HO HO HO OH OH OH

Season's Greetings from www.milwaukeeworld.com where we put the "Ho" in "Holiday." We'll be back next week with more offerings.

For now, it's off to continue decorating my dwelling place, although I live alone and expect no formal callers.
I should mention my decorating idea, since I think it is both attractive and functional. It occurred to me that bubble wrap would make an excellent insulator as well as a good privacy screening device. I took some of the packaging material I saved that had accompanied a purchase, unrolled it and taped it neatly on a large, uninsulated picture window. Then I hung lights in the window, and covered the works with another application of bubble wrap. The light is very diffuse and attractive, both inside and out. The room is much warmer. Following up on that concept, I did the same (minus the lights) in my bathroom, and hung bubble wrap between the house windows and the storm windows, overlapping them just a bit at the top and bottom of the sashes. Then I popped the row of bubbles at the top and bottom sills, closed and locked the windows, and gained even more R-factors in three rooms that I rarely use. I did a similar thing in the dining room, which doesn't have much of a view, or storm windows, for that matter.
I also sealed up all movable window surfaces with Mortite brand Rope Caulk. This product, essentially modeling clay formed in coils, is the best $6 investment you can make. It is easy to apply and remove, and can be reused if you are careful. I was able to seal up my fifteen windows for only $12. The savings in energy costs and the benefits in comfort are considerable.

As far as the holiday is concerned, the big action will be Monday evening up in the Land of Oz, within the walls of the city where it all begins with "Me." I asked Santa for long underwear and energy-saving lightbulbs, yet something tells me I might be chided for my extravagant demands. I come from a scandalously small family by most standards, except those of my mother's many regular guests at holiday parties. Some of these folks really are alone. I've known them for decades, and that has informed my knowledge that there is something to "family" that transcends consanguinity.
I remember wondering once about a rather difficult, and somewhat demanding, regular guest at our family gatherings, which she attended since she had no family of her own, thanks to World War II, which I had nothing to do with. "Why does she always have to be here?" I (a grown man) asked.
"She was always very kind to your grandmother," I was told. That shut me up, and opened my heart to the spirit of the season.

Best wishes to you,
Michael Horne

SELIG "PAC"s A PUNCH

Bud's Political Plaything Mostly Funded by MLB Owners
But Gets $2K from Mike Grebe
Sends $25K Sensenbrenner's Way

Exclusive to milwaukeeworld.com

By Michael Horne

Milwaukeean Allan H. "Bud" Selig has arguably become the most powerful baseball commissioner in history. He has been able to navigate in a world of ultra-wealthy team owners, which takes a certain political instinct. Among Bud's accomplishments: he set up his own Political Action Committee, yet another manifestation of sound political instincts.
The Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball Political Action Committee first appeared during the 2001-2002 election cycle according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
T.O.O.T.C.O.M.L.B.P.A.C. shares an address with the Washington power law firm of Baker Hostetler, a firm that counts the American League as among its "heritage clients." The secretary of the PAC is identified as William Schweitzer, the managing partner of the 550-lawyer firm. Baker Hostetler now also represents Major League Baseball and the Republican National Committee.


The PAC was funded largely by hitting up owners and partners of Major League Baseball teams, except, it appears, the Canadian ones. It looks like $5,000 was a fairly standard contribution.
Always sensitive to appearances, the commissioner himself did not donate to his fund, either as commissioner or as owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, which makes the Brewers, once again, an anomaly among MLB teams.
Instead, Bud picked his buddies to be among the 73 donors to the fund that year. These included then-Brewers board members John Canning ($5,000), Francis Croak ($1,000), Richard Strup ($1,000), and Michael W. Grebe ($1,000).
[Interestingly, Grebe identified himself on campaign documents as being a board member of the baseball team. Grebe, a prolific donor to mostly republican causes, is usually writes his affiliation as the Bradley Foundation or his former law firm, Foley and Lardner, but not for this document.]
In its first year, Bud & Co. had $195,450 to spread around the political arena.
Who got the money? Bud spread it around, mostly in a bipartisan fashion. Not much of it made its way to Wisconsin, though. Russ Feingold got $1,000 (you know how much that man loves his PAC money!), Tammy Baldwin also got a grand, Mark Green got $500, while Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. got $5,000. The only other Wisconsin outfit to receive money was the Wisconsin Leadership PAC, which got $1,000. That PAC is listed as a Republican party PAC.
By the 2003-2004 campaign cycle, Bud had more than $343,295 to throw around, and his list of Wisconsin candidates remained the same, although they all got raises. Feingold got $3,500; Green got $2,000 and Sensenbrenner got $10,000 -- tie for the PAC's largest donation that year. The Wisconsin Leadership Fund got $1,000 from the PAC, and got $500 from Michael Grebe who also donated $1,000 to the PAC that cycle.
By the 2005-2006 campaign cycle, according to records filed November 27th, 2006, the fund stood at $330,175. Sensenbrenner, again number 2, got his $10,000, while Sen. Chris Dodd got $12,500. (What's with that?) Grebe didn't give anything to the PAC that cycle (neither did anybody else from Wisconsin) but his precious Wisconsin Leadership PAC got $2,000.
In the end, Sensenbrenner, with his three-election cycle $25,000 total donations, ranks as the favorite of the Commisioner's PAC. There must have been some very important business before the House Judiciary Committee back then.

DOYLE PICKS TAJ MAHAL FOR INAUG GIG

By Michael Horne

Freshly delivered for the readers of www.milwaukeeworld.com


Governor Jim Doyle's inaugural committee announced today that legendary performer Taj Mahal would perform at the inauguration festivities 8 p.m. Wednesday, January 3rd 2007 at Monona Terrace in Madison.
Mahal will be joined by Milwaukeeans Willy Porter and Eddie Butts in what now seems to be a rather reasonable way to spend $25, which is the price of admission. The inaugural ball is a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Wisconsin.
For those who are unwilling or unable to travel to Capital City for the fun, the Governor and his Lieutenant Governor, the vivacious Barbara Lawton, will be crisscrossing the state on January 2nd. Those who would like to start the first business day of the new year by watching the sun bounce off the governor's shiny head will be able to do so beginning at 7 a.m. at the Pilot's House at Pier Wisconsin, on Milwaukee's lakefront. No fee is required, but you must RSVP for this particular rendezvous with history. Doyle and Lawton will also travel to other cities in the state on that auspicious day, including Green Bay, Superior, LaCrosse, Wausau and Beloit, so he will not be in a position to mingle.
I have also used my finely-honed powers of perception to ascertain that the Governor's eagerly-awaited inaugural address will center on the lofty theme of "One Wisconsin. One Future."
It is possible that this theme is so resonant that it shall also be incorporated into Doyle's State of the State address, another reason why devotees of political oratory will be practically beside themselves with an embarrassment of riches this January .
According to experts, Doyle's speechifying is considered to be on a level with that of Cicero.*
[*Cicero, Illinois, that is. -- Ed.]

HIGH COURT RULES FOR HAERTEL IN PABST SUIT

The State of Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled on December 13th 2006 that developer Jim Haertel of Brew City Redevelopment Group, LLC., could resume his suit against Juneau Avenue Partners, LLC. for interfering with his contract rights as minority owner of the Pabst Brewery property. Judge Ann Walsh Bradley wrote the 6-0 decision in case 2006 WI 128. Justice Jon Wilcox did not participate in the decision.
The case dates back to 2004 and earlier. Haertel, as has been recounted elsewhere on this site, was a local guy who managed to get his hands on the option to purchase the former site of the Pabst Brewery in September, 2001. After scouring around for a partner, he joined forces with Wispark, the development arm of the Wisconsin Energy Corporation, the giant utility. As part of the deal, Haertel was to get 5 per cent of the ownership of the multi-acre complex and outright ownership of three of the Pabst buildings, including what he called the "Crown Jewels" of the complex. Wispark would partner with the Ferchill Group, Cleveland developers, to develop the crumbling complex.
The Haertel - Juneau Avenue Partners dispute was already in full force by 2005 when the City of Milwaukee Common Council rejected the Juneau Avenue Partners' plan for PabstCity, leaving Haertel's position even more in doubt than it had been previously. His partners never gave him title to the property, he said, and there was a dispute about a salary he was to have been paid.
In the meantime, the Pabst Brewery, minus Haertel's holdings in three buildings, has been sold to Zilber, Ltd. Haertel says he now has title to his properties, it having been conveyed by Juneau Avenue Partners recently.

PARTNERS: OUR ASSESSMENT IS TOO HIGH!
Sometime after their purchase of the land and its sale to Zilber, the folks at Juneau Avenue Partners received a tax bill for the giant parcel, and challenged their assessment at the Board of Review for the city. Their hearing was postponed, and the city issued a subpoena for more information from the then-owners, including specific financial information. The partners are scheduled to reappear before the board at 10 a.m. on January 30th, 2006, according to Board of Review staff, who added "But we wonder, with the sale, whether this objection will just go away."

Below is the link to the Supreme Court decision. I am having some linkage problems right now, so you'll have to do this manually.
--Michael Horne
[http://www.wicourts.gov/sc/opinion/DisplayDocument.pdf?content=pdf&seqNo=27427]