BARRETT APPOINTED SISTER OF RIVAL JOHN TO CITY COMMISSION

Sister of Tim John on Tom Barrett's Supportive Housing Commission

Is Her Brother Crazy to Run for Governor? 

Special to the Readers of Milwaukeeworld 

By Michael Horne

And The Milwaukee World Hound Dog Team

Tom Barrett appointed the sister of Timothy S. John, his surprise rival for the Democratic nod for Governor, to a city panel last year. Records dug up by the Hound Dog show that Paula N. John, a Milwaukee attorney, was appointed by Barrett to the Commission on Supportive Housing for a term beginning January 1st, 2008 and ending December 31st, 2010.
In a letter to the City Plan Commission supporting a housing development for the mentally ill, Atty. John [Temple U. '89], wrote:

I have cared for persons with mental illness all of my life. As I have struggled to provide stability for these relatives and friends, I continue to be dismayed at the lack of support within the community for their care.

Paula and Tim John are two of  the nine children of Harry John, Jr. and Erica John. Harry's DeRance Foundation was one of the largest Catholic charities in the world in the 1980's, but his lavish spending on bizarre projects -- like a 24-hour cable television system to spread Catholic orthodoxy, treasure hunts for sunken ships, risky investments in gold and junk bonds -- was so alarming it was wrested from his control by his wife. The couple later divorced, and much the remaining funds were transferred to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee Supporting Fund while Harry was on life support. He died in 1994. The directors of the fund were Erica John, Paula John and Archbishop Rembert Weakland.
The fund is now known as the Erica P. John Fund, Inc., and it is run by Paula.

Tim John's campaign website includes a "biography" section and a "heritage" section, both of which are heavy on the tale of his direct linear connection to great-grandfather Frederick Miller, founder of the great brewery. Fortunately, John was able to crib from his own book, "The Miller Beer Barons" for some of the content.
For example:

On September 29th, 1928, Harry John, Jr. was among New York Governor Al Smith’s supporters as he campaigned for the presidency as a Democrat, perhaps forecasting his son’s run for elected office.

 But Harry takes a backseat to Fred, you can be sure. Writing about himself, the candidate says:

He is made of the stuff from which great leaders come. He, with Fred Miller’s blood running through his veins, will lead our state forward and make Wisconsin a beacon of hope once again for the world to admire.

John's surprising announcement that he wants to be governor comes after the party has already endorsed Mayor Barrett for the race. He has no political capital, and will not likely be able to self-fund his race as a Herb Kohl or Tim Michels might have done.
He seems to be a decent guy, who has done good things, just like his great-grandfather, dad and sister.
But running for governor is crazy. When his sister lobbied for housing for her mentally ill friends and relatives, I don't think she had the Executive Residence in mind.