Uppity Wisconsin - Milwaukee politics

Progressive Dems Unifying, but Not in Milwaukee

GlobalGirl — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 21:26:34 +0000

Update: Robert Miranda, executive director of Esperanza Unida, reportedly is leaving soon for his sixth visit to Turkey. No word on how Laura Manriquez, president of Esperanza Unida, feels about the junkets.

This weekend sees the launching of the beginning of the end of the Bush-Cheney-Rove-McCain administration.

But those seeking unity in Wisconsin have to wait two more weeks: Until Sept. 9, Wisconsin primary day.

The most heavily covered Wisconsin Democratic primary race in on Milwaukee’s south side, in which a rightwing Jose Guzman and in-some-wing Laura Manriquez are challenging five-term progressive incumbent, Rep. Pedro Colón.

Manriquez (the board chair of Robert Miranda’s Esperanza Unida, a non-profit taken over by Miranda’s coup a few years back) is echoing the campaign message of Miranda, executive director of Esperanza Unida and editor of the Spanish Journal.

Now, in an unusual campaign charge: (that Colón doesn’t charge enough per diem), Manriquez is looking desperate.

After failing to knock both of her opponents off the ballot, Manriquez is reportedly, how shall I say this, less than well-centered.

So, I want to set the record straight on Miranda, Manriquez, and the do-nothing Republican state Assembly

I cannot be more polite about this: Laura Manriquez and Robert Miranda are liars.

And the list of distortions populating the Internet by Miranda-Manriquez are nothing more than Rovian lies.

Some facts about Pedro Colón that Miranda and Manriquez are not honorable enough to tell you.

Assembly Attendance and the Do-Nothing Republicans

The Republican-led Assembly met only 25 times in the last two years and cancelled twice as many session days as they held in one of the most unproductive sessions in Wisconsin history.

No Wisconsin Assembly in the past decade has met fewer than 40 times.

The fact is Assembly Republicans are so adamant on toeing the line for large corporations and wealthy lobbyists (forgetting about the needs of working families), most of the time they simply refused to show up for work, and since they are in control of the Assembly they set the number of voting days.

So Miranda-Manriquez generate lies about the Democrat Pedro Colón and his work in Madison and his work generally. Some easily ascertainable facts:

State Assembly Voting-Days History for the Last 10 Years

‘97-98: 53 attendance session days
‘99-00: 56 attendance session days
‘01-02: 46 attendance session days
‘03-04: 44 attendance session days
‘05-06: 54 attendance session days
‘07-08: 25 attendance session days

1999-2007 Per Diem Receipts of State Assembly Members

Despite Colón’s seat on the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee where Colón has constantly fought for the people of the district against the corporate-run Republicans (and has a perfect attendance record), Colón has amassed among the lowest taxpayer-paid per diems.

Colón’s 1999-2007 Per Diem Receipts of State Assembly Members

1999 - 14th lowest of receipts of 99 members
2000 – 10th lowest of receipts of 99 members
2001 – 16th lowest of receipts of 99 members
2002 - 11th lowest of receipts of 99 members
2003 - 12th lowest of receipts of 99 members
2004 - 15th lowest of receipts of 99 members
2005 - 19th lowest of receipts of 99 members
2006 - 18th lowest of receipts of 99 members
2007 - 8th lowest of receipts of 99 members

MATC Board Work

All of Colón’s MATC’s absences on the MATC Board have been excused, meaning there were legitimate reasons regarding the attendance at some meetings, like working to ensure that Republicans are not completely screwing over the people of Wisconsin, like Miranda-Manriquez do to the workers at Esperanza Unida, when Miranda (with Board chair Manriquez’ approval) gets on a jet and flies to Turkey and his workers don’t get paid. See, for example, Esperanza Unida's payroll problems continue under Miranda's administration.

Now, for the first time in 14 years Democrats have a chance to take over the state assembly, campaigning against the very do-nothing, Republican-led Assembly with which Miranda- Manriquez make common cause.

Joint Finance Committee Budget Work

Despite the Republican-led, do-nothing state assembly, Colón was still able to work with allies and force the inclusion of the following in Milwaukee in the last budget alone, including (you'll get the picture after a couple of paragraphs in):

New health investments won include:

UCC Latino Geriatric Center (2005-07 State Budget) – $500,000

Sixteenth Street Community Health Center in partnership with the Marquette University Dental Clinic – to serve the uninsured and under-insured residents of the south side of Milwaukee (2007 Joint Finance Committee – 13.10 appropriation) - $500,000

Ensure all school children have access to a school nurse by investing over $1 million to help hire 24 additional school nurses

Provide $100,000 in a one-time grant to the Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin to provide HIV infection outreach, education, and referral

Provide $1.2 million increasing funding for grants to AIDS service organizations under the Mike Johnson life care and early intervention services grant program, reflecting the net fiscal effect of revised cost estimates for the HIV/AIDS drug assistance program and the insurance premium subsidy program (2007-09 State Budget)

Provide $2 million over the biennium to fund a 5 percent increase in the uniform foster care rates, effective January 2008 and an additional 5 percent increase in the uniform foster care rates effective January 2009

Governor Doyle directed DHFS to conduct a three-year pilot program, which began January 1, 2008 and which is open to a minimum of 100 participants, under which DHFS would pay premiums for coverage under HIRSP and pay copayments under HIRSP for drugs approved for reimbursement under ADAP, for individuals who satisfy certain eligibility requirements

Expansion of BadgerCare to BagerCare Plus

Through BadgerCare Plus, every Wisconsin resident whose family income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level will have access to health care

Ensure all eligible children are enrolled in BadgerCare Plus through a partnership between the Department of Health and Family Services, Milwaukee Public School system, and Covering Kids and Families – Wisconsin

Provide all BadgerCare Plus families with educational tools to make informed choices and stay healthy

Education and Jobs

-Endorsement of the 2007 centralization of Milwaukee as the primary agency in Milwaukee County for workforce development
-Allocated $1 million for the Summer Jobs Program, creating more than 450 jobs
-Marking $1 million to Project New Hope, creating transitional jobs to more than 200 past offenders
-Investment of $8 million in UW-Milwaukee’s Research Growth Initiative
Definition of a four-square mile portion of Milwaukee as a Premier Resort Area, supporting such tourism attractions as the Eight District’s Three Domes, and surrounding businesses
-Supporting Milwaukee’s Entrepreneurial Network, providing resources to some 500 individuals in the Milwaukee area running their own businesses
-Allocating $500,000 for the Marquette Dental Clinic (2007 JFC – 13.10 appropriation)
-UW-Milwaukee School of Public Health - $500,000 planning money (building program and UW).

UW-Milwaukee (UWM) is in the planning stages of establishing Wisconsin’s first accredited School of Public Health. The new school provides Milwaukee with the unique opportunity to establish itself as a major contributor to public health scholarship and research and to the education of public health professionals.

The new School of Public Health will conduct rigorous and essential public health research that will help build the public health infrastructure in Milwaukee and beyond.

UW Financial Aid and Veterans Tuition Remission - $42 million total
The budget provides a $32 million increase in financial aid (Governor Doyle’s original proposal)

Waitlisted students will now receive their financial aid. Over 5,600 students have been waitlisted for financial aid awards, totaling over $12 million in unawarded aid for students.

The Higher Educational Aids Board (HEAB) estimated that approximately 6,400 students would be waitlisted and not receive awards for this academic year under the Assembly budget. At UW-Milwaukee, over 1,100 students were waitlisted for Wisconsin Higher Education Grant (WHEG) awards

Additionally, $12 million was invested for Veterans tuition remission Allocating $1.6 million and two positions to the Youth Apprenticeship program, a two-year program that combines academic and technical instruction with mentored on-the-job training for high school students

Reauthorize the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund, that will allow the protection of environmentally sensitive land for future generations and preservation of land for hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation

Increase the recycling tipping fee from $3 to $4 per ton to help deter out-of-state waste and provide additional resources to cities to help fund recycling programs

Provide funding to help reduce farm runoff into our rivers, lakes, and priority watersheds. Provide funds to help clean up contaminants found in the Great Lakes and Milwaukee-area rivers.

UW-Milwaukee will:

- Expand its present Research Growth Initiative by $8 million to permit the campus to compete more successfully for extramural research funds
- Hire faculty in key clusters, such as biomedical and health technologies, advanced manufacturing, and other strategic science and engineering areas, which will significantly impact the region's economic development
- Enhance the level of graduate and undergraduate education, research support, and training
- Allocate monies to UW-Milwaukee School of Public Health - $500,000 planning money (building program and UW)
- Support UW Financial Aid and Veterans Tuition Remission - $42 million total. The budget provides a $32 million increase in financial aid (Governor Doyle’s original proposal)
- Help waitlisted students receive their financial aid. Over 5,600 students have been waitlisted for financial aid awards, totaling over $12 million in unawarded aid for students. The Higher Educational Aids Board (HEAB) estimated that approximately 6,400 students would have been waitlisted and not eligible to receive awards for this academic year under the Assembly budget, had action not been taken At UW-Milwaukee, over 1,100 students were waitlisted for Wisconsin Higher Education Grant (WHEG) awards

Pro-Life Wisconsin Endorses Tom Reynolds' Candidates

mal contends — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 14:18:15 +0000

via mal contends - Pro-Life Wisconsin announced their candidate endorsements via its Pro-Life Wisconsin Victory Fund political action committee this week.

Five of the six candidates being run by Tom Reynolds' Clean Sweep Wisconsin (CSW) in the Milwaukee-area Democratic primaries are recipients of the "Pro-Life" endorsements, even though the five candidates themselves have not voiced the extreme anti-abortion and other controversial views of CSW's treasurer and mastermind.

The Pro-Life Wisconsin endorsement corroborates the conventional political wisdom that Tom Reynolds' Clean Sweep Wisconsin is running rightwingers in the Democratic primaries, further eroding his already nearly nonexistent credibility.

Reynolds, has been disavowed by establishment Republicans and Democrats alike, and is being investigated by the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board for filing an anonymous and frivolous election challenge to incumbent State Sen. Spencer Coggs (D-Milwaukee).

ProLife Wisconsin stresses “... the ‘no exceptions’ pro-life philosophy ... (position)," said Mary Matuska, president of the Pro-Life Wisconsin Victory Fund PAC.

This position, if enacted as a statute, would outlaw all abortions, even in the event of rape, incest, or protecting a woman's health.

The Clean Sweep Wisconsin-endorsed candidates receiving the Pro-Life Victory Fund endorsement are listed below.

(D-10) - Charisha Allen
(D-15) - Josh Hoisington
(D-16) - David D. King
(D-17) - Samantha H. Bady
(D-20) - Philip Landowski

The Clean Sweep Wisconsin-endorsed candidate, Jose Guzman, running in the Eighth Assembly district on the south side, did not receive a Pro-Life Victory Fund endorsement.

Good for the Capital Times

GlobalGirl — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:22:33 +0000

Update: Esperanza Unida's payroll problems continue under Miranda's administration

The Capital Times just corrected their editorial, “Van Hollen should act fast on petition fraud case” (July 25).

At issue is the nonsensical and internally incoherent assertions of some of Esperanza Unida's people that one of their two opponents for state assembly (whom they failed to knock off the ballot, making Esperanza Unida zero-for-two in this campaign) had improperly received legal counsel.

Ridiculous.

Editorializes the Capital Times today:

We have, as well, come to the view that the law firm and associates of attorney Michael Maistelman acted appropriately in this matter. ... We have been impressed with [attorney] Halbrooks' forthright and detailed responses to the concerns that have arisen. ...

Allies of [state rep.] Colon's challenger, Laura Manriquez, and others who claim to be uncommitted [:)] in this bitter contest noted that Maistelman had e-mail contacts with them and ... raised the question of whether those contacts might have created a conflict and undermined the legitimacy of the GAB process. - [smiley face mine] -

The issue rasied is without merit.

Good for the Cap Times' rapid response.

Well, that's another display revealing Miranda-Manriquez-Aleman's insistence on wasting everyone's time. It's what they do best.

Manriquez’ Bad Faith Betrays Hispanics in 8th Assembly District

GlobalGirl — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:44:20 +0000

Update: Esperanza Unida's payroll problems continue under Miranda's administration

- Related Update: Esperanza Unida workers say they haven’t been paid for weeks: "While the executive director of Esperanza Unida was traveling in Turkey, some 11 workers at the south side job training agency signed a petition saying they had not been paid in four weeks and that some checks had bounced. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)."

When I received a ring from a friend calling from the Government Accountability Board (GAB) informing me that the GAB had unanimously ruled against Laura Manriquez’ effort to knock both of her Democratic primary opponents, Jose Guzman and state Rep. Pedro Colón, off the ballot for a Milwaukee assembly seat, I felt true schadenfreude.

Call me old-fashioned, but shouldn’t we let the voters decide at the ballot box, Laura?

Word I hear is that the grandiloquent Robert Miranda, executive director of Esperanza Unida, a non-profit community organization, reportedly had a hand in this scheme executed by among others—Laura Manriquez, chairperson of Esperanza Unida, and Narciso Aleman (a controversial former Esperanza Unida Board member, who has been accused, per the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, of conspiring in political power plays within the non-profit Board, and who has represented Miranda as counsel in past legal cases, authoring this one with Manriquez).

But maybe the Esperanza Unida Board chair, the former Board member and Miranda’s former counsel just cooked this one up without the executive director’s, Miranda, input and knowledge; it could be.

One thing Miranda does know is that his candidate, Manriquez, cannot win in a fair election at the ballot box against Colón and Guzman.

So, in a bad-faith effort, Manriquez tries to disqualify both Colón and Guzman from appearing on the ballot by challenging [unanimously shot down though she challenged everyone of the 33 nomination sheets, save one] the validity of the signatures on Colón’s nomination papers—signatures representing the very constituents that Manriquez hopes she will represent, and, get this, tries to knock off Guzman in a challenge that the GAB staff calls so “wholly insufficient,” that the challenge does not even make it past the staff of the GAB.

Bad Day for the Miranda-Manriquez-Aleman Folks

Two challenges: One wholly insufficient and the other unanimously denied.

Well, I looked up the last five election results in the eighth assembly district, and obviously the voters of the eighth are hoping for Laura Manriquez to come and save their day :) from our state’s only Hispanic representative in the legislature:

Just look:

Election Year – Pedro Colón’s Vote Share

2006 - Colón gets 98 percent

2004 - Colón gets 99 percent

2002 - Colón gets 99 percent

2000 - Colón gets 99 percent

1998 - Colón gets 75 percent

Well, at least Laura Manriquez is not Tom Reynolds’ candidate challenging Colón, the yet-as-identified contender whom Reynolds said he had worked to get on the Democratic primary ballot. But that is little consolation.

Scaring Hispanics

Manriquez, with the help of attorney Aleman endeavored to disqualify Colón by using Hispanic residents’ fear of racism and anti-immigrant fervor.

Ironic and sad.

It’s like this. In Milwaukee’s eight assembly district—known for its low turn-outs in elections—there is a profound hesitancy to connect to the economic and political process by name and public record of residence.

This relatively isolated manner of community co-exists comfortably, residents report, with a deep display of Catholic faith in which many constituents find solace, protection and fellowship.

The citizens’ reluctance to call attention to themselves by putting their names and addresses on nomination papers, for example, stems from fear and suspicion that this information will somehow be used against them by parties hostile to their ethnicity and religion.

Now, Manriquez and Aleman have made that fear a reality. They know perfectly well that verification of nomination signatures can often be difficult in this situation, and they tried to use that reality to knock both of their opponents off the ballot. Fortunately, they failed miserably.

We can dispense with the nonsense used against Guzman, [“The challenger (Manriquez ) provides no legal or factual basis for disqualifying any signature obtained by Candidate Guzman.”

Worse is that Manriquez sought to prove that Colón’s signatories are not valid voting citizens; not authentic members of society, less than a welcoming gesture for a community seeking empowerment.

The repercussions of intimidation of the Aleman-Manriquez scheme are appalling, and that the scheme is hatched by top members of a non-profit that sees itself as empowering Hispanics is nothing less than hypocritical.

Many of Colón’s constituents feel politically disempowered, living in a manner not always amenable to generating “extrinsic sources of evidence” (corroborating sources of information establishing residency outside of the nomination sheets)—often identifying themselves as little as possible through public information sources, as they work to make a living through participation in greater communities and extended families, working in cooperation and common cause.

Nice communities. But not good enough for Manriquez when her political ambition is in play.

For people like Aleman and Manriquez, who again bill themselves as working for the Hispanic community, to use the anxiety in the Hispanic community against Hispanics for Aleman and Manriquez’ own selfish purposes is nothing less than Rovian and racist.

This strategy of erecting barriers and discouraging participation in the democratic process is nothing less than an assault on democracy.

And a similar line of attack against voters is being tried all over the country by the GOP: Voter ID laws.

Plotting against Hispanics

The Manriquez’ scheme, involving past and current associates of the non-profit Esperanza Unida, challenging Colón’s constituents’ legal status and district residency is precisely what many fear from the government and from anti-Catholic and anti-Hispanic bigotry.

I think this is pretty hazardous behavior for people so closely associated with a non-profit to be playing racist, dirty electoral politics.

And it, arguably, puts Manriquez perilously close to violating election law.

But the Miranda-Manriquez-Aleman plot is nothing so much as the back alley dealings of the political thug. And Miranda loves himself so much; one wonders what he would not do.

As Dan Bice (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, December 12, 2007) recounts a Miranda attack against Colón last year:

Earlier this year, Hispanic activist Robert Miranda sued Rep. Pedro Colón, who is running for city attorney, and his legislative staffer Andrew Janssen. The suit accused them of jeopardizing Miranda's job as head of the nonprofit Esperanza Unida and causing him stress. Miranda asked for $100,000.

Judge John Franke recently threw out Miranda's case, in part, because his side failed to properly serve Colón with the suit. Reached Wednesday, Miranda indicated he's still in a litigious mood. He said he is thinking of filing the same suit against Colón—an option left open to him. He also said he may sue over comments made about his attorney in the weekly El Conquistador newspaper.

In that case thrown out by Judge John Franke, Miranda’s electoral entanglements as an agent of Esperanza Unida appear, arguably, to raise questions (as yet legally uninvestigated) of a non-profit status organization again coming close to engaging in electoral activity (Case number 07-cv-11109, Miranda v. Colón).

Can Robert Miranda sue his way to fame?

The unsuccessful ballot nomination complaint lodged against Colón and Guzman is typical Miranda litigiousness (the executive director and chair of Esperanza Unida have much in common), and it reveals more of their determination on wasting everyone’s time, to the detriment of the residents of the eighth assembly district.

Miranda reminds me of a liberal version of Bill O’Reilly, except O’Reilly doesn’t sue people as often as Miranda does.

Without-Merit Miranda and Wholly Insufficient Manriquez

I need not add much more about Robert Miranda’s reputation as a reckless, self-centered blowhard. Miranda is apparently adept at getting on community boards, running a flaky newspaper, filing willy-nilly lawsuits, and lodging baseless complaints, always promoting the true and just cause of Robert Miranda, with Manriquez apparently aping his SOP.

Few (at least among those with whom I have spoken) who have dealt with Miranda walk away attesting to his judicious analysis of issues or his respect for the people with whom he disagrees. I’ve run across this type, a rare breed, in the peace and justice community during my time in Vermont and in Madison; the type who has forgotten that peace and justice are the aims, and not their own personal aggrandizement.

Miranda’s short-on-fact legal accusations over the years are of little legal and political consequence, except this time Miranda’s colleague, Manriquez, chose to attack the Hispanic community in the eighth assembly district in a manner that would make Karl Rove proud.

Conservatives in Milwaukee hate Miranda, except for the fact that he apparently supplies a lot of material for commentary and ridicule. Progressives see him as a blowhard.

Now, Hispanics see his true colors as well. He is a hostile and sickening narcissist, with Laura Manriquez along for the ride.

As for the plot to disqualify Colón’s and Guzman’s nomination papers, like a lot of Miranda’s best laid plans, this scheme [and hey, maybe Miranda didn’t know about it] went nowhere fast.

Breaking - State Rep. Pedro Colón Beats Ballot Nomination Challenge In Unanimous Win

GlobalGirl — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:32:16 +0000

Update: Esperanza Unida's - whose chair and atty tried to remove two opponents from the ballot - payroll problems continue under Miranda's administration

The Government Accountability Board (GAB) has unanimously affirmed the candidacy of progressive state Rep. Pedro Colón (D-Milwaukee), rejecting a bad-faith attempt to remove Colón from the ballot from his opponent, Laura Manriquez.

Yah!

I will have more to say on this later.

The GAB staff recommendation can be found at: http://elections.state.wi.us/docview.asp?docid=14329&locid=47.

Another reason to give Sensenbrenner the boot this fall

warmmidwest — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:22:37 +0000

One look at this man, and you know he’s never gone hungry his entire life.

So, add this to the growing number of reasons 40-year-incumbent Jim Sensenbrenner needs to face retirement this fall.

His solution to hungry people needing food, hungry people who were not impacted by recent floods, but part of a growing hunger crisis, is to create a bureaucracy to deny them food.

According to Wisconsin’s Hunger Task Force, Milwaukee is the 8th poorest city in the nation, and the 4th highest with children in living poverty.

It came as a big surprise to Sensenbrenner that a bunch of those folks stood in line as early as 5 a.m. to get food vouchers intended for flood victims.

“ … we saw a waste of federal resources that mocked a program designed to help people in dire straits … when it comes to federal funds and federal programs, there needs to be more verification and guidelines when handing out taxpayers’ money,” said Sensenbrenner.

REALLY? Tell us, Jim, what are you doing to recover the more than $39 million spent by federal employees on the Katrina payroll that was charged to government credit cards for things like TVs and golf carts?

If you are hungry, and willing to stand in line for free food for hours, beginning at 5 a.m., doesn’t that kind of mean you’re in dire straits, flooding or no flooding?

GET UPPITY! Contribute to the Hunger Task Force. And tell this rich, bloated Congressman what you think about his hypocrisy.

Milwaukee Activist Pedro Colón Seeks Solutions

mal contends — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:53:13 +0000

Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny.
~Edmund Burke

The race for Milwaukee City Attorney is off and running.

Longtime City Attorney Grant Langley versus State Representative Pedro Colón (D-Milwaukee) in what promises to be a spirited race for a heretofore obscure office.

Colón is out to change the position, with an activist’s approach.

Colón has made some enemies and stepped on some toes as an activist attorney and state representative, but he brings a broad coalition in his campaign for the April 1 election.

As has been widely noted, Congresswoman Gwen Moore, District Attorney John Chisholm, the incoming president of the Milwaukee Bar Association and the Wisconsin Trial Lawyers Association and almost all of Milwaukee’s legislative delegation have endorsed Colón’s hard-line approach to flushing out destructive policy, and becoming part of the solution in addressing city-wide problems.

As Greg J. Borowski of the Journal Sentinel wrote in a column from December.

Colón, a Democratic member of the Assembly, sees the office as a bully pulpit, the job as that of an aggressive advocate for the city on policy matters. For instance, he envisions a greater role in fighting crime. …

"It's your duty to represent the people of Milwaukee," Colón said. "You cannot not have an opinion if the case is so clear. Lawyers are advocates. Judges are objective."

To borrow from Harry S. Truman [Address at the National Archives Dedicating the New Shrine for the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, December 15, 1952]:

“We have discovered that the Constitution does not prevent us from correcting social injustice, or advancing the general welfare.”

Colón is betting that voters agree that the City’s Attorney’s charter likewise allows contributions to problem solving and advocacy for Milwaukee citizens’ welfare.

That may prove a difficult argument for City Attorney Langley to overcome.

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Pedro Colon Is Truly a Citizen’s Representative

mal contends — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 20:12:42 +0000

State Representative Pedro Colon kicked off his campaign for Milwaukee City Attorney “from the same southside community center where he learned to box as a young man.”

I was very happy to read this.

I don’t care for most elected officials. Most seem to be out for themselves; the same with most prosecutors and, frankly, with most people in government generally. They forget the service in public service.

But Pedro Colon is different; he’s one of those people who actually believe in public service in the great tradition of “Fighting Bob,” Robert M. La Follette Sr.

I had the opportunity covering a story these last several months about the VA shafting veterans to talk to several former VA staff attorneys, who actually believed their jobs were to help veterans get the benefits that their service and sacrifice deserve. [The attorneys left when they found out their jobs’ duties at the VA were something else entirely.]

Colon is a lot like these former VA staff attorneys, except that he is still there for his constituents today. Colon thinks he’s actually there to help; he believes in public service and doing something, something, to address real issues of real people.

Maybe there are other good folks running for Milwaukee city attorney; frankly, I don’t know.

What I do know is: There is one good man throwing his hat into the ring and Milwaukee citizens are fortunate to see a man who believes in public service on the ballot.

What the hell good is government if it's not there for its citizens?

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