Posted on Tuesday, 16th August 2005 by Patrick Dorwin
I guess the Pewaukee Mayors supporters didn’t learn from the Waukesha school board member that tried to smear opponents of a tax hike by sending out police records and tax statements of those opposed to raising taxes.
JS Online: Pewaukee mayor recall turns nasty
In an apparent effort to discredit a citizens group attempting to recall Mayor Jeff Nowak, Ald. David Mokros distributed a list of police contacts made at the home of the recall group’s leader, Barbara Whitcomb.Mokros handed out the list after Monday’s Common Council meeting, during which Debra Kohler, a spokeswoman for Pewaukeeans for Better Government, accused Nowak of using city facilities and staff to defend his performance in office, in conjunction with a direct mailing by a newly formed citizens group that supports the mayor.
Whitcomb, who was not at the meeting, responded angrily when told of Mokros’ actions. She said neither she nor her husband, Roger, have ever been charged with any crimes, and said the list involved traffic, domestic and other incidents having to do with their daughter, 36, or her daughter’s former husband. Twenty-nine dates since 1987 were listed.
“He’s a scumbag,” Whitcomb said of Mokros. “He’s trying to annihilate my family, and it’s uncalled for. He has no business bringing up records having to do with my daughter. None of those items belong to me or my husband. I’ve never even had a traffic ticket.”
Posted in Home | Comments (15)
August 16th, 2005 at 8:26 am
It is amazing how the closer you get to home the worse the problem is. The lengths that these tin pot local politicians go to try and protect thier little fiefdoms. As bad as the problem is at the state and federal level it is always the local guys who scream and cry the loudest they cannot survive with any kind of tax freeze or tax cut.
Regards
GBfan
August 16th, 2005 at 1:08 pm
GBFan, whats up with the tax freeze / tax cut statement? Pewaukee is about the only city that isn’t raising taxes through the friggin roof.
August 16th, 2005 at 7:37 pm
was talking about local goverments as a whole not pewaukee in particular sorry for the confusion
August 16th, 2005 at 10:25 pm
More Pewaukee Recall comments.
Charlie Sykes read an email from someone in the know from Pewaukee. he pointed out that the information Mokros was passing out was NOT a public record, it was information that could only come from the police department and is NOT available to the public.
The emailer goes on to point out that leaders in the police department have close ties to the mayor (who is being recalled) and former Alderman Ballistreri, how ever since Ballistreri has been arrested for child molestation, they have distanced themselves from him.
Ald. David Mokros has been involved in scandal before, a few years ago, he was kicked off a ballot by both Republicans and Democrats because of fraudulent signatures on nomination papers.
August 17th, 2005 at 8:57 am
Police responses from call ins is a public record. Almost every suburban newspaper prints them every week. The old “police responded to a breakin at 100 main st saturday night” blah blah blah.
On a side note I just wish these two groups would just shut the hell up and stop giving my city a black eye. It is friggin ridiculous that Mark Belling even knows we exist concidering all the crap that goes on in Milwaukee (elected leaders going to jail, their kids slashing tires, 80 + murders) and yet he spends an hour talking about how “screwed up” Pewaukee is.
August 17th, 2005 at 11:40 am
You can’t be blaming Belling (or Sykes or Bloggers or the paper) for this, are you? What this alderman did was dead wrong, and now the Pewaukee police chief is investigating to find the person responsible for releasing this information.
I think it is safe to say that Belling and others spend the vast majority of their time talking about issues that effect Milwaukee, but these 50,000 watt radio stations reach far beyond the city limits, so to say they should not talk about wrong doing in other S/E Wisconsin communities would be asking hem to ignore the majority of their listening audience.
And by asking “I just wish these two groups would just shut the hell up…” Are you asking that citizen groups not become active in their local political scene? This is Democracy in action, if more citizens organized and participated in the system, I think this would be a good thing, not giving “your city a black eye.”
Below is the response from the woman whose family was targeted by this clown.
August 17th, 2005 at 11:44 am
By the way, if Ald. David Mokros doesn’t resign, he should be recalled too!
August 17th, 2005 at 12:25 pm
Patrick how many questions can you ask in one post?
I am not blaming anyone except BOTH sides of this childish dispute. The Alderman is a bonehead. The PDG are a bunch of whiners.
The basic issue on recalling the Mayor has now become completely lost.
You have a few people with personal gripes trying to recall a Mayor who was fairly elected. Are they going to pay the election cost? Have they submitted even a single suggestion as an alternative?
To PBG – If you don’t like the way an elected official operates run against him. Beat him in a fair and free election. Don’t publicly trash your city to every news agency out there and then make us regular Joes pay for your crap.
To the Council and Mayor – Someone is watching you and all the info will be available at teh next election to drive you out if you act in a less than exemplary manner.
And as to Belling and bloggers I am not “blaming” or even “criticizing” anything he or they have said or done. I am simply responding the same way I would if two family members are having a spat. Take it out back and settle it but don’t frigging yell to the world our family (or city in this case) is corrupt.
Patrick you really have to sit back and watch these two sides in a public meeting. I have an 8year old and a 5 year old and it is EXACTLY the same thing when they argue.
August 23rd, 2005 at 12:42 am
Dave,
The PGB began as a discussion group in October of 2004. This was in direct response to the proposed 43% increase in spending in the 2005 City of Pewaukee budget. This group was successful in getting nearly 200 people to attend a budget hearing; on the Monday night after deer hunting season and Thanksgiving, during a Monday night Packer game.
Their initial goal was to try to increase public awareness and to attempt to get the Common Council and the Mayor to listen to the tax payers. They tried this approach for nearly eight months. They spent hundreds of hours distributing flyers; urging people to call their aldermen and the Mayor to express their concerns. Many did. It did not work. This is one of the main reasons they are recalling Mayor Nowak.
His administration is not providing good customer service (one of his stated goals). The PBG are not “whiners”, they are concerned vocal citizens, trying very hard to make this government work for the taxpayers.
The Constitution of the United States of America, and our State Constitution both guarantee us a voice, and a choice in dealing with our elected officials. Who are you to tell me and others that we should not exercise that right? A recall election is part of all American Citizens rights, guaranteed by the Constitution. Have you read this document?
It sounds to me that either your last name is Mukros, or you don’t read many newspapers, listen to talk radio, or attend many City meetings. You sound to me like someone who lives in “Poz”, the subject of a recent letter to the Editor, published in all three area newspapers, which you probably didn’t read.
Just for your information, the Village of Pewaukee has not had a reassessment in at least seven years. If the City had not re-assessed for that length of time our City mil rate would be at least equal to or higher than the Village. We were re-assessed in 2003, and will be re-assessed again in 2006.
How do you think the mil rate stays so low? Good fiscal management? Think again. I know of no one in the City who has recieved a lower tax BILL in the last four years.
Do you realize how this administration has mortgaged our future? Even with the 2003 reassessment, if we had to pay off our debt today, our City tax rate would be more than double what it is.
If you are planning to make a killing in real estate, and take your money and run away from the community, this is a wonderful thing. I have lived here for 59 years, and would like to die of old age here. Unfortunately the high assessments and low tax rate may eat up all my money,and force me to relocate long before that.
Barb
August 23rd, 2005 at 12:19 pm
I am not even going to bother debating you since you have allready proclaimed in you post that I should not question you. I am a United States Citizen who votes in every election, obeys the law, pays my taxes and served over a decade in the U.S. Army. NO ONE can tell me who I can criticize. NO ONE can tell me what opinions I can hold or pronounce.
I personally did not have any position on this entire situation except that I do not like having my city badmouthed. But now thanks to your brilliant post I will offer any and all services to STOP that I can. Web sites, servers, mass emailing, mass printing, video production, you name it. All at no charge of course. Because so far it is YOU who are trying to stifle dissent. It is you who blindly throws allegations out.
As far as me being Markos, name the time and place and I will be present with valid ID showing I am not.
As to me never attending meetings you obviously are so full of yourself as to defy belief. I can no longer blame anyone who doesn’t attend meetings after listening tyo the MIND NUMBING whining from your group.
You dson’t like developent? How the hell did youtr house get there? You don’t think taxes go up. GO ANYWHERE IN THE STATE. This is a vibrant, prosperous, and rapidly growing city. Perhaps you would be happier in Madison or Waukesha or any one of the other cities that have taxed themselves to death. Perhaps you don’t want modern services or facilities. Personally, I DONT CARE what you want.
In closing if you ever think to tell me I do not have the right to profess opinions or criticise others then you can march straight to hell.
August 23rd, 2005 at 7:08 pm
David, you certainly have the right to dissent, but so do those that oppose the actions of the Mayor and his ilk.
If you don’t want to see your city badmouthed, I would think you would want to remove the corruption that causes it. Do you think that the mayor collecting police records and an alderman passing them out to the media in order to attempt to discredit political opponents is an action that doesn’t deserve to be criticized?
August 23rd, 2005 at 7:30 pm
Again, all I want is these people to keep it in house. Not calling 1130 am saying the citizens are scared or terrified. For Christ’s sake the CRG web site has an image of the Mayor in front of the USSR flag!
This crap is what 5 year olds do. The best solution is for the mayor the council AND the recall group to all go away and stop this damned whining.
And you are of course right I can dissent and when someone has the audacity to suggest I can’t point out the inept and ludicrous behaviour I WILL take it to the woodshed if they had half a gonad.
Sorry for the language on your site (last word of last post) but she really tripped my trigger resorting to suggesting I am part of some vast conspiracy.
August 23rd, 2005 at 8:37 pm
Dave
You are wrong in stating that I do not realize you are entitled to your opinion. We all are. That is my point.
If you go to the PBG web site, you will find over 300 newspaper articles, published in the local papers over the last 5 years. Judge for yourself who is giving the City of Pewaukee a black eye. You can find it at http://www.pbgnetwork.org
August 23rd, 2005 at 8:56 pm
When you ask “Who are you to question..” you are saying that I shouldn’t question.
When you imply “It sounds to me that either your last name is Mukros, or you don’t read many newspapers, listen to talk radio, or attend many City meetings. You sound to me like someone who lives in “Pozâ€, the subject of a recent letter to the Editor, published in all three area newspapers, which you probably didn’t read. ” you throw your little red herring out to try to dismiss as part of a conspiracy those you cannot attempt to comprehend.
Shameless little plug for your web site? Is that the same one that has on the front page under a lacks ethics header “Nowak is a major real estate developer actively operating within the City of Pewaukee. “.
Perhaps you care to explain that little nugget? You certainly don’t bother to respond to anything else in an intelligent manner.
Thanks for all the links to articles where you blast the city. I will of course be referencing most of them on my blog. As soon as I have the time I will happily collect all those minute comments, that when read together, paint such a pretty picture that perhaps Webster’s may just include the PBG logo next to “Whiner” in their next dictionary.
Odd that your site doesn’t go into the weed control issues that made you folks so worried about your property values. Couldn’t seem to find that letter huh? Oops, this is a city issue not a personal one. My bad, I forgot.
You also failed to give me a location to prove I am not the BIG BAD WOLF Nowak. Forget? Oh, thats right, that was just a canard to hide a weak argument.
October 12th, 2005 at 6:41 am
I find interesting that now that the recall in swing, the magical mystery woman Durski has cut ties with PBG…..what’s the matter afraid to stand up with the group or know what people think of the {PBG…or Wally and crew working outside the rule book of the PBG…..interesting…..talk about threats to employees…try sitting at a brewer game with Ms Durski…..talk about threats and a witchhunt…or the Whitcombs after a few beverages…..talk about threats to the city, reminds me of the farmers with the pitchforks after the hunchback….