Those Who Should Remained Punished

David Cullen

On Wednesday afternoon, WTMJ-AM's midday squawker, Jeff Wagner (Charlie Sykes Lite), was griping about the news that Milwaukee County Supervisor David Cullen announced that he was running for Milwaukee County Treasurer.  Wagner sniped that Cullen was only doing it because he wanted the $84,000 salary, especially since Chris Abele and the Greater Milwaukee Committee threw one helluva tantrum and bought off state Teapublicans to cut the pay of county supervisors to $25,000, making the job part time.

Wagner also snarled about Chairwoman Marina Dimitrijevic and Supervisors John Weishan and David Bowen who were running for state assembly seats.

Wagner concluded that this showed that the supervisors were about nothing but the money.

Zach Wisniewski of Blogging Blue joined in the diatribe, complaining that Cullen was running for the treasurer's position:

It’s worth noting that Cullen has been in various elected offices virtually all of his adult life, having been first elected to the Milwaukee School Board in 1983, when he was just 23 years old.

Cullen was elected to his current position as a Milwaukee County Supervisor in 2012 after he decided not to run for reelection to the State Assembly after his district was altered by redistricting. Cullen’s district was redistricted in such a manner that his reelection would have been challenging, and rather than risk losing, he instead chose to take a safer route and run for an open seat on the County Board.

Call me a cynic, but I can’t help but wonder if Cullen’s decision to run for Milwaukee County Treasurer is motivated in large part out of a desire to hold on to a paycheck, given that County Supervisors are due to become part-time in the not too distant future.

How dare those people try to look ahead and take care of themselves and their families! Don't they know that the they are supposed to be punished and stay punished for going against the Emperor Chris Abele's wishes?!

Now, I'd expect that kind of inanity from Wagner.  He's just another mindless propagandist of the corporate special interests.

I am, however, very surprised and disappointed with Wisniewski's attack.  As someone who has seen first hand the effects of Act 10, where public sector workers pay got cut by as much as 20%, and the exodus of workers it caused, I would thought Zach might have been more understanding.

I personally have seen many coworkers take off for greener pastures, no longer able to make it on the reduced pay and/or not willing to tolerate the stripping of rights for such lower pay.

Just as I can't blame my former coworkers for doing what they thought was best for themselves and their families, I don't blame any supervisor who decides to retire or to seek a better job.  It's only natural.

I hardly think that either Wagner or Wisniewski would stay in their current jobs if their pay was about to be cut in half and they were blamed for everything someone else did and I don't see why think anyone else would or should.

Monday Night Rally: Tosa Version - A Must Attend!

Monday night, Leah Vukmir, along with James Sensenbrenner, will be having a town hall meeting at the Wauwatosa Public Library, located at 7635 W. North Avenue.

There will be a pro-worker rally in front library, starting at 6 pm, to hold Vukmir accountable for her shameful vote to attack the middle class and her support for the war against workers.

But if that is not enough incentive, go there to support Representative David Cullen, who will also be in attendance.

Show up to support Rep. Cullen, who stands with workers.

Let's fill that place up!

Procopis' Signatures Challenged

Three people filed as candidates for the 13th Assembly district, which covers parts of West Milwaukee, Milwaukee and Wauwatosa.

One of the three was the Democratic incumbent, David Cullen. Challenging him were Lisa Becker, running as an Independent and Paris Procopis, running as a Republican.

Cog Dis has learned that a complaint has been filed with the GAB against Procopis' signatures.

According to the complaint, problems include dates not being included on a couple of the signatures as well as people signing Cullen's petition before Procopis' petition (you're only allowed to sign one petition for any given district) and one person who did not live in the 13th District.

If the complaint is found to be valid, it would preclude Procopis from being on the ballot in November, although he could always run as a write-in candidate.