Thursday, November 27, 2014

Boss Abele Replaces DOA Head After Failed Privatization Efforts

As I noted last week, the 2015 Milwaukee County Budget had been finalized.

Abele wanted to privatize a lot of services and cut out other services altogether. He sent his right hand man and director of the Department of Administration, Don Tyler, to make sure that these maleficent actions took place.

However, county workers and AFSCME members went to the budget hearings and pointed out that folly and maleficence of the Abele's budget and privatization schemes.  The county board agreed.  Some of the budgetary actions taken by the board included:
  • Restored $300,000 to homeless shelters. (Keep in mind that this is only November and we have already had two nights with wind chills below zero. Abele's veto was so egregious that even his own personal supervisor, Deanna Alexander, voted against him on this.)
  • Restored $300,000 for indigent burials.
  • Restored $10 million to do repairs and maintenance to county parks.
  • Restored free bus rides for the elderly and disabled.
  • Restored several positions in the Sheriff's Office to increase public safety.
  • Restored six clerical positions at the House of Correction instead of paying overtime to corrections officers to do that work instead of guarding inmates.
  • Stopped the privatization of food services at the zoo.
  • Stopped privatization of security guards and transferred them to the Sheriff's Department.  (Remember how well that idea worked out for Scott Walker when he tried it.)
  • Stopped the $2,000 pay cuts to county workers and restored a flexible spending account program, which will hopefully slow down the high rate of turnover the county is experiencing.
When Abele's privatization and profiteering schemes had been beaten back, I predicted that he would have another one of his temper tantrums, acting like the spoiled, rich brat that he is.

This week, the predicted temper tantrum did indeed occur and Tyler felt Boss Abele's wrath for failing to get his dirty work done.  Abele threw Tyler under the bus for not being able to execute Abele's poorly thought out schemes.

Boss Abele also didn't waste any time replacing Tyler.  He has already named Teig Whaley-Smith, Economic Development Director as Tyler's successor.

The decision to promote Whaley-Smith does make some sense.  Who better than the Economic Development Director to help ram through secret sweetheart deals for county assets such as our parks and buildings?

Given Boss Abele's propensity for tantrums and rash decisions, I would strongly suggest that Whaley-Smith keep his resume updated.  One never can tell how long one will last when the Emperor has one of his snit fits.

8 comments:

  1. Capper,

    Another example of why you're always such a must-read.

    Don Tyler's a former Northwestern Mutual Vice-President
    https://www.linkedin.com/pub/don-tyler/5/772/83b

    Check out his linked in.

    This guy's a MAJOR player. Guys like this get their phone calls returned, pronto.

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    1. Good catch, John. Can you say "revolving door" and "inside deal"?

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    2. Jake, thanks, sounds right, but I'm going to wait to read the press release on Tyler leaving. If it was Tyler's decision to move onto something else, imho, that supports your take. If it's "spend more time" with his family, that usually means Abele fired him. Here's the press release on Tyler arriving.
      http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/chris-abele-names-former-northwestern-mutual-executive-as-top-aide-2v8n762-190449431.html

      He didn't even make it a year, which no matter how you slice it, isn't a plus for Abele.
      If Tyler comes out with glowing praise for Abele in the press release, that will really support your take.

      Jeff Bezos/Amazon is making a big play in Wisconsin. http://www.jsonline.com/business/new-amazon-facility-played-role-in-alaska-air-decision-to-bring-service-to-milwaukee-b99398391z1-283982351.html

      IMHO it's co-ordinated with Obama and the oligarchs' NAFTA on steroids aka Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement...

      I wonder if Tyler is going to work for Bezos?

      Tyler's replacement is replacement is University of Michigan law grad. Talk about over-qualified and unqualified for a County DOA. University of Michigan's a power law school. When he's already got a former Foley Lardner partner, Paul Bargren, running corporation counsel, why hire Whaley-Smith? There are plenty of good explanations, but at first look, I can't see how Whaley-Smith's a good fit.

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    3. For what it's worth, Abele did send out a glowing letter praising Tyler. But it is also reported that he was escorted out by deputies.

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    4. Whaley-Smith is a boot licker. That's why he is DOA.

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  2. Lol! This is how you spent your holiday? You have problems. The kind that probably can only be treated with a physician's voltage ? Please don't shoot up any movie theaters.

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  3. What's wrong with reporting the news? Also, do you think the damage that Abele and Walker do stops for the holiday. Don't choke on the sand your head is buried in.

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  4. I can remember living in Illinois when Rod Blagojevich decided to make mass transit in Illinois free for the elderly and disabled. That was a naked political play and affected Cook County and Chicago the most. Even in good years, the CTA loses money and this plan caused them to lose more.

    I currently live in Madison and the elderly/disabled are eligible for reduced monthly passes, which is probably the best solution. Madison Metro is discussing raising fares for the unlimited ride passes, which are primarily used by state workers, UW staff and students, and Meriter and Dean Hospital employees but there is no discussion of raising the monthly fees for the elderly/disabled passes. Allegedly, Madison Metro has seen the UW passes being used by non-UW personnel, which I am skeptical about, considering how hard it is to get a replacement bus pass. However, I have seen Madison Metro elderly/disabled passes for sale on Craigslist. To me that is more serious than vague and probably false abuse of the unlimited ridership UW passes.

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