OnMilwaukee.com - Articles by Doug Hissom
Milwaukee's Daily Magazine

• 2007: The Year in Review
  OnMilwaukee.com political contributor Doug Hissom takes a look back at the past 12 months and hands out some awards to top newsmakers.
• Blowing hard on snow shoveling
  Milwaukee aldermen will pack up their New Year's hangovers quickly and get to work on resolutions for 2008.
• City contemplates crackdown on curfew
  Some Milwaukee aldermen want to crack down on teen curfew violations and want to force business owners to get in the game, too.
• Transfer gets the go-ahead
  In the historic building at 101 W. Mitchell St. -- on the borders of both Bay View and Walker's Point -- once known as the Transfer Pharmacy will be a diner/music club/tavern called, appropriately, Transfer.
• City moves toward closing Club Escape
  The Common Council's licensing committee recommends closing the controversial bar.
• Taylor close in county exec polling
  A recent poll shows that state Sen. Lena Taylor just might have a shot at beating Scott Walker in the Milwaukee County Executive's race.
• MADD angered by state fatality rate
  Mothers Against Drunk Driving now reports that we tend to run into each other and kill each other more often than in other states after drinking and driving.
• Mothers Against Drunk Driving push for sobriety checkpoints
  MADD says that Wisconsin has the highest percentage of fatalities from alcohol-related crashes as compared to the total fatalities in the country.
• Badger Poll tabs Clinton, Thompson as favorites
  In the latest Badger Poll conducted by the UW Survey Center, Hillary Clinton leads the Democrats and Fred Thompson is the pick of Republicans.
• Mandatory car insurance plan circles the Capitol
  State Sen. John Lehman (D-Racine) is circulating a bill that would require all drivers to carry insurance providing coverage of up to $50,000 for personal injury and $10,000 for property damage.
• Fire Department trims could save millions
  A leaner fire department could save Milwaukee millions a year, says a new consultant's report. But to do that city officials will have to lock horns with the firefighters' union.
• Environmental groups seek change in MMSD deal
  Several groups want the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District to forgo outside operators and keep its business in-house.
• What concerns voters now
  What's the most important issue facing the state these days? According to a recent poll by St. Norbert's College, it's high taxes and government spending.
• Football frenzy lands in government lap
  What's more entertaining this time of year than football? How about dragging politics into America's fall pastime? Couch potatoes and armchair quarterbacks are riled about missing their favorite games and have sought help from, of all things, government.
• Fat, wheezing Milwaukee?
  We're not the healthiest bunch here in the big city, according to a recent attempt at ranking the state's counties by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
• Politicians get first look at plans for former 440th site
  Aided by consultants, officials are trying to figure out how best to use 100 acres previously occupied by the 440th Air Wing at Mitchell International Airport.
• Surveying the debate on surveillance cameras
  Some aldermen are upset over the way Mayor Tom Barrett funded and implemented nearly two dozen surveillance cameras designed for crime prevention.
• A healthier work force or a smaller one?
  City workers are more careful and healthier. Or it could be that a recent report noting fewer workers compensation claims due to injuries and illnesses in 2006 compared to 2005 could be attributed to the fact that there are fewer workers to make those claims.
• Troubled taverns may find licenses in peril
  A pair of South Side establishments could be targeted by the City of Milwaukee Licenses Committee next week for various infractions.
• New contributors get into old style politics
  A recent Wisconsin Democracy Campaign investigation found a unique class of politically-active students in the Badger State -- those that gave some $86,243 to state candidates between 2002 and June 2007.
• Web site hopes to give voice to the uninsured
  Lori Nitzel, who has lived without insurance for eight years, started a site out of sheer frustration and hopes to make a difference.
• Johnny's Rose wilted
  The venerable Johnny's Yellow Rose has finally hit the road. The tavern, at 2325 S. 13th St., has for years irked neighbors over noise, fights, drug dealing and a general nose-thumbing attitude by owner Juan Sendejo Sr.
• County budget has no room for overcrowded Huber facility
  One good feature of Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker's budget is the closing of the decaying Huber facility Downtown.
• Jude case still resounds in City Hall
  Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett doesn't seem to have won many converts over the city's handling of the Frank Jude beating case, which happened way back in 2004.
• Cigarette tax: Where there is smoke, there is ire
  Assembly Republicans are under fire about a proposed $1.25 tax increase on cigarettes. The heat is coming from conservative guru Grover Norquist.
• County exec candidates fight war of domains
  Lena Taylor, who is running for county executive may find it hard to get a Web site with a catchy address. Her opponents have been busy gobbling up domain names.
• A candidate who gets no respect (or attention)
  Joe Klein is the only declared candidate running against County Executive Scott Walker, but he still isn't getting a lot of coverage. Until now, that is.
• "March on Milwaukee" recalls Fair Housing fight
  A series of events this week will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Milwaukee open housing marches and discuss strategies to solve problems today.
• Sullivan's proposal would offer a safe ride home
  State Sen. Jim Sullivan (D-Wauwatosa) is pitching a bill that would use $15 from drunk driving tickets for a program offering free rides home for over-served bar patrons.
• Conduit deal favors local firm
  Some city officials still seem to like Midwest Fiber Networks, despite its failure to get Milwaukee’s wireless fiber network going as promised. However, that number may be dwindling.
• Fighting the war on drugs through parking tickets
  Milwaukee Police Chief Nan Hegerty continues the tradition of using federal money coming from drug bust seizures to fund pet projects for the department. The money comes from assets seized from drug dealers and is mandated to go for efforts to reduce drug use.
• In the dog house
  Ald. Mike D’Amato has taken a keen interest in the Judy’s Red Hot location at Locust and Holton and wants it closed.