SENATOR'S BROTHER POISED TO BE BIG ETHANOL WINNER

a milwaukeeworld.com exclusive
(c) 2005 By Michael Horne

The recent talk radio chatter on the impending legislative votes on ethanol has brought the issue to the forefront.

But, lurking in the background behind 2005 Assembly Bill 15 and 2005 Senate Bill 15 is a Wisconsin state senator whose brother is poised to be the biggest winner if the bills pass. If you connect the dots, it looks like the senator, Luther Olsen (R-Ripon), would do pretty well himself.

The bills would require, with certain limited exceptions, "that the minimum specifications for automotive gasoline must require that automotive gasoline contain not less than 9.2 per cent nor more than 10 per cent ethanol."

Seems like a great deal for Paul Olsen, head of an investor group that recently announced plans to purchase the former Ladish Malting plant in Jefferson from Cargill Malt to convert it to an ethanol plant and fish farm. Paul Olsen already operates Utica Energy, LLC, which owns an ethanol plant in Oshkosh, which last week settled an air pollution suit brought by Atty. Gen. Peg Lautenschlager for tens of thousands of dollars.

Paul Olsen is the brother of Luther Olsen. Luther Olsen was cautious not to include his name among the sponsors of the bill. But, behind the scenes, he is all for ethanol, according to sources in the legislature who have spoken, under terms of confidentiality, with milwaukeeworld.

Luther Olsen is a part-owner of a number of large agricultural businesses in Wisconsin including Berlin Feed, Inc., Olsen Leasing, LLC, and Olsen's Mill, Inc., according to his Statement of Economic Interests filed with the State of Wisconsin Ethics Board in 2005 for the year 2004.

He derived more than $1,000 income from Olsen's Mill in 2004, according to the statement, and could stand to gain quite a bit more.

Olsen's Mill is not a small operation. It has a number of facilities, which from the looks of the firm's website www.olsensmillinc.com, are significant structures -- stadium sized structures.

A press release from the firm says, "We have been working to team up corn growers with Utica Energy LLC. Dry mill ethanol plants are looking for corn that adds to their plant's efficiency and profitability. We are proud to offer Processor Preferred High Fermentable Corn Hybrids that can deliver higher levels of fermentable starch to Utica Energy LLC. ...
"Based on your level of support to Utica Energy LLC, and the Fuel Your Profits program, you could be eligible for substantial discounts on an unlimited number of any General Motors E85 flex fuel vehicles."

For example, participating farmers could get $5,050 off the negotiated purchase price of a Chevrolet Silverado, or GMC Sierra.

Now there's an incentive that plays in the heartland!

According to the State of Wisconsin Domestic Corporation Annual Report from the Department of Financial Institutions, which I picked up at the agency's offices on a trip to Madison, the officers of Olsen's Mill, Inc. are Paul E. Olsen, Secretary/Treasurer; David A. Olsen, President, and Luther S. Olsen, Vice-President.

The nature of the business is listed as "Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Fish Culture."

The proposed Ethanol Plant / Tilapia Fish Farm in Jefferson would process 70 million bushels of corn and other grains annually.

Eight million pounds of tilapia fish would be filleted on site, and the byproducts would be used for biodiesel fuel production. Along with other food waste, up to 20 million gallons of fuel would be produced from that source, with the remaining byproduct turned into animal feed -- the kind of product which you'd imagine might be marketed by Berlin Feed, Inc.

Interestingly, and perhaps significantly, the spokesperson for the pro-ethanol forces is Bob Welch, who previously held the Senate seat that now belongs to Luther Olsen, the Ripon Republican.

Interestingly, and perhaps significantly, Olsen serves on the powerful Joint Finance Commitee and the Agriculture and Insurance Committee of the State Senate. Both committees deal with ethanol issues.

Utica Energy, according to its website, was "founded by a group of five investing farmers." I called Sen. Olsen's office to ask if he were one of the investing farmers. His spokesperson said he was not.

Still, his close connection to Utica Energy should be explored. For example, Winnebago County Case Number 2005CV000278 lists Paul Olsen, Olsen's Mill, Inc. and Utica Energy as co-defendants in a suit brought by Christensen and Wisnet. The three defendants share an attorney, John B. Selsing. I got this information from a simple search of the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access website.

Utica Energy also has branded a product called Utica Renew E85, and has created an LLC by that name. The firm has announced plans to open a number of retail outlets for the 105 octane motor fuel that contains a mix of 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent gasoline, but not in any Wisconsin media.

According to the firm, "the corn used by Utica Energy to produce ethanol is purchased from Wisconsin farmers, giving them another market for their product." And, another source of money for the Olsen brothers.

Of course, the seed for the Processor Preferred High Fermentible corn used by Utica Energy could likely be purchased from Olsen Mills. Berlin Feed, Inc. would probably be happy to sell you the byproducts of the Tilapia fish farm operation.

It makes the Ewing Brothers operation in the show "Dallas," look like small potatoes, which can be used to make vodka. (Utica also distills grain for alcoholic beverages under the name of "Utica Gold Distiller").

The connections just never end, and I have not had time to explore all of them, but here's one more. As mentioned above, Luther Olsen serves on the Agriculture and Insurance Commitee of the Senate.

He is also a member of the board of directors of Manitowoc Mutual Insurance Company, which paid him compensation of $600 in the calendar year 2004 -- below the $1,000 threshold for reporting on his ethics statement.

I found this information during my trip to Madison. Manitowoc Mutual purchased an insurance company named Utica Silver Lake Insurance Co. within the last five years.

The responsibility of a director of a corporation is to the corporation. The responsibility of a legislator is to the Public. How Olsen can reconcile his directorship of an insurance company with his position on the committee that oversees insurance companies raises still more questions.

For a republican caucus that is ethically challenged, do the members fully understand the relationships between Sen. Olsen, one of Wisconsin's largest ethanol producers and the insurance company whose board he sits on? Can they sort out all of the LLCs and Inc's that Olsen is involved in also?

This is the same Olsen who has suggested his former colleagues like Brian Burke and Scott Jensen deserve prison time -- not jail time -- for alleged offenses that nobody claims involved personal gain.

Maybe the U.S. Attorney can sort this out, because it's been giving me a hell of a time.

MURPHY SWING VOTE ON RENT-A-COP STUDY

To the members of the Milwaukee Police Association, the idea of having non-sworn officers perform police functions is a very serious matter. The MPA is a union, after all, and unions want to make sure there are plenty of jobs for union members.
Still, the "Milwaukee Police Department, as a vital component of public safety for the city of Milwaukee, receives approximately 98% of the city property tax levy," according to Common Council File 050956, which goes on to say "there exists merit in investigating how alternative positions, sometime called Community Service Staff," may be applied to Milwaukee in order to provide budget relief and to better respond to citizen calls for service."
The file, sponsored by Alds. Hines and Witkowski, then goes on to call for the establishment of a task force to review the use of "Community Service Staff," or as the MPA derisively calls them "Rent-A-Cops."
The file called for the task force to be "comprised of an appointee of the City Attorney, the Milwaukee Police Department, the Fire and Police Commission, the Department of Administration Budget Division, the Office of the Mayor, and two appointees of the Common Council President," who would also get to choose the chairman.
This seems like a diverse group of individuals, all involved in the issue at hand, but if you notice, the "Police Department" representative would almost certainly have come from management, and not from the rank and file.
Well, that troubled the MPA, and a last-mminute amendment was offered by Ald. Zielinski during the Common Council meeting Tuesday morning, December 13th to add a member of the police union to the task force.
That amendment passed on a narrow 8-7 vote, with Ald. Michael Murphy, who does not always vote pro-MPA, casting the vote in the union's favor.
The council then voted 15-0 to conduct the study and to create the task force, giving it a four-month period of time to do its job. -- Michael Horne

POLICE UNION CHRISTMAS PARTY
The Milwaukee Police Association held its annual Christmas holiday party at Serb Hall, Tuesday, December 13th at American Serb Hall Banquet and Conference Center. The party commenced at eight o'clock --A. M., of course, so as to accommodate the early morning socialization requirements of the third shift cops just getting off of work. Milwaukeeworld showed up there around noon, and the parking lot was crowded, as was Serb Hall itself.
A Miller Brewing Company delivery truck waited outside the restaurant's service entrance. The total volume of beer contained within it at the beginning of the day is unknown to this writer. By the end of the evening, however, there would be no question that the trailer would have become considerably lighter than when it rolled into the parking lot in the morning.
Inside, the place was crowded with active and retired union members. The food included the famous Serb Hall fish fry, fried chicken, shrimp salad, mashed potatoes, vegetables here and there, and a variety of cakes.
One poor sucker ordered a beer and a Shirley Temple. "That's two bucks," the bartender declared.
"What the hell, I thought the beer was free!," said the incredulous one.
"Beer's free, but your soft drinks cost you two bucks!"
God love Milwaukee.
Union Chief John Balcerzak proved that he looks as good in an apron as he does in a suit, as he dished out food for his brothers and sisters. The police ranged from uniformed members to undercover officers, leavened with the retired guys. I wouldn't mess with any of them.
But the police were hardly a presence, by percentage of the population at large as were the judges at the event.
A good quarter of the Milwaukee County judiciary was present at the event, and most of the judges were dashing around the room collecting signatures for their nomination papers, some more insistently than others.
You could have called in a bomb scare to the courthouse at the time, and it would not have rated as a particularly high alarm, since so much of the judiciary was at Serb Hall.
Among the Honorables present (in no particular order): Judges Sosnay, Moroney, Wagner, J. DiMotto (keep you guessing there), Brennan, Noonan, Yamahiro, Martens, Konkol, Brash and Kuhnmuench.
Among the City's constitutional officers, the police were honored by the presence of Treasurer Wayne Whittow, City Attorney Grant Langley and Comptroller W. Martin "Wally" Morics, C.P.A., who arrived at the event in a red two-seater BMW.
Yes, you heard it right -- the man who manages our money drives a red German-made sports car to work!
"But only if the weather is nice," W. Martin said, adding that his automobile drives poorly in the snow, and that he walks to work on stormy days. His more reasonable vehicle, he explained, is under the control and operation of his wife who uses it to commute to Cedarburg where she teaches school after having retired from being a school teacher. (A much more common phenomenon than you'd imagine. Them teachers never give up.)
Aldermen Bohl, Dudzik and Bauman attended the event, as did Ald. Puente, a former police officer himself who had spoken out and voted earlier in the day against adding a police union representative to the task force to study the creation of a Community Service Staff within the department. -- Michael Horne

MORE INTERESTING NEWS
Ald Robert Bauman says he has succeeded in gaining a number of supporters for his proposed Canal Street Connector study. As he told Milwaukeeworld months ago, Canal street, now under reconstruction, for a century had rail lines running up and down the middle of it. He was furious that the street was being reconstructed without including a rail option as part of the construction process.
The man wants a street car to run along Canal street, and he has remained vigilant at his task. He says the Canal Connector has the support of the Milwaukee Brewers, Harley Davidson, the Potawatomi Casino, the Menomonee Valley Partners, State Fair and Marty Greenberg.
Now what would Marty Greenberg have to do with putting a rail line down the center of Canal street? Do you think we might see a soccer stadium in the shadow of Miller Park, since a rail line would render so much of Miller Park's parlking lots redundant, thus freeing up space?
Well, anyway, that's the thought that came to my mind.
--Michael Horne

GRANT TARGETS POLICE BAIT CAR

Dear Reader,
Thanks for visiting Milwaukeeworld. In today's posting, we look at all of the wonderful ways the city freely spends money on law enforcement -- especially when somebody else is buying. We learn about the "bait car" that could be parked in your neighborhood, maybe even with the ignition keys in it. Hint -- do not steal this vehicle. Then it is off to the Harbor of Milwaukee, where the Department of Homeland Security is about to present us with a boat, diving gear, and a fancy Ford truck. Finally, the city will also buy some equipment to help bust you a lot faster, once they catch you.

So, behave yourselves!
Best wishes,
Michael Horne

Editor / Publisher

horne@milwaukeeworld.com

1 414 978 8039


Who Do You Know Wants to Steal a Used 2000 Honda?
The Target Corporation has set its sights on the City of Milwaukee to increase the effectiveness of the Milwaukee Police Department's "Bait Car."
Target will donate "$1,200 to enhance the capabilities of the Bait Car program. ... Enhancements to be purchased with this money include GPS tracking, remote-operated alarms and a remote-controlled locking mechanism to detain a suspect," according to Common Council File #050988.
Bait cars usually include as standard features a camera and a remote engine shut-off system. The Target funds will really help us pimp this ride.
The bait car -- and who wouldn't be tempted by a 2000 Honda Accord? -- was itself a donation this summer from State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company "in order to assist in apprehending auto theft suspects."
Common Council File #050152 was authorized in May, 2005. It does not indicate the value of the automobile, but other sources show that the Honda Accord is among the most popular cars for thieves. Imagine that!
About the best suggestion I can give to would-be car thieves in Milwaukee would be to not steal cars.
But, if you go out and steal a 2000 Honda Accord, don't expect any sympathy from milwaukeeworld, since you have been warned. -- Michael Horne
P.S -- I have since discovered a website called www.baitcar.com that includes many videos of people getting busted in bait cars and bait trucks.

MILWAUKEE'S THRIVING PORT GETS ANOTHER BOAT!
The Department of Homeland Security wants to make sure the Port of Milwaukee is secure from impending attacks by sea, and has offered a grant to the city in the amount of $397,422 to purchase a patrol boat to ensure the safety of Milwaukee's maritime commerce, which includes such vital commodities as road salt, cement, coal, scrap iron and imported ballast water.
The patrol boat itself will cost $207,549, and it will be equipped with enough "individual diver equipment" to outfit 20 divers at a cost of $6,597 apiece, for a total of $131,940. That money will be used to purchase "dry suits, face masks, regulators, air tanks and pony bottles, dive computers and fins."
Another $24,333 will be granted to the city for miscellaneous extra Dive Team equipment, including underwater video and digital cameras, a laptop dive computer for when you simply must check your emails when submerged, alsong with lengths of rope and other maritime apparatus.
Homeland Security is also providing a "Harbor/Dive Specialty Vehicle" -- a 2005 White Ford Excursion pimped out with "two package, graphics, light bar, light bar (sic) siren control, siren speaker, gun rack and lock." -- Michael Horne

TIRED OF WAITING TO GET ARRESTED?
RapID CAN HELP
Are you tired of being handcuffed in the back of a squad car while the Milwaukee Police Department takes forever to positively identify you?
RapID could be just the solution you are waiting for. It will only cost $4,172 apiece to equip 93 patrol units with the devices, which will be paid for by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of the City of Milwaukee's 2005 COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) Technology Grant.
The $493,322 grant, which will not require city funds, "is to reduce crime and increase officer efficiency by providing funding to purchase mobile field identification units that will allow for the quick field identification of those individuals suspected of engaging in criminal activity," according to the terms of Common Council file #050995, scheduled to be voted on by the entire Common Council on Tuesday, December 13th. Each RapID unit comes with batteries ($118.75), battery chargers (80 of them, at $300 apiece) and RapID satchels ($149.00). One hundred fifty bucks seems like a lot for a satchel, and I doubt there's a cop on the force who's paid that much for a purse for his wife, or himself, unless Chief Hegerty has some Louis Vuitton obsession she's been hiding from us.-- Michael Horne