D'AMATO NAMED SECOND MILWAUKEEAN AS KENOSHA M7 REP -- ALSO CHENEY'S PROPERTY TAX

Special to the Readers of Milwaukeeworld

By Michael Horne

And The Milwaukee World Hound Dog Team

Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser has named former Milwaukee Alderman Michael S. D'Amato as his second representative to the Milwaukee 7 business development group.
D'Amato joins Kreuser along with former judge and fellow Milwaukeean David Halbrooks as Kenosha's representatives.
“These appointments are a true example of how regionalism should work,” Kreuser said in a prepared statement. “While Michael and David live in Milwaukee, I know they understand and appreciate my vision for Kenosha County and for working together to build a stronger economy in Southeastern Wisconsin.”

MR. CHENEY'S PROPERTY TAX
Special to the Readers of Milwaukeeworld

By Michael Horne



Some time ago we took a look at the post-Vice Presidential residence of Dick Cheney in McLean, Virginia, and wondered how much the property taxes would be on the place.
As we observed on January 20th, 2009:
"Dick Cheney messed his back up while moving to his new residence at 1126 Chain Bridge Road, Mc Lean, Virginia. [Here is a picture of the recently completed dwelling.] He might have been unloading his guns, or digging a tunnel to the CIA headquarters across the street. You Tube has this video of Cheney leaving the White House in a wheelchair."
The folks at the Fairfax County tax offices forwarded this statement of account for the dwelling, [above] owned jointly by Richard B. Cheney and Lynne V. Cheney. It shows 2007 taxes of $9,603.55 as being paid in full. Apparently this is the most recent information available, and may not reflect the current value of the property and its improvements, which were under construction as recently as mid-2008.
Milwaukeeworld will continue to monitor activity on this account and will update you as information becomes available. We also wish Mr. & Mrs. Cheney a speedy and uninterrupted retirement.

JUDGE (FINALLY) ORDERS KAYE TO PAY $49K IN FAULTY CIVIL RICO SUIT

Federal Judge J. P. Stadtmueller finally got around to ordering Joseph Kaye to pay some $49,000 in attorney fees and expenses for his "frivolous" civil RICO suit against former Ald. Michael D'Amato, Julilly W. Kohler, Shirley Ferguson and others in Case No. 05-CV-982, filed September 13th 2005 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
This may be the end of the long, contentious battle, which has been recounted at length here at milwaukeeworld.
Kaye was ordered to pay $34,254 for the fees to defend D'Amato and Lincoln Fowler; $3,506 for Kohler's lawyer, and $11,257 to Matt Flynn, lawyer for Ferguson.
Here is a copy of the order, signed yesterday, Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009.
Whether Kaye has the money might be yet another question; one not addressed by the court.
Kaye complained to the court that the $49,000 fee would "only be a reasonable amount to contend with a viable RICO complaint, but certainly was not reasonable if indeed his complaint was so deficient as to warrant sanction," the judge wrote.
Indeed, the complaint was deficient, warranted sanction, and the "plaintiff brought extremely serious, yet demonstrably frivolous claims against the named defendants, which were expensive to defend against."
He also noted, "Such allegations can brand defendants as criminals, as well as expose them to treble damages if found liable. The award of treble damages not only acts in a punitive manner for RICO violators, but it also serves to provide an incentive for would-be plaintiffs. By the same token, this incentive can have the unintended consequence of producing frivolous RICO claims.
"It is unclear whether Kaye was motivated by such an incentive, or if perhaps he was more motivated on the bases [sic] of personal vendetta (it would appear that his pleadings and briefs support the latter). What is clear is that, whatever the motivation, plaintiff brought extremely serious, yet demonstrably frivolous claims against the named defendants, which were expensive to defend against." [Emphasis added--Ed.]
--Michael Horne