The Way I See It!

Game Time Again - Pin the Tax Increases On…

Posted by Randy Hollenbeck on Nov. 19, 2009

Cudahy, Milwaukee County, National, Wisconsin, Taxes

Party of raising taxes – Democrats.

President Barack Obama, Governor Jim Doyle, US Senators Russell D. Feingold & Herb H. Kohl, WI State Senator Jeffrey Plale, US House of Representatives Gwen Moore, State Rep. Christine Sinicki, County Supervisor Patricia Jursik, and Cudahy Mayor Ryan McCue.

For those that are mad and complaining about taxes notice who is taxing you, who is in power and who you voted for!

FYI to those in power.  If you vote for tax increases, beware of your constituents!

Bringing pressure to bear

One CRG-backed group is called "No Tax Increase for Cudahy/South Milwaukee," the area Jursik represents on the County Board.  The second group is called "Glendale Residents for Honest Representation.”  Lipscomb represents most of Glendale and part of Milwaukee's north side.

Kliesmet said the filings were spurred by local residents seeking CRG help to hold their supervisors accountable.  He said the filings could be precursors to recalls.

The group's political advocacy arm also is sponsoring a series of radio ads, mailings and automated phone calls in support of Walker's budget.  The efforts have dovetailed with talk radio - both in support of Walker's budget and in criticizing Walker critics.

Jursik has emerged as a CRG foe for her outspoken criticism of the group as "bullies.”  She also said a CRG mailing that featured County Board Chairman Lee Holloway was racist.  Holloway, who is African-American, has been a frequent CRG target for criticism that verges on ridicule.  The group's Web site features a likeness of Holloway as a bobble-head.

Jursik said her votes against the budget and against some of Walker's proposed outsourcing of county services were not prompted by the CRG efforts.

"I'm not doing anything different in response to pressure from CRG," Jursik said.  "There's nothing unusual at all in the way I've been voting."

CRG phone calls this week urged residents to contact Jursik and Lipscomb and tell them to support Walker's budget version.

Kliesmet said Lipscomb was out of step with his district by backing a local sales tax increase to fund transit and parks.  A 2008 referendum on the issue was strongly supported countywide, though it split about evenly in the areas of Glendale he represents, Lipscomb noted.

"There's no mandate in Glendale that I'm out of step," Lipscomb said.  He said he was accountable to his constituents, "not to special-interest bullies."

Kliesmet said the group may also launch a political action committee in veteran Supervisor Lynne De Bruin's district.  Although she voted against the budget, she supported some amendments that added costs, he said.