted a message of “hope” to Wisconsin many were already done with the national DNC and its leader. Forsaken yet again by the very person who said he would put on his comfy shoes and join them. Democrats were very upset about his lack of interest in Wisconsin, rightfully so. He never came, again. Instead they sent Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. Many of us think her to be unhinged at best!! She is of very little fame and not a draw. Enter Bill Clinton, he is a good draw but he was already having some public issues with Obama. His message did not play out too well since we could see even he was not in line with the DNC. Next at bat, Jesse Jackson who many know to be a fraud and only shows up wherever cameras are going to be. The dismal turnout at his events showed he is of little value anymore to Obama or any Democratic crisis. His rantings and that of Ed Schultz (and all PSMSNBC staff) are old and tired. They are rating driven or looking to advance their careers and income. Jesse has not worked in the real world since ???? He does not know the plight of the everyday Negro, nor can he relate any longer to the have not’s. He lives in a $million mansion and makes millions in bribing companies to keep him away or to create drama, while enjoying jet travels and the champagne life. He made his feelings about then presidential candidate Barak Obama public via hot mic and the tales of his promiscuity still surface in his neglected child outside of wedlock. Blacks did not fall for that either thankfully.

Locally Representative Gwen Moore sealed the deal with a horrid choice of messaging. It was embarrassing, disrespectful, dumb, and shameful. If this is her version of bipartisan politics, we are going to have serious trouble getting anything on the federal level for Wisconsin. None of our local elected stepped up to show a plan for Blacks either, the very thing that would have swayed the independent and Black vote their way. They offered no plan, no budget, no concrete ideas or numbers, just rhetoric and “vote for Barrett because he is not Walker!”

Tom Barrett was useless too. He simply had no plan and instead of just being Tom Barrett, he tried to invoke some kind of angry warrior. It didn’t work at all and it was very out of character for him. He used the silly “rock star” line in two debates (couldn’t he think of anything new?), kept bringing up the probe Scott Walker initiated himself, and he confused people by bringing up all types of messages and catch phrases that would not resonate with many people. His steady attacks contradicted his “clean campaign” promise, and he avoided proposing a budget of any kind. What did stick was the nastiness from him and from the left. Sorry but the right just did not come off as hostile as the left. Now I am not saying they did not have their moments or share of wackos, but not to the same degree as the left. Who wants to join in on that? Obama’s support/tweet was way too late, but possibly enough to keep the loyal off his back. Mind you he was between Minnesota and Illinois for fundraisers and could not drop in despite flying over Wisconsin at least twice in a matter of hours.

Exhibit B: Obama Avoids Wisconsin with another Lame Excuse

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/11/barack-obama-wisconsin-recall-election-responsibilities_n_1588224.html

The big question for Obama now is how does he show his face in Wisconsin before November after all the neglect and rotten treatment he gave to us? Can he really come to Wisconsin and ask for our vote? I am interested to see how he and the Democratic Party will handle this situation. Democrats are very upset at this president and rightfully so. Not only did he tell them he would support them, he promised to join them side by side but in the end he did nothing at all for them.

Election Night

With anger in their hearts and no message to stand on, Democrats went into election night knowing that they were pretty much defeated. I usually do not believe in polls, but anyone could sense that the silent majority was ready to speak for a 3rd time and do so triumphantly. Barrett fell apart in the final stretch offering no budget or real change people could hold on to. His failed mayorship in Milwaukee offered more contempt as he spoke of making Wisconsin a “better” place. His debate from when he first ran for mayor was featured on The Milwaukee Drum and circulated widely around the internet. This debate reminded Milwaukeeans that this man has done none of the things he promised for nine years. More importantly it reminded some of how he treated then Mayor Marvin Pratt (i.e. how he treated Blacks). Wisconsinites did not want to his version of leadership at the state level. Some union true blues were still upset about the Kathleen Falk candidacy and never really embraced Barrett fully.  Mahlon Mitchell could not save Barrett as he proved to be a liability and not an asset. He made critical missteps that could not disarm Rebecca Kleefisch. Election night just solidified the resentment of Wisconsinites toward Democrats flippant attempt at the recall campaign. They also voted against that tired blue fist and the unreasonable actions from the left.

http://themilwaukeedrum.com/2012/05/28/must-watch-tv-grin-and-barrett-the-debate-mayor-barrett-does-not-want-you-to-see/

The Little Things

No one could save Barrett; no one wanted “Milwaukee” on a statewide level. Some people attribute this to hate for Milwaukee. It is not hate but rather the incompetence of the city and county that people objected to.  There were also little things like tax breaks homeowners received and reports that showed the state was turning around in especially the housing market and job sectors. Some were upset that the state DNC went away from the initial purpose for the recalls like Collective Bargaining and “union busting.” Act 10 was “acting” better than predicted. School districts all around the state reported even better savings than the Walker camp had computed. Most districts not only kept staff but added staff and/or programming, saved millions in healthcare costs, and were freed from the strong-armed tactics of WEA Trust, WEAC, and teacher unions.

However this recall and all it encompassed has yet to become a watershed moment for Democrats as I had hoped it would.

As much as I am an independent conservative, I do not believe in one party reign either. The hate and petty bickering for some Democrats is not ceasing, only worsening. People are wandering around chat groups, blogs, and FB pages in ongoing arguments meanwhile the rest of the world has moved on. They are left in this weird political vortex waiting for someone to save them. I sure hope someone will.

Others are left in silence, not really knowing what to say. They talked so much mess they don’t know what to think or how to feel. They certainly do not know what the next step is because this governor is not going anywhere and their party has not been giving out any direction.  How these lost sheep connect back into the fold will be the job of Governor Walker but he will have to circumvent the DNC mind meld to do it. And since they have not given out marching orders, who knows which direction the DNC wants to move in. Their house, with no proper or solid foundation is right now a house of cards in a wind storm. These people were “ride or die” and are now upset that the party let them and all of us down. After all I too love a good challenge but this was a no brainer.

Then there are the diehards. Those who know things will get better if they hold on to hope and await positive messages and convictions they can believe in and get behind. These are the ones who will save your beloved party. Somewhere in this group there is a person who will examine the loss and assume the role of the phoenix and raise you up from the ashes. This person will not be Obama. If he is reelected it will be a miracle. He has done so many people wrong and wallowed in so much petty mess that he is souled out on many levels. The “Wedding Registry” was about my last straw. Really you want my wedding gifts? Luckily I am not getting married anytime soon, but I certainly would not ever fix my lips to ask people to donate to Obama in lieu of gifts, nor should he have! It was just desperate. In addition to ignoring Wisconsin, there is the Fast & Furious/Holder controversy, the ignoring of Blacks, the executive privilege that hurt his own people (perceivably illegals taking directly from his beloved Black community in the form of scholarships and placement to name two), and ObamaCare now passed is causing consternation about how it will be implemented and paid for. I am not sure he can overcome the pain he caused Wisconsin alone. Other states saw his mistreatment and abuse of a state of Democrats, a swing state, a key state. How they will react and what will they do come November? Will they wait for him to lace up and join their picket lines? I am afraid they will not be so naïve. But I have to give it to him; I thought Romney had no chance in hell. Now he is a contender!! WOW!

In order for Wisconsin Democrats to get back to their position of respect in Wisconsin, they must begin by examining each lesson from the recall and what preceded the recalls. From the fleeing of the senators, the actions of the party crossing acceptable boundaries of protest, their leaders and their lack of successful messaging and guidance and all of the lessons to be learned, they will need to sankofa (go back and fetch, African proverb) for some time. Democrats will need to search well and vet a quality candidate and arm them with a clear message regarding jobs, education, and government reform. This party as it stands now is beholden to the unions and their agenda, not the Democratic agenda, at least not in Wisconsin. When Dems scream “Koch brothers,” their rant does not go far, especially when they too are indebted to the very same 1%’ers and the same Wall Street/fat cat money. The Wisconsin DNC will need to do some serious polling and LISTENING to understand the level of anger the Wisconsin Democrat has at the party, the process, the locals, and the nationals. They must research and then begin to reestablish trust and make good on those broken promises and create a solid platform.

The Big Payback!

For career Black pols, your time is coming, boy is it coming!!! New comers and true servants of the people like, Nikiya Harris, and Tracey Dent are two new school leaders. They are not owned and they are the complete package. They are known, they are active, and they are respected. They come from the people and are in the streets fighting the fight. There are other new leaders in the community as well and they too are bringing knowledge about you and the dirty politricks being played in our own community.  They are creating a movement and the days of old, bashing white people and doing nothing for your people and getting elected on reputation are going away. Almost like the last scene in the Wiz “A brand new day!” And yes I can feel it, a change is coming!

You will have a tough time telling people how useful you are with stats that you have allowed ON YOUR WATCH regarding crime, education, and jobs during the Doyle years and for some of you before him too!  And you deserve to be kicked out or running scared!! Each of you who souled your people out and did nothing but lined your pockets with union money! Who will you blame for job loss and crime? Obama? Can’t blame Walker, he’s only been in office for 16 months. If you blame him, you will have to use the same logic to blame Obama (he’s only had one term blah, blah, blah…) and that won’t work will it? Guess you are out there bad! These types of new leaders will bring a battle against the old guard of Black Dems who have done little more than hold town halls for all their careers. They will have to bring their “A” game to the table. The Black Democrat is tired of the rhetoric, sick of town halls that go nowhere, tired of doing everything for your career and getting little to nothing in return. We are waiting for the movement, time and place, not talk! As much as Obama will have to fight this fight, you will suffer the initial blows of a well-deserved awakening.

For the Wisconsin Democrat I suspect your transformation will be too late for Tammy Baldwin; she comes with a lot of baggage anyway. She has done little and we have paid for her nonproductive career for some time. Tommy Thompson will make mincemeat of her and maybe this loss will signal the end of the career “do nothing” politicians at the federal level. Tommy Thompson is pretty well liked by many moderates and independents and that will not change unless he does something really stupid. As far as Paul Ryan’s competition, who????? Waste of time, but possibly the media will make it entertaining.

For now lick your wounds and brush your shoulder off. The Wisconsin Democrat is not done, hell even I have faith in you. However you will have to get rid of your State Chair Mike Tate because he is really out of sorts and your Communications Director Graeme Zielinski is very unprofessional. These two have done more harm than good in their respective positions. Unless they make great change in how they conduct themselves as professionals they can only hinder the party further. They set the tone and course of destruction the party is currently experiencing. They sent out enraged emails and press releases that were incredibly off point, hate-filled, and spiteful. Even your own blue blogging sites do not support these two men. The national party really is upset with them for their public lashings about private DNC business.  They are not endearing anyone to the Democratic cause. I propose they are losing people because of their type of leadership or lack of leadership, message, and adaptability to campaigns as they move along. A change in leadership is exactly what is needed and there are very good candidates that can help the Wisconsin Democratic Party refocus and put together a portfolio that can be used as the platform for August, November, and beyond.

I certainly think you will find some hope and encouragement for your party in this missive. Never count anyone out would be my message to the Democrats and to the right even more so. The Republicans did not run a very good campaign either. The fulltime absence and guidance of Republican National Chair Reince Priebus was certainly a factor the Dems could have exploited. Instead the Democrats made the recalls easier by running every which way but loose.

By November I hope to see a new and repackaged Democratic party emerge. You will need it if you want to see this president re-elected. I think he is doing his best to really not get elected. I truly do think this. Obama wants out, he does. He realized it is not fun being president and national politics is not the same as Illinois politricks. I am still with my girl Hillary Clinton for the next Democratic candidate for president. I think she deserves it. She has worked harder than most men in her party and she is experienced in national dealings. I have grown to respect her if for no other reason than her strength. I know she says she does not want to run again, but I hope she reconsiders. Other than Hills, the likely and obvious people’s choices are Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D) and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R). Now that would be the challenge of the ages. These men are great examples of bipartisanship in action and are a great duo. However these two men in a spirited competition may prove to be a most awesome treat for the avid political observer like myself. I would also think they would be the ones to restore politics back to its former self where we would not be questioning birth certificates, tax filings, and other mundane and petty crap. They already have great respect for each other and would not waste time in nasty bickering and hate-filled campaigns. They would actually stick to issues and policies.

Booker/Christie Spoof Seinfeld

This is worth the one minute and 40 seconds it takes to watch and it is pretty funny! It is rare to see two politicians working together and both equally committed to bipartisanship and to the people they serve.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w-JywmmihU

Good luck Wisconsin Democrats, see you soon at the polls and a better November to you!

Peace Family,

WW

MUST WATCH TV!! Grin and Barrett, The Debate Mayor Barrett Does Not Want You To See!

Posted by Wonder Woman on

MUST WATCH TV!!

Grin and Barrett, The Debate Mayor Barrett Does Not Want You To See!

Congressman Tom Barrett attacks Milwaukee in debate with acting Mayor Pratt.

Yes we found some rather interesting video the Barrett camp does not want you to see but we got it!

Barrett, All Around the State the Same Song!

 

MATA Community Media

Tom Barrett VS Marvin Pratt – Milwaukee Mayoral Debate 2004

http://blip.tv/MATAMCM/tom-barrett-vs-marvin-pratt-milwaukee-mayoral-debate-2004-5950961

http://www.milwaukeecommunitymedia.com/2012/02/22/the-milwaukee-mayoral-debate-2004-marvin-pratt-vs-tom-barrett/

After losing his seat as a US Congressman, Tom Barrett faces then incumbent Marvin Pratt in a debate for Mayor of Milwaukee.

Run Date: March 20, 2004

Run Time: 27:33

In this 2004 meeting between Mayor Marvin Pratt and Congressman Tom Barrett you will find some similar themes, some potential integrity complaints, war on women, and some outright nonsense from the congressman as he laid it on thick to become mayor.

I know people don’t have time to watch the entire 25 minute video so I took the liberty of pointing out important highlights for you.

7:10 Barrett’s Focus

Then Congressman Barrett points out the loss of manufacturing jobs in Milwaukee, Crime, and Integrity in government.

Fast forward to 2012 and you will find we are still focusing on lost manufacturing jobs, crime, and integrity in government. In 2004, Milwaukee had the 3rd highest dropout rate and largest educational gap in the nation. Funny we are worse off nine years into his mayorship than in 2004.

Barrett attacked Pratt on these things saying Pratt protected the status quo. Barrett has not made a dent in any of these issues! He did in fact protect the status quo during his terms as Mayor of Milwaukee. On top of protecting the status quo, Barrett said he would make the City of Milwaukee more accessible to its citizens. The only accessibility I see has been with absentee voting for this 2012 recall election. Funny how all city agencies were closed except for the voting polls on Memorial Day.

As far as integrity we have crime numbers that are false, a police chief battling his own ethics and conduct, a emergency response system that does not work, parking checkers on the loose writing bogus tickets, towing cars and impounding them to make quotas, no-bid contracts to friends of Barrett costing the city millions in overbidding and not recouping monies we could be getting in submitting metals and scraps. There is also a question as to whether those contracts are cutting out minority business because they were not bid on as required by law. There are growing reports of police profiling in certain parts of the city and unspeakable brutality of minorities especially. Now we find that a hotel we sold land to for $1 was worth 2.5 million. This hotel is now two payments behind in their loan. Guess who will be picking up that tab?!

At 12:00, The topic of division comes up. Sound familiar? Well it should. This Mayor seems to show a clear pattern of divide and conquer himself. Barrett and his minions divided the city racially in 2004, attacking Pratt on everything from late WE Energy Payments to being incompetent. Fast forward to 2012, here we go again with the Democratic version of divide and conquer as Barrett takes his talents of destruction statewide! From keeping Milwaukee racially divided to making Wisconsin ground zero for political grandstanding. He is no stranger to tearing down and not to big on the rebuilding trust or civility business. Milwaukee has remained #1 in segregation under this mayor and all those promises he made to restore “civility” in 2004, did he ever? No he did not! Now we are to trust he can heal the state? Well if Milwaukee was healed from his 2004 divide and conquer strategy, Wisconsin will certainly never be whole again! He never reached out to Mayor Pratt to implement existing programs and ideas for making Milwaukee a less segregated city. He did absolutely nothing about segregation and again if I may, silence is complacency. I am tired of the left excuse of “well Milwaukee has always been this way.” As if that is an acceptable answer to how we live in this city. That is racism as well! What that response tells me is that white Milwaukee could care less about segregation and they are as complacent about it as Mayor Barrett.

Where is the task force on segregation? Where is the healing in the hood? Cease Fire Sabbath is a safety net for Barrett because he wants us to do the leg work but take the credit for it. You get out in these streets and you do something about the crime in the city. Stop cooking crime stats and start talking to these young people out here and find out what they have to say. Spend some time with Urban Underground, the Peace for Change Alliance, or the groups who work successfully with these youth to offer them some hope. How about supporting Black Enterprise and shop Black, ride our busses or be seen somewhere other than in the safety of the Black church?

At 14:40 Economic Development is the topic. Barrett says he is a salesperson and he knows how to sell Milwaukee! Sorry I had to laugh; he could not get Kohl’s or any other business in here. He lost major conventions to other cities and is having a tough time trying to bully his 2 mile trolley into the city. A trolley that many reports say could further segregate the city. He says Milwaukee is “Open for Business” (sound familiar, did Walker steal this?) and that Milwaukee is the “most livable city in the country.” Really now? Again is that using your crime stats or the FBI’s? Not much of a selling point when you also consider our educational system is in a state of emergency, that little segregation problem, and the urban blight lining the city upon entering it. There is massive black flight out of this city. MPS and all schools citywide are reporting sharp drops in minority attendance which is solid proof that we are loosing families at a rapid pace. Not to mention Mayor Barrett your wife does not even want to teach in the MPS system and you put your own kids in private school. How can you sell our education and services if you yourself don’t even use the product?

At 17:40 Pratt Finally Fights Back! He challenges the congressman about vilifying Milwaukee through statistics and horror stories about how bad Milwaukee was in 2004. BUT he would call on people to invest in the city. Now ain’t that calling the kettle black? Did he not use this same tactic against Walker but when convenient he used it too! HYPOCRITE! If we remember the Journal Sentinel was not a friend to Marvin Pratt at all and gave Barrett a pass on most everything. Although he had no plans, programs, budgets to offer, just empty words. He was also challenged on ethics on his fundraising because he told many donors and Mayor Pratt on four different occasions he was set on being the governor and raising money for that alone.

17:20 Barrett admits Milwaukee was his second choice. He did not really want to be mayor, but if it was between becoming irrelevant and being mayor, he would choose mayor. So from the start we were a step child for Barrett, a second choice, a place to settle until he could become governor. However we allowed this and we have been an abused victim of his hatred of having to settle for option two ever since!

19:00 Pratt cites specific plans and budgets and Barrett offers nothing specific. This has been his strategy in the recalls too. Stick and move, jab and duck. No one has called upon him to submit a budget, a plan, a specific, detailed map of where he wants to take Wisconsin. It has been almost two months and no one challenges him on this. Walker in your next debate you must harp on this. Are we going to let him become governor with no agenda other than “I am not Scott Walker.”

20:00 “You don’t seem like your from Milwaukee!” Barrett makes this claim but never defended us. Exactly how are Milwaukeeans supposed to act and why did he not defend the city he was trying to sell? Seems to me he was more apologetic then a proponent of this city.

21:30 Incarceration and Segregation Fleshed Out. In Milwaukee, kids with incarcerated parents were 70% more likely to become residents of the justice system and 40% more likely to drop out of school. Barrett had no plan or answer to this subject. Meanwhile Pratt points out specific meetings with other cities and cites his programs that are still operating now (Kings of Success and 100 Black Men). We can see a clear pattern of having no vision and the burden on our community from being led by the clueless. Again no task force, no work with Chief Flynn or Sheriff Clarke to curb this trend which is no longer a trend anymore, it is reality for our youth in Milwaukee.

24:00 Barrett Attacks MPS and the fact that at that time we had six superintendants within nine years. Most of these people were run out of town by the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association. This was the time to put an end to their union tyranny. Dr. Fuller and Dr. Korte were nationally heralded education reformers with proven success, but when it came to tackling the MTEA they did not stand a chance. Barrett did nothing to support those superintendants and he is M.I.A. now since MPS backed him off from taking over the system. He showed no courage, fire, or passion when it came to standing up to the silliness of MPS. Again addressing integrity, when board members where going on vacations and running up tabs he did nothing, did not call on them to resign, or asked MPS or the School Board to do something about this abuse of education money. He said nothing about Bradley Tech spending thousands on a pool it did not have and many other MPS abuses. He looked the other way and said very little.

24:30 again admits Milwaukee was not his first choice for employment.

I encourage you all to watch the entire presentation and make your own judgments. You will find that this mayor is not a visionary and had no plans in 2004. He certainly does not have any for 2012 or beyond especially statewide.

What I did see is that this person wanted to be governor for a long time now and he did not care how he got there and what he did until he was governor. Sorry I cannot unleash him on the state in good conscious. My kids deserve better and as a gift from Milwaukee to the rest of the state it would be best to keep him contained here as you do not want the same blight to come to your neck of the woods.  

Black Milwaukee you may want to pay extra attention to the crime and education conversation or lack thereof from then Congressman Barrett. Can you say you are in a better place with nine years of his leadership? This video reveals a lot because it shows he has not evolved or changed his message.

Peace Family,

WW