ASSEMBLY DEMS FIND UNITY IN FUNDRAISING

Former Rivals for Speaker Job
Will Join at Fundraiser Wednesday

By Michael Horne

[Dear Reader: Today's post is a calendar-centric affair.--Ed.]

Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan will join Reps. Jon Richards and Pedro Colon for an Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee fundraiser Wednesday, June 3rd 2009 at The Garage, 1709 N. Arlington Place.
It took more than mere negotiations to get these powerhouses together on the same stage. It took downright diplomacy, since the three were not at all in agreement when it came time to parcel out assembly leadership positions at the beginning of the session, when all three vied for the speaker's chair.
But hosts Jeremy P. Levinson, David Halbrooks and Craig Mastantuono got the gang to agree to get together to raise funds for their colleagues in a nice show of cooperation.

In fact, cooperation is the only way these folks can raise money during the budget session, since Assembly rules prohibit individual fundraising during that period. Perhaps some of the money raised could be used to update the group's website.

No wimpy Assembly-style fundraising restriction applies in the Senate, where Sen. Jeff Plale is to hold a birthday party / fundraiser Monday, June 1st at DeMarini's Pizza, 1211 E. Conway.

If you've booked these events yet still have a hole in your schedule for Tuesday, June 2nd, then join Ald. Nik Kovac as he celebrates a year in office at his only fundraiser for 2009, he promises. That gig is at Linnemann's Riverwest Inn, 1001 E. Locust St.

CAMBRIDGE WOODS NEIGHBORS TO CELEBRATE SIGNAGE GRANT

AHOY MATIES! It takes more than a boat house to make a neighborhood distinctive.

On Saturday, May 30th, 2009, the folks at the Cambridge Woods Neighborhood Association plan to gather at noon near Paul Finger's "Boat House" residence and gallery at the southeast corner of N. Cambridge and E. Hampshire.
The event: a "Neighborhood Unveiling" of the area's new identity signs, provided by a grant from the City's Neighborhood Improvement Development Corp. Healthy Neighborhoods Project.
The first sign will be unveiled at 12:30, accompanied by food from Sharahazad. The signage was designed by neighbors at Kat and Mouse Graphic Design.
--Michael Horne

BURRIS CAMPAIGN $111 K IN DEBT

By Michael Horne

Illinois Sen. Roland Burris, recorded in wiretaps as offering to write a check to Rod Blagojevich (but not in exchange for being named to the senate) should maybe concentrate on raising money for his own potential threatened electoral run, according to Federal Election Commission records accessed by Milwaukeeworld.

The Junior senator raised only $845 while incurring debt of $111,031 in his first three months in office, according to his initial filing with the Federal Election Commission on April 20^th, 2009. The debt includes $31,773 lent to the committee by Burris himself.

Burris also owes nearly $30,000 for “media consulting” to “Prairie Group Consulting,” run by his former business partner and office roommate Fred Lebed, who, as Milwaukeeworld noted in February, generously served as an unpaid chief of staff when Burris first took office. Well, this looks like payback -- once he gets paid. Prairie Group is also located in the same office and suite as the Burris campaign, and of his former law firm, Gonzalez, Saggio and Harlan.

Lebed also served as the first treasurer of the Burris campaign but has since been replaced in that post by Raymond Davis, another Burris associate.

Burris owes a $20,000 fee to Thinktank Advisers, and a $4,659 reimbursement to its founder, Jason Erkes who is experiencing Chicago-style out-of-pocket expenses on the Senator's behalf. Burris also incurred a $15,000 bill from Witherspoon Marketing in Chicago.

I guess he's paying his legal bills out of a different account.

The Burris residence at 8358 S. Indiana Ave., Chicago, is 3,521 s.f., has 2.5 baths and a fair market value of only $100,169.

THINGS I'M WAITING FOR

A response from the city about what is taking so long for us to get our 60 per cent share of the $91 million promised rail transportation funding. My request has made its way through the rounds of the Department of City Development. Maybe I'll ask Andrea Rowe Richards about it tonight at the Mayor's Design Awards Ceremony at UWM School of Architecture and Urban Planning. You can read all about the award honorees on the Journal Sentinel's site, since I don't see evidence advance notice was shared with other media outlets here. City's on a tight budget -- can pay PR staff, but can't afford to spread the message too widely. ... City of Toronto yesterday became first in North America to mandate green roofs in new construction.--Michael Horne

CAGGIO AN ART EXPERIMENT TO OPEN JUNE 5th 2009

Joseph Ledger and Kaitlin Rathkamp are going to throw open the doors at Caggio An Art Experiment, 918 E. Brady St. on Friday, June 5th, 2009 from 5 - 10 p.m. More info at www.caggio.com.

--Michael Horne