Brookfield Basics - All Comments

re: Lucius Commodus for President

Larry Knetzger — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:01:04 GMT

My Two Cents, you did not catch the pun, Hugo act's like a Cesar, May the Ide's of March bless him with Cesar's reward. Some Americans do recognize that they are the owners of Citgo stations here in the USA and have stopped buying their gas from Citgo. Citgo is now changing the name of some of the stations.

re: Lucius Commodus for President

My Two Cents — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:30:14 GMT

It's Hugo Chavez, not Cesar, that is in control of the oil industry in Venezuela. There are so many Americans that think we owe them their existence, entitlement that is, who will be voting for Obama. Socialism is definitely the goal of the Democrats. Obama is buying their votes, $1,000 per family. Ignorance and greed are rampant in the USA.

re: Lucius Commodus for President

Larry Knetzger — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:46:24 GMT

Hi Tom, If our politicians decide to take the profits from a company that deals in the open market place, then will they also contribute to the company when it looses profits and runs in the red as many corporations are now doing, i.e. the banking industry. Where does it stop, looking at Obama you might as well submit the country to socialism and be done with it.

That is the only plan that I see that he is fostering other than having no plan at all. Entitlement is his new name. He has no accomplishments in serving his state, just politicking and spending huge sums of dollars flying around from Bakery to Bakery looking for more free bread.

Look what has happened with Cesar Chavez taking over the private oil industry in South America. What a great incentive for a corporation to explore for energy, be it oil , or alternative sources. If a company becomes extremely successful in its quest for alternate energy sources will he want to take their profits also. Who needs a politician with that attitude.

The profits with any corporation always end up back in the economy some where by distribution either to its investors or other avenues of distribution and sharing of the profits.

re: Much Ado about Aldi's

mick — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 03:06:36 GMT

Absolutely Tom. There is no reason why some stay at home shopaholic Brookfield Mom shouldn't be able to drive that BMW to Aldi's and save 4 cents on a pound of some overripe bananas or some other overstock food stuff. Hey, we like to save money too. With a tear in my eye I have to say "we're just like you guys trying to make it through another day". It's a free country...sort of. Aldi's, Wal-Mart, whatever. Does anyone even care anymore?

re: POP GOES THE CULTURE

mikeyd — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:50:47 GMT

Hi Tom,

Definitely a shame. But to be honest, something that has existed for longer than i have been around. Now images can be transferred and communication moves alot faster, and everything is becoming more risque, but isn't that the way the trend has always gone? What were the adults saying when they first saw kids swing dance, cheer for Elvis, the Beatles, etc... Every generation just 'ups the ante' of sorts.

I completely agree that the quicker and sometimes amazingly complete loss of innocence is a shame and sad.

re: Much Ado about Aldi's

mikeyd — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:41:56 GMT

Hi Tom,

Great piece and so very true. Most everyone I have associated with in the area are nice, caring, giving, and generous people. For me personally it really rings true since I fall outside of the range of so many of the characterizations associated with the 'Brookfielder stereotype'.

Actually when we moved back to the area not so long ago, and while searching for houses in Tosa/Falls/Brookfield area I had a strong feeling that the image and attitudes to Brookfield had changed from what I remember decades ago.

I didn't notice all the outsiders comments about us in the Aldi's issue blogs. I seemed to notice much more people from within the area that were upset with the original suggestion that we were 'too good' for Aldi's. My perception was that Brookfielders were more upset than those from across the border. That so many in the area were outwardly upset about the original rejection of Aldi's and how that resulted in an amazingly fast turnaround on the issue almost proves that those stereotypes are unfounded.

I agree about us not getting carried away in all of this and allowing this issue to define and boost untrue stereotypes, but that is how stereotypes are fostered. It is sad but just the way things have gone and seem to be increasing lately. The original rejection of Aldi's might have actually been for asthetic reasons, and though i have no idea who made which comments, but the rude thoughts of keeping out 'undesirables' was probably from one person and not the thoughts of the majority of the commission, and very clearly not in line with the feelings of the majority of the residents.

re: Much Ado about Aldi's

Larry Knetzger — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:07:52 GMT

Hi Tom , perception is in the eye of the beholder. It is the perception that is in that persons mind that is hard to change. The news just loves it when some one from Brookfield is arrested for what ever criminal behavior. A lot of the terse comments about ALDIS was the perception that the store was in the City of Brookfield and not the Town of Brookfield. Big difference there. The town board of the Town of Brookfield often wheres there hat over there eyes and handles things poorly. Like the Greenfield Avenue improvement.

But of course the initial head lines in the paper read "Brookfield" rejects ALDIS. AlDIs is a welcome alternate shopping venue. We also will shop there.

re: The Death Spiral

mikeyd — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:32:04 GMT

I completely agree with Intewedm on this one. Bad management, with those few at the top getting rich with too little regard for the future. An example is GM essentially putting a fork in the SUV, while struggling to come up with vehicles on the opposite extreme. This illustrates how they have set themselves up for the current situation. Some US auto manufacturers are paying Japanese manufacturers for rights to use hybrid technologies, which are where the market is leading over the next decade. The only chance they have to is file bankruptcy, and then retool and look ahead ten plus years and jump past the hybrids right into electric and hydrogen technologies, using new and patented technologies of their own.

re: The Death Spiral

intewedm — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:34:44 GMT

One could point to the greedy unions/employees and the management that agreed to insane pay/benefit packages when times were good, but it is also important to note that management of the big three has been deplorable, they've been outdone by the Japanese on every level, BUT they still receive pay/benefits as if they were competent...and that my friends is the problem with corporate America today! Corporations exists to enrich the lucky few regardless of results.

re: And To This Declaration...........

Practically Speaking — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:25:37 GMT

Great post, Tom. I love that movie too--it's good, clean fun. It certainly speaks to the signers putting their money where there mouth was and sticking their necks out in signing that document.

It wouldn't hurt for people to read through the Declaration and the Constitution. Maybe then they would be less eager to give up our precious rights.

(I especially like the part where he holds the girl with one hand, to keep her from falling, but drops her to rescue the Declaration. When he apologizes to her for making that choice, she says, that's OK, I would have done the same thing! Now those two are history buffs.)

If the weather gets iffy this weekend, National Treasure would make a great diversion.

re: Technology - Activity - and Our Kids

Larry Knetzger — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:31:21 GMT

Hi Tom , really an interesting subject. My 8 year old grand daughter can type, and I mean type, not pick and poke. Certainly this is one skill that will follow her through life unless over ridden by voice technology. Kids still find ways to amuse them selves with the simple toys of by gone years. Balls and bat's etc. I feel there is an overwhelming amount of gifts given to children during a year for special ocassions that are needless.

You often see the gifts, what ever they are, not being used and in disarray and really valuless. Some of those gifts do not stir up intlecuality at all. Kind of a sign of an affluent society with excess funds not being managed very well. FYI

re: The Latest Rant About Oil Prices

Practically Speaking — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:57:17 GMT

Thanks, Tom, for the reminder on how profits are profitable--especially for the tax coffers!

I guess politicians never consider that their taxes are the ultimate windfall profit. (No work done, just profit taken.)

re: Chuck E. Cheese and the Notion of Root Cause

Tom Gehl — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:08:37 GMT

I don't believe the issue of self-control is related to race, creed,or gender; it is far too apparent in all cross sections of society. Our culture comes up with ridiculous aphorisms like "road rage", which in fact is nothing but a lack of self-control. Self-control is an "equal opportunity" virtue, or conversely, lack of self-control is an "equal opportunity" vice.

re: Chuck E. Cheese and the Notion of Root Cause

muwarrior — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:35:31 GMT

I never saw alcohol being the reason that place is such a mess. I stopped going there because I would take my kids during the day for lunch and there would be loads of daycare kids that would come in big vans and their "caregivers" would just let them run wild and not supervise them. They also wouldn't give them tokens, so - more than once - I would see the daycare kids begging and/or stealing tokens from kids like mine who were given tokens by their parents. They would make the rounds, hitting all the kids or looking for a cup of tokens that someone set on a table for a moment. It made me so sad for these kids.

Not to mention, these kids were of a different race than my kids and now my kids think "those" are the kids that try to steal their tokens at Chuck E Cheese. Not something I need my kids at such a young age talking about.

So I just stopped going there.

re: Chuck E. Cheese and the Notion of Root Cause

Larry Knetzger — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:13:43 GMT

Hi Tom, quite a subject . A further investigation of all the complaints might lead a person towards racial profileing. Of course the far left media will not go that route, but lets face it. If you looked at the police reports you just might end up with a group of people that abuse adult beverages more often than not with un-stopable behavior to the point of major proportions and the use of firearms to enforce their liquid courage. Out of control individuals maybe even from out of the immediate area. Milwaukee has lost control of the inharmonious groups of people. Alderman Michael McGee is a great example of the mentality of that group of inharmonious people. What a shameful existence.

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re: The Silence of the Calves - Economics 101

NWCguy — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 19:10:02 GMT

Good topic. If "the laws of economics are immutable" than the price of corn will correct itself, right? Well, maybe we should add that the laws are immutable if allowed to function freely. Unfortunatly, like gasoline, tobacco, and guns, (and others) this market is being strangled by the price controls and market restrictions of the government. If it would truly be a free market, the best thing that could happen would be high gas prices, high corn prices, and high prices on other commodities because this would raise the bar. It would dirve out the weak, raise competition, improve quality, and benifit overall society.

But let's be honest, this is probably a pipe dream.

re: The Silence of the Calves - Economics 101

Practically Speaking — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:33:53 GMT

I heard that ad this morning too, My Two Cents. What a joke. No one will be laughing when the price of beef goes through the roof due to the law of supply and demand. Without those bull calves going into beef production, prices will climb even higher. Beef now has 2 price pressures: higher feed costs and less product (calves to fatten).

Thanks, Tom, for bringing this up. People need to be contacting all of their state and federal representatives about ethanol.

re: The Silence of the Calves - Economics 101

My Two Cents — Sat, 31 May 2008 23:15:15 GMT

What I find disturbing are the radio ads being played now. They are put out by the ethanol lobby, suggesting that ethanol is good for Wisconsin farmers. Maybe it's good for some, but it's devasting for others. People who don't follow the issue closely think they are doing a good thing for the environment and for Wisconsin farmers when they use ethanol. Corn ethanol is running up food prices around the world.

re: The Ghost of May Tenth Past

Practically Speaking — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:09:02 GMT

Oh, my humble apologies to Leapin, I meant to say Scubamax. Leapin is right on the money with his "Hitler of Iran" comparison.