Here are questions from readers:

Mayor Ryan McCue, you are an Irish Catholic and a church going person why did you pick this Thursday, during the largest religious week, the holy week to hold this important meeting.  As you are aware that you cannot even have a funeral after 5:00pm Friday until Monday after Easter!

What are the plans for the site formerly Thirsty Moose?

What current negotiations are happening with businesses to revive the City of Cudahy?  Please be specific.

Schools, PTAs, Police, Fire have all used the PhoneBlast system to notify important information, has the Mayor and local officials thought about using this to get out information?

How are the Cudahy Schools doing compared to local, state and national?  Please be specific in ranking of each section.  What plans and actions are being promoted to increase quality education in Cudahy?

Have local businesses been approached to help in mentoring and volunteering at local schools for programs such as LegoRobotics, Odyssey of the Mind, or other educational and artistic enrichment programs?

What are the duties and responsibilities of the City of Cudahy?  Are these different from other cities?  If so, why?

Did you run on an anti-Wal-Mart platform?

Why is the city proposing to pay $30 million dollars for the ice port site? 

Why did you move from the old mayor's office, which you said was too closed off and dark, yet was open and easily accessible to the public?  Then you chose to move from that old office to the glassed in office only to spend thousands to wall it off.  Would it not made more sense or better yet, any sense to just remodel the old Mayor’s office?

Why was a referendum not done for Wal-Mart in Cudahy?

Is it true that there was/is another Tannery company interested in moving in the Cudahy Tannery?

Is the city still looking into purchasing the Cudahy Tannery to put a road in on Edgerton?

Did you turn in for any reimbursement of costs or damages due to your house being vandalized to the city?

Since I will not be able to attend Mayor McCue’s State of The City Address, I have made up a list of questions that maybe someone in the crowd could ask and hopeful Mayor McCue will answer them.  There are an awful lot of questions Mayor McCue could just demystify for us!

Mayor McCue it might help you to divulge some of these in your speech instead of making your speech a pre-campaign diatribe. 

How would you grade yourself as Cudahy’s Mayor?

What are your job duties?

Do you feel the Cudahy Mayor’s job is part time?

Does the city staff work for the Mayor?

What are the goals for Lara Fritts?

Who keeps track of your sick, personal days, and vacation time?

Why is there no City car use policy and log put in place yet?

Once the city takes possession of the property, when do they propose beginning environmental remediation, and how much will it cost the taxpayers?

Why could we not get a scout or school group to adopt and plant flower baskets rather than paying thousands of dollars to a company which no longer has it's business located in the city of Cudahy?

With residential homes devaluing at a rate of 5 to 10 % per year, how do you to propose to balance the budget yearly with the cities overall value in a declining mode?

In your 2007 campaign platform you claimed, “The past two budgets, Mayor Hohenfeldt has presented deficit budgets” do you have an evidence to back up that claim?

Why doesn’t Cudahy have a defined downtown and since it doesn’t how can the Master Plan call for certain things to happen downtown if one is not defined?

Are you going to hold a referendum so the citizens can vote on the KRM since this is a very big deal that will affect the Cudahy residents vastly?

Was it your idea to put flowerpots on the light polls downtown?

Are you okay with 97 of 250 city jobs being held by non-Cudahy residents including our Police Chief, Superintendent of our schools and now our Fire Chief?

Complaints resonate amid higher tax bills, lower property values

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/36734324.html

Nice quiet small town type community on Lake Michigan. The main disadvantage is the high cost of property taxes. Wisconsin has some of the highest property taxes in the U.S.

If you have a question for Mayor Ryan McCue just post it in the comments section!

Mayor…

Please Email me any questions or comments you want me to post for Mayor McCue to answer for his Cudahy State of the City Address.

The talk around Cudahy is that Thursday was selected so low turn out and the room would be stacked in his favor.  Maybe Mayor McCue will have a meeting with Tom like last year and then have Tom standup and give a speech supporting Mayor McCue. 

After looking at Mayor McCue’s calendar, it was pointed out that Tom had a meeting with the Mayor and as it turns out gave the support speech last year.  Could it have been staged and worked out?

rhollenbeck@gmail.com

During the summer of 2008, Cudahy Police had to respond to a flag vandalism happening where an American Flag was burned and the people cited for careless use of burning materials.

Do you think we need a flag-burning ordinance in Cudahy?

Day 8 – Tuesday May 13th 2008 - Still No response from the Mayor

Pitbull ordinance considered in Cudahy

Codification - the act, process, or result of arranging in a systematic form or code, Law a. the act, process, or result of stating the rules and principles applicable in a given legal order to one or more broad areas of life in this form of a code. 

b. the reducing of unwritten customs or case law to statutory form. 

Local Pitbull owners are preparing to fight a proposed ordinance addressing Pitbulls and other vicious dogs.

The Cudahy Rules, Laws and Ordinance Committee will consider the proposed ordinance at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, at City Hall, 5050 S. Lake Drive.

The Web site www.nopitbullbans.com is urging local residents to fight any breed specific ban by contacting Cudahy legislators and attending the meeting.  The site has already generated a number of posts from local dog owners upset about the possibility of a ban.

A reader emailed me asking me how I feel about this subject.

I must admit, I feel guilty for not having my usual strong opinion on this subject.

I went to the website above and read the comments.  Here is what one of them had to say.

http://www.nopitbullbans.com/?p=659#comments

I am in total support of reducing Gangs and any tool that can help I am for.  Is Pam Brown correct that it has not been used in the past?

So if this is true that is a vicious dog law on the books in Cudahy that had not been used once at that time, will this do anything new or just be another law unused?

What is the difference from the old law?

How will you know what a Pitbull dog is or is it just any vicious dogs? 

What is vicious?  Barks a lot?  Bites?  What?

I am told it is a dog that bites or moves in threatening manor.

With the Mayor doing the codification, are there any others ordinances that maybe on the books that already cover this?

It is my understand that St. Francis and South Milwaukee have already passed a ban on Pitbulls, which makes Cudahy an island.  The ban in South Milwaukee has already been upheld by the state supreme court as constitutional.

Maybe Pitbull owners can show proof of insurance and pay a higher licensing amount to help curb gangs from using them, yet allow people to still own them.  This has been done in other cities.

Sorry people that I don’t have that hard in your face thought on this one.  I am not a dog person, but I like dogs.  Big or small.  I had dogs growing up.  My daughter’s sitter has dogs.  Including puppies for sale.  Three female purebred chocolate labs with papers for $600 each.  Email me if interested.

Day 5 – Still No response from the Mayor

Amazing, the leader (in name only) votes something down, is silent, and will probably gets away with it.  Hey, only in Cudahy!

It was requested that I do a monthly review of the most looked at topics I wrote.  I will run down the top 10 and give a small overview of each. 

Some of these have an unfair advantage because they are older and have had the chance to be looked at longer.  By far, the shorter time Wal-Mart articles have more people view them quicker.  Many people still want to hear about Wal-Mart from both sides of the issue.

People keep emailing me offline in private and that is good.  I would like people to start making comments.  The South Shore viewers don’t seem to want to publicly comment, by how many private emails I get vs. the comments feature used.

1. Turf War – What to Build? –Yes it is a Wal-Mart post and I talked about TIFs and how the Mayor doesn’t want the Wal-Mart and how this chance may not come again. I also included a letter from a reader that they sent to the Mayor and my responses to what the Mayor replied.

2. Real Voter Intimidation – I talked about how during the 2006 election my neighbor was intimidated and took down his sign in fear of retribution from his union steward.

3. ** Adults Only **  – The title maybe misleading to a few, but the subject matter was how adult content is on the web and we must watch what our children do on the web.

4. One Must Look Back To See The Future  – Here I wrote about that sometimes one must look back to see the future and how Mayor McCue had some foreshadowing in his campaign pledge about Wal-Mart.  Cudahy, as is the nation, is in a recession and how in a downturn we should not pass up the opportunity of this Wal-Mart.

5. History Repeating Page Two  –I wrote about the info a reader emailed me about a Cudahy School closing and Wal-Mart spin.

6. Plan Commission   – I wrote about what happen at the last Plan Commission meeting about Cudahy Station.  How some members didn’t even understand what they were to be voting on that night.

7. Proposal On The Table  – I wrote about what is the Wal-Mart proposal, TIF, and the Plan Commission.

8. Teen’s Common Sense Sometimes Lacking  – I wrote about a report I came across on how Florida legislators are encouraging a review of their "abstinence only" sex education programs after a recent survey completed by Florida teens returned some curious results of not understanding things like drinking bleach prevents HIV.  By now way am I attacking "abstinence only", just bring to light what they found.

9. Flamethrower  –I wrote about what a person said to me about how I deal with the Mayor and if I hate him.  I may be ruffling feathers and again once you write it, and sign it, you can’t hide from it something I wish the city would do.

10. Keeping Us In The “Noir”  – Keeping Us In The "Noir" is about how we are in the dark (Noir) on may things in government and how with open records laws, the information should be public and easily obtainable.  I wrote about how many of these very things should be on the web at a mouse click away from you and I to read and know.

I hope everyone enjoys reading my posts.  You may not agree with me, but maybe what I have to say will shed some new light on matters and make you pause.  I am not a reporter, but a commentator.  I do not get paid, work for the city, or have a secret agenda.  I gain nothing personally from doing this blog other than the satisfaction of being able to put “The Way I See It” out for others to read.  I do it because I think it needs to be said.  I try to be fair and when I see something I don’t agree with, I let it be known.

Many people have said I am hard on the Mayor in his first year and I write blogs that don’t show his job performance in a good light.  When I see something that he does great, I will blog on it.

Hey, I am not the only one blogging on the Cudahy Now website, Greg Janisch was McCue’s campaign Treasurer and he can blog.  Just because I am critical of the Mayor’s job performance, does not make me a person who is attacking Ryan McCue personally nor am I character assassinating him!  This is about his job performance period!  We all have freedom of speech and a voice; I just choose to use mine.

Here is what a reader, Dave Taylor, said in a comment:

“Randy, there's a lot of people in Cudahy who back you up, even if they are too scared to admit it.  We should all be thankful that someone is willing to take a stand for what is right for our city; like you said, "...just want Cudahy to be better", too bad there are egos that get in the way of the good the city could do.  There isn't any reason to be shameful of an opinion, that's what makes us human (not robots) and why our country is a great one!

Sometimes you may feel your comments fall of deaf ears, but the truth is that people ARE reading and they ARE listening.  We rally behind you and hopefully, you are stronger in your plight for a better Cudahy because of it.  You are a voice that matters!  You are looking out for the betterment of Cudahy!  You are taking a stand, unafraid of whose feathers you ruffle!  Those of us who stand behind will continue to support you, even if the “powers that be” wish we weren’t listening!

Keep up the good work…your supporters need your voice!”

Someone has talked to my superiors at mycommunitynow.com to have my work censored or shutdown.  The claim was I lie, spread rumors, and have false and inaccurate information.  I try to source my work and some comes from people in government that do not like the direction we are headed or people close to a situation that feel some injudicious is being done.  I have always believed in correct information and not disinformation.  If something is truly wrong let me know and I will correct it, but don’t be all that upset and try and shut me down because you don’t LIKE what I am saying!  People if what I am hearing from those inside is true, some scary things are coming or happening.  Hypothetically, it might even be something like a change of salary ordinances for health insurances that is not fair and done evenly.  Should it not be changed for all and not leave out anyone?  Fair is fair.  That is a hypothetical, but watch it might just come true.

I will not stop until the misinformation, disinformation and no information are brought to light.  More and more people are emailing me with things.  These are very reliable people and trustworthy people.  Together we can all make a difference.  I will NEVER sell you out and I have been asked who is telling me things.  The wheel of information doesn’t need to stop spinning just because it might ruffle some feathers.

The typical online child sex predator is not a person posing on a social-networking site as a teenager, claims a new study, but rather an adult who identifies him- or herself as such and plainly states a desire for a sexual encounter with a minor.

Their victims tend to be youths who believe they are in love with their suitors rather than teens duped into thinking the predator is another teen, according to a study by the Crimes Against Children Research Center in New Hampshire.

"The great majority of cases we have seen involved young teenagers, mostly 13-, 14-, 15-year-old girls who are targeted by adults on the Internet who are straightforward about being interested in sex," said Janis Wolak of the CACRC.

As will be my plan for my daughter, (she is only 22 months) when she starts using a computer, she will follow rules.  Parents please understand even if they are your children, kids are kids, they will be tempted to look at inappropriate websites.

No computer in the child’s room, this includes laptops.

Screen and computer will be in plain view in common area

Computer may be monitored including IMing and email

No computer use when a parent is not home

Computer will be setup with user profiles and child’s profile will not be administrator

No installed software without parent’s approval

No personal information will be posted without parent’s approval this includes facebook, myspace or any other such sites

I will be as active as I have to be!

Full article below

Source

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23226497/

Winter is over.  Finally!! 

They are calling for a rain/snow mix Monday.

So from my point I think the city did a good job of snow removal this year.  I am not saying my road was perfectly plowed down to the pavement after a snowfall.  I know the City was doing the best job they could do with what Mother Nature dished out.  It was very good though.  The corners could have been opened up better as well as widening the street as much as possible.  I know they are doing everything they can to make sure our roads are safe to drive on.  With cars parked on the street and garbage cans left out passed collection day, the plows can't do their job as completely as they would like to.  Just because they weren’t on your street right then, didn’t mean they weren’t out there working overtime.  Yes, we all complain about the overtime, but wouldn’t we complain even louder if they weren't out there at all?

My neighbor, Wally, and I try to keep the road wide for passing and parked cars.  He and I are out there with our snow blowers and shovels cleaning up to the gutters.  Doing so also makes having less snow when a plow does come through on your approach.

I have a neighbor who, for selfish reasons, will not clean up the curb because he feels if the snow pile is wider that means less snow gets on their approach.  Yes that may be true, but that doesn’t make it right to do.  I also have some neighbors who feel doing this is bad because that means the city is not doing as good as a job as it should.  Remember folks, the same people who collect our trash are also trying to keep up with the plowing.  When you see them, thank them!

One pet peeve I have is people snow blowing the snow into the street and then just leaving it.  I wish people wouldn't throw the snow from their driveway right back into the street that was just plowed.  That defeats the purpose of plowing in the first place. Please go back and cleanup after yourself.  This happens more so with renters than homeowners.

What's more annoying are the people who live at the corners who are supposed to keep the walk clean and don’t.  I wish the city would crack down and ticket them for failure to remove the snow.  I walk with my wife and daughter and it just makes it so dangerous. 

There are some people on my street who either hire snow removal contractors or are snow removal contractors, whose plows, clearing out the driveways, make a big mess of the streets.  They just push the snow wherever they want.  Very frustrating! 

Ultimately, it is impossible for plowing to be perfect.  We have to be thankful that someone is out there working while we are comfortably sleeping in our warm beds.  Yes, it is their job, but we must respect them for doing it.  They are out there giving up valuable sleep or time with their families, doing what they can to keep us safe on the roads.  Yes for money.  That is what makes the world go around, but a big thanks is what is needed to keep us and them around.  Thank You for doing a good job!  

How Was the Snow Removal This Season?  What do you think?

Crime Statistics for Cudahy Wisconsin in 2006

Overview – We had a 7% reduction for Violent Crime and a 2% increase in Property Crime.

I am sure I missed categories in both cases below.  Sorry.

Violent Crime include things like homicide, murder, manslaughter nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault

Property Crimes include things like burglary, larceny or theft, motor vehicle theft and arson.

Theft/larceny is typically defined as the taking of almost anything of value without the consent of the owner, with the intent to permanently deprive him or her of the value of the property taken.  Most states recognize degrees of theft, such as "grand" or "petty," which usually relate to the value of the property taken.

For example, Dan goes to Victor's music store, puts two CDs in his pocket, and walks out the door.  Dan can be charged with theft/larceny.  Had Dan stolen Victor's car from the parking lot, Dan would likely be charged with grand theft/larceny.  Source: Findlaw.com

Stats don’t tell the whole story.  If the Cudahy police make drug or gangs a top priority or their focus, then the numbers in those types of crimes would go up.  Just as more people report crime, crime numbers will go up.

Does that mean real crime is increasing?  It might or might not.  The true test is how safe the residents feel.  There will always be unreported crime for many various reasons.

So why keep track or care about the numbers? 

We need the numbers to track, chart, and understand crime. 

On to the numbers (as sited in the 2006 Annual Report, provided by Cudahy Police Department).

Of the offenses known to law enforcement officers in 2006, 38 were violent crimes and 693 were property crimes. 

A break down of the numbers:

Violent Crime

Murder             0

Forcible Rape   5

Robbery           13

Agg Assault      20

Property Crimes

Burglary           123

Larceny Theft   487

Auto Theft        32

Arson               13

Here are the total number of 2006 calls for service by aldermanic district

District 1          2985

District 2          3721

District 4          3478

District 5          2439

Wow, my district leads the way.  Ouch…  I will have to talk to Alderman Mark Otto about this.  Scary…

Maybe the 3^rd district should have a blockwatch, looks like there is a need.

Gag Order - Judicial ruling barring public disclosure or discussion (as by the press) of information related to a case; broadly: a similar nonjudicial prohibition against the release of confidential information or against public discussion of a sensitive matter.  (Definition by Merriam-Webster)

Someone in the public forum had stated that maybe Mayor McCue had placed a gag order on our elected officials from posting or emailing about Wal-Mart (while understanding “working in good faith and the walking quorum” problems) and with information about the pending lawsuit (s) it maybe true then.  The poster went on to say that the Mayor doesn’t want anything in print so he/they can deny whatever is said and conversations on the phone, therefore it would be hearsay.

During the State of the City meeting, Mayor McCue stated these close door meetings protect the city and don’t show our hand.  On his campaign website (http://ryanmccue.com/IcePort.html) he states “As a citizen, I was frustrated that the mayor scheduled numerous closed session meetings, excluding the public.”

Maybe there are valid reasons that at the time McCue was unaware of why the Mayor (to which one is he talking about) had for the closed meetings.  Maybe he sees things in a different light now.

If they had been told in closed session by legal counsel, to keep their mouth's shut, not to further damage the city’s position, then they should just come out and say so.  We don’t need all of this secrecy and mystery.  This muzzle, without explanation, just creates mistrust and distrust, misinformation and rumors.

With all of this information that was stated in the public forum, like the Eminent Domain put out there months before it was publicly announced and now this, I stated this before it sounds like someone inside the local government is not happy with the direction our captain and the ship are heading.

If I were the Mayor, I would be very uneasy if there truly is this secret discontent floating information out.  It begs the question, is there more coming? 

I don’t care who it is as long as it is the truth that comes forward.

It is just like “Deep Throat of Watergate” and makes this interesting!

At this moment, we will classify it as a rumor, until the press (Cudahynow) releases a statement from the Mayor’s office telling us that it is true.  My money is on that it is true to some degree.

By the way, a neighbor of mine has made an observation that things in meetings get tabled if there is no media present to record them and passed when someone is there to report on it.  You and I will have to watch for that.  If it is true, we have egomaniacs in office.

Gates Says Web Helps Government Transparency

Using Denmark and Sweden as examples, Bill Gates credited the internet with making governments more transparent.  According to Gates, those two governments have taken steps to have detailed postings of all government activities.

While not as easy to access as their Nordic counterparts, he said that the US government has made a lot of data available, but it is complicated by jargon and often difficult to navigate.

He also indicated that the Nordic countries are the model to follow, not the US.

Many communities have found the right mix of housing, retail and manufacturing to keep it viable and Cudahy needs to do the same.  Cities are places where people can live, learn, work, visit and play.  They should offer a wide range of services - schools, parks, health care, stores, restaurants and transportation, just to name a few.  Cities that are vibrant, safe, and attractive are where residents, visitors and businesses want to be.  Cudahy has what is necessary to be successful; it just needs to move forward.

To move forward you have to identify your problems, except them and fix them.  Currently our city is in denial of many issues that plague our wonderful city.  Also, Cudahy has a sort of Identity crisis I am told which I covered in “Cudahy's Image Problem”.

Job number one must be to stop the decline in our city’s population, job losses, and keep Cudahy money in Cudahy.  To do that we must lower our crime and taxes.  Crime and population go hand in hand though; do GHOST TOWNS need to worry about crime and we can have all the development in the world and the greatest park system but if everyone is afraid of going there then what's the point?

Job number two is to increase tourism traffic to Cudahy and to bring in money from outside our city.

Look at the pie chart at the bottom of this post as to “The concerns of Wisconsin Residents”

Cudahy needs to find its identity and niche.  Obviously, the economy is foremost...having lost that much of the population I could only assume it was an economic issue again, taxes and a rise in crime (the issue of crime was so big I covered it in two blogs earlier).  By niche, I mean find an industry, which could thrive and then create economic incentives for corporations to move here.  We need to target biotech, drug industry, software and technology businesses.  We must identify areas that definitely need improvement and intervention.

One of Mayor Ryan McCue’s platform statements was “We need to concentrate on keeping businesses in Cudahy and make it easy and attractive for new businesses to locate in Cudahy.”  It is essential for Cudahy to keep the trucking companies that call Cudahy home.  These trucking companies pay good wages and has excellent benefits.  We need to keep the moniker of truck alley.  I know many people in attendance at the common council meetings in the past have talk bad about all of the trucks on the streets of Cudahy.  That is a sign of a living city, I have told them.  One woman told me “I just wish they were in some other city, not ours.”  We will never make everyone happy.  This is the same sediment the Wal-Mart has on some people.

Right now, we are a city losing jobs and people who live in the community.  Our enrollment in Cudahy schools is down.  Some people confuse the issue of specialty stores with big business retailer.  We need the big business retailer, Wal-Mart, to increase the standard of living of the residents who live in Cudahy.  The specialty stores help increase tourist traffic, not to say the Cudahy residents will not shop them because they will, but the very nature of the word “specialty shops” should be a clue.  This is not a daily or weekly destination, but a place to go for a special need, which is why many of them fail.

Once Wal-Mart is given the go ahead “The Shops of Cudahy” will fill-up with tenants.  Currently the prospective tenants would like to hangout in the weeds until Wal-Mart is named.  There is to be a hotel built on this 26-acre property.  That too is in limbo until Wal-Mart is named.  You have the classic “Chicken and the Egg.”

Yes, we need to increase tourism, but it is more important to stem the tide of good residents leaving our community and jobs moving elsewhere.  One-person blogged on the public forum about Generations of pride and that his own kids have moved out of Cudahy.  This is exactly why we need to make a reason for people to stay living in Cudahy.  Having a high tourism and high amount of people moving out will not cancel each other out as some people think.  It starts with this Wal-Mart, which is a destination of Cudahy residents.

Of course, the Mayor doesn’t like this Wal-Mart, check that, is not a fan of Wal-Mart and he doesn’t feel it is a destination spot, because he is looking through glasses marked tourism.  The part of the Master Plan is an excuses, it is not ridged but flexible.  Many communities have a Wal-Mart in them, why would someone from outside our community want to shop our Wal-Mart if they already have one.  They wouldn’t unless their Wal-Mart is out of a particular item, ours is closer to where they work, or they simply like to shop ours.  It is mainly for the residents, not tourism.

Obviously, the Mayor (who shops Wal-Mart) is not concerned enough about the citizens living in Cudahy, and is worried more about just how to drive up tourism to Cudahy.  That is only one side of the problem.  Take off the tourism glasses and use your own eyes to see that both can be accomplished.  Wal-Mart for the Cudahy citizens and the specialty shops for tourism along with the Wave Center.  There are plenty of vacancies dotting Cudahy that would work perfectly for specialty shops besides this need to be placed in Cudahy Station.  We only need find them and to fill them.

The Wave complex can host soccer training in 60,000 sq ft and doubles as a 40,000 sq ft convention center once converted to that mode.  It will have a pull of 100-mile radius.  That includes 60,000 soccer moms and dads shopping, eating and driving around Cudahy.  Talk about large numbers of shoppers!

Cudahy needs this Wal-Mart and we need it to be successful.  Our future depends on it.  This Wal-Mart is not the savior, but it is the first piece of a puzzle called “How to grow and fix Cudahy.”  It is imperative to our revitalization that this large retailer comes to Cudahy and the responsible thing to do for our city to prosper.  Some say that we are just copying what other cities have and that it does not set us a part.  To this I say, why not move out all grocery stores, gas stations since everyone has one.  The answer lies in conveniences.

Cities on the rise are enjoying developmental booms, embracing their history and their geography.  Stimulating the local economy for businesses and the job market, will in turn keep people in Cudahy and will keep us growing.  The military has a saying called the “6P’s”--- Proper --- Planning --- Prevents --- Piss --- Poor --- Performance, and if we follow that, we cannot fail.

What has plagued us in the past will haunt us.  A lack of vision and the carelessness nature of local politicians in the past has cost us dearly.  The town was governed by entirely by old-timers who were dead set against any kind of change and are running the town into the ground.  Status Quo is the term to describe that type of thinking.

It's the "we can do without that" mentality that suppresses new ideas for economic expansion.  I think that is what has kept young people from being drawn to and staying in Cudahy.  We need to engage them and entice them to stay.

Many locals want to retain a mid-sized city atmosphere but there is a great deal of influence from developers to change the demographics.  I am in favor of that as well, as long as the intent is not to push out the lower income elderly.  If we could push out or evict the lower income people who don’t want to work but instead live off the system, let us do it.  Far too long Cudahy has allowed the slumlords to use Cudahy and us.

Renters are fine as long as they care about the property, and contribute to the prosperity of the community.  Many do not.  Sometimes it does follow the lower income, but that is a case-by-case thing.  Would I like have the tax revenue of $300,000 plus homes, yes as long as it doesn’t change who we are.  Too many people would like to remake Cudahy into Whitefish Bay and that will not happen.  Cudahy is hard working class of people.  We can have a successful mix.     

I would support the KRM if taxes didn’t go up and the answer to that is private funding.  Funny how the people upset with the TIF are okay with taxes going up to fund the KRM.

So funny, don’t you think?

Yes, it would be an excellent opportunity existing to lure some of those new transplants into our neighborhood with several mixed-use projects featuring condos, lofts, and apartments in various price ranges.

Yes, tourism development would be nice.  Many proposed projects in Cudahy are shot down because the taxpayers are tired of paying for everything.  With some outside (tourist), revenue coming in we could get some help then the rest could follow.  I am just not convinced the KRM will make it and I don’t want to be the one paying for it then.  We you are on the right side you don’t have to do any convincing!

New residences downtown will generate more foot traffic that will help to sustain existing businesses, encourage new businesses to develop, deter crime, and boost the city's tax base.  We can entice people to move to our downtown, which already has all of the ingredients necessary to sustain residents (library, restaurants, shops, bars, pharmacies, banks, workplaces, houses of worship, etc.) if only Cudahy didn’t have the stigma of land of high taxes.  Adding more taxes for the KRM is not the answer especially as the country heads for a long recession.  We need to conserve our money.  I understand the philosophy that “you have to spend money to make money,” just now is not that time.

The "growth of a city" depends upon each individual in it.  Simply put, how we are treating each other.  I have said this before.  It’s not size.  It’s not money.  The better we treat each other that is the growth.  A modest size city where people treat each other well will attract much to it, everything that it needs to expand.

Yes, I become very discouraged and feel very sad to see so many people bashing my city all the time, but I know only better times are ahead for it (especially if and when I climb the political ladder as many of you would like me to do).

Cities need visionary, non-corrupt governments to progress and grow (I am not necessarily saying ours is).  The officials need to stop focusing on such micro issues, where if they focused on bigger picture problems, the micro problems would eventually be fixed.  The free market place has, in many cases led the change, as long as it was not tampered with.  Good planning leads to orderly growth and helps us to have the type of community we want.  Cities on the rise are enjoying developmental booms, embracing their history and their geography.

The Mayor's job responsibilities vary widely, but all are intended to ensure the well-being of the city and its people.  The Mayor and council members have the responsibility of representing not only the people who elected them, but all citizens.  Council members also serve as a resource to the residents of their district, making sure they receive quality services and helping them to solve problems.  Priority must be given to the well-being of the city and its people and is in an ongoing process to do so.

None of us are Mayors or are in charge (except the Mayor, Ryan McCue), but through this forum/blog our voices may be heard.  We still may not hear from the powers that be, but they will read your comments.

Everyone is looking for a formula that will provide healthy growth and stimulate the local economy for businesses and the job market.  With the challenges and opportunities we have, we can move forward and succeed.  We all must be trying to breathe life into our city and care about each other.  We must stem the tide of population and job loss.  We must lower crime and taxes.  We must, because if you don’t, Cudahy will become a GHOST TOWN.

Does the Mayor and its city officials get a report card?  I am working on that!

Maybe we should do an online one.

What problems does our city have and what suggestions do you have to help our city grow? 

I get the impression Wal-Mart is NOT really interested in the Pennsylvania and Layton site as some people would wish they should be.

This is our last, best hope for a Wal-Mart!  Period.  People please don’t fall under the spell that a gift like this will come again!

In working with Cobalt, the long narrowness of the site, coupled with the environmental problems, won't generate enough revenue to probably make it economically affordable.

I respect Joe Henika very much, but I think he is “Naïve” in thinking Wal-Mart will want to stay focused and willing to build in Cudahy.

Contrary to belief, everyone’s driveway is a destination!  I strive to park my car every day and plan my day to do so.  Maybe some don’t feel that way and don’t want to go home.  I want to see my family!

Wal-Mart is a destination!  Any shopping place is!  Unless you are talking tourism.

Based on numbers run by Cobalt, to get about $10 million in TIF assistance on the environmental on that site, they needed to create $53 million in development for the numbers to work.  People, they will ask for TIF money!  Any business building in Cudahy in a TIF can! 

Is it that all TIFs are bad or just bad at Cudahy Station?

Is 10 Million the most ever asked for?

What is the most ever received?

I just wanted to clarify something Wal-Mart is not getting a TIF; the TIF is for the Wave.

In the Mayor’s 2008 State of the city address, 36 minutes into the speech, he states “Wal-Mart itself is not asking for a tax [TIF] subsidy.”  I just think it needs to be said again.  Taxpayers are not paying for Wal-Mart.

Again, anyone can ask for a TIF.  Not all do, Joe Halser (City Lounge Co-Owner) was kind enough to inform me that City Lounge is in a TIF district but they have never received nor requested to receive any tax dollars for their venture.  It has all been privately funded.

Does Cudahy have a master list available to look at what TIFs have been requested and approved over the years?  Does the Mayor have the last say if one is approved?  Who’s name is stamped on the document?

With all of this fuss over the Cudahy Station TIF, don’t you think the city should have the records posted for the public to see?  After all, we are paying for it!

As Mayor McCue said, “Once elected as your next mayor, I will work hard to attract new business that will benefit and enhance our community.  At the same time, I will not give unnecessary incentives to developers.”  Source

How do we know if unnecessary incentives are or were given to developers?  Remember the classic Ronald Reagan quote “Trust, but verify.”

Cudahy offered $8 million in TIF funds for the United States Bowling Congress to locate in a new 70,000-square-foot building at Cudahy Station, located at the intersection of Layton and Nicholson avenues.  The building would have cost $13.5 million to build.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/localnews/1603842.html

The part about Cudahy offering the $8 million tax [TIF] subsidy to get $13.5 million building is truly amazing.  If the residents of Cudahy knew about that one, they would go ballistic! 

Oops, I guess I just told them if they didn’t see it already.

I am told from Mayor McCue, that the information from The Business Journal of Milwaukee is wrong.  Neither the city nor the Mayor can offer a TIF.  The developer must request one.  Mayor McCue said it should be that the developer Continental Properties, offered it to the Bowling Congress. I just wanted to include what Mayor McCue had to say.

Can you imagine if Joe Henika knew that they were giving $8 million tax [TIF] subsidy to get $13.5 million building?  Again, I just told him.  Please, someone check in on Joe.

I can't believe that the Milwaukee Journal did not report about the incentives offered.  Well, I guess I can.

Pennsylvania and Layton site - Even when the market was booming, at most, with a Wal-Mart Supercenter, two to three medium box stores (size of Best Buy), and a couple of small special stores or a restaurant closer to Layton, top end you could only push about $47 million in assessed value on the site.  (Remember there is a height restriction of no more than three floors.)

That is why, if Wal-Mart doesn't feel that they can get the city to move in the next 30 days, they will probably throw in the towel on Cudahy, and move onto other sites in other cities.  Other more cooperative and welcoming, not to mention, an organized city.

In the end, we will be driving, and the steel will be rusting, the city will be cowering (having to cleanup the site) and because of the issue those NO group are making on the TIF, the next developer will not come forward because of the false stigma of asking for a TIF.  Nothing like shooting yourself in the foot.  We will sit on it, just as the Mayor wants us to do. 

We can drive for our goods.  We don’t need a convenience of having a Wal-Mart in Cudahy. Right? Why have any retail in Cudahy, we can all drive to Oak Creek. 

Those that twist the truth when convenient shall be tangled in their own ways!

If I'm the problem, then I'm the one that needs to get out of the way so it can get better.  If somebody else is the problem, then they've got to be big enough to step out of the way or do what is right!

Maybe it is my own “Naïveté” that sees this!

Here is an email I received and my response back, with some additional comments.  Please people keep the emails coming.

Here is my response back!

I think you got the double talk politician answer.  Answering the question without answering it.  He has not to mine or many others stated what should be in there instead.

Also, if you look back at his campaign platform ( http://ryanmccue.com ), he talks about Wal-Mart coming to Cudahy.  That was when Wal-Mart was not on the Iceport, but Pennsylvania and Layton.  So all of this gobbledy-gook about Wal-Mart is fine just not on the Iceport is not so much truthful as a political answer.

Yes, I do think his mind is made up, yet I do think he is softening.

The Master Plan is flexible and not rigid as the Mayor makes it out to be.

If he was misquoted “Why not have it fixed right away”?  When the paper misquoted me, I have them fix the online on and run a retraction.  Which they did.  Why is it now he is just bringing it to light?

Maybe the reader is wrong, maybe he misheard Mayor McCue, maybe not.  I was not there to know the truth (on the phone).  Why would the reader lie?  Why would the Mayor deny it?   What can be accomplished from this?

It sounds to me that the Mayor is still banking on KRM, probably at the insistence of VandeWalle and Associates and is willing to just sit out the 20-30 years before it happens.

Didn’t your parents teach you to bank on something you know is real?

The Mayor’s view of utopia for Cudahy does not include Wal-Mart

He, Smith, the Pavlic types (remember they voted against), have no intentions of having their name on the Wal-Mart.

When I offered “YES Wal-Mart” signs to some of the city personnel they acted as if I was giving holy water to a vampire.

People, think back to the 2004 election and it was no surprise that Bruce S (lost reelection), Tom Centernowski and Jill Gestwicki (decided not to run) disappeared from the political landscape, and all voted in favor of the Iceport development.  Smith survived because he had no challenger, and truth be told, if the construction had not have stopped in Feb 04, probably Jack Vaccaro would have been Mayor of Cudahy from 2004 to 2007.

Drinking Bleach Prevents HIV, Mountain Dew Prevents Pregnancy

Florida legislators are encouraging a review of their "abstinence only" sex education programs after a recent survey completed by Florida teens returned some curious results.

According to some of the teens, drinking a cap of bleach will prevent an HIV infection, a dose of Mountain Dew soda will stop pregnancy and smoking marijuana will prevent pregnancy.

Knowledge of condoms and other forms of sexual health appeared to be comparatively lacking.

You know, the teens may be on to something here, drinking bleach may very well prevent an HIV infection…because you’ll be DEAD!!!!!!

State officials believe that the myths are spreading due to the lone focus on abstinence, rather than other proven methods which encourage sexual health.  A new, more comprehensive Bill has been drawn, and has passed its first committee vote.

http://www.local6.com/news/15773787/detail.html

I know teens are not ready for the real world, but come on!  What about some common sense here!  This is not like not knowing grapefruit or grapefruit juice makes the pill less or even non-effective.

Now the teens could have banded together to say these things, but for what reason?  And we talk about the lack of third world education!  We need to take care of things at home in the U.S. before worrying about other countries!!!!

Okay, maybe it isn’t!

I bet that did not deter children from looking.  In fact, it made them more curious, that any of them seeing the headline/tag peeked.

I was at my paying job the other day at a customer’s site and one of the employees (I like that instead of being “PC” – associates) made the comment to another employee on “How is it that adult content is allowed to be on his Internet?”

The other employee said “Because the Internet police haven’t found that person yet.”

First off – WWW stands for “WORLD Wide Web” 

Catch that first word?

Since it is world wide, just because our laws stipulate one thing doesn’t mean where the site originates from does.

Second – It is not his Internet!  One single person doesn’t control it and truly there is no Internet police (MPAA and RIAA think they are).

I truly understand that the web is not a playground for kids, but there are many resources on the web.  Some classes require Internet based projects.

We all have to do our share of protecting the underage from seeing content not suitable, but we cannot be everywhere.  Some will argue that the adult content has just as much rights as on adult stuff.

I, for one, was hoping they would have passed the .xxx extension to make it easier to manage, but a debate of what is adult only can be made on so many levels.

Yes, I know you can setup IE or most browsers to manage content and there are many addons/plugins software packages out there to block and manage the content.

Ultimately, we have to be the ones responsible as parents to watch what our children do, while respecting others needs/wants/desires that may not be consistence with our values. 

At the Plan Commission meeting, I received and handed out “YES Wal-Mart” signs.  I kept a few for myself and my two neighbors. 

To those who emailed me for signs, I have not forgotten and more are on the way!

I put my sign out on my lawn Wednesday.  Thursday everything was fine.  Then Friday morning, sigh is missing.

This is what the “NO” crowd resorts to.  They don’t want the word to slip out and God forbid the PEOPLE of Cudahy promote and want Wal-Mart.

Remember what they did in the public forum?

**How childish to resort to such antics of someone posting as me! **

Everyone, this is what the opposition is now doing.  Cannot beat me in debating, so personally attack me.  If you have been reading for any length of time, I would never make such mistakes.  Cannot win on the issues so try and make me look dumb.  All it does is shows how immature you are!

To the “NO Wal-Mart” group, I hope you are proud of what your side does.

Don’t worry I have more signs coming.  You maybe able to steal a few signs, and a few of the voting, but you will not steal the voice of the people.

Please contact the Mayor and your Alderperson and tell them the NO crowd will NOT steal the voice of the people!

Contact:

Mayor Ryan McCue

Phone Number: (W) 769-2222

Address: 3927 E Plankinton Ave

mccuer@ci.cudahy.wi.us

Alderperson First District Joseph Mikolajczak

Phone Number: (H) 483-1255

Address: 3754 E. Plankinton Avenue

mikolajczakj@ci.cudahy.wi.us

Alderperson Second District Mary Schissel

Phone Number: (H) 744-0420

Address: 3836 E Munkwitz Ave

schisselm@ci.cudahy.wi.us

Alderperson Third District Mark Otto

Phone Number: (H) 769-6626

Address: 3324 E Mallory Ave

ottom@ci.cudahy.wi.us

Alderperson Fourth District Sean Smith

Phone Number: (H) 486-6221

Address: 5618 S Rosewood Ave

smiths@ci.cudahy.wi.us

Alderperson Fifth District Name Thomas Pavlic

Phone Number: (H) 483-7116

Address: 6015 Summer Winds Ct

pavlict@ci.cudahy.wi.us

This is Part III of many on my series of Crime.  Crime Part I - How To Reduce Crime In Cudahy , Illegal Aliens in Cudahy , and Crime Part II – The Statistics for Cudahy were the first installments.

I believe that positive outlook and hometown pride are contagious and so does the Mayor, since he said so at the State of the City meeting and I believe it was genuine.  And as much as we do to fix things up on the backend, the real key for our future rests in sparking that home-town pride in our young people.  They are our future.  We must find a way to keep the younger generation engaged and connected to the city.  The more they care about the city, the less likely they would do things to harm the city and the people that live in it.

During the State of City meeting, a woman in the crowd said that some boys were hanging around her car, sitting on it and causing a problem.  So, her boyfriend and her kept walking by them asking them how they were doing.  Finally, after weeks of this, she politely asked them not to hang around and they complied.

We need to get back to knowing the neighbors and making our neighbors our friends.  We need city spirit and the Mayor and his staff need to act like the cheerleaders to pump up the citizens.

Indeed, I see a rising spirit across our entire city but that is not enough.  How we are treating each other plays an importation factor in deterring crime.  It’s not size.  It’s not money.  The better we treat each other, that is the true test of a city and its people.  A modest size city where people treat each other well will attract much positive things to it, everything that it needs to keep safely moving forward.  People need a reason to stay, people need a reason to move here, just having visitors come to our city and work and shop is not enough.  Our city needs to be SAFE!

During this same meeting, a man in the crowd asked the Mayor what more can we do to make running and playing in the parks and around the neighborhood safer.  The man was not talking about what could the police do, but US!

We all have to understand that any crime hurts us and the city.  Many juvenile crimes are considered petty to some and “So what?” they say, but if left unchecked, they permit more serious crimes to flourish.  We need action taken on these youth crimes now and that can only be done by shifting to real solutions.  I hope people open their eyes and fight back by getting involved in the neighborhood.

One of the most effective deterrents to crime is the availability of jobs.  People who have opportunities and hope for the future are far less willing to risk their personal future by engaging in criminal activity.  Some of these kids that are getting into trouble simply are bored and have very little to do besides getting in trouble.  This new proposed Wal-Mart would help with jobs for these kids and adults in Cudahy, especially those with little or no skills.

The crime issue in the city has consistently and constantly undermined any notion of recovery and revitalization or renaissance in this city.  As Alderman Joseph Mikolajczak said to me, “My thought is what good is any development if people are afraid to go there?  This includes parks.  We need to take back our city and put up a sign that says Welcome to Cudahy; Scumbags enter at your own risk.”  He is absolutely right.  It is time to liberate our city from the crime that hits us all.

 

   Thanks to Alderman Joe Mikolajczak for the picture!

As Milwaukee does its cracking down on gang violence and drug gang roundup, where do you think these bad people go?  Crime and its criminals are like any pests or rodents; they scatter when the light is on them and take the path of least resistance.  If Cudahy is weak and the least resistance, then they do in fact setup shop here.

The fact that other cities are having their own problems should energize us not to let Cudahy follow suit.  Alderman Mikolajczak went on to say, “I see crime as our number one issue.  Yes, other cities have drug and crime issues.  I want the issue eliminated.”  That should be the common goal for all citizens to eliminate crime.  All forms of crime.

But, bringing crime under control requires much more than increasing police staffing levels.  People are fed up with crime, and they want somebody to do something about it instead of talking about it.  Fortunately, I believe the command team we have assembled under the new leadership of Chief Thomas D. Poellot will do the job.  I recently met him and I can say that his reputation of a go-getter is true.  His goal is to form a partnership with the community and work closely with the schools, business, and community groups to provide safety to the community.  I am told the chief wants to take back our streets and he wants the police to help the adults in this community restore order.  In too many of our neighborhoods, it seems that the kids have taken over the streets.  Sometimes out of fear, you cannot simply walk up to the group of kids/adults and ask them to leave.  This is when you call the police!

The truth is a small group of people in the city are responsible for a large bulk of the crime.  Profiling is not a bad thing if done right and is a valuable tool for the police to use.  Now if we can only influence the judge not go too easy on those in front of him, we will have placed fear back in these individuals who no longer fear the police and the justice system.  Police, prosecutors, judges and others need to find common ground that is fair and tough.

No longer can we just say the police alone have this responsibility.  Citizens in our communities, Stand Up!  We need all of the residents in order to engage the neighborhoods around you and make them safe.  Other leaders in our communities, fathers and mothers in our communities, family members and neighbors in our communities, have to step up to this responsibility as well.  It’s not just the Police Chief‘s or Mayor’s problem.  We all must fully accept our responsibility in it.  We need an aroused, engaged and mobilized community.  A city is only as strong as its neighborhoods.  We cannot be weak in the knees.

Just as a city is only as strong as its neighborhoods, our neighborhoods are only as strong as the people who live there and who are willing to get actively involved.  It scares me to think if the person in the public forum on Wal-Mart was telling the truth that he witnessed many crimes happen in the parking lot and did not report it.  It sadness me more to know this is a Cudahy resident.  What does that say about our people!

Today, we need to bring the right amount of courage and compassion to this issue - and large amounts of action.  I hope our streets are getting cleaner, and that graffiti and other vandalism rates are going down.  I don’t have any statistics to go by to know of sure.  As you saw in Crime Part II – The Statistics for Cudahy, it only goes to 2005.  ** I must thank Sergeant Chris Blunt he has given me the 2006 crime report and stats.  I will post the update shortly.  Thank you again Sergeant Chris Blunt for your support and help!

The Mayor stated our beautification projects are coming along and we have a whole host of new world class amenities added to downtown.  My hope is that Cudahy Station and the Wal-Mart will add to that.  When people are interested in their city, they protect it.  This is not a time for the faint-hearted.  We have many hard times ahead, but the pay off is much greater.  This leaves us still with many questions only our leaders can answer.

Can we recover?  Will we be safe?  Will we be able to come back?

Those are the question marks hanging over our City's future.  This is not an unsolvable problem.  The Mayor is very positive, as am I.

It’s up to us.  None of us can do it alone.  It will require a TEAM effort.  Together Everyone Achieves More.  We must be unified or we will fail.

You might be asking yourself “What can I do?” to help out. 

Report anything that doesn’t seem right. 

People please turn on your porch lights, criminals don’t like to have lights shining on them.  (The cost is not that much to run it)

Put in motion sensor floodlights.

Keep your car and house doors locked and have some common sense with what is in plain sight.

Be a responsible parent if your child is doing drugs and get them help!

Only together, we can recover and grow this city.  Only together, we can be safe and take back our streets.  Only together, we can come back and rebuild our communities and our neighborhoods.  Only together will we become friends.  Only together, with God’s help, we will realize our full potential as one of the best cities in Wisconsin.  Only together, we can and we will.

It is better to get it right than be right!

RIGHTS DEFINED: The "rights" granted to every Citizen, also apply to ALL legal citizens and flow from common law, constitutional law, and statutory law.  These rights apply to every citizen, yet rights can be diminished, if a person adversely infringes on rights of another person.

Some rights are so fundamental that they need no law to define them.  At birth, a person is automatically entitled to a place in society, a place to live, a place to work to support themselves, a place to worship God according to their belief, and the right to marry, establish a home and bring up children.  Absent a criminal act, and then only during the sentence for that act, these rights are fundamental and -cannot be eliminated- by anyone or any government.

I have not found the crime statistics for 2006 or 2007.  People this is the information that should be at the click of our mouse on the city’s website.  Maybe it is there and I am missing it.  These are our numbers.  They are facts, we cannot hide behind them.  They are what they are, and only WE can do something about it.  I demand more of our city and officials and so should you.

Crime Statistics for Cudahy Wisconsin in 1999

The population of Cudahy Wisconsin in 1999 was approximately 18,201 people.  Of the offenses known to law enforcement officers that year, 34 were violent crimes and 591 were property crimes.

If you divide these numbers out for comparison with other communities, there were 2 violent crimes per every 1000 people.  There were 32 property crimes per 1000 people.

Crime Statistics for Cudahy Wisconsin in 2000

The population of Cudahy Wisconsin in 2000 was approximately 18,534 people.  Of the offenses known to law enforcement officers that year, 21 were violent crimes and 495 were property crimes.

If you divide these numbers out for comparison with other communities, there were 1.1 violent crimes per every 1000 people.  There were 27 property crimes per 1000 people.

Crime Statistics for Cudahy Wisconsin in 2001

The population of Cudahy Wisconsin in 2001 was approximately 18,560 people.  Of the offenses known to law enforcement officers that year, 26 were violent crimes and 636 were property crimes.

If you divide these numbers out for comparison with other communities, there were 1.4 violent crimes per every 1000 people.  There were 34.3 property crimes per 1000 people.

Crime Statistics for Cudahy Wisconsin in 2002

The population of Cudahy Wisconsin in 2002 was approximately 18,695 people.  Of the offenses known to law enforcement officers that year, 20 were violent crimes and 528 were property crimes.

If you divide these numbers out for comparison with other communities, there were 1.1 violent crimes per every 1000 people.  There were 28.2 property crimes per 1000 people.

Crime Statistics for Cudahy Wisconsin in 2003

The population of Cudahy Wisconsin in 2003 was approximately 18,547 people.  Of the offenses known to law enforcement officers that year, 40 were violent crimes and 538 were property crimes.

If you divide these numbers out for comparison with other communities, there were 2.2 violent crimes per every 1000 people.  There were 29.0 property crimes per 1000 people.

Crime Statistics for Cudahy Wisconsin in 2004

The population of Cudahy Wisconsin in 2004 was approximately 18,423 people.  Of the offenses known to law enforcement officers that year, 34 were violent crimes and 634 were property crimes.

If you divide these numbers out for comparison with other communities, there were 1.8 violent crimes per every 1000 people.  There were 34.4 property crimes per 1000 people.

Crime Statistics for Cudahy Wisconsin in 2005

The population of Cudahy Wisconsin in 2005 was approximately 18,201 people.  Of the offenses known to law enforcement officers in 2005, 41 were violent crimes and 625 were property crimes. 

Violent crimes in 2005 included 1 case of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, 5 cases of forcible rape, 18 cases of robbery and 17 cases of aggravated assault.  Property crimes in 2005 included 116 cases of burglary, 473 cases of larceny or theft and 36 cases of motor vehicle theft.

If you divide these numbers out for comparison with other communities, there were 2.3 violent crimes per every 1000 people and there were 34.3 property crimes per 1000 people in 2005.

"The first job of a true Patriot is to question the Government"

- Thomas Jefferson

While we don't like to talk about it - or even think about it - crime is on the increase in Cudahy, America, and throughout the world.  The number of burglars, muggers, auto thieves, robbers, purse-snatchers, rapists, etc. are growing at an alarming rate.

Cudahy has a Blockwatch (some may know it be Neighborhood Watch), which works together with the police department to provide communication.  Working together, you can get the criminals off your block and out of your area.  There's safety in numbers and power through working with a group.  You'll get to know your neighbors better, and working with them you can reduce crime, develop a more united community, provide an avenue of communications between police and citizens, establish on-going crime prevention techniques in your neighborhood, and renew citizen interest in community activity.  The Blockwatch, headed by Vera Trifunovich, is a "Citizen Safety Project" that is set up to help do this.  They don't ask anyone to take personal risks to prevent crime.  They leave the responsibility for catching criminals where it belongs-with the police.  This is NOT a "vigilante group”!  This group gathers citizens together to learn crime prevention from the local authorities.  Criminals avoid neighborhoods where such groups exist.

We need you to cooperate with your neighbors to report suspicious activities in the neighborhood, to keep an eye on homes when the residents are away, and to keep everyone in the area mindful of the standard precautions for property and self that should always be taken.

Types of crimes:

Community safety (property crime) - burglary, larceny theft and auto theft

Slum Lords

Drug and alcohol-related crime

Identity crime

Gun crime

Youth crime/Gangs

Violent crimes/Homicides - murder, rape, robbery, assault

Do I think the Blockwatch is doing enough?  No!!  That will be a separate post that I am sure will be eye opening.  Don’t worry to the people who emailed me, I will not divulge your names or any information which could make your life miserable in the community and in the Blockwatch group.  Please, anyone not feeling comfortable posting just email me.  I am a very honorable person and will not betray your confidence.

I also think this is a community issue that has to be handled by the citizens at the grassroots level.  A good starting point would be to lead the charge of taking down the few derelict houses used for drug dealing, cleaning up the vacant lots and closing the bodegas that sell cheap booze, which pulls our neighborhood down.  Maybe an ordinance to deal with the “forties” that litter the parking lots or streets.  Cudahy has way too many bars and those that cause problems should be closed.  I’m not saying all bars should be closed, just the ones that jeopardize our city.

I am told that the increase in crime and gang activity in Cudahy is because of one judge in Cudahy who acts more like a defense attorney rather than a judge.  He went on to say that many of the Cudahy police are put off by this and many don’t arrest the individuals since the judge will let them off.  If this is true, then we have only ourselves to blame for keeping him in office.

Another point failed to be mentioned is the fact many of this lies with community leaders taking a back seat to actually improving their areas.  Business and government leaders have to work with the citizens to combat this problem.  As someone pointed out to me, “We can have all the development in the world and the greatest park system but, if everyone is afraid of going there then what's the point.”  And they are right.

I see people do not read the police reports about crime or check this website.  It is already HERE!!  Fear of crime is just an excuse.  Clicking our heels a few times will not make it go away.  Accepting it is here and doing something about it will.  We need to be proactive not just reactive.  A K9 unit would be great, since we don’t have one.

I plan on writing a post on each one of the types of crime and to what I think can be do to lower it.  I need your help, we need your help, and Cudahy needs your help to lower crime.  This can only happen if we all work together!

I am truly hoping that you, the person reading this, replies.  This is a problem we all face in our city.

How do you think we can reduce crime in Cudahy?

Residency rules for Teachers, Police Officers, and Firefighters:

In the public forum for Wal-Mart, someone brought up the residency clause for teachers in discussing the alternatives for revenue. 

While I feel having the teachers have a residency clause would be good for the city; I think it would be bad for the schools and our children.  Right now, it is hard enough to get teachers, not to mention great teachers, which is what I think of our educators.  

If we should move forward with having a residency requirement, maybe having a grandfather clause is a good idea for the teachers we have already.  I would not want to lose the awesome teachers we currently have.

I don’t think we have a residency clause for our fire/police either.  I could be wrong though. 

Someone at the last common council meeting said (while waiting after the meeting ended) that having the firefighters live in Cudahy would increase the time at which they could report and respond to a fire.

How do you feel in regards to these issues?

Should there be tighter gun controls in the US?

Amendment II (the Second Amendment) of the United States Constitution’s Bill of Rights declares a well-regulated militia as "being necessary to the security of a free State" and prohibits infringement of "the right of the people to keep and bear arms."

The idea behind allowing citizens the right to bear arms is a necessary check on government.  The provision of the US constitution that guarantees us this right was not an unintended aspect of this country's beginnings, but rather a deliberate tool of construction.  The direct intention was to establish a check that even the most powerful government could not overcome.  Although gun control may seem specifically applicable in a broader sense, an American gun ownership rights (not an illegal’s right, notice the word illegal, they do not have rights under the Bill of Rights since they are not citizens) is a necessary check.  Gun control alone is not the solution for crime prevention.  The package to achieve the goal should include the control of guns shown in movies or on TV, family guidance and stricter sale of guns (to find those mentally unstable and keep guns out of their hands) with strict background checks for which Congress has only partially addressed.  Gun crimes in the US are more of a moral issue, with a failure at the core level of family values.  We have good gun laws; we only need too enforce them.  More un-enforced laws will not change a thing.

There are more guns per head of population in Sweden and Finland than in the US, but only a tiny fraction of the gun crime.

Why?

The problem is the justice system that continually releases repeat offenders back into society and the overwhelming concern for the criminal’s civil rights, while ignoring how badly the victims and their family’s rights have been violated.  There needs be tighter controls on the politicians and judges who allow this sort of thing to get out of hand in the first place.  Gun laws have gotten stricter for decades.  Gun crimes have increased at the same level.  If these stricter gun laws were working, we would have seen results by now. 

Stricter background checks for the purchase of firearms is a nice idea; unfortunately, this will do nothing to curb their malicious use.  Gun control laws fail because firearms can easily be obtained from sources other than your local gun store.  There are an estimated 200,000,000 unregistered guns in the worldwide black market for criminals to purchase!  Someone planning mass-murder would have no qualms about illegally obtaining semi- or fully automatic weapons, which are plentifully and available from "private" sources.  No matter how well meaning legislation is, twisted killers will never be stopped!

I am a gun owner.  I own 5 rifles and 2 shotguns and no handguns as of yet.  For me, shooting and hunting is a great hobby and an excellent form of exercise.  I eat what I kill.  I respect the law and deeply value life.  I believe all of my family and friends are responsible, safe and cautious gun owners.  Most of us were taught this disciplined behavior by our parents and grandparents back to the founding of the country.  We keep the peace and obey the laws; we are NOT the ones using guns illegally.

If the goal is to reduce gun crime, perhaps instead of the government passing more laws that in effect change nothing, there should be a focus on enforcing the current laws.  Presently, the police are out gunned by criminals with larger more sophisticated weapons, who don’t care about the laws and don’t value human life.  I will happily give up all my guns when the bad people out there can promise the same thing.

While the opinions stated here are mine, they are just that opinions.