FATHER OF TABOR NAMED IN PATERNITY SUIT

Dear Reader --

Welcome to www.milwaukeeworld.com on this slow news week. In the spirit of the season [cue: "What child is this?" we take you to Brown County Circuit Court where Rep. Frank G. Lasee has been a regular presence before the family court commissioner in recent years, both for divorce, and for support of a child born to a woman other than his wife after the divorce. Lasee's big on traditional things like Christmas Trees, is against big government, and doesn't seem too crazy about education for the little ones. Imagine what he'd feel if he had to pay for public education per child.

Also, the Brewers Chick is back, after a delay due to my being away from my desk on the press of business and because of the holiday.

You will also find another installment of correspondent Paul Snyder's progress in moving to Madison after college in Milwaukee and a childhood spent in Chicago. He's the Continental, stcuk driving up north with dad in the Chevy, on the lookout for attractions.

I'll send you more things this week, even if you are off work and playing around. I'm sure you'll get to all the items here in good time.

Let me hear from you,

Michael Horne

Editor / Publisher

www.milwaukeeworld.com

1 414 978-8039

horne@milwaukeeworld.com

“FATHER OF TABOR” SUED FOR CHILD MAINTENANCE

Ordered to pay support to Brown County woman by same
Court Commissioner who presided over his lengthy divorce case

A www.milwaukeeworld.com exclusive

(c) 2005 by Michael Horne

Rep. Frank G. Lasee, the Green Bay Republican who calls himself the “Father of Tabor” is also the father of a child born out of wedlock, according to a Brown County Court Case filed in June.

A stipulation and order of support was issued on June 23, 2005 by Brown County Family Court Commissioner Phoebe A. Mix, who also presided over Lasee’s earlier divorce.

Lasee’s busy homepage is filled with pious homilies – the father of Tabor and an illegitimate child staunchly believes in the Christmas Tree – not a “Holiday Tree.”

But he also thinks about the little children.

In a recent Lasee’s Notes he talks about the inadvisability of Kindergarten for 4-year olds:

Here’s dad’s thoughts:

“Nevertheless, the agenda is clear: statewide 4-year-old Kindergarten is on the education community’s agenda. In Wisconsin, the call isn’t for K4 only in those areas that could use it the most, or only for the students who need it most. No, Governor Doyle and WEAC, the teacher’s union, think every school district should have it.

“I wonder what current union members think about this. Adding a whole new grade statewide will put more pressure on finances, which WEAC tells us are already strained to the breaking point (what about the taxpayers’ strain?). That will mean less money to go around for raises and benefits (or will we just tax more?).

“All for a program that isn’t necessary statewide, and may not be necessary at all.”

Lasee filed for divorce in October 2001 from Kirsten F. Lasee. It was a contested divorce proceeding, during which time Frank “Completed ‘The Successful Divorce: Through the Eyes of the Child’ seminar,” on March 19, 2002. Lasee's Wisconsin Blue Book biography lists him as having two children -- from the marriage.

The case dragged on for some time, according to court records and included a division of Wisconsin Retirement System benefits on November 11, 2003, and a transfer of IRA assets. On January 11, 2005 the court ordered that the $500 per month spousal support be terminated as of September 1, 2004.

Lasee did not return numerous telephone and other communications to his office, district office and residence. Commissioner Mix likewise did not return a telephone call.

Brewers Chick

By Tamra Reynolds

[Editor's note -- this was written before Branyan received his contract offer. Happy Holidays!]

[Milwaukee -- December 14, 2005] --Brewers’ third baseman and pinch hitter Russell Branyan made his birthday wish this week - to stay in Milwaukee for another season. I, for one, would like to see Branyan stick around. As I mentioned last week, having young Prince Fielder as our everyday first baseman makes me quite nervous.

Veteran Jeff Cirillo, who plays first and third, has been signed to another year, although Bill Hall is expected to be our everyday third baseman next season. Naturally, Fielder is expected to be the starting first baseman, a job that opened up after the Overbay trade last week. This doesn’t seem to leave a lot of room for Branyan, who also plays first and third, but was plaqued by injuries last season.

Cirillo spent some time on the bench last season with an injury as well, which is precisely why we should keep Branyan around. We’ll have our young guys to start and play most days, but depth is always a good thing to have, especially on a team whose average age is dropping rapidly. Don’t get me wrong, these young guys are good, and they will only get better, God willing. But there is something to be said for the wisdom that comes with age and experience.

Branyan has some power, (when he hits the ball), which is definitely something you want in a pinch hitter. Unfortunately, Branyan had more strike-outs than home runs last season, but this could be blamed on the shoulder soreness he fought for a while. The upside is that Branyan’s power is all natural, no steroids here ladies and gentlemen, as he was proud to point out in a recent interview. He feels his natural power will be an asset to the Brewers when so many others are going to be affected by the new, tougher steroid policy.

With the lead footed Helms out of the way, there is more room for backups at first and third, and Branyan is solid defensively. In fact, his fielding percentage is significantly better at first base than third. He was given more chances at first when he was in Cincinnati, but a .997 fielding percentage at first base looks pretty damn good to me when compared to the untested rookie Fielder. Granted, Fielder’s fielding percentage is 1.000 with Milwaukee, but he played in only 7 games, and had only 3 starts.

Personally, I love the fact that we have significant depth at every position, even without looking at the 40-man roster. That’s what’s going to help us win games next season. We will always have someone to plug into any spot on the field should one of the starters become sick or injured, and those replacements will be just as reliable as the starters, if not more so. It will be great to cheer when a replacement comes in instead of groan.

So there’s my rambling commentary for the week. Hopefully we’ll have more going on next week, with the non-tender deadline on Monday. I’ll be writing my next commentary from the relative warmth of Louisiana, while spending the holidays with my family. Enjoy the snow here! 107 days to go till Opening Day!

FROM BREW CITY TO CAPITAL CITY

“Sign of the Times”

By Paul Snyder

[Madison -- December 14, 2005]--Is it just me, or is this winter onslaught a month premature? I know it’s December and all, but it’s usually January, February…and March… hell, even April… when we see this kind of snow, right?

Well, the question was more rhetorical in nature anyway as I do know the answer – no it is not just me, this winter onslaught is premature. Wisconsin is seeing the kind of low temperatures and snowfall amounts not seen in ten years.

Not that I particularly mind it if it’s Saturday, and I can put my feet up with a cup of tea and not have to worry about going anywhere, but during the week this is just annoying. A collective mind-lapse on the part of drivers across the state at the very sight of a snowflake coupled with slush-drenched dress socks has punted my mind five months ahead in time.

And I’m not the only one.

The Wisconsin Assembly Tuesday passed by a vote 89-6 a bill that would allow “Attraction” sites across the state to be added to those blue highway information signs.

The definitions for “Attraction” in the legislation are loose – they must serve “a primary purpose of providing amusement, historical, cultural, or leisure activities to the public,” have “regional significance,” and, of course, contain “adequate parking accommodations.”

In lay terms, you might see an advertisement for a water park next to the square reserved for McDonald’s golden arches on your way up Highway 39 next summer.

Primary intentions here seem good – another ploy for tourism, on which this state is so very dependent, and some help for local attractions’ business, which might otherwise be blown by at 80 mph by those FIBs on their way up to Pelican Lake.

But the first thing I think about is once being a 7 year-old FIB myself, sitting in the backseat of my parents’ Chevorlet Eurosport on a 6-hour drive to the cottage up north. Six hours on maroon cloth seats is the 7-year-old equivalent of a 2-year prison sentence. It’s not that bad, but it’s certainly not ideal either.

So what does a kid do? Tries to break up the trip, ‘cos parents don’t have as hard a time spending money on the road. “I’m hungry, there’s a McDonald’s coming up!” “I have to go to the bathroom, can we stop at a gas station?” Note to seven-year-old MilwaukeeWorld readers – gas stations are gold for getting the parents to buy you candy. A 65 cent Snickers bar is hardly a thought when they’re filling up tanks for the car, the boat, and the wave runner. Those blue signs always screamed OPPORTUNITY to me.

But as one gets older, one tends to want to get to their destination as quickly as possible. I always wondered why Dad seemed so irritable when I told him I had to go to the bathroom on long road trips. Now I don’t wonder anymore. I sometimes get annoyed with myself if I have to break a long drive with a bathroom break – “Had to have that Dr. Pepper before you left, eh Paul?” you may hear me muttering as I head for the men’s room door at Citgo. And for that very reason you will never see me sipping water, soda, coffee or hot chocolate behind the wheel, no matter how hot or cold it is or how dehydrated I may be.

So imagine the aneurysms behind the wheel at the thought of “Attractions” joining fast food joints and gas stations on the big blue signs.

“DADDY! WATER PARK, DADDY!”

“We’re going to the lake, son…”

“BUT DADDDDY!!!!”

“I don’t want to hear it, we’re only three hours from the lake, and I want to be on that boat before the sun goes down.”

“BUT DAAAAAADDDDDDDYYYYYY!!!!!!!”

“NO!”

And then the wails and declarations of “I hate you” flood forth from the kid’s mouth. Mom tries to assuage the situation by diplomatically reasoning that a half hour at the pool might not be that bad – it is a hot day after all, and the air-conditioning’s not blowing entirely cool air anymore, all of which makes Dad’s blood run a little hotter, and then pop, that blood vessel bursts, and it’s a tragic statistic for the Department of Transportation’s year-end vehicular death list.

Imagine the cruel irony, then, of WisDOT having put the spurring attraction signs up in the first place. It passed the Assembly easy, and it’s a benign enough looking bill to get Senate approval and Gov. Doyle’s signature. I’m just offering an alternative viewpoint.

And unlike the Legislature, who is bound to the state through all of arctic temperatures and freezing rain, and forced to come up with these bills to have something to look forward to, I’m taking a proactive approach to the cold. If anyone knows of a good writing gig in Tempe, Arizona, please alert Michael Horne, who I’m sure in good faith, will tell me. I might be moving in down there just in time to escape the February deep-freeze and greet my Chicago Cubs as they arrive for Spring Training.

Hey, it’s the Christmas season – a guy can dream.