Wisconsin Waste Watchers

OpenSky Crashes Yet Again!

2010-12-19T22:39:00.000-06:00

Mayor Barrett's Failure to Lead Plays Russian Roulette with Officers Lives

Here we go again, another miserable failure for the OpenSky radio system - the backbone of the City of Milwaukee's emergency response system. Thursday, December 16th, the much maligned, over budget and five year late radio system - with multiple failures and abandonment in multiple cities across America, crashed for over two critical hours.

How many times must OpenSky crash before questions are asked? How many more times will Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett roll the dice while laying down bets with the lives of police officers, firefighters, and citizens? When will Barrett begin to understand how to lead? When will the press begin to demand asnwers?

CRG continues to sound "alarm bells" that should be heard across the City of Milwaukee but, with the exception of Alderman Bob Donovan efforts, little is being done to hold the Barrett Adminstration accountable. Will it REALLY take spilled blood and a funeral to wake people up?

Barrett Appoints Felon after Taking His Campaign Cash

2010-10-14T11:12:00.002-05:00

Developer Defrauds Government, Appointed to Oversee Development

A Milwaukee developer convicted of defrauding the government was appointed to a key board after giving Mayor Tom Barrett $1,200 in campaign donations.

The 2004 criminal conviction came as a result of Boris Gohkman’s part in a scheme to defraud the Medicare program.

In 2008, Barrett appointed Gohkman, a real estate developer, to a Business Improvement District Board (BID).

Between the 2004 conviction and 2008 appointment, Barrett took $1,200 in campaign contributions from Gohkman.

“Less than two years after Gohkman was convicted of felony fraud, Mayor Barrett is accepting campaign cash from him,” said Chris Kliesmet of Citizens for Responsible Government.

“Talk about appointing the fox to guard the henhouse, Barrett appoints a developer convicted of defrauding the government to a board overseeing city development efforts,” said Kliesmet. “Why not give an accountant convicted of embezzlement the checkbook while you’re at it?”

OpenSky Remains a Failure

2010-10-14T10:42:00.003-05:00

Despite Revisionist Claims of Success
UWM Grenade Threat Exposes Shortcomings

Lost in all the continuing revelations of technical system failures and missed implementation dates is the stunning failure of the City of Milwaukee OpenSky radio system to meet it primary objective – to provide an interoperable communications platform for all critical city emergency responders including police, fire, and other key departments. This capability was the impetus behind the federal mandates to upgrade emergency communication and coordination systems in the aftermath of the September 11th disaster.

As early as July of 2003, the City of Milwaukee amended the OpenSky contract to include the Milwaukee Fire Department with final purchase occurring in 2005 under Mayor Tom Barrett (see the Exhibit at http://www.crgnetwork.com/Shared/Open%20Sky%20Officer%20Reports/OpenSky%20Fire%20Department%20Documents/Exhibits/OpenSky%20-%20Exhibit%204.pdf). Far beyond the recent total system failure of both police and fire radios and the failure to install already purchased and required equipment, the OpenSky system is still not close to accomplishing its primary goal of interdepartmental communication.

“Forget the pie in the sky notion that emergency responders will one day be able to coordinate firefighting and high speed police chases across municipal boundaries,” said Citizens for Responsible Government spokesperson Chris Kliesmet. “City of Milwaukee Firefighters cannot even directly communicate with City of Milwaukee Police across the street. Just the other day we had a situation where City of Milwaukee police officers could not talk with armed and sworn officers of the UW-Milwaukee Police Department over the discovery of a hand grenade. Imagine if this were a crazed gunman on campus. How many dead students would we be talking about today? The OpenSky project is so late, over-budget, and of such poor quality that any accomplishment at all is hailed as a complete victory. This is nothing but pre-election posturing. Basic OpenSky installation and coverage is still incomplete and its functionally no where near delivering what was promised to citizens and City emergency personnel and paid for by taxpayers.”

Is Barrett Playing Politics with Officer Lives?

2010-10-08T11:21:00.002-05:00

OpenSky Radio Blackout the Second This Year

The $18 million OpenSky fire and police radio system was five years late and millions over budget when Mayor Tom Barrett finally found a reason to declare mission accomplished. With one month remaining before the gubernatorial election, Barrett had his police chief declare the system fully operational.

October 1 Milwaukee Police Chief Flynn declared, "We're announcing, sooner than we really wanted to, that on Wednesday, September 22nd, we flicked the switch, so to speak, and made the total conversion to 700 megahertz on the digital system."

A week later, the entire system crashed, as it had earlier this year.

“Barrett knew the danger because the system had crashed before,” said Chris Kliesmet of watchdog group Citizens for Responsible Government (CRG). “CRG published a series of ‘Alarm Bell’ wake up calls to the mayor and OpenSky problems in other cities are widely known. This system is unsafe. One has to ask the question. Did Mayor Barrett push his Chief to bring the system up before it was ready for political purposes? After five years of failure and missed deadlines but an election only a month away, the timing is curious.”

CRG has documented the January 9th crash as well as failures in multiple tests of the system over months of research. CRG has combed through over 1,000 pages of fire and police documents on OpenSky to bring the scandal to light.

“How many more times will we accept being lied to about OpenSky? We got lucky this time. The Mayor needs to get the job done and stop playing poker with the lives of police officers, fire fighters and the public,” said Kliesmet. “Politics should stop where lives are on the line.”

Unelected Boards Create Campaign Cash

2010-10-04T11:28:00.002-05:00

"Barrett" Example Yields Over $150,000 in Board Contributions

Citizens for Responsible Government (CRG) has long analyzed and reported on the drawbacks of unelected boards, particularly those with the power to unilaterally impose taxes. The CRG audit and online database of Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) Board spending and the well-publicized shortcomings of the Metro-Milwaukee Sewage District (MMSD) Board highlight a lengthy list of perceived problems with unelected boards given broad regulatory power as well as taxing power without direct voter representation.

CRG began an investigation and analysis of MMSD due to citizen outrage over recent flooding and basement sewage back-ups. Initial findings suggested that these failures are largely due to governance issues at the City of Milwaukee and on the MMSD Board level rather than operational issues at MMSD. Further investigation of political actions and involvement within MMSD revealed significant contributions from MMSD Board members to the politicians that appoint them.

For example, MMSD Board members contributed almost $10,000 to Tom Barrett campaigns with $4,000 being contributed in 2009-2010 election cycle alone. Every MMSD Board member who contributed gave at least $100, six gave at least $250, five gave at least $500, and three gave over $1000 with one donor exceeding $2000 and another exceeding $3000.

As a result, a pilot project was undertaken to analyze and understand the relationship between political contributions and appointments to boards such as MMSD. The City of Milwaukee and Mayor Barrett were chosen as the initial study example based on the large number of appointed boards the City has jurisdiction over as well as the large number of mayoral appointees to those boards.

The study methodology required compiling a partial list of mayoral board appointees by Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett to 92 boards during his tenure as mayor (list is partial as a complete list of past appointees do not exist – spouses were included on list). This list was cross-indexed against contributions to Barrett campaigns from 7/1/2000 to 6/30/2010 obtained from databases maintained by the City of Milwaukee and the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. The entire tabulated data set may be downloaded at http://www.crgnetwork.com/shared/Barrett%20Board%20Appointee%20Contributors%20Worksheet.xls.

The following are selected statistics from the analysis

Total Campaign Contribution Dollars $151,307.79

Average Contribution Per Donation $330.37

Average Total Contributions Per Donor $1,220.22

Project leader Chris Kliesmet commented, “The numbers yielded by our analysis were quite surprising and perhaps more than a little disturbing. Given that the total contributions are well into six figures and the average total contributions per donor crosses the one-thousand dollar mark, it does suggest at least a perception of impropriety that should be addressed, particularly when reviewing compensated boards. Additionally, one must not discount the imputed value of the regulatory power wielded even by uncompensated boards. For those seeking appointments, and there are many who covet such appointments, the regulatory power may be more highly valued than any monetary reward. Whether by design or sheer happenstance, it is safe to say that the power to make unelected board appointments can be used as a tool to raise campaign cash and creates yet another strong argument against unelected boards. CRG will issue updates to our investigations should our analyses continue to yield noteworthy results.”

Alarm Bell No. 11: We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Waterproof Equipment!

2010-09-30T22:39:00.002-05:00

Skip the Waterproof Batteries and Mics?

When you’re a firefighter in a blaze, you need equipment that won’t melt from fire or meltdown due to water.

But not in Milwaukee.

The Citizens for Responsible Government (CRG) investigation into the Open Sky radio scandal has found that firefighters repeatedly received batteries and microphones that were not waterproof.

CRG reviewed 600 pages of internal fire department documents. And, at 11 critical points over the last few years, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett failed to intervene to help his cops and firefighters to be safe with radios that work.

The 11th Alarm Bell should have rung in the Mayor’s office when repeated fire department correspondence detailed non-waterproof batteries, non-waterproof microphones, stickers placed over radio speakers, wrong batteries, and radios determined to “intrinsically unsafe.”

From 2007 through 2009, there is a timeline of failure of the radios is detailed in the internal documents.

What is NOT found in any of the documents received from the Milwaukee Fire Department under Wisconsin’s Open Records Act?

Guess what?

Not one email, letter, note, card, postcard, or phone message from Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

NOT ONE! Nada. Nothing. Complete radio silence from a Mayor who is supposed to be protecting his cops and firefighters from danger.

Instead, Barrett has allowed cops to be sent into violent crimes scenes with radios that don’t work. He’s allowed firefighters to be sent into three-alarm fires with intrinsically unsafe radios. And, it’s only a matter of time before a cop or firefighter is killed because of the failed radios.

It’s a scandal. And it’s a failure of leadership that has been under-reported and, in many cases, unreported.

Take a look at the timeline of failure detailed below. It’s a disgrace to our cops and firefighters.

Wrong Batteries, shelf life issues, undocumented accessories, wrong labeling, wrong batteries, wrong profiles, cases don’t fit, mics not submersible. Nothing to see here.

Unless you want to see the proof!

Exhibit 28 – Summer/Fall 2007 (link to full record)

(click image to enlarge)

Exhibit 48 – Oct. 14, 2008 (link to full record)

(click image to enlarge)

Exhibit 50 – Oct 20, 2008 (link to full record)

(click image to enlarge)

Exhibit 57 – Nov. 17-18, 2008 (link to full record)

(click image to enlarge)

Exhibit 70 – Feb 2, 2009 (link to full record)

(click image to enlarge)

Exhibit 29 – 9/26/2007 (link to full record)

(click image to enlarge)

Exhibit 75 – 2/5/2009 (link to full record)

(click image to enlarge)

The City of Milwaukee South 2nd Street Scandal

2010-09-23T23:21:00.012-05:00

Introduction

With taxpayers and businesses stretched by the worst recession since the Great Depression, the City of Milwaukee ignores engineers and turns to environmental sustainability advocates to turn a simple street resurfacing project into a boondoggle that spends more and delivers less. This is the story of millions being spent to slide a Milwaukee Street from an “A” grade for handling traffic to a “C” grade. In other words, you’re the one picking up the bill AND the one who will spend more time stuck in traffic thanks to Mayor Barrett and his Office of Environmental Sustainability [you pay for that, too.] But, before the street can be torn up and narrowed, it has to be patched and painted – huh – wait just a darn minute!

The City of Milwaukee South 2nd Street Scandal

How a Practical Road Project Became a

Costly Special Interest Boondoggle

[or the Real Cost of Mayor Barrett’s Office of Environmental Sustainability]

Several months ago, CRG began receiving calls after radio host Mark Belling noted concerns regarding waste and inefficiency by the Department of Public Works in maintaining a portion of South 2nd street near the Allen-Bradley Clock tower. Simply stated, questions were being asked as to why the City would spend precious tax dollars to patch pavement and repaint road markings (Figure 1) on a street that was scheduled to be torn up for resurfacing (Figure 2).

Figure 1: June 2010
Freshly Patched and Painted 2nd Street
Being Readied for Demolition
(click image to enlarge)

Figure 2: July 2010
Weeks Later All Those Tax Dollars
Completely Wasted!
(click image to enlarge)

However, after reviewing dozens of pages of open records requests it became clear there was more to this project than meets the eye, much more than simple waste associated with questionable maintenance scheduling. What surfaced was a rare insight into a City leadership run amok where special interest politics trumps practicality, where businesses and the jobs they produce are ignored, and where fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers is totally abdicated.

In 2001, the plans were laid for routine maintenance of S. 2nd Street to commence in 2003. A routine analysis by the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW) indicated that 95% of the road pavement structure was in “sound condition” and that a simple milling of the surface, repaving with 3.5 inches of asphalt and curb and gutter replacement would be sufficient to extend the useful life of the road an additional “20 to 30 years.”

(click image to enlarge)

An economic and logistical feasibility study revealed that the existence of an old train tracks with rails and ties in place buried along the center line of the road presented a “buildability issue” for any major reconstruction scenario from both a logistical, needs, and budgetary standpoint. This supported the recommendation that a resurfacing project was the preferred alternative.

(click image to enlarge)

In 2002, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation requested that the project be delayed to handle overflow from the Marquette Interchange reconstruction project. The City complied then restarted their engineering efforts in 2007 with construction scheduled for 2009. This is when the project begins to go “south” (no pun intended).

In 2007, the Milwaukee Department of City Development (DCD) received a letter from Alderman Witkowiak indicating that “neighborhood stakeholders” (i.e. narrow special interests) are interested in pursuing a “streetscaping” plan. This plan included added green space, bike paths, “quiet zones” to reduce train whistle noise, wider sidewalks, and “bump-outs” to shorten the distance for pedestrian crossings among others. However, to make these changes a Business Improvement District (BID) must be created and additional coordination with the railroads is needed pushing the project out to 2010. Ultimately, the BID formation is not successful and the streetscaping plan is dropped in 2008.

(click image to enlarge)

Interestingly, several emails from special interests soon arrived indicating a new concern for leaving the roadway configuration as is because of a perceived "lack of traffic" for the existing four lanes. The Milwaukee DPW reiterated the need for four traffic lanes (two in each direction) to accommodate peak hour traffic. Furthermore, DPW argued the four-lane configuration is necessary to conform to the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission's (SEWRPC) future traffic plan, that “S. 2nd Street acts as an alternate route in and out of the CBD during large events, construction, emergencies, etc.” and that a resurfacing-only proposal is the preferred alternative given “the street's physical condition and the City's monetary constraints . . . and the standard analytic procedures used to determine project scope and project prioritization.” The DPW continued its investigation of other items such as the bump-out finding they should “not be placed at signalized intersections since … signalized intersections have a protected pedestrian phase.” The DPW also found that bump-outs should “not be placed at intersections where there is a bus stop since this makes it difficult for the bus to re-enter the traffic flow.”

(click image to enlarge)

This is where the plot thickens! A meeting was called by the Mayor's Office of Environmental Sustainability in the fall of 2008. The so-called “neighborhood stakeholders” were once again rounded up to lobby DPW for their streetscaping plan although, curiously, several local businesses were neither invited nor informed of the meeting. By this time the special interests had upped the ante by seeking:

Decorative benches
Trash receptacles
Banners
Decorative and porous pavements
Trees
LED Lighting

(click image to enlarge)

Once again, the City DPW responded in great detail why many of these and earlier requests where unacceptable.

“Porous pavements are susceptible to plow damage, traffic loading, and it is very costly … Added water that would get through to the underlying soils next to the buildings and there was no real way to assess the risk and future liability that the City might incur by proceeding with this type of construction.”

LED lighting still had “many problems be worked out and DPW was not ready to commit to any LED usage at this time.”

“DPW indicated that 4 traffic lanes were necessary to manage peak hour traffic. That being the case, there simply was no room for bike lanes.”

Not to be deterred, the special interests increasingly petition the local Alderman, DCD, and DPW and yet another public meeting is held in the spring of 2009 to lobby the DPW with an ever-growing list of demands.

But, DPW attempts to hold its ground, firing back:

“the budget does not allow for a full reconstruction project, the WISDOT may not agree to participate monetarily in a alternative traffic configuration scenario, and under a full reconstruction scenario, the removal of the existing track zone will greatly impede access during construction forcing abutting property owners to find alternative means of access for long periods of time.”

“Introducing angle parking- DPW state firmly that the State-Municipal Agreement that it has with the WISDOT indicates that angle parking will be prohibited. This is true of all state/Federally funded street improvement projects in the City of Milwaukee.”

DPW considers "effectively" reducing a traffic lane and introducing a bike lane in each direction simply by using pavement marking and keeping the curbs in their existing location. However, “The WISDOT, in the past, has not allowed pavement markings that are not approved by the MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices).”

”DPW completes its analysis of the alternative to bring the curbs in 4 feet on either side of the roadway while still keeping the resurface scenario for the bulk of the roadway. It indicates that it is NOT possible since placement of the new curb would be at an elevation higher than the property line match point creating back pitch into the buildings.”

But, slowly, inexorably, and to the dismay of many business owners, the tide is turning in favor of the anti-car and anti-business forces.

“WISDOT agrees to participate, monetarily, in a narrowing alternative in early June 2009.”

“On June 12, 2009, DPW meets to discuss how the project has evolved and where it needs to go from here. Given the concerns about the subgrade support (and the subsequent continuation of vibration problems) which would not be improved by a resurfacing project, the WISDOTs willingness to participate monetarily with a narrowing alternative, and the need to incorporate green elements into the design, the decision is made to do a full reconstruct.”

“Utility conflicts and construction staging/access in light of the track zone removal are duly noted. New cross section will include one lane of traffic, one bike lane, and one parking lane in each direction.”

“A significant amount of green space will be realized under this alternative with a 6-foot grass terrace (total=5,300 S.Y.) and trees incorporated on either side of the roadway.”

Porous sidewalk elements are discussed next. The close proximity of adjacent buildings, the age of the buildings (over 100 years), the highly variable and contaminated nature of the soil under the roadway, sidewalks, and adjacent to the buildings, and the introduction of new water into this environment, requires that the City also line the building fronts with rubber membrane from the surface to the foundation footing if porous sidewalks are built adjacent to a building front “... a very costly venture … $100,000 per block to incorporate bio-swales. Cost would be less for porous concrete adjacent to buildings, but still significant.” No alternative funding sources are identified to off-set these costs. Therefore, these items are dropped from consideration.

Well, at least the DPW prevailed on THIS last costly item! Nonetheless, in times that cry out for practicality and austerity, taxpayers are now on the hook for the costly delays, re-engineering, and unneeded, pork-barrel spending forced down the throats of average citizens by a handful of selfish special interests, all with the tacit aid and acceptance of a mayor who claims to be fiscally prudent and pro-jobs and business but whose actions - and inaction - proves otherwise.

And so it goes in the City of Milwaukee, citizens are getting two lanes for the price of six! You would think that after doing a similarly disastrous “streetscaping” project on Mitchell Street City of Milwaukee leadership would have learned its lesson – but then again, why - it’s not THEIR money!

Open Records Documents referenced in this post

DPW Announces Project (note text below logo - "Support for Business?" Not this time!)

City Engineer’s Project History and Timeline

Special Interests Letter

Business Owners Final Plea

Mayor Barrett Makes the Wrong Call

ALARM BELL No. 10: Five Years of Delays and Counting

2010-09-15T12:53:00.010-05:00

“This Cannot Continue to be Dragged Out Any Longer”

In July 2009, Dave Wenzel of Milwaukee’s Homeland Security unit belted out an email to his superiors.

It should have been a shot heard throughout Milwaukee City Hall, and the Mayor should have hit the panic button. But, again, Mayor Tom Barrett snoozed in a blissful slumber – content to let cops and firefighters hit the streets every day with radios that don’t work.

“This cannot continue to be dragged out any longer,” Wenzel wrote, reminding the police command that his records show the radios were supposed be installed and running by May 2007 (note original promise date was 2005).

But records obtained by Citizens for Responsible Government show that the police department had to cancel a department training session on the radios in June 2007 because the radios weren’t ready.

That’s right the $20 million OpenSky radios didn’t work, and weren’t ready on time.

The radios had to be sent back to the manufacturer for coding, and the delays began.

That dragged on.

And, on.

And, on.

And, on.

The police department was told the radios would be ready by August 2007.

August came and went, and January 2008 came along. Still no radios.

Then, records show, the radios weren’t ready by January 2009. “Our radios have been gone for over a year,” one memo reports.

This is part 10 of 11-part series detailing critical points at which mayoral leadership should have been exercised to get to the bottom of the OpenSky faulty radio scandal. Cops and firefighters facing death with bum radios should be a top priority for the mayor of the state’s largest city. Acting Chief Michael Jones put the fine point on it in July 2009: “To date, not one MFD (OpenSky) radio functions in any operational capacity for operational use.”

Let’s take a look at the timeline of delays and disaster.

1. Timeline – Oct. 18, 2007 (Can't even get the straps and cases right!)

2. Exhibit 28 – May 2007 (well, the upside of being late was taxpayers avoided paying time and one-half)

(click image to enlarge)

3a. Exhibit 41 – April 16, 2008 (Wow! Someone who gets it - no delivery, no pay - it's now April 2008!)

(click image to enlarge)

3b. Exhibit 41 - May 2, 2008 (Reasonable delays? Only in government are delays acceptable!)

(click image to enlarge)

4. Exhibit 68 - Jan 16, 2009 (2007, 2008, 2009, still no radios!)

5. Collection 0758 – July 9, 2009 (Lucy! You got some 'splainin' to do to Homeland Security!)

(click image to enlarge)

(and Assistant Chief Jones is not to happy about the heat in this memo to the OpenSky vendor!)

(click image to enlarge)

C'mon Mayor Barrett, these warning bells have been ringing on YOUR watch for years. What's it gonna take to light a fire in your pajamas - a dead firefighter?

OpenSky was started in 2003 with a promise of completion in 2005. Well, it's already 2010 with 2011 looming around the corner - and we are already about $4 million (about 25%) over budget. One more alarm bell to go. Will Tom Barrett EVER wake up?

ALARM BELL No. 9: New Radios Don’t Work

2010-09-04T22:44:00.003-05:00

So Bring Back the Old Ones – DUH!

You’d think if the $20 million OpenSky radios were so bad, that Mayor Tom Barrett would get involved and try to get the best equipment possible for police and firefighters.

So, in June 2008, when the Fire Department had to get 125 of the OLD radios because the NEW radios didn’t work, there would be some mayoral leadership.

What could the mayor do? He’d launch a probe. He’d hire a consultant.

Or, as they might sat at every neighborhood, common sense watering hole , he’d say: “What the "flock" is going on with the radios not working?”

Not our Mayor Tom.

This is our 9th Alarm in our series of 11 Alarms that Mayor Barrett snoozed through when the fire department’s radios were failing. The 11 Alarms are based on over 1000 pages of documents obtained by Citizens for Responsible Government – not the media – and posted on the Internet to reveal the failed leadership of Mayor Barrett in the OpenSky scandal.

There have been 11 critical points at which the OpenSky radios failed so badly that any normal mayor of a big city in America would have intervened to help his cops, firefighters and citizens avoid death or injury.

Incidentally, you will notice that our Pulitzer Prize Winning Milwaukee Journal Sentinel did not request these documents, or do a Pulitzer Prize-winning series of articles about our cops and firefighters using radios that don’t work. In fact, we offered these documents to them and they weren’t interested in looking.

So, take a look at this Alarm Bell and pause to think about the men and women who risk their live to protect us. The fire department actually brought 125 of the old radios they were supposed to have completely phased out years earlier because the OpenSky radios were “not intrinsically safe.”

And not one word from Mayor Tom!

Exhibit 38 (link to complete document)

(click image to enlarge)

Exhibit 42 – May 29, 2008 (link to complete document)

(lick image to enlarge)

Exhibit 53 - Issues with replacement radios - Oct 23, 2008 (link to complete document)

(click image to enlarge)

Can’t fix the replacement radios – Oct 23, 2008 (link to complete document)

(click to enlarge image)

ALARM BELL No. 8: Radio Tests Cancelled Due to Officer Safety Issues

2010-08-29T16:13:00.001-05:00

Seven years after OpenSky radios were brought to the Milwaukee police, and five years into Mayor Tom Barrett’s term, the system was to be tested for seven days. That was in 2009.

The “seven day console” test would see if the radios worked right.

Guess what?

The test had to be cancelled because of concerns for officer safety!

This was revealed as part of 600-pages of Milwaukee Fire Department documents obtained by Citizens for Responsible Government under the Open Records Act.

We’ve looked at the records and determined there were 11 critical alarm bells that Mayor Tom Barrett should have heard to bail out on the failing OpenSky radios. But, Mayor Tom must be a deep sleeper because he hasn’t heard single alarm bell.

He slept when New York cancelled their mega OpenSky contract. He slept when the radios failed. Then when the backup radios failed. He even snoozed when his fire fighters battled a three-alarm blaze without radios.

What the heck is going on here?

Anyway, the seven-day test was cancelled because conducting the test would have put personnel in danger.

(click image to enlarge)

“Halt the test in the interest of officer safety” is how one email described it. “It was agreed by the collective team that officer safety was foremost above the test.

(click image to enlarge)

Yikes, so the radios are so screwed up that if you test them, you can lose contact with officers and firefighters in the field!

We suppose the OpenSky radios are tested daily and they fail daily. And for $20 million, we should turn them in with the receipt and ask for our money back.

If we bought ‘em at Radio Shack that’s what we’d do. But not Mayor Tom. Officer safety isn’t even worth his time.

Click here to read the entire sub-section of open records that contains the above excerpts (things start to get interesting on pages 21-90). It's one of our favorites as it details many of the OpenSky problems faced not only in Milwaukee but other cities across the U.S.

Barrett Should Take a Long Look in Accountability Deficit Mirror!

2010-08-27T15:26:00.001-05:00

More OpenSky Hypocrisy: Take responsibility, take action, BEFORE someone is KILLED!

We received an email alert from Tom Barrett that raised the issue of “accountability” and “leadership” with language like “man in charge” and “enough is enough.” Naturally, we thought Barrett was finally taking responsibility for the police radio boondoggle that after $20 million and 5 years of delays is still leaving police officers and fire fighters in harms way without radio backup. Maybe, we thought, he is taking responsibility for failing to stop dumping sewage into Lake Michigan as he promised when he was campaigning for Mayor six years ago.

No, the “Man in Charge” at City Hall still isn’t. “Accountability” and “Leadership” still apply only to others and “enough is enough” is still just campaign finger-pointing.

Rather than flush Barrett’s hypocrisy into Lake Michigan like so much blended sewage, we edited it into a message for our Milk Carton Mayor. If a petition is what passes for Barrett action, we’ll send him one of those, too (note the button depicted below is not an actual request to sign a petition).

UPDATE: Due to popular demand, we made the "SIGN THE PETITION" button below active so you can "sign the petiton" by logging your contact info. We'll deliver the message to Mayor Barrett. For those of you who have contacted politicians in the past, you know they require contact info before they take a "petition" seriously. We left out the address block so at least we can guarantee you won't get junk mail!

==================================================================

Dear Friend,

~~Yesterday evening~~ [For months], I [We] have called on ~~Scott Walker~~ [Tom Barrett] to finally hold himself accountable for the continuing crisis at [with] his ~~Milwaukee County Health Complex~~ [OpenSky Police and Fire Radio System].

~~One hour later~~ [For six years], what initially looked like the first real step in making some long overdue reforms at the mental health facility has turned out to be nothing more than a worthless shuffle on Scott Walker’s county organizational chart. Instead of being fired, Walker’s crony is getting a golden parachute to a cushy new county job [Barrett’s police and fire departments have been trying make the OpenSky radio system work without endangering the lives of officers, fire fighters and the public without success].

Unfortunately, what ~~initially~~ looked like the first real ~~step in making some long overdue reforms at the mental health facility has turned out to be nothing more than a worthless shuffle on Scott Walker’s county organizational chart.~~ [challenge for Barrett as Mayor six years ago (aside from his promise to stop sewage dumping into Lake Michigan) has still not been addressed by the Mayor]. Instead of ~~being fired, Walker’s crony is getting a golden parachute to a cushy new county job~~ [doing his job as Mayor, Barrett has hidden from the scandal and left underlings to take the heat and police officers and fire fighters to needlessly risk their lives].

That's not accountability.

~~Walker~~ [Barrett] himself has said ~~the system as well as individuals must answer for~~ [nothing about] this scandal. But for the past ~~eight~~ [six] years as ~~county executive~~ [mayor], ~~Scott Walker~~ [Tom Barrett] has been in charge of the system – appointing people to run the ~~facility~~ [departments] and setting the budget priorities.

If the buck doesn’t stop with ~~Scott Walker~~ [Tom Barrett], where does it stop? Watch our videos on this important issue and demand that ~~Scott Walker~~ [Tom Barrett] finally take responsibility for the years of reckless mismanagement ~~at the county mental health complex~~ [of the OpenSky police and fire radio system].

Here are some of the big questions still begging for answers:

• Why did the ~~County Health Complex~~ [Mayor] fail to [stop payment on OpenSky when radios were determined to be unsafe]?

• Why did ~~facility staffing decrease~~ [OpenSky cost rise] by over 20%, while at the same time ~~the County paid more than $250,000 for lawyers and PR flacks to hide behind~~ [Barrett allowed implementation to fall 5-years behind (and counting)]?

• Why have more than ~~40 funded staffing positions remained vacant~~ [500 pages of officer complaints and a fire department internal investigation not received any attention from the Mayor], while the ~~facility suffers from chronic shortstaffing~~ [radio system fails at 3-Alarm fires, police foot chases and “officer down” calls]?

• Why is ~~Scott Walker~~ [Tom Barrett] allowing ~~officials and investigators~~ [citizens and reporters to be stonewalled] as they search for the truth?

The crisis ~~at Scott Walker’s County Mental Health Complex~~ [with Tom Barrett’s scandal-ridden radio system] has gone on for far too long, and it’s time for some accountability from the man in charge.

Please visit www.wiwastewatchers.com today then tell Mayor Barrett we need answers.

==================================================================

Link to printable document

ALARM BELL No. 7: Three-Alarm Blaze Fought Without Radios

2010-08-24T10:36:00.000-05:00

Our Firefighters Face Death in Silence as Barrett Snoozes!

A three-alarm fire – simply put – is huge.

Extra trucks and firefighters from throughout the city are called to a fire that cannot be contained.

It’s a blazing inferno, and potentially a death trap for firefighters.

On August 31, 2008, Milwaukee Firefighters report that severe feedback shutdown their OpenSky radios at a three-alarm fire (page 4 of the MFD OpenSky Timeline).

(click image to enlarge)

Did the radio shutdown lead Mayor Tom Barrett to get involved in the scandal…ask a question…wakeup?

No way!

This is the seventh alarm bell in an 11-Alarm series from Citizens for Responsible Government. CRG unearthed the fire department radio scandal as part of a 600-page Open Record request.

At 11 critical points Mayor Tom Barrett failed to show leadership to stop the radio disaster that has put our firefighters at risk of death. And could cause citizens to be injured or killed if radios failed at critical moments.

But, hey, we’ve got some of the highest taxes in America. Who cares if our police and fire radios operate like we’re in a Third World country?

ALARM BELL No. 6: Back Up Fails Too!

2010-08-17T10:10:00.000-05:00

C’mon Mayor Tom! Ding Dong . . . Hear the Alarms!

If crashing the fire radio system on January 9, 2010 wasn’t bad enough, imagine the dread firefighters felt when the back up system crashed the same day.

Internal Milwaukee fire department documents reveal that not only did the OpenSky radios fail on January 9, 2010, but so did the back up system.

Complete radio silence! And, complete radio silence from Mayor Tom Barrett on the OpenSky scandal! Not a peep from our fearless leader.

No main radios. No back ups. Alarm bell. Mayor Tom Barrett! Are you listening? Your firefighters are on the street WITH NO RADIOS!!!!

Here’s how Andra Williams described the meltdown in a memo the next Monday.

Williams' memo is one of 600 documents obtained by Citizens for Responsible Government, under Wisconsin’s Open Records Act.

(click image to enlarge)

We are releasing the 11 Alarm Bells that Mayor Barrett should have heard as a public service to reveal the incompetence at City Hall that has plagued the OpenSky radios.

Six Alarms to date!

When will Mayor Barrett respond?

Who knows?

We have five more alarms to release!

You’d think 11 alarms would wake up Mayor Tom from his blissful leadership slumber.

Mayor Tom has raised taxes every year he’s been in office. You’d think protecting cops and firefighters would be possible in a city that taxes its citizens like they’re in Norway. At least in Norway, the police and fire radios work.

ALARM BELL No. 5: Citywide Radio Blackout Threatens Firefighters Lives

2010-08-15T18:32:00.000-05:00

On Jan. 9, 2010, radio silence enveloped Milwaukee’s firefighters.

(click to enlarge)

Click Here for Full Exhibit (see page 8 of 92 pages of failure)

Shouldn’t that be an alarm bell for Mayor Tom Barrett that maybe it’s time to get new radios?

This is Alarm Bell Number Five for Mayor Tom. Citizens for Responsible Government is revealing the 11 Alarms as a series of exposes about the OpenSky radio scandal.

CRG has obtained over 600 documents regarding the failed radios from the Milwaukee Fire Department, under the Open Records Act.

OpenSky is the failed radio system that the city has wasted over $18 million to install and maintain for police, fire and other departments. So the system crashes, and thankfully there’s a backup system, right? But, stay tuned for Alarm Bell Number 6. If Mayor Barrett didn’t hear Alarm Bell Five, he really should have heard Number 6! Stay tuned. The story continues.

ALARM BELL No. 4: Not Intrinsically Safe!

2010-08-12T05:33:00.000-05:00

Doesn’t Alarm Bell No.4 say it all, Mayor Barrett?

So, you’re the Mayor of Milwaukee. And the cop radios don’t work after almost $20 million in taxpayer dollars wasted.

And, so you expand the failed the broken radios into the Fire Department - BEFORE you can get them to work. That makes sense right?

Well that’s exactly what Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett did – putting cops, firefighters and citizens at risk of injury and death.

Now, Citizens for Responsible Government has launched a probe into the OpenSky scandal in the fire department. After combing through over 600 pages of documents, we have found 11 Alarm Bells Mayor Barrett should have heard.

Our fourth alarm bell is the repeated internal fire department emails and communications that labeled the radios as “not intrinsically safe” and “posed a safety hazard to the Milwaukee Fire Department and citizens of Milwaukee.”

At one point, an employee of the OpenSky radio manufacturer asked if the department had the right batteries and if they were immerseable.

Whoa. Don’t fire department batteries need to work in water? The chief even told his staff to stop charging the batteries.

On May 13, 2008, the department found the radios unsafe and hazardous.

On May 29, 2008, Douglas Holton signed a document that said: “The radios are NOT safe.”

If you’re the mayor, isn’t your first job to protect the citizens and the cops and firefighters?

Alarm Bell Four. Not Intrinsically Safe. And our Mayor doesn’t have the intrinsic leadership abilities to fix a deadly situation for our cops and firefighters!

Exhibit 29: Sept. 26, 2007 - Link to Full Exhibit

(Click to enlarge image)

Exhibit 36: May 13, 2008 - Link to Full Exhibit

(click to enlarge image)

Exhibit 37: May 29, 2008 - Link to Full Exhibit

(click to enlarge image)

Alarm Bell #3: September 11, A Day That Lives in Infamy for Mayor Tom Barrett

2010-08-10T09:40:00.000-05:00

You’d think that the anniversary of the most massive and deadly terrorist attack on U.S. soil would get the attention of the mayor if he found out our firefighters can’t talk to other departments and agencies.

Not our Mayor Barrett. This is Alarm Bell No. 3 for our mayor in our 11-part series of the mayoral meltdown on the faulty fire radios of the OpenSky scandal.

On Sept. 11, 2007, the Milwaukee Fire Department completely missed activating the system needed to allow firefighters to talk to each other and other responders.

This is more than a year after Mayor Barrett PAID FOR a system that was already years late.

From the Department’s investigation:

(click image to enlarge)

Great idea, pay for the stuff that doesn’t work. That’ll never lead to years more of delay, poor service and failed technology. OOPS, we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

Mayor Barrett hit the snooze button again. Not a word. Not a peep. Not a memo. Not a news release. Nada!

Check this document out. MFD “completely misses” MABAS activation – Sept. 11, 2007.

(click image to enlarge)

What was Mayor Barrett doing on 9-11-07? Not ensuring his fire department could communicate with other departments. MABAS stands for Mutual Aid Box Alarm System. 9-11-01 showed the importance of emergency service systems being able to communicate with one another. MABAS was adopted as the system to allow regional departments to work together as mandated by law. Barrett apparently missed the delay in implementation.

You can’t expect Mayor Barrett to do anything, he’s only the Mayor!

In fairness, while he was putting his police officers and firefighters in daily danger by ignoring the part of his job where he does stuff, at least he has people who make sure the bills are paid.

Click to view the lists of exhibits cited above. Read the source documents then ask yourself, "Where the heck was 'Mayor Milk Carton' when all this was going on?" Unbelievable!

Exhibit 6
Exhibit 7
Exhibit 12
Exhibit 13
Exhibit 27
Exhibit 41

Straight Poop on Barrett’s Poop in the Lake

2010-08-06T18:51:00.000-05:00

Barrett Takes Credit for Norquist Deep Tunnel Expansion

Now that Mayor Tom Barrett’s MMSD is Wisconsin’s biggest polluter, having dumped over 2 billion in untreated sewage into Lake Michigan last month, his campaign spokesman may be drinking the water.

As the controversy swirls like a toilet bowl, of course Mayor Tom is unavailable for comment. Choosing to exercise the Barrett leadership style of disappearing in crisis.

So enter Phil Walzak, flak for Barrett’s campaign for governor, with the unenviable job of defending a politician who said six years ago he would clean up the sewage mess, and who had attacked his opponent in 2004 for dumping a measly 90,000 gallons of poop and more into the lake.

Walzak today told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Barrett had added capacity to the deep tunnel to avoid sewage dumping in the lake.

POOP SPINNING IN THE MEDIA BOWL: “Since Barrett became mayor, 116 million gallons of storage capacity has been added to MMSD's deep tunnel system, a 28% increase, Walzak said. City funding for sewers has also gone up, he said,” The Journal Sentinel reported today.

Poor Phil may be drinking the Mayor Barrett’s Lake Michigan water straight from the lake.

Let’s take a look at the record:

STRAIGHT POOP: The 116 million expansion was planned in 2002, according to the Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau.

STRAIGHT POOP: The construction began in January of 2004, before Mayor Tom was elected. In fact, the record shows MMSD was $29.4 million into this construction before Barrett was elected.

STRAIGHT POOP: He is taking credit for Norquist’s plan because the Milwaukee Mayor has control over MMSD (appointing 7 of 11 members). In six years, he as not used that power to keep his promises.

So when Mayor Tom runs into the bathroom stall to hide from the press, you should know that’s his management style.

That’s the straight poop. And there’s no denying it.

Here’s what the Daily Reporter Reported in 2002:

“McCabe, legal services director for the district, said three projects are planned that will increase capacity of the Deep Tunnel by more than 25 percent. "The Northwest Side Relief Sewer will add 89 million gallons of capacity," McCabe said. "Bids were let on that several months ago, and construction has begun."

Two other projects planned for the future, he said, include a $25 million Wisconsin Avenue sewer, adding capacity of nearly 25 million gallons, and an $18 million Port Washington Road sewer, with another 2 million-gallon capacity.

Completion of the $117 million relief sewer, a 7.4-mile, 20-foot diameter tunnel, is expected in December 2006, while the other two projects are slated for completion in December 2009. The Deep Tunnel capacity is 404 million gallons, McCabe said, and the three projects will add a total of 116 million gallons."

Alarm Bell No. 2 -- Fire Chief Launches Investigation of Timeline of Failed Radios

2010-08-05T07:18:00.000-05:00

Mayor Barrett Snoozes

Mayor Tom Barrett snoozed through 11 alarm bells on the OpenSky radio scandal in the fire department. Wastewatchers is detailing all 11 alarms. So far, we see that the Mayor snoozed through the mega contract cancellation in the state of New York.

Hello, a $2 billion contract cancelation of the failed OpenSky radios, and that didn’t get the mayor’s attention? Hmm.

Now, it gets even worse.

An Open Records Investigation by Citizens for Responsible Government has unearthed over 600 pages of records.

That investigation has found that Milwaukee Fire Chief Jones was so concerned about the failing OpenSky radios that he ordered the department to begin an investigation and create a timeline of events back in September 2007.

Let’s start taking a look at more exhibits!

Fire Chief begins investigation of OpenSky after repeated failures. He begins to keep a timeline of the failures (to be published at the conclusion of this series) in case he has to make a case against implementing the system. Hello, Mayor Barrett, your fire department is investigating an $18 million expenditure that threatens fire fighter safety. Awake, yet? No? How about when they brought in the City Attorney to help?

Exhibit 50: Chief Holton Letter - Letter to City Budget Director

The Mayor failed to show leadership when New York cancelled the contract. He failed to show leadership when the fire chief launched a probe. And at nine other times during the OpenSky radio scandal, he has hit the snooze button.

Stay tuned.

There’s more …..

Poof! Talgo File Disappears at Commerce

2010-08-04T21:50:00.000-05:00

CRG Demands Access to Records of No-Bid Train Contract

Wisconsin Department of Commerce officials may be replacing David Copperfield in Las Vegas.

Poof!

Their file on the controversial Talgo no-bid contract disappeared like a tiger at a Copperfield show. Citizens for Responsible Government in May requested access to the file and other documents to see if taxpayers got ripped off when the $48 million no-bid train contract went to the Spanish company and not a Wisconsin firm.

The train cars will be used on the $800 million high-speed rail line being forced on Wisconsin citizens.

Presto. Change-o. One-two-three. Gonnnnnnnnne.

“We do believe there was a folder of official correspondence via letters that we have been unable to locate,” wrote Commerce legal counsel Laura M. Varriale in an email to CRG. For over two months, “Both the Executive Secretary and I have been looking for the letters we believe were in a file, but have been unable to locate them yet.” Varriale is the records custodian for the Wisconsin Department of Commerce.

CRG fought back.

In a strongly worded letter, CRG demanded that Wisconsin Commerce Secretary Aaron Olver produce the file.

“We are prepared to take all appropriate legal steps if such actions are required. As the statute so eloquently notes, ‘a representative government is dependent upon an informed electorate … all persons are entitled to the greatest possible information regarding the … official acts of those officers and employees who represent them.”

Governor Jim Doyle gave Talgo the contract after he went to Spain on a “trade mission” in 2009 shortly before he announced he would not seek re-election. Wisconsin-based Super Steel – a train manufacturer – was not allowed to bid on the project to build the rail cars.

CRG’s letter to Olver rips the Houdini’s at the Commerce Department for depriving the public access to the information about their government and use of tax dollars:

“Losing” the file regarding the signature issue of Governor Doyle’s economic, transportation and green agendas raises serious questions about the process of awarding a contract to Talgo. We are entitled to know what methods you used to locate the file, including who you talked with, who was contacted and what files were searched. We and the public are entitled to a clear explanation of exactly what steps are ongoing to locate this most sensitive and important file. To the extent the file cannot be located, then surely we and the public are entitled to a description of the documents and correspondence that you believe were in the file. We reiterate our demand that the Department produce all relevant documents specified in our original request and, additionally, disclose the procedures used to locate those documents, and what efforts are ongoing to reproduce the missing file.

We’re not buying it . . .

"It strains credulity to believe that the Wisconsin Department of Commerce has 'lost' a file of correspondence so critical to this $800 million project. We know that there was, in fact, correspondence regarding the decision to back a foreign firm over a Wisconsin employer. We are now apparently expected to accept that all those decisions were legitimate, thought-through, economically sensible decisions, when exactly the opposite may be true. An entire delegation of Wisconsin officials went to Spain to negotiate a deal and we now have no official correspondence that led to the formulation of that deal because it is supposedly 'lost.' We can certainly all agree that such convenient disappearance cannot help but raise suspicions."

At every good magic show, the magician brings back tiger, the jumbo jet, or lady in the sequin gown.

So it is with the magicians at Commerce. Hiring an attorney, threatening a lawsuit and notifying a reporter made "a" file appear. The Associated Press is reporting that the bureaucrats at Commerce “FOUND” "a" file. We say “a” file because we cannot be sure it is “THE” file.

A government agency that claims to have looked for a file for over two months only to find it when faced with a CRG lawsuit cannot be trusted. What was in the file when it was “LOST?” What is in the file today?

Finding what government wants to hide is what CRG was created to do. What would have happened if the request came from a group that hadn’t spent the last decade in these fights or was not able to hire a lawyer? In short, what would the result have been if a citizen had tried to exercise their rights?

CRG Open Records Request

CRG Open Records Demand Letter

11 Alarms Mayor Tom Barrett Ignored Signaling OpenSky was a Dangerous Boondoggle

2010-08-04T11:09:00.000-05:00

INTRODUCTION

This is the first of an 11-part post based on over 600 pages of new open records documents received from the Milwaukee Fire Deparment regarding the dangerous and wasteful boondoggle know as the OpenSky radio system. It is a follow-up to our 500 pages of complaints obtained via open records from the Milwaukee Police Department.

Each post will detail an "Alarm" with supporting documents that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett ignored in the past six years that any competent leader would have heeded to take aggressive action to protect both citizens and our public safety professionals. At the end of the series we will post links to the entire set of documents.

Fire Fighters never ignore an alarm because every alarm means someone is in danger and it is their job to help. Alarms have been going off for more than six years alerting Mayor Tom Barrett that his police officers and fire fighters were in danger from the OpenSky radio system.

We aren’t asking the Mayor to rush into a burning building. Just show a little leadership and protect the people he sends into those burning buildings.

Open records requests from the Milwaukee Fire Department have yielded over 600 pages of documents raising the alarm over this $18 million dollar scandal.

We found evidence of:

Complete radio blackouts impacting all police and fire communication.
Radios declared “not intrinsically safe”
Fire Fighters working feverishly to protect their brother and sister fire fighters from the failure of this system with no help from the Mayor.
Training cancelled because of radio failure.
In all, at least 11 situations that would have called a leader into action.

Here is what we didn’t find:

A mention of Mayor Barrett following the issue, aware of the issue, engaged in the issue. In fact, we couldn’t find a reference to a conversation about OpenSky that involved Barrett in his six-years as Mayor.
An email, letter or note to Mayor Barrett or his key staff regarding OpenSky.
Our Google search couldn’t find Mayor Barrett being asked by a reporter or commenting on OpenSky over six years in which $18 million was paid out.

As you follow our daily Alarms, think about when you would have gotten involved, if you were Mayor of Milwaukee. The documents make it very clear that true professionals at the fire and police departments worked extraordinarily hard to make this boondoggle work. They need a leader!

ALARM 1

New York revoked their $2 billion OpenSky contract because the company failed to provide safe communication for their fire fighters and Cops. The articles below were tracked by the Milwaukee Fire Department and discussed as part of their investigation. Another government canceling the same system because they were having the same problems. Might make a Mayor think…

New York cancels OpenSky

For those who might think the New York disaster is an isolated incident checkout Lancaster County, PA Wow, they spent $13.5 million and estimate it will take $35 million to finish the job (about double what Milwaukee has already spent). They are currently looking for ANOTHER sucker ... we mean "city" to buy their useless OpenSky equipment! "Warning, warning, danger Mayor Barrett!"

New UWM School of Public Health Could Educate Mayor Barrett

2010-08-03T07:47:00.000-05:00

Study: Diarrhea in Kids Caused by Sewage Dumps

A School of Public Health could find a lot to study in a city that is forced to drink its own excrement.

They could study whether giardia cysts and fecal coliforms in drinking water might make children sick.

Oops, the Journal of Pediatrics already did. The study is called, “Pediatric Emergency Department Visits for Diarrheal Illness Increased After Release of Undertreated Sewage” and it takes place right here in Milwaukee … I wonder why.

They found, to no one’s amazement, that adding millions of gallons of crap to the drinking water supply can make children sick.

In fact, they concluded, “Emergency department visits for diarrheal illness increased significantly after 2 events of release of partially treated sewage into area waterways. These data suggest a potentially harmful effect of such practices.

Funny, we didn’t see Mayor Barrett bragging about this study done right here in Milwaukee by researchers from our very own Medical College of Wisconsin. In fact, the kids with diarrhea were from Milwaukee and the surrounding communities who drink Mayor Barrett’s Special Sewage Mix in their water.

So, Mom and Dad, next time you take off from work to drive your kids to the ER or clean up after a domestic dump of … raw sewage at your home, remember who PROMISED to stop the sewage dumps that contaminate Milwaukee water.

Stop the Presses: Reporter Asks Barrett a Question!

2010-07-31T21:43:00.000-05:00

It has been six years since Mayor Tom Barrett famously promised to stop flushing sewage into Lake Michigan. As of press time, no one has asked him how that project is going.

Back in 2004, when Barrett made leadership and MMSD accountability a campaign issue, Wispolitics reviewed Barrett's top three goals for MMSD with MMSD Executive Director Kevin Shafer. Given 7 of 11 MMSD Board appointments, six years, and millions in taxpayer dollars to achieve those goals, let's review how Milwaukee's Milk Carton Mayor has measured up against his own standards.

Goal #1: Zero overflows in the separated sewer areas. NOPE!

Goal #2: Zero combined sewage overflows. NOPE!

Goal #3: No raw sewage dumping. Shafer: I’m not sure what that is unless he’s talking about blending. (You mean the Mayor isn't communicating his goals to MMSD, yikes!) In that case, NOPE!

Hey, hey - another no hitter! What an exciting year!

For 8-years, the Milwaukee Police and Fire Departments have struggled with the $18 million boondoggle known as the OpenSky Radio system. Amid hundreds of officer reports of the dangers of this failed system and fire department investigations of its implementation, no one in the press has asked Barrett how he is protecting officers and citizens from a system officially declared “not intrinsically safe.”

But, today, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel broke with tradition and asked the Mayor of Milwaukee about a critical issue under his control and we have the proof.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel of July 31, 2010. An article entitled “Water Rate Increases Revised, Proposal doesn't settle suburbs' concerns about rising costs,” contains the following statement in paragraph 14:

“Barrett was not available for comment late Friday.”

Kudos to MJS reporter Larry Sandler for at least making the effort. Hopefully, it's the start of a trend!

Stay tuned. If they keep asking questions, he may actually answer one - someday.

Barrett Reveals Secret Ingredient that Makes Milwaukee Water Worth 30% More in Taxes

2010-07-28T11:30:00.000-05:00

When we started the "Wisconsin Waste Watchers" blog this wasn't necessarily the kind of waste we anticipated. However, we now understand why Barrett wants to charge so much for water!

From the City that brought you cryptosporidium . . .

two-Billion gallons of Barrett's Secret Sewage Sauce added to Lake Michigan.

To paraphrase the Snapple Commerical, "What used to be the best stuff in the world . . . just got worse!" We wonder if it comes in "diet" as well as "pre-digested?" "Would you like a side of E. coli with that, sir!"

Mouthwatering, huh? Hey Waukesha, still want our water?

Mayor Barrett, How About a Tour of Your Radio System? Or MMSD?

2010-07-27T22:29:00.000-05:00

Today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ran a story with Barrett’s Democratic Party flunky bragging that Barrett had stayed in Milwaukee over the weekend and “spent several hours touring five areas that were damaged by the flood.”

Wow, we're sure touring on Saturday was a lot more important than Walker’s touring flooded areas the day before Barrett. In fact, touring a day late was so important that Barrett’s Democratic Party Chief Flunky said, "One man stood up and led, Tom Barrett."

Now that Barrett is leading through timely tours, we have a couple more tours to suggest:

OpenSky Radio System – As CRG uncovered, Barrett has literally hundreds of police officers he is responsible for who would love to show him around this $20 million boondoggle. They would love to talk to him about the 500 plus pages of reports they have filed warning him that their lives and the lives of the citizens they protect are put in danger every day by a system he won’t even talk about. By the way, Barrett has already had SIX YEARS in office to solve the problem ,, and virtually EVERYONE blames lack of leadership!

Here is what your Police Chief had to say about you.

The police union rep also blamed your lack of leadership.

And the firefighter's union blamed your lack of leadership citing specific incidents like the "Pizza Man" fire where police officers, firefighters, and citizens lives and property were endangered!

Six years Tom - SIX (not to mention millions in cost overruns)!

MMSD – Normally, Barrett would have to go down to the Milwaukee River or Jones Island to see his sewer system continue its annual pollution of our Lake. This week, he can tour basements all over the city to see what his six years of inaction has left for others to clean up. Maybe Milwaukeeans can wipe their floors with the MMSD study Barrett commissioned six years ago. Hmmm, speaking of things no one has seen or heard from lately, where is that report?

Here are a couple of interesting shots. No, this is not the Gulf Coast. This is Tom Barrett's Milwaukee.

Anchors away Tom! We have a boat fueled and ready to take you on this tour and await your call! Funny how visible and eager you were when you were blaming it all on Marvin Pratt!

Earlier this month, CRG revealed internal Milwaukee police documents showing the Mayor and the police chief know cops lives are placed in jeopardy as $20 million in radios fail in deadly situations. And even more documents, obtained under the Open Records Law, reveal that the radios are failing the firefighters, too.

Mayor Barrett has issued no public statements in the wake of those revelations. His silence is deafening, and he needs to plop his butt down in Milwaukee and fix the mess before he starts job-hunting. We’d at least like to know he spent enough time in Milwaukee to read the reports from his officers before someone gets killed.

Mayor Barrett, tours are nice. But, they shouldn’t be confused with leadership.

Stand Up! Lead! Protect your police officers! Protect Lake Michigan! If you REALLY care!

Take your own advice; don’t leave Milwaukee until the crises you are responsible for are fixed!

Mayor Barrett Appoints Graffiti Supporter to City Anti-Graffiti Committee

2010-07-21T23:04:00.001-05:00

You just can't make this stuff up! Talk about being anti-productive and wasteful.

In Obama-like fashion, Mayor Barrett appointed graffiti supporter Reggie Moore to his Anti-Graffiti Policy Committee. Mr. Moore is the putative head of Center for Youth Engagement, which (based on the fact that the website has had less than 250 page hits and no substantive information) seems to be nothing more than a shell consulting firm. He also lists himself on his Linked-In profile as Assistant Director, Youth Activism for the American Legacy Foundation but we can find no mention of him there. He also lists himself as the Board Co-Chair of Funders Collaborative on Youth Organizing. Although he is listed as a Board Advisor we can find no corroboration that he is a Board Co-Chair.

More curiously, Mr. Moore is ALSO the Vice President of True Skool's Board of Directors. True Skool has been the recent focus of several raised eye-brows for its graffiti training program and has drawn the ire of Milwaukee Alderman Bob Donovan for promoting graffiti in his district. This organization suggests its mission is as follows.

"We believe Hip Hop can be a tool to reach, teach and build foundations for young people to create real change in their communities. Since the Civil Rights Movements, there have been few driving forces that unite cultures and classes like Hip Hop. We understand that the billion dollar and worldly popular Hip Hop industry has deviated far from its cultural origins of the 1970s and 80s of Peace, Unity and Having Fun. Current media coverage of Hip Hop culture is filled with negative stereotypes and degrading messages to youth who are increasingly lured by the manipulation of materialistic greed. Whether it is through community activism, addressing environmental issues, or youth programming and events, we explore how Hip Hop has been and continues to be a means and voice for social change."

Hip Hop as a teaching tool, really? Funny, we didn't need to use beatnik philosophy to teach kids in the "good old days." One wonders how Mr. Moore has been advising Mayor Barrett and what city anti-graffiti intelligence he might be covertly leaking to True Skool staff and attendees. Typical anti-graffiti programs involve the placement of live and fake cameras. Hmmm, wouldn’t it be valuable for a tagger to know the difference?

True Skool Director Sarah Dollhausen-Patterson’s husband Eliot Patterson is the Program Director and a well-known graffiti advocate and many True Skool attendees are there under court order for tagging vandalism.

The City of Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services expressed the following

"...Sharon Blando, special enforcement inspector with the Department of Neighborhood Services' graffiti program, said that while the mural was legal and approved by the building's owner, it appears to have prompted an "incredible amount" of illegal tagging throughout the neighborhood between Saturday night and Sunday. There were several illegal tags within 15 feet of the project, including on garbage cans and a fence, she said. Covering up the mural with paint the way TRUE Skool did it is actually inviting to taggers, too, Blando said. Painting over the wall, she said, identifies it as a place that has attracted graffiti before and may not be monitored for tagging."

Link here to read about the FAILURE OF FREE WALLS. More info on the failure of municipally sponsored graffiti exhibits can be found here.

Numerous allegations against other True Skool employees have been reported that are so outrageous that we will only report on them after full corroboration. More later ...

Blogger Rips Off Taxpayers and People in Need to Spew Big Government

2010-07-14T15:29:00.001-05:00

Taxpayer Subsidized Speech isn’t Free to Taxpayers

Milwaukee County employee Christopher Liebenthal’s “extensive blogging activity, including blogging of a of political nature” from his taxpayer-funded computer may not be a felony, but it’s an outrage against the taxpayers and those he is paid to serve.

If he has any self-respect, he should resign his job as a county social worker or he should be fired for forcing taxpayers to subsidize his big-government tripe.

The Milwaukee County District Attorney had earlier seized the Liebenthal computer from his county office based on a complaint issued by Orville Seymer of Citizens for Responsible Government. Despite what Assistant District Attorney Bruce Landgraf, who investigated the case, called “extensive blogging activity ... of a political nature” at taxpayer expense on his county computer, the DA’s office declined to issue criminal charges citing a narrow interpretation of state statutes that would require such online activity to solicit a direct campaign contribution or service (read memo from DA's office).

Well we all have a First Amendment Right to pop off online about anything we want.

We don’t have the right to make taxpayers pay for it.

Liebenthal is an unabashed liberal who whines on his three blogs about being overworked at his $48,000 per year government job.

More appalling than his ripping off taxpayers is the fact that he was being paid as a social worker to help those most in need.

This is like Robin Hood in reverse. He’s taking from the poor to help his posh-pensioned government worker buddies.

He has no right to take the taxes we pay to aid those in need and spend them on his political crusades.

Liebenthal has been active in Milwaukee County First and AFSCME Local 48. He has blogged or maintained web pages for those groups as well as his own. Blogging under the name “Capper,” Liebenthal writes for three political blogs called Milwaukee County First, Cognitive Dissidence and Whallah!

Go read that stuff. It’s out there.

Now Liebenthal must do what is right and submit his resignation.

Where is the Mayor?

2010-07-02T17:11:00.000-05:00

Since Mayor Barrett saw fit to have his puppets interject the issue of "politics" into the equation, here is the question I would ask the mayor should he deign to so much as acknowledge the OpenSky fiasco: “Are you ignoring OpenSky because you are not doing your job or because the lives of our officers aren’t as important as your political career?”

No, Mr. Mayor, we are not talking about a future job. We are asking you to do your current job.

CRG, the police and fire unions and Alderman Donovan, Chair of the City’s Public Safety Committee brought forward 500 pages of police officer reports documenting life-threatening situations caused by the City’s scandal-ridden radio system. The response: the Mayor sends a PR guy to try and sweep it under the rug (or, at least over to the police chief). What could be more insulting to the officers who put their lives on the line?

Could it be that OpenSky might turn out to be the biggest scandal in his administration? What else could have left the mayor so shy and tongue-tied? Believe it or not, the Mayor had a staffer issue a statement on his stationary that did not mention the Mayor’s name, his position or a response to the scandal.

So, I Googled “OpenSky Mayor Barrett.” Give it a try. I paged and paged and could not find an instance of the Mayor talking about the radio system his Administration has been “working on” for six years. If you had people working for you who said your action (or inaction) risked their lives, would you get personally involved?

I guess the Mayor's team didn't have much time to prep their fall-guy for the post press conference spin-a-thon. It seems even Chief Flynn (who has only been around for a couple of years) admits "not much had gotten done" over the previous six years. Oops, that's right, his boss, Mayor Barrett, was in charge for all six of those years!

Click the video above. Wow, talk about getting it straight from the horses mouth!

“Tom the Taxer” Turns His Back on an Unblemished Record of Taxing and Spending

2010-06-09T08:38:00.001-05:00

Saying that "the road to fiscal responsibility and budgetary solvency starts with reducing state government spending,” Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett seemed to turn his back on his lifelong career of taxing and spending. Or did he?

“After raising taxes and spending at every level of government, it’s nice that Mayor Barrett is at least talking about spending cuts,” said Chris Kliesmet, Executive Administrator of Citizens for Responsible Government. “Lip service is more than taxpayers have ever gotten from ‘Tom the Taxer’.”

On Monday, Barrett proposed a plan that he claims would account for $1.1 billion in spending cuts. Unfortunately for taxpayers, he made no commitment to cut taxes or state spending. His plan allows him to cut spending in one part of the state budget to increase spending someplace else.

“An individual spending cut without an overall commitment to lower spending and taxes is meaningless to taxpayers,” said Kliesmet. “Barrett’s plan just shifts our money from one government pot to another without any relief for taxpayers.”

The Barrett proposal does not call for repealing the $3 billion in higher taxes and fees passed in the last state budget and it does not call public employee layoffs, public employee health insurance reforms, or pension reforms.

“Tom Barrett has made a career out of raising taxes, so I am somewhat skeptical of his election-year conversion to fiscal responsibility,” Kliesmet said. “In fact, while Governor Jim Doyle and the Legislature raised taxes and fees by $3 billion last year, Tom Barrett sat idly by as over 100,000 jobs left Wisconsin. The Mayor of Milwaukee was Jim Doyle’s silent partner on those tax hikes.”

Think Barrett is serious about being a fiscal conservative? Look at his record:

Voted for what may have been the largest tax increase in state history as a State Senator in 1991. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 3/7/04)

In Congress, supported the largest tax increase in U.S. history in 1993. The bill included 41 separate tax increases, including a gas tax increase and a tax increase on Social Security benefits. The nonpartisan Joint Tax Committee reported that the tax bill raised the tax burden on every taxpayer earning $20,000 and above. (Vote 406, 8/5/93; Joint Committee on Taxation, 8/23/93)

Voted against reducing income tax rates; against relief of the “marriage penalty; against a phase-out of the federal estate tax; against helping families by doubling the child tax credit; and against incentives for retirement savings. (Vote 149, 5/26/01)

Voted against repealing the tax on Social Security payments. (Vote 450, 7/27/00)

In Congress, voted against repeal the gas tax hike. (Vote 182, 5/21/96)

Voted for a federal energy tax that would have increased the tax burden in Wisconsin by an estimated $375 million and raised the price of energy for Wisconsin families, businesses, and farmers. (Vote 199, 5/27/93; Tax Foundation, 5/93)

When campaigning to be Mayor of Milwaukee, he attacked his opponent for raising taxes. But, after winning that election, Barrett proposed tax increases every year he has been in office. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 3/31/04; Milwaukee City Budgets).

Since being elected as Mayor of Milwaukee, taxes have increased, fees have increased, spending has increased, debt has increased, interest payments on the debt have increased, and the unemployment rate in the city has gone up. (Milwaukee City Budgets, Wisconsin Dept. of Workforce Development).

When he ran for Mayor of Milwaukee, he attacked opponent for raising the fee charged to homeowners for garbage pickup. After he was elected, Barrett raised the garbage fee by 76%. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 3/31/04 and 9/27/05)

Supported a sales tax increase to fund KRM rail service. (Finance panel backs Milwaukee County transit board, sales tax boost, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 1, 2009)

Supported a 0.15% city sales tax (Finance panel backs Milwaukee County transit board, sales tax boost, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 1, 2009)

SERTA Votes to "Tax to the Max!" (So They Can Use the Money to Lobby for Even HIGHER Taxes?)

2010-05-18T17:12:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, the un-elected Southeastern Regional Transit Authority committed to raising your taxes while scheming in a room at the Milwaukee County Airport (a regional transportation entity that actually MAKES money for Milwaukee County)! Governor Doyle and the Legislature gave this unelected board the power to raise the tax on rental cars to $18 per car, and they are getting ready to tax to the max!

Buried on page 12 of a 19-page PowerPoint presentation attached to the meeting agenda is proposal that they will raise the tax. But, the tax hike wasn’t even listed on the front page of the meeting agenda. Smell a rat yet?

Are they raising the tax to buy rail cars, tracks, conductor’s whistles? Nope. History shows they will probably just hire more consultants, lobbyists, and PR hustlers to raise more taxes. It’s the grand Wisconsin tradition of using taxes to lobby for more taxes. Just about every taxpayer funded city, state, village, dog-catcher, and government-subsidized group in the state has a lobbyist pressuring government to spend more and tax more. Using your tax dollars to pressure legislators to raise even MORE taxes is big business.

What makes SERTA’s taxing and irresponsible spending so outrageous is that they aren’t even elected. So when they put a tax hike proposal in a PowerPoint presentation, it’s so the real taxers in mayor’s offices and on county boards don’t get blamed. Let’s go back and take a look. In 2005, a $2 per car rental tax was established southeastern Wisconsin. But what did a big slug of that go for? The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported SERTA paid H. Carl Mueller and a small army of lobbyists nearly $500,000 to lobby the Legislature to raise the tax to $15 per car. “The RTA is spearheading plans for a $198 million commuter link that would make 14 round trips daily. The public agency is seeking legislative approval to boost the car rental tax from $2 to $15 per car,” the Journal Sentinel reported.

Now, spending on lobbyists and public relations is up to $1.4 million. No longer content with raising rental car taxes alone, they added a sales tax increase to their workload. After the Legislature gave them the power to raise rental car taxes to $18 but failed to pass the sales tax, SERTA began considering maxing out the tax. Bottom line: An unelected board has already spent $1.4 million of our money to lobby for even higher taxes and not even a conductor’s whistle has been bought for the train!

The Legislature's politically charged, election-year decision to adjourn without authorizing more SERTA tax schemes has led this unelected board to scheme even more. They admitted to themselves that it will be difficult to pass a standalone bill to increase their taxing authority so their new strategy will be to use your tax dollars to lobby elected officials to bury any new SERTA taxing power in the State Budget, a bill, as the SERTA Board put it, "that they HAVE to pass!" They also noted this could be accomplished by reconvening the legislature in a special session for a "budget repair" bill before the next election. Never underestimate the deviously clever mind of an unelected board!

And just who voted for this boondoggle that will require raising taxes if approved? The representatives of Racine and Kensoha counties, the representative of Governor Doyle, and the representatives of the three largest cities in the SERTA district - Kenosha, Racine, and Milwaukee (KRM). SERTA Board members openly discussed the issue of which gubernatorial candidate would most likely support the KRM line without mentioning any names. However, State Representative Peter Barca, who attended the meeting via speakerphone, was less circumspect, current City of Milwaukee Mayor and leading Democratic candidate for Governor "Tom Barrett" would be most sympathetic to supporting the KRM line was his blunt assessment.

Yes, Virginia, votes have consequences!

SERTA Plan Calls for New Tax Monday; Doubling Tax March of 2012

2010-05-13T23:11:00.001-05:00

On Monday, leaders of the un-elected Southeastern Regional Transit Authority want to pass a $9 tax on every car rental. The plan is to more than double the tax by 2012 (see Agenda Item 7c).

The tax will fund --- in part -- the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail line. SERTA is proceeding with applying to the federal government for the project even though they said in December it wouldn’t be considered without passage of still more tax increases by the legislature. Those taxes failed, but SERTA may raise taxes anyway.

The jumbo rental car tax is part of the plan.

Buried on page 12 of a 19-page PowerPoint presentation for the unelected board, is the plan to approve the tax at the May meeting at Mitchell Airport.

The tax will double in March 2012 to $18 per car plus inflation. That’s right, in less than two years the tax will double.

SERTA is a board appointed by local politicians and the Governor to do their dirty work of raising taxes. The unelected board has the sole authority to levy the car rental tax up to $18, and sole authority under law to apply to the federal government to support the KRM line.

The new tax is hidden in the materials for Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Rail line application to the federal government.

The tax will replace the lapsed $2 per rental car tax. You remember the tax that was established, and then used by KRM proponents to hire lobbyists and consultants to raise the tax even more.

So far the tax that was supposed to fund a rail line has mostly been spent on lobbyists and public relations experts who have been paid over $1.4 million of tax dollars to try to pass more tax increases.

Wisconsin residents need to call Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett at 414-286-2200, and tell him to stop the tax increase. Also, call Milwaukee County Board Chairman Lee Holloway at 414-278-4261 and tell him to oppose the tax hike. Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker was denied an appointee to SERTA by the Democrat Legislature because he wouldn’t play their game.

Make no mistake, elected politicians like Barrett control their appointees on the board. Will Barrett prove to voters he’s really not “Tom the Taxer” by telling his appointee to vote “no” and publicly speaking out against unelected appointees raising taxes? And, if elected Governor will Barrett allow the unelected SERTA to continue to run wild over the taxpayers?

Waste Watcher Bottom line: Milwaukee leaders had opposed raising the rental car tax because it wanted a sales tax for buses and other government spending. They were holding KRM hostage to get support for their tax increase. Now that the sales tax failed, they are falling back on the rental car tax. And, thereby proving: If you give unelected bureaucrats the power to "tax to the max" - they will do just that - tax to the max!

Welcome!

2010-05-09T17:10:00.000-05:00

Wisconsin is a state with chronically high taxes that stifle our economic growth and freedom.

Our recent recession has hit our families hard, and the politicians have responded with the wrong answers.

Instead of cutting government spending in Madison, the politicians responded with $3 billion in higher taxes and fees in 2009. They didn’t cut bureaucrats, posh pensions, or Cadillac – no, Rolls Royce – health care benefits. Milwaukee city and schools continue to tax-and-spend beyond reason with government officials acting as the hand maidens of special interests.

At the Capitol, Governor Jim Doyle and the Democrat Legislature raised business taxes, and the business community recoiled and retrenched from hiring. Our unemployment rate topped 8 percent, and neared 9 percent. Some communities have double digit, depression-level unemployment.

It’s time for citizens to impose their will on government.

Wisconsin needs a new direction. We need a new covenant with the people dedicated to providing frugality and common sense and to provide tax relief, and personal economic freedom for our families, our businesses, our farmers, and our retirees.

At Citizens for Responsible Government, we have been on the frontlines of defending taxpayers for nearly a decade.

CRG led the fight against former Milwaukee County Executive Tom Ament over the scandalous county pension scam with million dollar payouts, and golden parachutes. We drove Ament from office, and set the stage for fiscal reform.

And, we’ve helped citizens take on Milwaukee County Board Chairman Lee Holloway, and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett for their big-spending, wasteful ways.

We are establishing the Waste Watcher Blog as a public service to the citizens of our state.

At Waste Watchers Blog, we will expose the politicians who pamper pension-padders, the despots who defend day-care desperados, and other wilfull wasters who terrorize tired taxpayers. And, we’ll celebrate the heroes of tax relief and economic freedom.

Our mission will be to engage the public to take action to promote policies aimed at lowering our tax burden, and raising the standard of living of all Wisconsin families. We’ll bring you the stories you won’t find in the mainstream media.

The analysis they won’t provide, and the news they won’t cover. And, when the media gets it right, we’ll share it with you here to help spread the word.

We hope to provide our blog as an open forum for citizen bloggers to post their stories of waste, fraud and abuse. And, we hope to have some fun too, with interesting tales of taxpayer heroes and villains.

Wisconsin Waste Watcher blog is an open forum from Citizens for Responsible Government to expose waste, fraud, and abuse in Wisconsin government in the interest of lowering our tax burden. Wisconsin Waste Watchers blog welcomes citizen posts, tips, and comments. Our families will prosper when government is frugal!