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Blogage
Ted Klumb is a Commercial Real Estate Broker residing in Menomonee Falls. He is a graduate of UWM and ran his own business for 15 years. He is married with two children. Ted is also a former member of the Menomonee Falls School Board, a faith development music teacher, and an avid, but not a very good, musician.
By Ted Klumb
Tuesday, Jul 22 2008, 09:26 PM
That’s right, your eyes are not deceiving you. Future elected officials should be paid more-much more.
As a former elected official who did not run for office for the money, I will provide some very good reasons to support my claim. FYI, I never voted myself a raise or asked for more money for auto mileage. In fact, I never submitted an expense report in my 3 years of service. This is very typical of most elected officials in the Falls and Germantown.
Fact: An average board member will save your community or school district hundreds of thousands of dollars, and a good one will save millions in the long term.
Fact: A bad board member will cost taxpayers millions and continue to cost you even when they move on (example: Milwaukee County Pension Scandal). They don’t care if they raise your taxes, or about the decline of performance, as much as they are liked. Everyone, good, bad, or mediocre, is paid the same wage, about $4,500 a year. Would you trust your personal finances to someone who only made that much in a year?
Let’s look at the perceived problems: “Elected officials don’t run government or school districts like a business.” “They don’t care about raising taxes.” “They don’t care about delivering a quality product/service.” “Nobody who could do a better job runs for election.” (I don’t believe any of this to be entirely true, but examples of this can be seen everywhere you go.)
Now let’s pretend you are the owner of an enterprise where all, or some, of the above examples were true of management. What would you do?
When a company is in trouble, owners usually seek a proven top-gun(s) to come in and turn things around. Higher pay is always necessary, and expectations, time-lines, and results go with it. With taxpayers, it is the opposite.
When serving on a board, I will admit, I was more interested in getting results than what someone was paid. However, I was more prone to fire someone, or freeze the pay of anyone who was not performing. That ensures results, or consequences. Results mean more savings, better performance, lower taxes, and better value for taxpayers. Consequences bring faster management changes if results and goals are not met.
Let the free market, capitalism, and competition apply to elections. Higher pay will bring out more quality candidates, or at least, a larger selection of candidates. Some of our best school board members were/are stay at home moms. Many moms have told me they were interested in running but would be better off finding a higher paying part time job that would not conflict with family time. We could tap into that market with higher pay.
How many employers are happy to have their employees spend less time on the job to attend committee meetings? None, and few who would admit it. How many professionals could bill more hours or make more sales that are commissionable if they were not spending 4, 9, or more hours a week serving the public? The answer: the very few who are generous enough to stick their neck out for their community or those who could not make $4,500 on the open job market.
Paying more will not eliminate opportunists, quite the opposite, but it should inspire more candidates and interest in elections because people should expect more for their money. If the electorate chooses poorly, paying someone more, or less, would not change that result anyway. Vigilance is a price we pay for Democracy and it can pay dividends.
Being in office can be good for business, but the reverse is also true. If you make the hard decisions, as you are supposed to do, few will like you, many won’t care, and some will hunt you down like Inspector Javert in Les Miserables. When someone or a bogus group makes accusations about you, or your business, it can be detrimental even if they are complete fabrications. What person would run for office under those conditions? Someone very committed or someone who should be committed. Higher pay would narrow that spectrum.
I suggest raising the minimum salary of board members to $12,000. The pay increase would take place when the newly elected person taking an incumbent’s position is sworn in. That way nobody votes for his or her own pay increase and the field of candidates opens up immediately.
If you like your elected representative, support them and reelect them. If not, let’s fill the ballot with some fresh candidates.
Yes, yes, public service should be selfless, but most elected officials, who don’t run for the money, also put in time at church, Rotary, schools, community service, etc. so let’s not try and put a guilt trip on them for not being noble. Many miss their kid’s baseball games, wife’s birthdays, etc. to make meetings or keep their full time jobs. Serving is already a personal sacrifice; it should not be a financial one too.
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By Ted Klumb
Saturday, Jul 19 2008, 04:08 PM
It’s only Jews…
My favorite college professor, who later became a friend taught valuable lessons that I hope to pass on to my children.
Larry Rudner was fascinated by the Holocaust. He lost 3 grandparents and numerous aunts and uncles in Treblinka, an extermination camp in Poland.
I was fortunate enough to take his Holocaust course. The first day was very memorable. The first question Professor Rudner asked was how could something like a Holocaust happen? After many different answers he asked, “could this happen again?” Before he would let the class answer he admonished one of the students in the class who was dressed very shabbily. He began to pick on the student by pointing out that nobody should attend class dressed like that and engaged the class to comment.
When it became apparent the class was also piling on this student, I spoke up and defended the student. I was promptly instructed to shut up or I would be the next victim of his critique. For a while, I sat there in stunned silence until reengaging the professor who continued to whip up on my classmate.
It was then he stopped. He looked sad and then he spoke. “The student and I had planned this event in advance. He purposely dressed poorly to help me make my point. Holocausts are started by the power hungry; beating up on those that cannot or will not defend themselves. Holocausts grow when those who know better, are stronger, sit by, and let it happen or are willing participants. Silence is willing participation. So far, only one person will pass this class. Now get out of my sight.” That was day one…
Those who did not stand up against Kristallnacht (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krystalnacht) found it harder and harder to maintain their personal freedoms (especially and ironically religious freedom) in their own country or stop a movement that would haunt many untill the end of their lives. Those who justify their silence by thinking, “It’s only Jews, members of our community, someone else’s kid, or that quiet neighbor” are often unaware of who is next in line.
Note: Larry Rudner wrote several novels on the Holocaust. His last novel was published shortly after he died of brain cancer. Shalom my friend.
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By Ted Klumb
Tuesday, Jul 8 2008, 05:38 PM
The dreaded “Mortgage Crisis” is in full bloom and the woe lemmings are dutifully following the doomsayers over the cliff of common sense.
What caused this crisis?
- Stupid borrowers who really knew they could not afford to buy a house that was not in their league, No, there was no socioeconomic bias happening here. CEOs loosing million dollar homes were in this equation too and just as stupid as anyone else who wanted to live well beyond their means.
- Stupid greedy lenders who thought they could pass these bad loans on to the secondary market, often took credit applications written on cocktail napkins, never seriously checked reported/claimed salary, and checked credit scores by seeing how many blue stars someone had on Ebay.
What is the government solution to this problem? A $250 Billion bail out to Dumb AND to Dumber.
We the people are rewarding those who made idiotic financial decisions even though 97% of Americans are paying their mortgages on a regular basis and on time. We are letting the lending entities who made these stupid loans live to loan another day instead of letting them die a rightful death so they won’t corrupt the market in the future.
Let the borrowers go back to renting since they have no equity in their “home” anyway. Let the lenders go bankrupt or go to jail since they are bad business people. This is a solution that costs taxpayers nothing and will correct the market within months.
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By Ted Klumb
Saturday, Jun 21 2008, 04:30 PM
Now that the weather is finally getting warm, it is time to prepare for the seasonal unpleasant site of men over 40 walking around places like State Fair, Summerfest, Falls Fest, and yes, even the Smithsonian Sculpture Gardens in D.C. without a shirt. Many of these guys are in their 60s with tattoos as faded as the south side of my house.
Do they ever get lucky? I don’t know, or care, but they scare my kids, and me too, a little bit. Anyone with that much poor judgment is likely to do worse things.
We +40 men all consider ourselves buff beyond belief, but some of us have a little voice inside our heads whispering that the women and young girls looking at us are actually comparing us to Jabba the Hut instead of plotting how to get us to drive their Lamborghini back to their penthouse. Another clue, the gagging sound they are making between fits of laughter.
For those of you who are King of your castle here is a simple rule for men who want to do the right thing. The 40-Yard Rule: “No man over 40 will cross the border of his property without a shirt. Simple and effective. If you want to mow your lawn, sit on your porch, work on your car, go for it. Otherwise, do not cross that border except to help your neighbor. Then return promptly to your own property. Exceptions: If you go to a pool, beach or other swimming area.
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By Ted Klumb
Monday, Jun 2 2008, 08:32 AM
By Ted Klumb
Monday, May 26 2008, 08:44 PM
For those of you who like to know what is going on, business wise, in the Falls, the following stores are now closed:
1. Ponderosa - closed two weeks ago.
2. Camille's at Good Hope and Appleton closed about two months ago. Was open about 3 months.
3. The Custard Company on Main Street closed about a month ago.
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By Ted Klumb
Friday, May 23 2008, 09:03 AM
Please use this blog post to honor those who have fought, served, and died for our ability to live as we as we are today. Please honor those who are serving right now as well.
Posting a tribute below is very simple and would mean a lot to those who should forever be remembered.
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By Ted Klumb
Monday, May 19 2008, 10:14 PM
No announcement has been made as to where the headquarters will be located when the merger between SAB/Miller and Coors/Molsen is approved by the Feds. My prediction, dating back to December 07, will be Colorado. I wish it were not so, but that won’t make it so.
The announcement will probably be similar to GE’s when they moved their GE Medical world headquarters to the UK from Waukesha while they pretended to move it to Wauwatosa. I will bet you didn’t even know that:
“Southeast Wisconsin did lose the bragging rights to being GE Healthcare's headquarters last year. After General Electric Co.'s acquisition of Amersham PLC, the headquarters was moved to Chalfont St. Giles - a city near London.”
JSOnline Oct. 29, 2005
Every state is trying to be “Thee Biotech State” or the “Pharmaceutical Capitol” of the U.S. because the moniker implies high tech, high paying jobs. Wisconsin’s leaders declared they want this title. While the “goal” sounds good, is it a realistic?
I want to be the starting power forward for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2008. Even though I am over 50, under 5’8’’ and never played college basketball, my goal is more realistic than Wisconsin’s.
Many do not realize that Brewing is a high tech industry. Miller Brewing had a world class technical center in which there were over 35 PhDs in areas such as microbiology, cereal chemistry, protein chemistry, foam chemistry, etc. It had more PhDs than any other non-medical or non-educational institution in Wisconsin. Pabst and Schlitz also had significant research facilities. The industry also paid good wages and benefits to the line workers and provided many executive positions like accounting, IT, legal, and marketing.
Hundreds of S.E. Wisconsin companies are/were vendors to Miller Brewing-including mine.
Wisconsin was the brewing capital of the U.S. but things change and brewing dispersed. No effort was made to save it or replace it. Brewing wasn't high tech enough.
There are plenty of opportunities for Wisconsin to be the capital of something else. Paper and printing are good examples. While it doesn’t create the buzz as being the Pharma Capital it is infinitely more sensible, realistic, and achievable.
Maybe someday we will have a Governor who can lead companies into Wisconsin instead of filing lawsuits against them. Until that day, we will be known as the “Moving Van State” moving corporations out of Wisconsin.
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By Ted Klumb
Sunday, May 11 2008, 08:07 PM
It seems like only yesterday that most of us were able to get on with our lives thanks to the writer’s strike settlement. Hopefully, you are all pleased with your favorite shows returning in full splendor.
“Boston Legal” was an amusing show until about two weeks ago when David Spader hectored the U.S. Supreme Court while defending a retarded murderer from receiving the death penalty (good luck kid, your high minded lawyer just tweaked the nose of your last chance). Denny Crane added to the absurdity by ripping one during the proceedings. This show has truly left the cliff and is heading for the rocks below. It reminds me when “MASH” was a great show, before everyone became good buddies and each episode delivered one pious sermon after another.
Today’s comedies need to use shock, sex, or something gross to get the laughs. They use everything but good writing. It’s just not that funny.*
Something happened the other night while watching TV. My kids looked at me very puzzled. When I asked what was the matter they both responded, “Dad, you are laughing out loud-you never do that when you watch TV.”
Now, I love to laugh but had to admit it doesn’t happen when watching comedies. What was I watching? The classic “Beverly Hillbillies.”
“The Beverly Hillbillies” is just laugh out loud funny, even to this day. What is great about the show is it never really makes fun of Jed and his kin. They are just good-hearted mountain folk that are in a culture clash in a strange land and trying to make sense of it all. They have great riches but never loose their center. That is, they never loose site of who they are in spite of a great reversal of fortune.
Those supposedly much smarter city slickers who try to swindle money from them always end up trying to escape from the Clampett’s overzealous generosity. The Clampetts never would think of giving money to someone when they could teach them how to plow, cook possum, or have some of Granny’s free doctor’n.
When working the Appalachia region of Eastern Kentucky and West Virginia, I found the folks there to be trusting, generous, and friendly. So, the real story behind the show is the joke may have been on us city folk all along.
* Admittedly, I laugh out loud watching “The Simpsons” but, hopefully, the kids aren’t around to watch me, while I’m watching that.
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By Ted Klumb
Sunday, May 4 2008, 09:00 PM
Who has not been touched by the death of a pregnant mother and school administrator, her unborn baby, and her daughter? People overuse the word tragedy to describe many things. This truly was a tragedy. A verdict will soon tell us if it was murder. Maybe Mark Benson will get another chance.
Charity is not charity if you give with other people’s money, resources, or at other’s expense. Charity is giving of yourself, the money you have earned or the money and/or time you could spend on yourself but choose to give to improve the lives of others.
Compassion has a price, and I do not mean money. Do we automatically offer compassion because it is right or because it makes us feel and look noble? People often write “compassion checks” on someone else’ account and take the credit for being noble.
Apparently people wrote Mark Benson multiple “compassionate checks” long before he went out driving without a valid license.
Who paid the price for this compassion?
Was it worth the cost?
Note: The laws in this state are too weak for multiple offenders and people who drive without a valid license. The judge did what he felt was fair but even the maximum sentence would not have prevented ths tragedy.
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By Ted Klumb
Tuesday, Apr 29 2008, 07:51 PM
In case you have not heard, the news has had two consecutive Fridays where there has been over 100 people in the main room listening to live music. www.johnharbors.com
John Harbor’s is across the street from the Associated Bank on Main Street and is an untraditional Coffee House. They serve good food and are friendly hospitable folk. This is the kind of place people tell me we need in the Falls but never seem to support. Well, at least the last part has changed. You can get a good cup of Joe, a nice wine or a beer in a totally smoke free environment. You can even get a Bourbon but you have to spell it for Jeremy, the bartender.
The main room looks like a hip living room and is an ideal place to have a meeting or to hear live music-a rarity in this village. It is a great place to take your spouse, friends or even your kids if it is early enough and they like Gelato.
Two weeks ago there was a trio of Arrowhead High School girls playing music to a group of supporters, along with seniors, middle aged men and women, some wearing Harley gear and some wearing western wear (me). Everyone was getting along just fine.
While most of the bars I frequent these days only serve lettuce and tomatoes, I don’t normally find myself hanging with HS kids, but these were kids who were mature beyond their age. It was fun to watch them have fun. I would hope my kids spend Friday night this way when they get to be that age.
There are some events on May 2nd and 3rd that will benefit kid's organizations so what better time to check this place out for yourself.
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By Ted Klumb
Wednesday, Apr 23 2008, 08:24 PM
20 plus years ago the visionary CEO of Monsanto decided to work with environmentalists to create a better world. He asked them what Monsanto could do to help the environment. The environmentalists had some great ideas: create crops that would have significantly higher yields so farms would not have to expand at the expense of forests and wetlands. Make crops less susceptible to insects so there would be less or no need for insecticides. Make crops that could grow in less than ideal climates so there can be real hope to end world hunger. “OK” said the CEO, “I will get back to you.”
Several years later the CEO called the environmentalists back to show them the accomplishments of his research and development team. “Here are crops that have higher yields, are less susceptible to insects, grow in less than ideal climates, and will soon be able to do all of these things using less water. The reaction of the environmentalists was one of horror. “These are genetically modified seeds!” cried the environmentalists. Yes said the CEO what is wrong with that? Environmentalists: “They are genetically modified!” CEO: “Yes, what is wrong with that?”
This circular conversation continues to this day. No scientific proof exists against genetically modified crops just feeble mental resistance to science. Europe, always pretending to be the superior intellect to the U.S, saw the obvious advantage to Monsanto’s product as a way to kill their seed and agricultural business. Therefore, naturally, they decided to ban any genetically modified food products under the guise of protecting their citizens from harm. In actuality, it was an absolute trade barrier. Japan, never willing to take second place to trade barriers banned containers, and anything in them, that at one time contained genetically modified food products.
France, even blocked several UN tankers of corn, donated by the U.S. to Zimbabwe’s starving people to “protect” them from the evils of genetically modified crops. Tens, and possibly hundreds of thousands of human beings starved to death as a result. Meanwhile, the scientists who created genetically modified products eat them, and continue to feed them to their children knowing they are perfectly safe. By starving innocent humans to make a point, environmentalists may have created a mental standard that makes the Spanish Inquisition look like the apex of human thought and kindness.
Today, as food prices not only rise but are in short supply in Europe and Japan, these high minded environmentalists are starting to think that genetically modified food is not so bad after all. http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/21/business/21crop.php?page=1
You would think that with credibility like this nobody would even listen to them regarding our energy needs. Well even embracing genetically modified corn could not save us from perhaps the stupidest idea in human history-ethanol.
If Stalin were alive today, I think he would be an environmentalist, the Ukrainians would be extinct via a genetically modified free starvation, and he would get a Nobel prize for saving the planet.
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By Ted Klumb
Tuesday, Apr 15 2008, 10:32 PM
Monday evening was my last night as a School Board member.
I want to thank the community for putting their faith in me to undertake this major responsibility. At the end of three years, I hope you feel that I have served you well.
Thanks to my children, Will and Katie, for getting their homework done while I was away at meetings as well as helping their Mother. Thanks to my wife for the extra work she gladly took on so that I could serve on the board. Thanks should also go to my fellow board members, staff and teachers as well as Superintendent Marty. Believe me in the last 3 years much has been done, both seen and unseen.
Below is a list of 6 goals that remains on my campaign web site www.tedklumb.com and my comments in blue as to whether we were successful or not.
My Agenda – The Top Six February 2005
1. At the very top of my agenda is raising test scores. (Please click on the Test Scores link on the left) My goal would be to get our test scores from the bottom quartile, in Waukesha County, to at least the third (hopefully higher) in the next 3 years. Since MFSD it in the top quartile of spending and at the bottom in academic test scores, my ultimate goal would be to reverse those positions.
Well, this was an aggressive goal and while scores are rising, they are rising everywhere else and we are not rising fast enough for us to pull ahead. Encouraging is the greater degree of seriousness this district and community places on test scores and many viable solutions are underway. We have begun to ensure that curriculum is being taught consistently between classes, in all elementary schools. 2. I would consider any viable solution to raise academic achievement in our school district, including the possibility of redistricting or reconfiguring our district to match higher performing districts. Yes, that could mean a 9-12 High School if that’s what it takes.
Redistricting-Underway. Reconfiguration-approved by the voters and almost completed.
3. The MFSD should conduct an outside/independent evaluation of our district, and similar districts, to benchmark how much we are spending on items, such as maintenance, compared to other districts.
This evaluation was undertaken with the approval of the full board about 2 ½ years ago. The report is called the Germain Report after its author. It is a fairly comprehensive report and is available to the public from the school district or you can email me to get a copy. Many of the items are already addressed and rectified while other items are underway. One of the items recommended was a reduction in school transitions and the 9-12 reconfiguration will reduce transitions and, in my opinion, improve academic performance by being under one roof and system. I would brag that New Berlin did a similar study but took over three years to start on the recommendations. We started in less than six months, which is Warp speed for a school district.
4. The "Everyday/Connected Math" program has had questionable long-term results in some school districts. We need to monitor this more closely than in the past and make appropriate, and rapid, changes if necessary.
The Math Department Chairs of Denise Moen and John Katz took the initiative to compile a ton of data from the time the program began to the results of last year’s WKCE scores. This was done manually and over a long period of time. They then performed an objective analysis to see how the programs compared, as close to a student per student basis as possible.
The net result: Both programs are improving students at all levels. The Everyday Math program is showing positive results when taught correctly and consistently. The Math department has presented their results to the public on several occasions. This was a great relief to parents, like me, who had concerns and reservations about the new programs. Something very interesting happened about a month ago. The U.S. Dept. of Education released their study and the results were almost identical. Our Math Department started their study later and with fewer resources and completed it faster with one independent study verifying the other.
What was the attitude of the Math Department that so many parents wanted to know how effectivvely the Math programs were working in our district? I think they were pleased and flattered that so many parents had such a passionate interest in their area of expertise and were happy to finally clear up some questions.
Bottom line: I am so convinced that the program is effective I have elected to place my son in the new math without any reservations. That is my endorsement of the study as to its objectivity.
5. Many citizens are concerned that our current maintenance budget is not addressing the needs of our physical facilities and leading to more costly replacements, referendums, safety issues, as well as a less than desirable appearance. We may need to spend more on maintenance and less on something else.
First there is an ongoing maintenance and replacement plan in place. Second, the maintenance budget has been increased by about $150,000 per year since I have been on the board. I need to verify that number and may modify this post as I am going off memory right now. 6. Ben Franklin – Referendum passage or not, we need to look at reducing the number of students at that elementary school and be flexible in doing so.
When Thomas Jefferson opens as an elementary school Ben Franklin’s enrollment will be reduced.
Some of the other items that are serving you now and in the future: My personal emails to you updating families of events of interests and school news. My Blog on MenomoneeFallsNow.com that updates you on school news and upcoming events. The first open forum for parents and citizens to ask questions, offer opinions, or make statements to school board members. Fully evaluated the 220 and Open Enrollment impact on the district. The “School Alert Calling System” to alert you to special events and closings.
Citizens, this is my accountability report to you. Thanks to your school board, administration, staff, teachers and Superintendent, these items are completed or almost at completion. 2007 test scores come out in May of 2008. I would like to see everyone’s efforts show up in higher scores.
Thank you for your trust in me.
Ted Klumb
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By Ted Klumb
Tuesday, Apr 8 2008, 09:43 PM
Chuck Mangione played at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center to cap off a High School Band competition. Brookfield Central won but MF and Hamilton were not participating.
Mangione can be credited (or cursed depending on your opinion) for pioneering the “Smooth Jazz” genre of music. He composed and played beautiful jazz that was accessible to a whole new generation of music lovers. He wasn’t Miles Davis but he probably opened Miles’ music to an audience that may have passed it by.
I had lost touch with Mangione’s music for a long time but was still impressed by the quality of some old favorites such as “Land of Make Believe” and “Bellavia.” The sound was excellent and the band very tight.
Mangione recalled playing “Children of Sanchez” in Poland and at the completion of the song; people stood, wept, put their hands over their hearts, and cheered with all their might. It was a musician’s dream until he later learned the song was the designated anthem of Poland’s democracy movement. Still, a very cool tribute to the composer.
The program notes also boasted: “A 1980 issue of Current Biography called "Feels So Good" the most recognized tune since "Michelle" by The Beatles. Recently, smooth jazz stations throughout the United States have recognized Mangione's "Feels So Good" as their all-time number one song.”
My wife and I took our trumpet playing son and friend to the concert and were delighted to find them both tapping their feet and paying close attention to the musicians. Next stop: Miles Davis.
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By Ted Klumb
Thursday, Apr 3 2008, 08:40 PM
By Ted Klumb
Wednesday, Apr 2 2008, 07:25 PM
The Menomonee Falls School Board will be holding a workshop on Monday April 7 , 6-8 pm, to hear the final reconfiguration proposals as prepared by various teams of teachers and administrators. These proposals were presented to the public and open for comment at three recent Board hearings.
If you were not able to attend or have not had the opportunity to present feedback, I would like to extend this opportunity. The full reconfiguration proposal, as presented by Ms. Tayes, Dr. Nicholas and Mr. Hintz can be found on the district website. Dr. Marty has also prepared a pod cast reviewing these items. (http://www.sdmf.k12.wi.us/sdmf2/news/podcast-superintendent.html) or http://216.92.102.167/web_pages/falls/admin/index.html#headline7
I would love to hear your feedback prior to our meeting, April 7th.
Please email me your comments. Please include the particular item you are addressing and whether you would like to see it implemented or not. Please give specific reasons, if possible for your opinion. (Please note that these ideas were presented in the spirit of improving student performance.) Please include positive feedback as well as negative. If you are positively impassioned about an item , please let us know you think it is a good idea.
I will print all responses and take with me to the meeting.
If you have any clarification questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Please feel free to pass this along to others who may be interested.
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By Ted Klumb
Monday, Mar 31 2008, 06:26 PM
Well, I was hoping to have evey candidate have the ability to post their positions on my blog. Since we (me and the candidates) are all new at this and I have had a very busy March, that did not happen.
Here is a link to information on all of the candidates provided by Amy Hetzner of the Journal Sentinel. Amy has covered our School District longer than I have been on the board and I believe she has, and continues to provide excellent and fair coverage of our district.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=732825
Here is another good link to local profiles of the School Board Candidates by Ty Finke of CNI.
http://www.menomoneefallsnow.com/story/index.aspx?id=704715
If anyone would like information on any speicific candidate please email me via this web site and I will try and email you back.
Every single candidate that runs for this office should be commended. This is what good citizenship is all about. Now it is up to you, the voters, to do your part.
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By Ted Klumb
Saturday, Mar 29 2008, 02:00 PM
I have notified all candidates for MFSD School Board that I will post one page of their position. Mike happens to have responded first.
Please look to the far right of this blog to see other candidates positions in previous or future posts -------------->
Dear Friends and Neighbors,My name is Mike Dillhyon and I am running for a seat on the Menomonee Falls School Board. I have lived in Menomonee Falls for 2 ½ years and my family and I love the community. I am married with two children, both of whom are at Valley View Elementary. They are the reason I am running. I have a vested interest in the success of this school district for many years to come. I would like to take a minute to discuss some of the issues we face as a district and some of my solutions to these problems.
One of the concerns that I have repeatedly heard from parents is that they feel like what they say does not matter, so many of them do not bother anymore. Parents need to feel that they have a say in not only their child’s education but within the school district. Parents elect the board members, which mean the board members work for the parents. I will discuss any topic with any parent. I believe there should be regular "town hall" type meetings where the board not only listens to the parents, but discusses the issues with them away from the regular board meetings. I also feel there should be a parent response policy within the district. This policy would require all teachers, administrators and board members to respond to parent inquiries within 48 hours. Even if the question or comment needs further research, there would need to at least be a response acknowledging the inquiry. The best way to improve the district is to get the parents involved.
The next issue is the lack of accountability within the district. Our combined test scores rank us 17th among 18 districts in Waukesha County reporting test scores in 2006. Some will say that we are better than the state average, but to me that is just lowering our standards. Waukesha County’s test scores are higher than the state, so that is who we should be comparing ourselves to. Also, the number of seniors going on to a 4 year education has dropped from 72% in 1997 to 58% in 2006. In today’s business climate, many times even a 4 year degree is not enough. While a 4 year college is not for everyone and many graduates enter 2 year programs and are very successful, I feel that we need to look at the reasons for the decrease in graduates attending a 4 year college to see what improvements within the secondary schools can be made. I am also proposing that there be a set of annual goals and objectives laid out each year for the superintendent by the school board. It is then the superintendent’s job to ensure these goals are met by passing the goals on to the schools as needed. For example, one school in the district may be further behind in test scores than another, so they would have a more aggressive goal for improvement. The principals then pass their goals on to the teachers. Now, everyone has clear goals for the year. If anyone is consistently not achieving their goals, then they need to be held accountable, first through additional training and if problems continue then termination.
Finally, the budget is, of course a major issue. We are going in to the next school year with nearly $1 million deficit. The solutions that have come forward have been to cut teachers jobs, reduce supply budgets and, with no change, we will soon be cutting programs. This does not have to happen. By simply shopping around and adopting a better, more cost beneficial health care plan we can virtually eliminate the deficit. This school district needs someone who will be a voice for the community and that will be willing to stand up and say things need to change. I will be that voice. By voting for me on April 1st, you are voting for a change in attitude. By working together with our community, we can make our good schools great!
Sincerely,
Mike Dillhyonwww.mikedillhyon.com
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By Ted Klumb
Monday, Mar 10 2008, 09:49 PM
Well, well, well, well. If Menomonee Falls ever had a public enemy #1 it would be the former NY Attorney General, current Governor, and full time power hungry jerk-Elliott Spitzer.
For those of you who may not remember, Spitzer was building his resume at the expense of Dick Strong, Strong Funds, the community and families of Menomonee Falls. Strong Funds was one of the largest employers in the Falls.
Many families moved away to find other jobs thanks to the Spitzer induced demise of Strong Funds. Today one of the most beautiful office parks in Wisconsin is a ghost of its former self thanks to the ambitions of an out of state pariah. Today news broke that Spitzer is tied to a prostitution ring. Rumor has it (and by the way, now is a rare time that I invoke rumor but since Spitzer used is as a prosecution tool… play with fire, you will get burned) that he frequented a certain prostitute but even more important he seems to have been linked by suspicious payments. According to ABC News: The federal investigation of a New York prostitution ring was triggered by Gov. Eliot Spitzer's suspicious money transfers, initially leading agents to believe Spitzer was hiding bribes, according to federal officials.
Keep in mind that not one single client of Strong Funds (that would include me) lost one single penny by what Dick Strong allegedly did. I say allegedly because Mr. Strong was never tried in a court of law, he was tried by innuendo in the press until the uncertainty of the situation took a hard toll on the value of the company. So, after the rape and pillage Spitzer went off to become Governor of NY. Under a Democrat President, he could have been the next U.S. Attorney General. In four or eight years? Maybe a candidate for President of the United States.
Well, well, well, well that won’t be happening in the foreseeable future. "Hoist with his own petard," as Shakespear would say. For those of you who are not familiar with that phrase in Hamlet, think of Wile E. Coyote holding a match in a room full of dynamite. The best is yet to come.
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By Ted Klumb
Tuesday, Mar 4 2008, 08:21 AM
The PTA is sponsoring a School Board candidate forum on Wed. March 5th, at 7:00.
It will be held at the MF Community Center.
Please bring questions to ask the candidates.
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