I don't know what today will bring but here are my thoughts on how the races will shape up.
Mayor-
I think that this race is too close to call. Two years ago, this race came down to the final ward and had Frank edge Paul out at the end. I think that this year will be much of the same only with Paul victorious.
Council-
Palmeri, King, and Cummings. Unfortunately, there are three candidates outside the incumbents that share too many views and will likely split the vote. I personally would like to see any 3 of Palmeri, O'Day, Hinz or Poeschl. I was surprised that Jess King did not do more to get re-elected. She didn't spend any money and outside of the forums, she did not seem to campaign at all. Perhaps she isn't as serious as before now that the State seat is out of the picture.
OASD BOE-
Traska, Schneider, and Monte. There is a little bias here but my guess is realistic based on the referendum questions and voters paying ANY attention to the positions of the candidates. The referendum will go down in flames and the conservatives will win this ticket.
Referendum-
Question 1- Yes=30% No=70%
Question 2- Yes=48% No=52%
Question 3- Yes=48% No=52%
I am being conservative with the estimate on question 1. I think that the vote may even be more lopsided than that but 70/30 is a realistic number so I will go with it.
County Exec-
Mark Harris will win this one handily. I don't think Schroeder has done enough to unseat Mark despite his efforts to remind us about the sales tax.
Agree or disagree, that is my take on what will happen today. If you would like to put in your comments, feel free. I will try and keep up with the moderation but my days are very busy and it can be difficult to check.
Thanks to all for reading. Have a wonderful day and above all... GET OUT AND VOTE!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Election notes
I apologize for my absence. With working full time and taking a full load of college courses (12 credits) there is little time to read and post on blogs. I figured I wouldn't be missed much anyway.
On April 7th, Oshkosh has a real opportunity to make a change in leadership with both the Council and School Board. There is no doubt that the common thoughts around town are on the referendum. With good reason, it is ~$24million of our money being asked for.
Beyond the referendum, there are a few issues that the city is facing. We have several that have been brought up during various forums and some more by the ONW. There is no doubt who the ONW is supporting in this election for Mayor. Not because it is the right choice, but because they don't care for the opposition. The ONW wrote an editorial endorsing Tower for Mayor. That is fine, we all expected it. But did they really need to do the follow up this week? Was it really necessary or did they just want to twist the knife that they plunged in last week? Either way, I think that there is some clearing up that needs to take place.
The ONW pointed out what a wonderful thing was being done with the TIF in the South Shore Redevelopment area. Although I do agree that development is wonderful, was a TIF really necessary there? Oshkosh has set a precedence on granting TIF's to the point that I don't think commercial development will be done without them anymore.
The ONW is quick to point out how saying NO is horrible. Well, do we really need more TIF's? Better yet, how did the City Management and Council let those buildings get so bad that they needed to be torn down? Perhaps we should focus more on keeping our businesses in Oshkosh and then it would not be necessary to worry about replacing what was left behind when they move or leave.
These are just a few thoughts as Tuesday approaches. I must remind voters that staying at home should not be an option. There was an unbelievable turnout for the Presidential election which in the big picture means nothing to the city. Remember, the Spring election has far greater impact on you than any Presidential election. The folks that are elected make the decisions locally, not the President. Remember that next Tuesday when you think that "it doesn't make a difference, why bother?".
It really does make a difference. Take the time. VOTE on April 7th.
On April 7th, Oshkosh has a real opportunity to make a change in leadership with both the Council and School Board. There is no doubt that the common thoughts around town are on the referendum. With good reason, it is ~$24million of our money being asked for.
Beyond the referendum, there are a few issues that the city is facing. We have several that have been brought up during various forums and some more by the ONW. There is no doubt who the ONW is supporting in this election for Mayor. Not because it is the right choice, but because they don't care for the opposition. The ONW wrote an editorial endorsing Tower for Mayor. That is fine, we all expected it. But did they really need to do the follow up this week? Was it really necessary or did they just want to twist the knife that they plunged in last week? Either way, I think that there is some clearing up that needs to take place.
The ONW pointed out what a wonderful thing was being done with the TIF in the South Shore Redevelopment area. Although I do agree that development is wonderful, was a TIF really necessary there? Oshkosh has set a precedence on granting TIF's to the point that I don't think commercial development will be done without them anymore.
The ONW is quick to point out how saying NO is horrible. Well, do we really need more TIF's? Better yet, how did the City Management and Council let those buildings get so bad that they needed to be torn down? Perhaps we should focus more on keeping our businesses in Oshkosh and then it would not be necessary to worry about replacing what was left behind when they move or leave.
These are just a few thoughts as Tuesday approaches. I must remind voters that staying at home should not be an option. There was an unbelievable turnout for the Presidential election which in the big picture means nothing to the city. Remember, the Spring election has far greater impact on you than any Presidential election. The folks that are elected make the decisions locally, not the President. Remember that next Tuesday when you think that "it doesn't make a difference, why bother?".
It really does make a difference. Take the time. VOTE on April 7th.
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