 Hello and welcome to a new episode of the Donahue Group. We're delighted that you could join us. Surrounding me today in these beautiful surroundings, former state Senator Cal Potter, Professor Tom Pineski, teacher Ken Risto. I'm attorney Mary Lynn Donahue and we have lots to talk about in the city and the county and surrounding areas today. One of those landmark events, if you'll excuse me, the fire at the Landmark apartment building kind of near and dear to our hearts just because we live so close by and also from my office window I can see, I could see the whole building go up and now I see that there's nothing left there. It was really a fairly remarkable event and of course spawns all sorts of interesting urban legends I think and fire walls, people running away dressed in black and so forth but do you think they'll rebuild? Well, today's paper says they will and that's I think a good sign. There's nothing else for the people who sold their homes and they're waiting to move in. Isn't that just, it's just a remarkable. I saw Janet Carter this morning and she said the board of directors met and they voted to rebuild so it's a done deal. To me it was like when enormous bonfire we woke up during one of the explosions and opened the curtains in our bedroom window and there's this enormous flame, this column of flames shooting up into the sky and it looked from the location I thought it looked like Landmark and not my apartment building or my office building, thank goodness but it kind of went up like a big bonfire. I mean it was really remarkable that was a huge, huge building and to have it gone in four hours. I had this strain, on Monday morning we have our trash picked up so I have to carry it to the curb and I usually do it around seven o'clock and I was unaware of anything that had happened so I'm taking the trash out to the curb in the garage and I noticed these black little pieces of stuff on my lawn and I hear something like a motor going on. Later on I found out it was an helicopter and I'm thinking, did something explode in the air and just it's overhead and it's all over the neighborhood and only later did I find out it was the residue and the helicopter from the fire and I was surprised. Well it was a nice project in downtown Sheboygan which can use all the building and electrification that I can get and so here's hoping there was enough fire insurance and here's hoping that all the parties can pull together and rebuild. We're talking as the April 3rd election approaches. Kind listeners, make sure that you vote on Tuesday, April 3rd, city elections, state Supreme Court election. There's some excitement but you know I thought that this would be a much testier election from the city aldermanic perspective than it has been. Now we still have, we were counting about two and a half weeks away so all sorts of things can happen. Those of us who have been in campaigns know that the last two weeks are usually by far and away the most interesting. It's when all the threads come loose and things do tend to spin out of control. I was not able to attend the forum last night and won't be able to go tonight but thanks to the Chamber of Commerce for putting on forums. I just wanted to run through the races and get your prognostications if I could as to what you think might happen. First district, Jim Gisha versus Bruce Christensen. I think that one's gonna be pretty tight. Thank her. Go ahead. You're in the first district. I'm in the first district. I'm not. What you have first comment then the two. I'm not sure on who's gonna win. I don't have a sense at all. Have they both been doing doors? They said they've been doing doors. I haven't seen them at anybody's doors and they talk about sign distribution. It's fairly equal. I have no clue. I guess they're both good candidates and we'll see what happens. Yeah. I'm in the second district, Corey Bauch versus Lyle Vandeloest. I wanna be on tape because I wanna check my predictions. So I think it's gonna be close. But I think it'll be Gisha by a hair. Only because I believe he's got some connections within the Republican Party. Bruce is well-known. Christensen's really well-known around the community. Been around for a long time. But I think it's gonna, I think that, that nobody's gonna see this still after the election anyway, right? Well, there you go. It's not like we're influencing the vote here. So it's fooling ourselves accountable. I like your prediction. And I just filled out the whole NCAA. Yeah, when I say my picks and answers are absolutely horrible. You can forget about it. I had Wisconsin winning everything. Oh, I can't go in a little way. Oh, good. My loyalties being with the University of Wisconsin. Cal, do you wanna weigh in? Well, I think the analysis here that it's gonna be close. I think each one has a different, somewhat different constituency. Christensen being noted because of his involvement with the school days on officer, police department, getting to know people, being on the beat, so to speak, for many years. I guess you just get to know people. And then Jim Gishe, that is the most Republican ward in the whole city. And Jim Gishe has been sort of a mouthpiece for the Republican Party on Sheboygan County for a number of years. So I think people who identify with a conservative banking type person, I think he's got that constituency lined up. So it just depends on who gets all their monions out to vote, I guess, in what numbers. Primary was close. And I would think that would carry forward in the general. Yeah, I don't think particularly, I don't think anywhere really, at least to date, there have been any real defining issues. That's been a very, very quiet race. And I think that's certainly the case in the first district. Second district, Corey Bauch, newcomer versus Lyle Vanderweist, a longtime resident like Bruce Christensen, a retired police officer, my next door neighbor and a very, very nice guy. Corey Bauch is also a next door neighbor and he's a very, very nice guy. So it'll be interesting to see how that plays out. Corey is young and- What a record, who are you gonna vote for? Nevermind, two neighbors like that. I don't wanna get you in trouble. He was her neighbor. She's splitting her vote. That's it, that's it. See now I'm really thrown off. It'll be interesting to see, again, I don't think there's been much in the way of any defining issues or I know both have been working hard. And it'll be interesting to see. Corey Bauch is, of course, a Naval Academy graduate and was in the military for about 13 years. I think Lyle was on the police force 31 years if I'm not mistaken. So a longtime service and is now a liaison officer, I think again for the school district. I think he's at the alternative schools. So that'll- Probably had the advantage going into this having been the dare officer for so many years as well. I mean a lot of parents got to know him and so on. I think Mr. Bauch, very well qualified but did he get to know people and how now he really has to put forth a concerted effort to get to know people against somebody who's been around like you said in the police department for 31 years. Both political newcomers, no matter who wins though and that's the nice thing about city elections is you can come back and you get started in your first or second election and then eventually unless you're Harold Stassen or Scott Lewandowski you win. So although we'll get to that, Scott may well have a shot at the school board race but in any event. So it'll be interesting. Anybody else wanna weigh in on the second district? Vanderweist. Vanderweist, okay. Vanderweist, 55, 45, maybe 57, 43. Somewhere in there. All right. It's Dimple Adams and Dan Verhasselt then in the third district. I think Dan Verhasselt was a little surprised that the primary election was that close. Scott Lewandowski came in a distant third but it was fairly close between him and Dimple Adams. I know Dan has been working very hard. I don't know about Dimple and lots of signs out for both candidates and I think that's interesting. But again, I think Dimple Adams is perceived as being closely aligned with the police department so that would be part of the, I don't know what to call it, the law enforcement block that is running. And again, I'm not, I'm gonna vote on Verhasselt. I think he will win but. I would agree. When I saw him in the candidate forums I think there's so much he wants to share that if he would simply slow down and talk a little slower. Maybe he was just nervous in that first round of, I think he's really thoughtful. I think he's got a sense of what he wants to do. I don't know what it is that Adams is really running. You know, I don't see her with any real specifics and I don't think, I mean, what do you run on? You know, better relations with the police, that's it. And the fact that you were associated with a failed effort to recall the mirror. I mean, I don't see, I don't see her articulating of a vision for Sheboygan and I think overall I think that's gonna be the deciding factor for me. I mean, not that I'm voting in there, but I think as I look at people thinking about who to vote for. And I think he has been working the neighborhoods from what I understand really very vigorously. I know that Dimple Adams is, I know it's got some difficulties, she said that in the last, getting around a little bit. So he's got a little bit of an advantage that way. So whoever has assaults you would think gives an incumbent even though it was a appointed position at that time would have an advantage. But she did get notoriety through letters to the editor in WHBL, a spokesperson I guess. I don't want to just give her a chair over WHBL. You know, you get a point in a local election and name recognition is very important. I don't know, with a vision is something that a lot of the aldermanic voters think about when they go into the voting poll. I think some of it is, was a person at my doorstep, did I know them from some other source? So she's been visible for someone who's not been in the political arena. She's got that going for her. She's got that adorable name. I thought I was going to say she was vote for the name, Dimple. I think when I run for office again, if I were doing, I'm going to change it to something like muffin or biscuit or curly or something like that. When Bill Tuigle ran it was twinkle twinkle little star. I'm going to vote for Bill. Well, T-Winkle versus Doyle. Oh, now I mean Boy Red for a state senator. I think on a statewide basis, names are actually, I think, fairly important. And I think a name like T-Winkle, which is perfectly normal around here is, you know, Claire may be a little bit more difficult, but well, we are running for our field, but it'll be interesting to see. But me, yeah, vote for Dimple. Yeah. Fourth district is yours. Yes. I'm predicting Heidemann Overgraph. I would agree. I would agree. Joel has been working the doors and the neighborhoods really very extensively. He's been, I wasn't home, but he's been to my house. He's been to my home a couple of times. And he's got, compared to his last campaign, he's got a lot of signs out. And they're a little different than the usual lawn signs. More of a, looks like they belong outside of a restaurant, but the sandwich board kind of thing. But, and I think he's doing this surprisingly with very little money. And I don't think he has a whole lot of financial backing for people in the community. So he's really gonna be his own man. I think he's gonna be a strong voice of independence. I don't think anybody's gonna be able to figure out where he's coming from at any given time. I know some people are getting a little tired of hearing him say he's from Sheboygan Falls. He was the mayor of Sheboygan Falls. He was an alderman of Sheboygan Falls. But that's, he's in kind of a tough jam there. He's got, you know, that's his experience. That's where he's from. And so I, and I don't see too much energy, enthusiasm and activity on the part of the graph campaign. I see Jim every now and then, but I don't think he's worked our neighborhood unless we were gone and we just missed him. Brother Radio show, WHBL interviewed him one following another. They interviewed Jim Groff first. And then after a break, they interviewed Heidemann. And I just happened to be in the car and then I was listening and I listened to both. And I guess I was disappointed in Heidemann. I mean, his radio interview was kind of a burrup and a little rough around the edges. And Jim was his smooth talking self. Not necessarily smooth talking, but a soft talking self. So I don't know. I think Jim is real, I think he's been real thoughtful. I think he's got a lot of experience and brings that experience to the council. You have to think that after, I mean that was a fairly bruising episode with his wife and so forth. That's hard sometimes for families to, you know, unless it happens to you, I don't think, you know, we really have any sense of what it's like to be attacked like that. And even if you're eventually vindicated, it's, which they were, which they were, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth and maybe just takes the wind out of your sails a little bit. I don't know. But I think on the- He's been in office so long. I'm sure he probably takes the point of who. They either know me or they don't know me by now. Yeah. And I, Graf has been off and then back on the council, right? Yeah. Yeah. So I mean, again, it's not necessarily a revolving door, but not necessarily the end of the world either. Fifth district, Gene Davis retiring. So we're going to have a newcomer. It's either Eric Rindfleisch or Susan either Lassard or Lesserd. Boy, that has been a very, very, very, very quiet race. I didn't even know they were running with him. Eric was formerly an alderman and the son of Ron Rindfleisch our good friend from the school board and a thoughtful guy. I don't know Susan Lassard at all. And again, that's been so quiet. So it's hard to say. Now I'm going to give a nickel to whoever can name the race in the sixth district. Wongaman and Radke. Radke, very good, very good. I got the nickel in my bag. So don't let me forget. I go pass those sides every day then when I go to school. There you go. Yeah, that's right. Well, we've talked about this one and I think that's been a fairly spirited race. But again, I think, although the incumbents usually have a, some advantage, Wongaman just has the advantage, I think of a well-known name. City council. Been in the paper a lot. Yes, yeah, yep. Yeah. So I think he almost has more advantage as sort of an incumbent over Radke. He's only been on the council a short time. That's it. And hasn't really had any particular distinguishing legislative act or leadership role that has particularly distinguished him. I mean, it's hard in the first couple of years, but. So yeah, I would say, I'd say Wongaman, and there was not a primary there, was there? No. So it'll be hard to say. Seventh district, I think in some ways is the most interesting race and fairly hotly contested, Vicki Meyer versus Barb Tyshinski. Barb is on the school board, has been, since I started back in 1996. And Vicki Meyer is an incumbent, one-term incumbent who knocked off an incumbent. That was a remarkable evening, that election, you know, in 2005. I would never imagine that anyone could have knocked off my corner and she did in handily. So any thoughts on where that one's gonna go? I think it's gonna be very, very close again. And I think it's going to be, win for the drum roll. I think Vicki Meyer will prevail. Yeah, I was thinking that too, that she's gonna prevail. But it will be very, very close. Any reason? I don't know, Vicki's kind of enthusiastic and a go-getter, but Barb is kind of a, she's been around a while. And I think they might like Vicki's style. Do you think, and this, I mean, goes back to Dimple Adams as well, that they're very close association with the recall. I think Barb was the spokesperson and I don't know if Dimple was the treasurer or the president, but she was an officer in the recall group. And I know Barb was the newspaper at least listed as the spokesperson. Do you think that? What effect on a play? Is there an underlying? Do people feel good about that or bad about that? I wonder. Are they tired of it? Are they tired of it? Or is there an underlying feeling of, there were lots of people involved with that recall. And are they all gonna come out and voice their opinion and vote for the people who are actively involved in the recall? Or in support, I don't know if that, how much of that is still around. I suspect that it hasn't been too long ago, so it's still there. Yeah, I just get the feeling, Tom, that people are looking to elect folks who are going to walk in with a sense of civility, with a sense of open-mindedness, and with a sense of finding common ground whenever you can find common ground. And I don't know if you're sitting in the district or a ward and you think about Barb and Dimple and their role in that, but as I talk around the community, they're going to be associated with that effort and they want to put that behind it. It failed with a debacle. It was, for some people, an embarrassment. Okay, it's gonna work the other way. I think it's gonna work the other way. I think people are going to simply say, no, these people have already shown us their hand, what their intentions are, what their agenda is, and we don't wanna go back to that. If we're unhappy with the mayor, we'll throw him out when the time comes. And it'll be interesting to see if, I think they got notoriety, I think they got their name recognition, certainly a Barb again has been on WHBL calling in a lot throughout the years. Not a quite of a Zoom name, but music initials and things, but we recognize her voice. And I just think people recognize all that and say, no, we wanna move away from all that. I just think it's time. I think people are going to point that out. That's a good point. That's a very good point. But again. I mean, that would influence me. What kind of memories people have of it? I don't really know. Yeah, you don't know. Just the notoriety that they got being involved in the recall and recall. Maybe it gave them a sort of a feeling that they wanna be spokesmen for lower taxes or whatever cause might be associated with that. I don't know. And Eighth District, Maryland, Montemayor unopposed, and that. We can call. We're not gonna make that call. Tom wants to weigh in first. Oh, weigh in. I think Tom's right. Now, may we all have done better in our prognostications today than I did as I indicated in the NCAA poll or not the little sheet that I filled out which I have hopelessly, hopelessly gone. I've lost everything, you know, so that may just be the way it is. But it'll be interesting. And again, it's been a theme that we've reiterated on this show. It's a good thing to have lots of people running for office. Yeah, good. And having races, that's excellent. Yeah, and at least so far, I would say quite civil. And... I think the forums help. It gives a focal point to people expressing themselves rather than they having to try to yell something bizarre to get the news media attention just to get in the paper. This way they get coverage and I think it focuses people on the issues as well as on the races and keeps candidates within a civil environment as well. And the fact that they're taped and playing on Channel 8. On this fine television station. I think that helps too. I mean, I'll probably tune in and find it once or twice and just to listen. Yeah, I think I will too. Like someday I'm gonna watch this show. And probably be, well, nevermind. Other big news, a very long time in coming and a very difficult decision I think for all concerned which is the sale of Sunny Ridge on a 27 to seven vote by the county board after having been debated. And you'll remember the referendum last year, which was I think a significant blow to those who had hoped from an electoral perspective to keep Sunny Ridge going. It was 57% not to spend what it would need to keep it open. The deal, I mean, the... Well, my impression is that the county just wanted to get rid of it because it's a financial albatross. But they didn't want to abandon the people because they feel like the people at Shepoint County we need to take care of. So I thought they found a reasonable alternative. They gave the sweetheart deal to a person to take it over. And they're gonna subsidize it for a little bit for a while to make sure it runs well. And save the taxpayer some money in the long run. I don't know how many millions of dollars over time. So they worked hard at putting that together. And the county board people agreed. It was a major victory for the leadership on the board who's been deciding to get out of the business where what one of three, I think, that had the number of homes as a county operation situation. Most counties have backed out of that in the past, keeping usually just the mental health services, which I think were maybe one of seven counties that still has that aspect of it. And so I think this is a victory for them. They wanna have the comparison of tax burdens between counties to be more equitable because we would be comparing apples and apples rather than having three nursing homes on our levy versus other counties that do not. We are still maintaining a nursing home. So the county is certainly not out of the nursing home business altogether. Many of the senior workers at Sunny Ridge because of the union will be able to bump to Rocky Knoll. From my perspective, one of the sadder pieces of all of this and is just reflective of our changing world and the fact that we need to be rethinking how we do business is the fact that at least some of the employees who are retained at Sunny Ridge, you know, and I could have this wrong, but it's my understanding that many of the folks who will not be able to bump by seniority to Rocky Knoll will be able to retain their jobs at Sunny Ridge, but it considerably less money. And these folks were being paid a living wage by the county and certainly wonderful benefits. There's no doubt about that. But to go back down to seven or $8 an hour. You can't live on that. You can't live on that. It is not a living wage. And so I think that's a very difficult piece of this and I think the seven people who voted against the sale were probably keeping that foremost in their mind as opposed to the tax burden. And those are difficult. Those are very, very difficult choices. It's reflective of our society where we do not, compared to Europe particularly, pay service workers living wages in Europe and so on, places that people work in restaurants, make very good money, but consumers pay for it, of course. And that would be the key in our society if we did it. But we think the commercial side of things, nursing home aids, for example, should be making $7, $8, $9 an hour at the most. And you can't live on that in this society. And I can't help but think that you're not gonna get quality people in the long run, or people who stay for any length of time when you're paying them $7, $8 an hour. Well, it's been our experience in the district with contract cleaners. You know, over time they, through attrition, they just didn't rehire custodians and maintenance people. And I think if you talk to any classroom teacher across the district, they'll tell you that the classrooms are nowhere near as clean and as well maintained as they used to be. And we were just talking about that the other day. For whatever reason, South has had just a huge viral thing go through the faculty. And it's usually a 24 hour, maybe 48 hour, where folks just aren't feeling well, really. And we were talking about the fact that the old staff, I remember George Christus, and George is even around and watching this, but George used to every night spray the tops of every desk and every public area with an antibacterial agent so that at least they started the day off with a reasonably clean slate of desks. And I just, you know, I just wonder when you look at what we saved in contract cleaning compared to what we're paying for teachers and subs and illnesses because things aren't being, I mean, I know those things aren't going on anymore because I watch our cleaners kind of walk through the rooms and kind of sort of get things more or less picked up. There's some really conscientious ones, but they're, if they are, they generally end up being hired for the district when there's a custodial vacancy and they move up and out and then you have another group in. Well, we only have a minute left and I'll just say, I'm not sure why we don't pay well the people who take care of our very young and our very old, but we don't. Just very quickly as we're coming to the end, good idea or bad idea for the city council to vote not, there are a lot of negative pieces of the sentence, not to study the city administrator spot. It's a bad idea. Why not study something and take a look at it? If it's got merit, fine, we move on. If it doesn't have merit, then lay out in front of the people why it doesn't have any merit? Well, it's already been decided. It doesn't have merit. By past, and I've been on the council, people like to vote for the person they want to hold responsible. They like to vote for a city attorney. They like to vote for a mayor. They like to vote for a city clerk. They don't want a city manager. That's already happened in the 80s and 90s. So. Well, on that happy note, we're gonna say goodbye. Thank you for joining us.