An Alderman's Notion of "Sharing in the Sacrifice"
This is a follow-up to my August blog entry titled “Alderman Ament’s Antics”.
In June, for “budgetary reasons”, the New Berlin Common Council approved a maximum of four unpaid furlough days for city workers.
At a July meeting, Alderman Ament presented a Requested Action Statement (RAS), which contended that the mayor and aldermen should take the equivalent of furlough days by having each alderman refund $26.96 for a day of furlough and the mayor refund $322.24. Ald. Ament argued that the aldermen and mayor should “share in the sacrifice” being required of city employees.
All four unpaid furlough days were imposed in 2009.
Are you pro-choice?
Tonight is the last night for filing for local offices. Whomever is on the ballot after five o'Clock this evening will be the candidate or candidates for a seat.
The onus is on the voter now. For all the moaning and groaning about who does or doesn't do what, our last time for choice is in the upcoming elections..
Introducing the Candidates for School Board and Districts 1, 3, 5, 7.
The filing deadline for candidates for local offices passed at 5:00 PM, January 5, 2010
The following candidates are listed for 3 openings on New Berlin School Board, All listing are in alphabetic order.
New Berlin clinic offers new services in 2010
Less than six months ago, we opened the doors at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Clinics-New Berlin. Our goal was to provide a place for many of the same pediatric specialists who practice at Children’s Hospital to see patients closer to home.
I’m excited to tell you that we’re expanding our services this month. More than 14 different specialties are already available, and here’s four more:
Lawsuit threats may styme actions of future Common Councils
An agenda item on the Common Council Agenda calls for a vote on re-enstating former alderman Joseph Poshepney ( 5th District) to the post . I suppose it will include all his past wages from the date of his resignation too.
We feel this sends a message to anyone who does not like what the council is doing, to simply find an attorney, who might even do it for free, to threaten a lawsuit.
Mayoral and Aldermanic Salaries
Comparison data of city executive pay was published last week in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. By city executive, they mean mayor/village president and city administrator/manager. Unlike some other cities, New Berlin does not employ a city administrator. It relies on its mayor to perform those duties.
Among the suburban communities listed, New Berlin’s had the second lowest city executive pay-$83,772. (Greenfield at $73,472 was lowest.) However, Greenfield’s mayor appears to have more generous fringe benefits/expense allowance than New Berlin’s) According to the chart, the mayor of Greenfield gets full benefits plus $300/month expenses; $200/month mileage. New Berlin’s mayor receives health benefits; no vacation or sick days; $100/month expenses.
Click here to view the Journal Sentinel’s chart of comparison data.
Alderman David Ament explains possible Joe Poshepney appointment to Council
Guest Statement
Ralph Heun
Going green: Kids and vegetarian diets
“I’m a vegetarian,” a teen patient recently said to me. “What does that mean?” I asked. “Well, I only eat green foods like broccoli, green grapes and lettuce,” she replied.
Vegetarianism is becoming increasingly popular among children and teens. They have different reasons for their choices, varying from animal rights, religious or cultural beliefs, to health and weight concerns. My concern about kids and a vegetarian diet isn’t IF they should do it but HOW they do it. Done right, a vegetarian diet can be very healthy. But a poor vegetarian diet can cause health problems, especially in teens or kids who already have bad eating habits.
Poshepny's Back on the Council
When elected officials become ill or injured for awhile during their term in office or are deployed to foreign lands to serve their country--- and consequently are absent from meetings-- their constituents tend to be tolerant of it.
But when government bodies deny citizens representation, that is truly intolerable.
Sovereignty
The so-called Tenth Amendment Movement, which appears to be gaining steam, is not a fly-by-night secessionist movement. Secessionist movements, or actions, are self-defeating. Secessionism leaves a state weakened and unprotected by the Constitution.
The ever encroaching federal government and it's habit of ignoring the Ninth and Tenth Amendments to the Constitution is the root of the sane approach taken by a majority of states. States are using the Bill of Rights and Constitution to reaffirm by resolution States Rights ot Sovereignty. The supreme law of our nation, ratified by the Constitutional Convention of 1791, are the Ninth and Tenth Amendments. The States Resolutions are not for secession, they are Resolutions using the Constitution in the manner in which it was intended.
Re: Protecting Children
Shouldn't our state legislators do their utmost to protect children?
Sen. Mary Lazich’s Conservatively Speaking blog post yesterday (Sunday, January 17) titled Protecting children, refers to child care scams, the Wisconsin Shares program and fraud, reports of child-care centers connections to drug operations.
Las Vegas is scene for Rotarians' Annual Mystery Dinner
The setting can be anything from a quiet library to a dreamy tropical island. But past experience tells us there's no way to avoid becoming involved in solving a murder -- especially when attending the Rotary Club of New Berlin's fourth annual mystery dinner.
Saturday, Feb. 13, Rotarians will be offering guests a unique way to celebrate Valentines Day. The presentation, "Murder in Sin City," places them in a Las Vegas setting, actually located in the New Berlin Banquet & Conference Center, 16000 W. Cleveland Ave.
Learning to like broccoli: Tips for picky eaters
I recently watched an episode of “Bizarre Foods” on TV. The host was visiting Morocco and excited about trying poached calf brains. Apparently it’s a delicacy in Morocco. It turned my stomach, and I thought, “There is no way I would eat that.” Then I started to think that maybe that’s how kids feel about some foods. Broccoli may seem as strange to a kid as calf brains would be to an adult.
Many parents worry about their kids’ eating habits, but the most important thing to remember is that as a parent, you can control what, when and where food is provided. Your kids generally have control over how much and if the food is eaten.
Kids & Technology
In 2000, New Berlin Public Schools Superintendent James Benfield recommended slashing the District’s technology budget to help pay for the 5-year Facility Capital Improvement Plan he presented.
Dr. Benfield would not have suggested such a drastic cut if he’d considered technology of great educational value and importance.
New Berlin Veterans Memorial
Join your friends and neighbors Saturday, February 20, 2010, 6:00 P.M. to 10:30 P.M. at VFW Post 5716, 17900 West Beloit Road, New Berlin, Wisconsin.
Tickets for this event are $25.00 per person. Gather a group of friends and have a good time while you back the Veterans Memorial. There will be a "Casino Night" at the Post with all proceeds used to support the New Berlin Veterans Memorial. Fun and games for a good cause.
New Berlin Police to Intensify Safety Belt Enforcement
New Berlin Police to intensify safety belt enforcement
NB Web Site Ads--the Rest of the Story
At its January 12 meeting, the Council discussed allowing advertisements on the official City of New Berlin Web site.
Perhaps you saw the subsequent Jan. 19 Journal Sentinel news story headlined “New Berlin seeks Web revenue.”
