Open Honest McCue

I saw on CudahyNow (Plans in works for former Kohl's Food site) that the CDA met in closed session, then came into open session and voted unanimously to approve the financial structure in concept at the Kohl’s Site. 

While that old building is a dump, how much city money is going into the development, and what are the plans?

If Mayor McCue, who ran on an open meetings platform, can't come out and tell the public how potentially taxpayer dollars are going to be used, shouldn't he eat his words?

Why is the CDA always meeting in closed session, and then giving candy away to everyone who walks into the city, except Wal-Mart!

I don’t want to give the store away nor do I think Wal-Mart should get funds, but be fair to the developers and the businesses they bring!  The name on the building should not matter!

I would love to see a comment out of the Mayor, other than, “No Comment”!

A quick check of the new website http://www.cudahy4business.com has the following:

Source Page

Former Kohls Site – The CDA has begun discussions with a business looking at revitalizing the former Kohl's building on KK.  Because real estate negotiations are currently underway, and the CDA does not want to jeopardize these negotiations, the name of the business cannot be disclosed at this time.

From CudahyNow

Plans in works for former Kohl's Food site

The identity of the developer has not been disclosed at this time.

The site at Plankinton and Kinnickinnic avenues is outside the city's tax-incremental finance district, but the project may be eligible for TIF funding because the state now allows TIF funds to be spent within a half-mile of a TIF district.

Tax-incremental financing, or TIF, is a mechanism that allows municipalities to borrow money to fund infrastructure improvements for an area that otherwise would be difficult to develop or redevelop.  The increased property tax revenue from the improved land is then diverted from the tax roll to pay off the loan.

Eberhardy said the allocation of TIF funds are key to getting the proposed project accomplished.

Plans for the vacant site are consistent with the Cudahy 2020 Comprehensive Master Plan, she said.

"Those of us who know about the plans are very excited," she said.

Specifics on the proposal likely will be disclosed next month, she said.

Side Notes Source Page

Cobalt Site - On April 14, 2009 the City of Cudahy Community Development Authority (CDA) voted to stop negotiations with Cobalt Partners and recommended termination of the Memorandum of Understanding.  This matter is expected to appear on an upcoming Common Council agenda.

Downtown Décor – The new banners have been ordered replacing the old tattered ones.  The will be installed for this Summer from Cudahy to Holmes along Packard Avenue.  The flower baskets are expected to be installed at the end of May but no later than the first week of June. 

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…

As I look at my numbers of views on the city, Mayor and Wal-Mart blogs – NO!  They are still very high in people looking.

Could some people look at this and say, “What can I do?”  Sure, I think the thought of you cannot fight city hall coupled with people accepting McCue’s non-answer of I have outside council some will and have just move on.  After all the CDA and Common Council has authorized the RAZING of the building.

In less than 60days the city will own the land back, maybe!

There is an auction and some talk about bidding 30 Million Dollars. 

McCue said the city can bid on the property for about $30 million, but Eberhardy said a decision has yet to be made by either the Community Development Authority or the Common Council on such a bid.

I thought the City was getting the land, free and clear?  So we have to buy it?  Taxpayers paying for this land?  Okay Mayor you spoke in public explain the 30 Million Dollars for the land!

There are people out there that say, the fat lady has already sung her swan song of goodbye.  Just accept it that the City will get the land back for $30,000,000 of taxpayer’s money!

That is exactly what McCue wants.  I can hear him agree right now while he reads this.  He wants people to put this behind him and just feel okay.

Wrong answer!  Stand up and fight.

That is the wrong action and message to send!  People, we do not have to accept this.  If you keep demanding, he will have to give a real response.  Why are we paying for this land to have to pay again and clean it up?

Yes, at some point, we can move on, most likely with a new Mayor who sees the picture, the big picture.  One who understands that the job of Mayor means that you must do what is best for the city, not just what you think, but also the direction the people want. 

It means more than putting in x amount of hours, but make those hours count!

It means that full time is full time, not the full time you learn in county government, the kind of full time you have as the Mayor of a city!

It means that when you make a mistake you own up to it and fix it!

Ask yourself this question – What has McCue done as Mayor?  Then minus out the many things that maybe McCue has taken credit for that the previous council started or has been working on.  What do you have left?

All of this time, energy and money invested in McCue as Mayor, is it worth it?

I hear there is interest for the Wal-Mart in nearby cities. 

I hear there is interest in the Wave from Greenfield and Brown Deer.

I hear there is interest for other Cudahy companies from many of our near by cities.  That way McCue can build his condos without problems from businesses.

Cudahy “Land of Condos”

How much of McCue can the city of Cudahy afford to handle?

If this were sports, he would have been traded by now.  Maybe it is three strikes and your out!

Taken from 2008- In the Milwaukee Business Journal from Friday, Cudahy is ready for hotel, convention center Cudahy Mayor Ryan McCue is making the case that the General Mitchell International Airport area needs......

Correct me if I am wrong, didn’t the Cudahy Station have a hotel and convention center?  Did it not just get voted down?  So McCue thinks that is what Cudahy needs.  Well duha?

I think I have figured something out.  If we make McCue think he came up with Cudahy Station all on his own, he just might vote for it!  This Mayor is an egomaniac.

Looks like he needs to see his name behind the word Mayor, needs to be the one coming up with the ideas, and he might just be the type to take credit for others work or ideas.

WOW…

Take a look at this - Moving to Milwaukee from Chicago

A lot of the suburbs on the inner ring are older and more established, so new housing stock is more limited.

I would say FRANKLIN again would be a great bet as there is quite a bit of new housing construction still occurring there (very rapidly growing, nice suburb - big landmass).  Muskego has some new construction, as do the Lake Country suburbs (Pewaukee, Delafield, etc.).

No mention of Cudahy but look - FRANKLIN (Wal-Mart), Pewaukee (Wal-Mart), Delafield (Wal-Mart), and Muskego (Wal-Mart)

Another pointer to how Wal-Mart may not be the killer of cities people make it out to be!

A smart man listens to advice.  A wise man takes the advice.

On a final note, could Wal-Mart and others be playing me?  Have me do the dirty work of others while they stay clean?  Aren’t they all pleased to see citizens do their dirty work?

Sure!  But someone has to do it.  Has anyone thought that Cudahy could play Wal-Mart for many things?  Paying for Police Officers salaries, donation of money for new playgrounds, lights, sidewalks, stoplights, or donation of school supplies to the schools.  Wal-Mart has deep pockets and we should use them or tap that resource.

Here is what someone said about and to me:

“I encourage CudahyNOW blogger Randy Hollenbeck to look a little deeper into his actions, and hopefully see how he and his supporters were being used and played around with by Continental Properties and Wal-Mart on the Cudahy Station proposal.”

I have said that Wal-Mart could be playing both sides – That was with Continental Properties and Cobalt Partners.  Could I get burned by talking to Wal-Mart & Co?  Yes, and the same is true when I talk in public and private with the city personnel.  I just know I will not be the one lighting the match, so to speak.

If you knew me personally, you would know I will not be played like a cheap piano, I am a leader and don’t let people tell me what to do.  I fully understand how to be a TEAM player, but I am not being played.  They cannot be played if you choose to participate.

Wal-Mart Giving Workers $933M In Bonuses

Average Employee Bonus Equals $667

http://www.clickorlando.com/money/18973265/detail.html

Wal-Mart Employees Get a $2 Billion Pat on The Back

Chief Executive Mike Duke announced today that Wal-Mart will be giving $2 billion to its workers.  It includes $933.6 million in the form of bonuses for hourly workers and another $788.8 million in profit sharing and 401k, as well as millions in merchandise discounts.

This is an annual incentive program to reward associates for their work.  Last year, $1.8 billion went out.  The amount is based on the success of business for the previous year.  Wal-Mart gained 7.2% from its previous year.

When averaged out, each qualified employee should receive about $933.60.  Wal-Mart is looking to expand their business along with its sister company, Sam's Club.

Source: www.smartmoney.com

Cudahy CDA Meeting Tuesday March 10, 2009

Item B1 on the agenda - Update, discussion, and action regarding Sportsites, LLC litigation.

Motion on the floor – To direct the Economic Development Director [Lara Fritts] to investigate a new concept from Continental Properties for development of the Meyer property a portion of which will be for a big box retailer without city financial contributions contingent upon the execution of pre-negotiation agreement between the CDA and the developer.

Motion passes with a 7-0

So, what does that mean?  The vote was to approve future talks and discussion of development of the Iceport site (which now people want to be called the Meyer site) with Continental Properties. 

I was not privy to some information, but a malfunction with the laptop projector quickly flashed the info on the wall. Pssst.  It’s a secret no more!

As it would seem with a Wal-Mart as the anchor.  If all goes well an open date of 02/2011.  From the look of a written out plan the site will have a few restaurants on the complex.  Maybe a Sonic?  Maybe an Applebee’s?

I have to say Thank you to the CDA and Sara Eberhardy for continuing to talk with hope this project will come to fruition as Cudahy needs the economic boost this project and others that will come along with it.

Most of Cudahy would like to see Wal-Mart come into Cudahy.  All of Cudahy would like to see the Iceport chapter read “The End”!  And most of Cudahy would like it if the taxpayers were not picking up the tab on the razing of the Iceport structure, paying for the fence around the Iceport, and cleanup of the contaminated land.

I heard, but it is not posted on the city’s website yet that Continental Properties/Wal-Mart will be talking to the CDA on Tuesday March 10^th at 6:30pm and it will be a closed meeting. 

This is a special meeting.  So people of the CDA we have one last time to make this right!

We need Wal-Mart in Cudahy!  This isn’t jumping at the first company, but it is begging the only one that wants to build in Cudahy during an economic time that some are calling the "New Depression".

So, the correct and only way to vote on Tuesday is YES for Wal-Mart!  YES for progress in Cudahy!  YES to the moneybags that Wal-Mart is!  If you want a stimulus bill ($$$$ Money $$$$) for Cudahy, it is Wal-Mart!

For every day we wait or point fingers or drag our feet, we lose out and we may never be asked again.  We should “Prefer a deal over an ordeal” shouldn’t we?

Do the right thing for a change and let Wal-Mart in.  Watch how much new vitality it will bring and the new shops of life to Cudahy that will come with Wal-Mart as the anchor.

Maybe Sonic will choose Cudahy and not Oak Creek!

Don’t be so hung-up on the destination that we lose this opportunity to just outside our city boarders.  Force the developer to add a water park to the hotel, but get the Wal-Mart in first.  

Mrs. Eberhardy,

Please do not squander the opportunity to right a wrong.  Stand up and do what is right by the people of Cudahy.  Your own CDA outside attorney told you that there is no restriction that it must be a destination.  Please don’t allow your own bias that something must be a destination to be there push Wal-Mart away.  In this economy not many business are expanding or willing to build for that matter in most cities.  Wal-Mart is still interested in Cudahy.  For we know not when another opportunity like this will come knocking.  It doesn’t look like others are busting down the doors to get in Cudahy.

Pewaukee was just chosen the best affordable suburb for Wisconsin 2009 by businessweek.com and scored No. 1 on the nationwide list.  Pewaukee, they said, has “award-winning schools, low crime, natural beauty and homes for every budget”.  All of that and they have a Wal-Mart.  Wal-Mart didn’t bring the city down one bit.  Did you notice that LOW CRIME with a Wal-Mart in the city?  Wal-Mart doesn’t make the city and it doesn’t wreck one either!  Ask yourself, what is the recipe to making a city prosper and not whittle away and die?  Look at the successful stories and cities.

Wal-Mart is not the destructor of cities, bad leaders, like McCue, are!  Seize this moment and be a true leader not a follower.  Make Wal-Mart pickup the tab not the taxpayers!  You have the power to single handedly fix the lawsuit and get the Wal-Mart in Cudahy which is what more than 80% of Cudahy residents need and want.  You can undo this travesty that Mayor McCue has put us in.  Don’t be stuck on the destination and make Wal-Mart pay.  It is not too late.  What has been done can be undone.

Stand up and do what is right by the people of Cudahy.  If you are serious, about making a run for mayor in 2010 don’t make not allowing Wal-Mart to go through a liability because people will remember that you held up solid economic development in Cudahy and went against the wishes of the people.  Even if you are not, please do right by the people of Cudahy.  Make Wal-Mart pay to cleanup the site, pay for more police officers that Cudahy desperately needs.  Make them pay for city improvements.  Make them build the store to look like a train station.  Be bold and be a leader of what the Cudahy people want and need.  Separate yourself from the pack of McCue elitists' and do what is right by the people of Cudahy.

This single action would make your dream of Mayor come true, if that is what you want.

Make Wal-Mart pay.  Soak them, but get them on the land.  Push them to make the store something special.  Push them to give the city some land.  Push them around.  Bully them and it will make the people happy including the 10% of those that don’t want Wal-Mart here and just want to see them suffer.  But get Wal-Mart on that land.  There is no other site.  Make Wal-Mart build a bigger store.  Force the issue.  Make them accountable!  But for God’s sake, listen to what the people want for a change, not what some committees want or the Mayor doesn't personally want.  This IS what the people of Cudahy want and need.  We need this economic boost.  Cudahy is dieing a slow economic death.  Breathe life back into it.  Have the CDA perform CPR on Cudahy by allowing this Wal-Mart to go forward.  Don’t let something cloud your judgment like McCue has!  Don’t sentence Cudahy to death, revive it!

Do what is right.  Listen to the people.  It is never too late to right a wrong!  Step out of McCue’s shadow and into the light of right.  Wal-Mart has the deep pockets that Cudahy needs.

The citizens of Cudahy still should know why Mayor McCue said “NO” to Wal-Mart and some new information about Wal-Mart.

A story about Cudahy, Muskego, Wal-Marts, Lawsuits and Recalls

Fun, fun, fun

Go To Story

The Salvation Army - Wal-Mart donation Press Release.

Christmas Toy Drive Brightened by Wal-Mart Donation

MILWAUKEE, WI, December 18, 2008 –

The Salvation Army’s annual toy drive has received a major helping hand from Wal-Mart’s four city of Milwaukee stores.  The four stores have collaborated in making an $11,000 donation, responding to The Salvation Army’s need to accommodate twice the usual number of requests for gifts for needy Milwaukee area families.

            Additionally, The Salvation Army’s toy barrels will be at each of the four Milwaukee stores from Friday through Sunday (Dec. 19-21) where last minute shoppers can contribute toys for the annual drive.  Included are the company’s stores at 401 E. Capitol Dr.; 5825 W Hope Ave.; 8700 N. Servite Dr., and 3355 S. 27th St.

            “The donation and timely toy collection are greatly needed and appreciated especially this year with the economic downturn and the substantial increase in requests for toys.  It will help brighten Christmas for thousands of families,” said Major Jesse Collins, Salvation Army Milwaukee County Commander.

            He added Wal-Mart’s contribution and full cooperation surfaced after recent news reports regarding the challenges facing The Salvation Army for this year’s campaign.

About Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Wal-Mart discount stores, supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and Sam’s Club locations in the United States.  The Company operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom and, through a joint venture, in India.  The Company's securities are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WMT.  More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com.  Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com

and www.samsclub.com.

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination since 1865.  Nearly 33 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children.  About 87 cents of every dollar raised is used to support those services in nearly 9,000 communities nationwide.  For more information, go to http://www.SAmilwaukee.org

If you didn’t catch that - $11,000 donated from Wal-Mart to the Salvation Army locally in Milwaukee from four stores. 

Now let’s look at this article from Forbes.com - America's Most Generous Corporations for a national prospective.

The No. 1 most generous company overall, Wal-Mart Stores (nyse: WMT - news - people), gave away $301 million in 2007, including total cash donations from the company foundation, and excluding free product and service offerings, otherwise called "in-kind" donations.  That amounts to 1.3% of the company's 2006 operating income.

Beneficiaries of Wal-Mart's goodwill include the Children's Miracle Network, America's Second Harvest, the Salvation Army, the American Red Cross, the United Way of America and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Just how much of that untapped amount could have been donated to Cudahy?  Maybe for Parks, streets, put in the sidewalk I have been requesting, schools, churches, and other charities.  The thoughts are endless of what could be asked for!

Is the Mayor and the Alderpersons that voted NO and sent Wal-Mart packing, going to make up the difference? 

That is a foolish question because we all know they could NOT!

This is part two of Knowing A Gift When You See it

I will work this over with these dollar figures:

Wal-Mart’s amounts in black $10.91

http://www.jsonline.com/business/36380809.html

According to Lisa Nelson (no relation to Waukesha Mayor Nelson) of Wal-Mart, the $10.91 is just store average total of hourly workers.  These are the same figures she gave Cudahy.

Wisconsin minimum wages in red $6.50

http://www.dwd.state.wi.us/dwd/publications/erd/pdf/erd_9247_p.pdf

The amount in 2005 anti-Wal-Mart establishments used in blue $9.68

http://www.laborresearch.org/print.php?id=391

Most associates are full-time associates (34 - 40 hours per week), but there are part-time jobs available, as well.

Wal-Mart Careers

For the Cudahy Station we will use 300 jobs as that was the number Wal-Mart released.

300 jobs with 60% as full-time

300 x .6 = 180 jobs full-time

300 jobs with 40% as part-time

300 x .4 = 120 jobs part-time

So far so good!

180 jobs x $10.91 per hour = $1,963.80 per hour full-time jobs

120 jobs x $10.91 per hour = $1,309.20 per hour part-time jobs

300 jobs x $10.91 per hour = $3,273.00 per hour total

Now full-time jobs we will take 34 hours a week as a conservative number of hours worked

180 jobs x $10.91 per hour x 34 hours a week $66,769.20

Now we will use 50 weeks average worked $66,769.20 x 50 weeks = $3,338,460.00 and that is just what the full-timers would bring in at the Cudahy Wal-Mart conservatively.

For part-time, we will use 20 hours a week as that was the standard at K-Mart and most large retail.

120 jobs x $10.91 per hour x 20 hours a week $26,184.00

Now we will use 50 weeks on average worked $26,184.00 x 50 weeks = $1,309,200.00 and that is just what the part-timers would bring in at the Cudahy Wal-Mart conservatively.

So let’s bottom line this!

300 jobs in Cudahy (not to mention the management positions) $3,338,460.00 + $1,309,200.00 = $4,647,660.00 that Wal-Mart in Cudahy would put into the workers hands with a lot spent in Cudahy.  (Don’t forget that is $4.6 Million +)

We will average full-time 34 hours with 40 hours

$10.91 x 34 hours = $370.94 per week x 50 weeks = $18,547.00 per year (conservatively)

$10.91 x 40 hours = $436.40 per week x 52 weeks = $22,692.80 per year

Averaged out $18,547.00 + $22,692.80 = $41,239.80 / 2 = $20,619.90

Now what some would like to argue is that Wal-Mart jobs you cannot live off of so let us do some more math and checking in.

Remember what the Poverty rates were?

2008 HHS Poverty Guidelines

Persons in Family or Household 48 Contiguous States

1 Person $10,400

2 Person $14,000

3 Person $17,600

4 Person $21,200

So, as you can see IF the Wal-Mart employee is the only one working with four person household it is below the poverty rate if you use either the average or 34 hour a week numbers.  Now again, most households would have the other person working.

True retail doesn’t pay the greatest, but where does it say that a retail job must provide a living wage for themselves and others?  Why must Wal-Mart be the one that everyone decides should?  Does Starbucks offer a living wage?

It is always nice to show the math work and actually deal with facts!  The truth can lie when you don’t use facts.

Now let’s calculate this with all at minimum wage (again not including management)

Alternatively full-time & part-time pay at different rate of Wisconsin minimum wage rate $6.50

180 jobs x $6.50 per hour = $1,170.00 per hour full-time jobs

120 jobs x $6.50 per hour = $780.00 per hour part-time jobs

300 jobs x $6.50 per hour = $1,950 per hour total

We will use 34 hours a week for full-time hours worked

180 jobs x $6.50 per hour x 34 hours a week $39,780.00

Now we will use 50 weeks average worked $39,780.00 x 50 weeks = $1,989,000

Again, that is just what the full-timers would bring in at the Cudahy Wal-Mart conservatively

Once more for part time, we will use 20 hours a week.

120 jobs x $6.50 per hour x 20 hours a week $15,600.00

Once again, we will use 50 weeks on average worked

$15,600.00 x 50 weeks = $780,000 and that is just what the part-timers would bring in at the Cudahy Wal-Mart.

So let’s bottom line this with just minimum wage figures!

300 jobs in Cudahy (don’t forget the management positions that are not factored into this) $1,989,000 + $780,000 = $2,769,000 that Wal-Mart in Cudahy would put into the workers hands with a lot spent in Cudahy.  (Don’t forget that is $2.7 Million +)

We will average fulltime 34 hours with 40 hours

$6.50 x 34 hours = $221.00 per week x 50 weeks = $11,080.00 per year (conservatively)

$6.50 x 40 hours = $260.00 per week x 52 weeks = $13,520.00 per year

Averaged out $11,080.00 + $13,520.00 = $24,600.00 / 2 = $12,300.00

2008 HHS Poverty Guidelines

Persons in Family or Household 48 Contiguous States

1 Person $10,400

2 Person $14,000

3 Person $17,600

4 Person $21,200

Now the amount in 2005 anti-Wal-Mart establishments used $9.68

180 jobs x $9.68 per hour = $1,742.40 per hour full-time jobs

120 jobs x $9.68 per hour = $1,161.60 per hour part-time jobs

300 jobs x $9.68 per hour = $2,904.00 per hour total

Now full-time jobs we will take 34 hours a week as a conservative number worked

180 jobs x $9.68 per hour x 34 hours a week $59,241.60

Now we will use 50 weeks average worked $59,241.60 x 50 weeks = $2,962,080.00 and that is just what the full-timers would bring in at the Cudahy Wal-Mart conservatively.

For part-time using 20 hours a week

120 jobs x $9.68 per hour x 20 hours a week $23,232.00

Now we will use 50 weeks on average worked $23,232.00 x 50 weeks = $1,161,600.00 and that is just what the part-timers would bring in at the Cudahy Wal-Mart conservatively.

Bottom lining this!

300 jobs in Cudahy (not to mention the management positions) $2,962,080.00 + $1,161,600.00 = $4,123,680.00 that Wal-Mart in Cudahy would put into the workers hands with a lot spent in Cudahy.  (Don’t forget that is $4.1 Million +)

We will average full-time 34 hours with 40 hours

$9.68 x 34 hours = $329.12 per week x 50 weeks = $16,456.00 per year (conservatively)

$9.68 x 40 hours = $387.20 per week x 52 weeks = $20,134.40 per year

Averaged out $16,456.00 + $20,134.40 = $36,590.40 / 2 = $18,295.20

2008 HHS Poverty Guidelines

Persons in Family or Household 48 Contiguous States

1 Person $10,400

2 Person $14,000

3 Person $17,600

4 Person $21,200

Disclaimer –doesn’t factor any overtime in equations

That is a lot of money Cudahy is losing out moving around the city!  And yes, not all jobs would go to just Cudahy residents, than again what company does?  Even the Police department in Cudahy doesn’t require only Cudahy residents!

Nobody forces anyone to work at Wal-Mart, they choose to!

This post was very long and so I am dividing it into two parts.  This is the first and than the math part will be the second.

Take a look at what the Mayor of Waukesha had to say about getting a new Wal-Mart Supercenter:

The Supercenter would bring 350 jobs to the area, about 60% of those full-time with average hourly pay of $10.91 and benefits.

Nelson said the store would bring a stronger retail presence to Waukesha's south side.

That part of the city has been somewhat underserved by retail businesses, Nelson said.

Nelson expects construction to begin in spring.

"All we need to do is have the weather warm up," he said.

The store has a scheduled opening sometime in 2010, Nelson said.

http://www.jsonline.com/business/36380809.html

Now Cudahy residents, I know you are on board with Cudahy having a Wal-Mart and it is just a few knuckle brain Cudahy officials standing in the way.

True this Wal-Mart Supercenter would be a little bigger (I think Wal-Mart shot themselves by not proposing a bigger store in Cudahy.  Maybe they will come back with at least as large as the Waukesha store) and would have fifty more jobs, but let us take a closer look.

Related info for this and math portion

http://www.dwd.state.wi.us/dwd/publications/erd/pdf/erd_9247_p.pdf

http://www.laborresearch.org/print.php?id=391

Wal-Mart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide, including more than 1.4 million in the United States.  Most associates are full time associates (34 - 40 hours per week), but there are part time jobs available, as well. 
Wal-Mart Careers

Benefits - Wal-Mart benefits including incentive/bonus plan, health insurance, profit sharing, 401(k), education, store discounts and other Wal-Mart employment benefits.  All Wal-Mart associates (full and part time) can become eligible for insurance benefits. 
Wal-Mart Benefits

Let us take a look at whom and what are part-time retail jobs.

Part-Time Retail Jobs

A job in a retail store can be a great way to earn extra cash, get great discounts on your favorite stuff, and meet new people.  Many retail stores look for people to work shifts on weekends and evenings, when business is busiest, which is why GrooveJob.com feels retail jobs are a perfect job for students and teens looking for a job that fits around their busy schedules.

You can work at a retail store that specializes in particular merchandise, like electronics or clothing, or larger retailers and department stores that carry lots of different products.  The nice thing is that retail shops are in every corner of every neighborhood.  They offer part time work to teens and students on a regular basis.  Larger retailers, like Wal-Mart, Circuit City, and Macy's, hire hundreds, sometimes thousands of hourly workers every year.

Depending on trends in consumer buying, some retailers concentrate most of their hiring around key shopping seasons (see seasonal jobs), but many companies have year-round staffing needs and are always on the look out for fresh faces to greet customers and staff their stores.

Whether you like meeting lots of people, like to help others find the products they're looking for, or are simply looking for some great discounts ;), a retail job can be great way to spend a few hours of your week making some cash.

http://www.groovejob.com/jobs/retail-jobs/

Okay, but you might say what else did the article say.  The site is a few miles from an existing Wal-Mart store on Highway 164 on the east side of Waukesha.

A spokeswoman for Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, could not be reached for comment regarding the fate of the existing store.

What is the fate of that store going to be? 

It will close and unless the city of Waukesha in the developer agreement put in a clause (which the Cudahy would have) that either Wal-Mart / developer has to find a suitable new tenant or Wal-Mart / developer put money aside in a city fund to remove the building there is not much protection for store jumping! 

Cudahy was going to place such a clause in the business developer’s agreement. 

For those that have no idea how a big box brings traffic to the small boutique shops here it is explained for you:

"There's going to be a massive sea change in the retail landscape," said Nina Kampler, executive vice president with Hilco Real Estate, which advises retailers on their property management.

She said many strip shopping centers already have multiple big-box vacancies after several large stores filed for bankruptcy in 2008.  Some eventually went out of business.

When that happens, the smaller stores in the strip centers can't attract the requisite customer traffic to stay productive and profitable.

It's about survivability,"  "Retailers have to really fight to live another day and do what they can to get through to 2010."

Burden said that means closing underperforming stores, shedding stores under bankruptcy restructuring, and even "right-sizing" stores - shrinking the store size or moving to a smaller location.

"We'll see a lot of shaking out of the industry," he said, adding that no sector will be spared.  "Apparel, home furnishings, home improvement, electronics, luxury sellers will all close stores."

Retailers across the board from top-end luxury to mom-and-pop stores on Main Street are feeling a gigantic consumer [spending] choke from people's perceived and actual loss of wealth," said Kampler.

"At the end of the day, people are buying far less stuff.  They are buying what they need as opposed to what they want," she said.

This spending slump, which started in early 2008, has already claimed a number of retail casualties.  Prominent national chains such as Linens 'n Things, Steve & Barry's, KB Toys, Whitehall Jewelers and Shoe Pavilion have gone out of business.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/12/31/news/economy/retail_closures/index.htm?cnn=yes

Oh yeah, don’t forget that in most households both parents work and the battle cry of the Wal-Mart haters is that all the people that work at Wal-Mart are single moms with two kids.

So what is the poverty rate in Wisconsin?

Poverty status is a way of determining which people do not have enough income to meet their basic needs, such as food, housing, clothing and transportation.

2008 HHS Poverty Guidelines

Persons in Family or Household 48 Contiguous States

1 Person $10,400

2 Person $14,000

3 Person $17,600

4 Person $21,200

http://aspe.hhs.gov/POVERTY/08poverty.shtml

In Cudahy, I guess we just want something better, but have no idea what that is!  We will be cursed as that land is and spend countless days wandering the streets trying to find the answer, while other cities come to grips with common sense and reality!

Please check out all of the salary breakdowns in the next post.

In my post titled: Cudahy Common Council Meeting Dec 2nd, 2008 (includes audio file) a reader reached out and posted the following comment:

“Randy, is there anything the citizens can do to still make the Wal-Mart happen?  What about a protest outside city hall, and try to get as much news coverage as we can?  WISN radio has been doing a good job, but I think more exposure is needed.  I hate to see this just end like this.  What can we do?”

While out and about the city having my daughter’s picture taken with Santa, a few people came up to me and asked me basically, “Yes what can be done?” 

Which I replied to the people and the reader that reached out:

“It is the right of people to protest, but someone would have to come forward and lead and organize it!  I will look into it.”

I also received an email about a possible City Hall protest:

“Good.  If I can get off of work, I will be there, and I will drag my mother along.  Thank you again.”

So I decided to email the Cudahy Police Chief Thomas D. Poellot and CC’d in the Mayor and Common Council members for information.

Here is what I said:

“Dear Police Chief Poellot,

It has been asked how can Cudahy citizens lawfully protest at City Hall.  What would be the do’s and don’t of the protest?  I would not want anyone to get arrested, but don’t want to squash the First Amendment right of free speech and the Right to Demonstrate and Protest. 

I fully understand that the First Amendment prohibits restrictions based on the content of speech.  However, this does not mean that the Constitution completely protects all types of free speech activity in every circumstance.  Police and government officials are allowed to place certain non-discriminatory and narrowly drawn “time, place and manner” restrictions on the exercise of First Amendment rights.

I also just want to clarify that an organized group can gather and protest at City Hall. 

I know that generally, all types of expression are constitutionally protected in traditional “public forums” such as public sidewalks and parks.  Public streets can be used for marches subject to reasonable permit conditions.  In addition, speech activity may be permitted at other public locations such as the plazas in front of government buildings, which the government has opened up to similar speech activities.

This is coming to light due to the Common Council and the Mayor’s decision not to allow the MOU for the Cudahy Station to be passed, thus closing the doors on Wal-Mart. 

Some feel this is unjust and that the City, most notably the Common Council and the Mayor, are not listening and following the voice of the people, so the people must voice louder and be visible.

I am not coming to you with the intentions of leading or supporting a protest at this time, however, I am addressing these questions in order to provide the answers to many of the other City of Cudahy residents that will or have contacted me to investigate their rights.

Randy Hollenbeck”

The gracious response back from Police Chief Poellot is as fellows:

“I would be happy to sit down and talk to the protest organizer.  We can talk about how many people the organizer expects and what accommodations can be made for that amount of people.  I would like to keep traffic safely flowing on the street and make sure that access and egress at City Hall is not impeded.  Due to the close proximity of the High School, another concern that I have is for students going to or coming from school.  I wouldn’t want to have kids having to walk out into traffic to walk around people blocking the sidewalk. 

As far as the do’s and don’ts of protesting, I’m sure that we’re on the same page.  I don’t believe that these folks want to come here to break the law.  No one wants intimidation or harassment of others, property damage, injury or other unlawful conduct. 

I don’t know if anyone’s heart is set on City Hall as the location, but it’s always possible that an alternate location would work for the organizer.

Again, I would be happy to sit down and talk to the protest organizer. 

Sincerely,

Thomas D. Poellot, Chief of Police

Cudahy Police Department

5050 South Lake Drive

Cudahy, WI 53110-6108

Phone: (414) 769-2260

Fax:     (414) 769-2259

chiefpoellot@ci.cudahy.wi.us”

If someone were looking at organizing a protest at City Hall, I would post the information you wish to have out just email me the information @ rhollenbeck@gmail.com or post it in the comment section.

Just remember it is within your right to protest if you so choose to, just do it lawfully!

Time doesn’t change a man’s word, but you learn his sincerity of action during it!

Here was a suggestion I received on this subject:

“In case the party of whom you requested the info will not be of assistance, I offer the following.  According to our constitution, we all have the right of "Peaceful Protest.” 

This includes utilizing the sidewalk in front of city hall property to march back and forth in an orderly manner utilizing signage and verbal chants so long as they do not disturb the peace in volume. 

You may not disrupt traffic either foot or vehicle, you may not block driveways or stop vehicles or pedestrians.  If one is so inclined to utilize their constitutional rights to Peaceful Protest, it may be advisable to contact the media so as to gain full advantage of the situation and inform the citizenry of Cudahy in a manner as to maximize the effect of the protest. 

One thing to remember is that the police department will probably monitor any protest march that takes place and it is advisable to stay within the letter of the law.  I would also suggest that you check to see if there are any permits are now required for protest marches or "parades,” since the executive branch of the city government may have factored this into the equation already.

Good luck.”

Jay Weber Talking about Oak Creek Booming and Cudahy NOT

With Oak Creek’s Mayor Chasing retail. (located at the end of the pod cast)

Pod Cast Here

It is just too bad the rest of the Cudahy Alderpersons didn’t send out a questionnaire like Third District’s Mark Otto.

To know is to be.  As information is all power, so too can power come from not knowing.  It is only for the knowing to wield instead of the all.  As if information is known, the power is diminished, but the glory can be shared.

It is easy for Fifth District Alderperson Thomas Pavlic and Second District Alderperson Mary Schissel to sit back and claim that their Districts were not in favor.  The same could have been made for the Fourth District when Sean Smith was still in office.  Do they have any real proof that is the case?  Real proof, not just that they claim phone calls which cannot be verified.

Remember Ronald Reagan’s Quote “Trust but verify!” 

What would be the outcome if an Open Records Request were done on email for Wal-Mart with the two alderpersons?  That would not necessarily take in count the phone calls.  We would never truly know now will we?

An honest person walks a straight path, while a less than honorable one bends and twists.

My opinion is they didn’t want to really know what the residents in their districts wanted as they had no intention of voting that way.  My guess because of some personal dislike of Wal-Mart.  This gives them plausible deniability, as the military would say I couldn’t confirm nor deny anything.  All you have is my word.

He who seeks the enlightened path, knows the truth when he is confronted with it not!

Now you may have noticed that First District Alderperson Joe Mikolajczak was not singled out, because in the end he wanted to at least hear out what Continental Properties had to offer.  (In cases where it would be split 50/50, don’t you think it would be reasonable to hear out the plan?)

Trust is earned not given!

Wal-Mart was not a silver bullet, but it would have helped the city.

Lamin Perfect Balance: I move forward in life with ease and with joy at every age – I trust the process of life.  All that I need is always taken care of!  Lamsafe

Oh yeah by the way, what was the results of Mark Otto’s questionnaire?

To look is to see.  To see is to know! 

(340 total sent out)

1.  Do you want WALMART in Cudahy?

YES 51 NO 22

1a. Should tax revenue generated from a WALMART be used to assist the creation of other development?

YES 29 NO 36

Please keep in mind that the Milwaukee Wave was in the picture back in July of this year.

Also, keep in mind that the IcePort site is in the third district and would have impacted those residents more, so it should have carried more weight.

The only correct answer is the truth!

A reader emailed me that “the whole Iceport/Wal-Mart is a Greek Tragedy, where fear ruled the hearts of those who oppose change and forward movement.”

They also gave me this link:

The classic discussion of Greek tragedy is Aristotle's Poetics.  He defines tragedy as "the imitation of an action that is serious and also as having magnitude, complete in itself.”  He continues, "Tragedy is a form of drama exciting the emotions of pity and fear.  Its action should be single and complete, presenting a reversal of fortune, involving persons renowned and of superior attainments, and it should be written in poetry embellished with every kind of artistic expression.”  The writer presents "incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to interpret its catharsis of such of such emotions" (by catharsis, Aristotle means a purging or sweeping away of the pity and fear aroused by the tragic action).

http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/tragedy.html

The trampling death of a Wal-Mart employee is blamed on the store not being unionized.

 Jay Weber’s Pod Cast Click Here

Family of man trampled at Wal-Mart sues retailer

Here is the audio file from the Cudahy Common Council meeting Tuesday December 2, 2008.

People I am sorry that the blog posts have been all Wal-Mart, I do have some non-Wal-Mart ones coming, but a lot more Wal-Mart ones.  Some more speculation and thoughts.

Audio File of Meeting

For those that could not make it to the last meeting you can download or just listen to the audio of it.  Pay close attention to Alderperson Thomas Pavlic’s comments throughout the meeting.  He seems confused to what he wants. 

It seems the Wave Center was not important to him?  What about his people in the district?  Seems he is forgetting about them!

He wants the Iceport gone and he ran on that to get elected, but isn’t Wal-Mart willing to take it down and not costing the taxpayers money?  So going with the project does raze the building!

It is also clear that Alderperson Mary Schissel doesn’t realize that the proposal does include a hotel down the road and specialty shops which could include a coffee shop.

It is odd that both of them say their district's people don’t want the Wal-Mart and it would be nice if they could back that up, but I just think they personally don’t want the Wal-Mart.

This part is a what if and wild speculation on my part.

What if Wal-Mart dares not to build in Cudahy, but instead are making a pitch for Oak Creek right next to Master Lock on Howell Ave a sort of plan b?

Here is the ironic thing if that were to happen! 

If that would come to take place, Cudahy Alderperson Thomas Pavlic’s daytime job is at Master Lock and he would have to see his hand in it landing there.  (Would he shop it? You bet he would, unless he is a Wal-Mart hater!)

Imagine Pavlic having to look at the Wal-Mart every time he went to and from work, possibly every time he looks out his office window!  Karma!

I was told that there is interest in Alderperson’s statement of “...I have been waiting for two years for this to happen...” in regards to item number 4 on agenda of discussion and appropriate action regarding razing of the Ice Port structure and the ongoing foreclosure litigation as relates to prior agenda item.  57:03 is where you want to listen.

People, it could be worse than having a Mayor who chooses not to explain his rational of objections or even give a clear direction of what to do!

Yelm, Wash. town council bans talk of Wal-Mart

By Michael Hampton

Posted: July 9, 2005 4:10 am

Updated: July 15, 2005 2:12 pm

The town of Yelm, Wash., has banned the use of the words “Wal-Mart,” “big-box store” and “moratorium” at its town council meetings.  Anyone who says these words is immediately silenced.

Wal-Mart has applied to build a superstore in the town, which had a population of 3,289 in the 2000 census.

It’s the council’s meeting.  They can decide what they want to hear and what they’re tired of hearing.  You can understand if you’re barraged for two months at meetings — the same people saying the same thing.  — Brent Dille, municipal attorney

Er, maybe the reason they keep saying the same things is the town council keeps completely ignoring its citizens?  This is a complete violation of the right of redress of grievances, and the ACLU of Washington has sent a letter to the town council warning that the ban is unconstitutional.

http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2005/07/09/yelm-wash-town-council-bans-talk-of-wal-mart/

Here is the WTMJ 620 Jeff Wagner Show talking about the Cudahy Wal-Mart listen to the Cudahy callers in what they have to say.  The Wal-Mart District Regional Manager also called in.

Jeff Wagner Show - Thursday, 12/11/08 Hour 1

Pod Cast Click Here

http://media2.620wtmj.com/wagner/121108_hour1.mp3

Jeff Wagner Show - Thursday, 12/11/08 Hour 2

Pod Cast Click Here

http://media2.620wtmj.com/wagner/121108_hour2.mp3

Here is an email I received:

OK people, what is your major malfunction? 

You have once again said no to progress and have sent Walmart packing.  What is the real issue here?  Don't give that nonsense about Walmart's wages because you are talking about putting a specialty coffee house in there.  Those are not exactly family supporting wages that they pay in coffee shops. 

You have also mentioned a possible hotel.  Well, I wasn't aware that hotel developers were lined up to put a brand new hotel in Cudahy.  Besides, the cleaning staff and other employees of most hotels would be surprised to find out that they are well paid.  I know people who work in the hotel industry.  To hear them tell it, the compensation they receive makes Walmart look extremely generous. 

So, we have now made it very clear that Walmart's wages are NOT the issue, but merely a smoke screen because you do not want to be honest about your real objections.  Cudahy residents will continue to shop at Walmart.  Whether in Cudahy, Franklin or Milwaukee. 

You have sent a very clear message to the citizens of Cudahy:  we will not give you a decent place to shop, but we will make sure you can get a good cup of coffee on your way out of town to Walmart. 

I have absolutely no financial stake in this at all.  I wonder if those of you who voted against Walmart can make the same declaration. 

We are stuck with a third rate Kmart and nothing else.  The failed Iceport made Cudahy a laughing stock.  You had the chance to do something intelligent and failed.  The region is still laughing at us.  When are you people going to wake up and get with the program? 

If you had a better idea for the site than Walmart, that would be fine.  But you don't!  A coffee shop?  Give me a break!  The attempt to develop that site has been going on for too long. 

First, the stupid Iceport debacle and now a sound plan that makes a great deal of sense.  It isn't too late to do the right thing.  Call Walmart and ask them to come back.  Tell them that three of you, lead by our illustrious mayor, were having severe brain cramps when you voted.  They'll believe it!  I know I do.  To both of you who voted properly, don't let the brain dead lead you astray."

Side Note - Joe Henika was appointed to the Board of Review at the 1st Council meeting in May.  I saw that after they put the minutes on line.  Maybe that is why he is leading the move Wal-Mart to another location charge, however, his constant pounding about the taxpayers, as well as not giving Kasten a dime, are a bit conflicting. 

Before I get into the meat and potatoes of the post, here is Jay Weber’s pod cast on Wal-Mart and cleanup of the Iceport site.  We truly have to thank God for giving us Jay Weber.  Please listen to his show as he always has interesting and thought provoking topics.

Dec.10 Cudahy taxpayers may be stuck cleaning up the property that the proposed Wal-Mart developers would have handled Click Here

Now onto business.

Let us ponder hypothetically that Cudahy Alderperson Thomas Pavlic did have some direct or indirect knowledge that Wal-Mart has been talking to Cobalt Partners about the Layton and Pennsylvania site behind closed doors in private. 

Now Cudahy Alderperson Thomas Pavlic e-mails Jay Weber and Jay reads the email over the air so information which may have needed to be kept private has been let out twice.  Once in the email in the first place and then over the airwaves.

Could Continental Properties ask Jay Weber for the email or a copy of the email as evidence that the City of Cudahy was not acting in good faith?  YES! 

If I were Steve Wagner of Continental Properties, I would be requesting that from WISN radio and Jay Weber.  Of course, they'd have to wrangle with station lawyers over it, I assume.  I have no idea what their policy is.  Jay Weber might have already deleted it for all we know. 

I would have to think that the Pavlic email would be information from a 'source' and the station would protect it and make Continental try to wrangle it out of the Clear Channel lawyers.  It's part of a much larger stance/process that media outlets need to take so they are not inundated by lawsuit requests for info, etc.

However, since this was a City of Cudahy elected official, it might just be easier to go the route of open record requests.  If the alderman did it from the governmental email address or signed it as an alderman or Cudahy city representative, a simple open records request could be done.  I do know that upsets some people that read my blog, but it is the way for checks and balances to force a fairer, transparent, and honorable government.  Sometimes people only do the right thing when people are watching.  Sometimes the city people need a reminder that they work for us!

This email and submission of meetings with a different developer would be in violation to the agreement Wal-Mart has with Continental Properties about placing a Wal-Mart on the Iceport site.  This could mean another lawsuit is waiting in the wings.  (Why does the City of Cudahy seem to be possibility involved with so much legal action?  Do other cities have this much problems with lawsuits?)

What else does the email do? 

What if Cobalt wants to sue the city over it now?  Lost opportunity!  We the taxpayers get the shaft again.

It might have killed any deal that could have included that location because if I was Wal-Mart, I would not want to be sued for breach of contract.  Would you?

Remember, we are all talking hypothetically with what ifs and I am not stating any facts, just conjecture.

Is it possible that the information was leaked to deep six any chance of Wal-Mart coming to Cudahy?

With this information of a second deal in the open, even before the first deal is dead, which would taint Wal-Mart making them, pull out of the second location. Again, this is speculation and I am not stating facts.  While I would like a Wal-Mart in Cudahy at any location, but letting the cat out of the bag makes it nearly impossible.  Could that have been the real intent all a long?  Was the person that released this info for or against Wal-Mart?

While this definitely crosses over into the conspiracy column, it should be thought about.

If the CDA voted to start the foreclosure, could a lawsuit with the new information about a deal struck with Cobalt/Wal-Mart and a bidding war that the city would hope to ensue cause a judge to give an injunction to stop the RFP (Request for Proposal) of demolition of the Iceport shell?  Could be grounds to do so! 

If it was true (Cobalt, the City of Cudahy and Wal-Mart working on a back door, closed-door deal), does the city understand that some information is not meant to be public? 

If it was true, I am sure Mayor McCue had a long talk with those city people involved.  Remember I did a post called “Gag Order”.

Loose lips sink ships!  -  Millions volunteered or were drafted for military duty during World War II.  The majority of these citizen-soldiers had no idea how to conduct themselves to prevent inadvertent disclosure of important information to the enemy.  To remedy this, the government established rules of conduct.

Sometimes, we have to be kept in the Noir, while others we should know what is going on.

Now there has been a calling for the Layton and Pennsylvania site because of the new post office being built in Oak Creek, but will not most workers be taking the 794 Parkway driving to and fro, thus bypassing the Wal-Mart entrance and not driving passed the entrance as some people have stated?

Here is an idea!  Keep in mind we are talking what ifs!

What if the city truly does want the land back so the city could develop it itself with taxpayer’s money and then try to sell the developed property? 

What if it was the plan all along to move the City Hall, Police Station and high school to that location and sell the real prime and pristine real estate that those currently occupy? 

What if the city built the train station in hopes that the RTA and sales tax would pay back the city after it was built?

Would we have to as a city say, “We built the station so we must fund the train or else it was a wasted effort and money.  So we cannot stop now!”  Would that inspire a legacy or a citizen’s revolt?

Sometimes the “Rumor Mill” transforms talk to truth.

Again, this is wild speculations on my part.  Just trying to be thought provoking since a cat could have been let out of the bag.  If it is an idea floating around, we cannot continue the economically dangerous trend of spending beyond our means.

I also understand that frivolous lawsuits are not the answer!  What is the answer is doing the right thing the first time.   I said this before that the city officials have to take their personal feelings out and take a step back and allow common sense to step in.

Sometimes common sense is not the way to go, this just happens NOT to be one of those times.  Here the common sense approach is the right way.

A friend of mine told me, “I'm just getting a kick out of the fact that we have them all scrambling and riled up!  Huzzah!”

Ask yourself these important questions:

“What’s a realistic assessment of the future growth potential here?”

“Can Cudahy pull out of the tailspin it is in?”

“Have they forgotten all about the simple answer while looking for the exotic solution?”

“Are you willing to give up something that is for some that may never be?”

In my opinion, Mayor McCue didn’t give Cudahy a present, he stole the Christmas presents just like in the Dr. Seuss' “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” story.  We all remember the story of a grumpy hermit hatches a plan to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville.  Also remember in the end, the Grinch did the right thing by the people and returned all the presents and trust.  Let us hope it happens in Cudahy as well.

This should not be a surprise and how long will the legal fight last?

Ice Port land owner to fight foreclosure

An attorney who represents the owner of land in Cudahy where a Wal-Mart Supercenter was proposed said today the city will be in for a legal fight if it tries to proceed with foreclosure on the land.

Milwaukee attorney Brad Hoeschen, who represents the land owner, Sportsites LLC, accused the city of delaying action on the Supercenter proposal before the Common Council ultimately rejected it last week.

At the same meeting, the council decided to resume foreclosure proceedings against Sportsites on the property.

"We absolutely intend to contest (the foreclosure) because we don't think the city acted in good faith," Hoeschen said.

Sportsites had planned to develop an ice arena complex on the 26-acre site, which is south of Layton Avenue between Nicholson Avenue and Sweet Applewood Lane.  After the partially constructed project failed, the city started foreclosure proceedings.  But the city agreed to hold off after Continental Properties, a Menomonee Falls developer, proposed to buy the site and develop the Supercenter.

Continental Properties originally proposed a soccer training complex to go with the Supercenter.  But after Continental changed its plan and said it might pursue the soccer complex after building the Supercenter, the council voted down the proposal, 3-2.

Mayor Ryan McCue declined comment on Hoeschen's statements.  He said the city can resume legal proceedings on the foreclosure if that action is approved tonight by the Cudahy Community Development Authority.

Steve Wagner, Continental's vice president for retail leasing, said the company is continuing to weigh its options on whether to make another Supercenter proposal to the city.

http://www.cudahynow.com/watch/?watch=28&date=12/9/2008&id=48827

I included a snippet of the editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Please read all of it at the link below.  In addition, the J/S wants to hear from you.

Are Cudahy officials doing the right thing?  To be considered for publication as a letter to the editor, e-mail your opinion to the Journal Sentinel editorial department.

A good shout out to Alderman Joe Mikolajczak for wanting to listen to what was offered and giving is opinion publicly.  We can only hope someone like Alderman Joe Mikolajczak runs against Mayor McCue and brings real Pro-business atmosphere to Cudahy.

Even the Journal thinks Cudahy is wrong to reject Wal-Mart - Jay Weber’s Podcast on this Click here

http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/35767184.html

If not this, then what?

The city's rejection of a Wal-Mart Supercenter means that officials need to redouble their efforts to find someone to develop a site that has sat idle for too long.

City officials in Cudahy have been doing a fine job in the past several years of attracting quality developments and burnishing the city's image.  The new Cudahy is no longer the Cudahy of old - and there are good things about that.  Mayor Ryan McCue and the Common Council are right to seek more such opportunities when they can.

But we remain skeptical that the council's rejection of a Wal-Mart Supercenter was in the city's best interest, especially in the current economy.  As Ald. Joseph Mikolajczak put it last week, when the council rejected a proposed memorandum of understanding with a developer, "Somebody actually wants to come to your city and develop something - even though it's a Wal-Mart - and bring 300 jobs, it's hard to say no."

The alderman, who voted for the memorandum, also pointed out that the developer, Continental Properties, would have paid to raze the partially finished, rusting Iceport structure on the site now and do an environmental cleanup.

Three hundred jobs, a solid economic enterprise and cleanup of a site that has sat vacant for years, a site for which there have been many proposals but no actual development.  Letting it sit vacant for more years doesn't strike us as a particularly good idea.  And there is nothing inherently wrong with a one-stop, low-cost shopping center that could spur economic activity.

Wal-Mart Has "Tens of Thousands" of Wiis Up for Grabs

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/pcworld/20081209/tc_pcworld/walmartunleashingthousandsofwiisonline

Cudahy Wal-Mart - Just to keep you up to speed

Agenda http://www.ci.cudahy.wi.us/PDFs/CommonCouncil20081202Agenda.pdf

The Cudahy Common Counsel had a meeting with Continental Properties Tuesday night (item number 3 on agenda) and the vote was split 2/2 and Mayor McCue casted the tie breaking vote against the Wal-Mart sending away 300 jobs in a time when malls are closing across the nation and here was a company wanting to build in Cudahy of all places.  (We have a vacancy when district four alderman Sean Smith stepped down earlier)

Now just as I talked about before many people thing that Wal-Mart is better suited for the land on Layton and Pennsylvania site with Cobalt Partners as the builder.  Lisa Nelson of Wal-Mart publicly stated at the meeting that Wal-Mart in not interested in that spot.  Many think that location is best because it is much further away from the Ice Port site and downtown.

While waiting for the meeting to start (it started late because of a personal finance meeting before it) I asked people how far away they thought the Layton and Pennsylvania site was from the Ice Port site.  I also asked if they live around either one (I do.  I live in between them and just blocks away from the Ice Port) and the answers will blow you away.

One person told me that the two are 10 miles away and NO they don’t live around it.  Another told me that 6 miles away and NO.  Then I was told 3 miles away and again NO.

So the real answer is .6 miles away!  That is six-tenths of a mile away!

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE4B347B20081204

Some people in attendance at the CC meeting were worried that as a company Wal-Mart is not stable.  I think that is just another misinformed person.

Some people were worried that what if Wal-Mart leaves after x amount of years, that would be taking up in the developer agreement where Wal-Mart would post money to either find someone to fill the vacancy or tear down the building.

Now it was brought up that the Master Plan said no big box downtown.  First, the Ice Port is not downtown.  Second, the Master Plan is old and is currently being rewritten.  Also it is flexible.  YES FLEXIBLE.  If the Common Counsel wants to put a big box on that site, it can vote that way.

Now let us get back to the Layton and Pennsylvania site with Cobalt Partners as the builder.  First Wal-Mart has an agreement with Continental Properties and if they started, talking in public with Cobalt Partners about their site and placing a Wal-Mart on it lawsuits can start up.

Related posts

http://blogs.cudahynow.com/way_i_see_it/archive/2008/04/10/proposal-on-the-table.aspx

Look back at my post where Cobalt Partners state the fact of Wal-Mart on that site.  Scott J. Yauck of Cobalt wanted to have clarification about the site http://blogs.cudahynow.com/way_i_see_it/archive/2008/05/04/the-forbidden-store.aspx

Now in the past Cobalt Partners had contacted Wal-Mart about the Layton and Pennsylvania site (2007) and Wal-Mart was interested but the cleanup of that site was too high of a cost along with the type of fill would require posts/pillars in the construction costs thus increasing the total costs of the project.

Again, Lisa Nelson of Wal-Mart was at the meeting last night and confirmed that Wal-Mart is not interested in the Layton and Pennsylvania site.  I will place up the audio of the meeting tonight.

At the time, there is no news story with the other site and NO bidding war for Wal-Mart as one of the Cudahy Alderman would like to think.

Now on to the removal of the Ice Port Shell

(Item number 4 on agenda)  They did vote to take bids raze the ice port building and who do you think will have to pay if more contamination is found under the ice port structure – the Cudahy taxpayers!  Here Wal-Mart and Continental Properties were going to pay to clean up the land.

Wal-Mart is not getting the land for free, as some people would like to think.  They will be paying Continental Properties for it and helping to pay for site cleanup.

Please listen to Jay Weber’s show on the Cudahy Wal-Mart

Here is Jay Weber’s Thursday December 4, 2008 podcast of it.  Click Here  Hear Cudahy Alderperson Mary Schissel’s comments on the Wal-Mart

Since the Mayor had the final say on "land use" (ha ha ha) WALMART, on the Sportsites property, it would be great if he would now answer a couple of questions.

1.   What opportunity costs have the city missed, with waiting 18 months to Restart for foreclosure proceedings on Sportsites?  Remember the word Restart, because in April 2007, the city was over 10 months into foreclosure action.

2.   How much time and money has been wasted in working on the Wal-Mart Plan?  How many dollars in outside attorneys have been used?  How much has it cost to have Ehlers & Associates review the financials?  How much has it cost to have VandeWalle weigh in on the proposed Wal-Mart, Wave proposal? 

3.  Once the city gets initially back into court, how long will it take to get the land back?

4.  How much more in attorney's fees will this cost?

5.  What other development will Oak Creek get (new post office and I think the Wal-Mart), St. Francis get (Cardinal Stritch University, Brew Pub), will Cudahy spends its time tied up in court, after waiting 2 years?  Maybe the development in Cudahy is just at city hall like the Mayor’s new office.

6.  What land use does the Mayor propose on this site, and when will it happen?

Here is what Continental Properties had to say after the vote – “The project isn't necessarily dead as a result of the vote.  But, as the delays pile up, "the less likely it is to happen," said Steve Wagner, Continental's vice president for retail leasing.

"We're evaluating all of our options," Wagner said today.”

http://www.cudahynow.com/watch/?watch=28&date=12/3/2008&id=48735

Sorry, but it is my opinion that Wal-Mart will NOT come back for the Penn and Layton site, as Cudahy, including the Mayor, has slapped them in the face, once again! 

Wal-Mart…a word and a place that simply makes some happy and others mad. 

It causes some to protest against and others to fight for it. 

It can cause normally rational people to do irrational things like vandalism of property of those supporting it. 

It can cause outrage of a community that where the majority wants it and a few in power that don’t to spark an interest in the open record requests and the recall process.  (That necessarily is not a bad thing as a wake up call to the city and the people to have an understanding of the checks and balances the people have)

CudahyNOW reported that “Funding shortage derails Cudahy Station project” http://www.cudahynow.com/story/index.aspx?id=818788

With the recent money crunch and stock decline, Continental Properties, the developer of the Shops at Cudahy Station, has failed to secure the funds and financing necessary to get the project off the ground as planned.

With the retail that is already on the complex (Walgreen’s) why not allow the Wal-Mart to be built and then have the rest built after.  Wal-Mart is not asking for taxpayer’s money.  The people of Cudahy want the Wal-Mart!  It doesn’t matter where on the map in Cudahy, the people want it.

I hammered on the master plan in how we can allow retail there on the site since it already has some.  The city cannot hide behind the master plan to mask their dislike of Wal-Mart personally.  The betterment of the city is what is important, not someone’s personal distain for Wal-Mart.

http://www.cudahynow.com/story/index.aspx?id=820925

Those were strong words that hopefully, over the year, Mayor McCue has changed and now takes to heart.

Everything makes sense after the fact in seeing the future.

We are never going back to the town of Mayberry with Mom and pop stores dotting the way.  Those days are gone for good!

We all wish and would like to hold on to the dream that our community could and still is Mayberry.  Wal-Mart is not the evil place that those detractors would like to paint them as.  We can try and live in fictional Mayberry or in the realism of Cudahy where Wal-Mart fits right in!

Just build the damn thing, already.

Ever-changing Cudahy plan morphs into Wal-Mart

The Cudahy Wal-Mart has a second shot without the Wave Center.  Let us hope Mayor McCue understands that Cudahy needs and wants this Wal-Mart.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/35201379.html

My friend Jay Weber of WISN talking about the Cudahy Wal-Mart and Mayor Ryan McCue in this podcast.

Podcast here - The plans for a Walmart in Cudahy are on again.

Karma?

Town Chases Out Wal-Mart; Gets Insufferable Recycling Plant Instead

Pennsylvania: Residents in Plainfield County recently chalked up what they thought was a neighborhood-saving move by spending years chasing out Wal-Mart, which was planning on building a new store.  Instead, they got a noise-polluting recycling plant.

The site now creates wall-shaking explosions and noises that resemble a freight train on a daily basis.  A fire last week at the plant rose tensions even higher between residents.  Developer Nolan A. Perin says he is being unfairly blamed.

He says $200k was spent to quell the noise and that he doesn't understand all the criticism over the plant, which is in an industrial park.  Residents say they weren't notified, but since it is zoned for it, no additional approvals were necessary.

Source: www.mcall.com