Fitchburg, Wisconsin—Creating a Slush Fund in the Scott Walker Era

Fitchburg, Wisconsin is a freak show.

Corruption in Plain Sight in the Rats' Nest of Dane County Wisconsin

Fitchburg, Wisconsin—This isn't about the money; it's about making a "better way" to fund community non-profits, said Fitchburg ald. Tony Hartmann in an October email to Mal Contends.

It is about the money.

What Hartmann calls media "misinformation" about a proposed Common Council scheme to fund nonprofit groups draws laughter, anger and the start of a recall-the-Mayor initiative in this politically progressive community with the Republican-dominated City Hall, police department and elected municipal government.

With growing minority and young populations here, Fitchburg civil and elected officials have accelerated a Republican program to consolidate political power as this city becomes a flashpoint as Gov. Scott Walker kicks in 2018 reelection mode.

In Fitchburg, Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker has been defeated at
the ballot box. Above are the results for Fitchburg in the 2014
general election. First column is the total votes, second column is
Dem. nominee Mary Burke's votes, and third column is Walker's.

Gov. Scott Walker, (R), made numerous public visits to Fitchburg since becoming governor in 2011. At the ballot box, though, Walker was clobbered here in the 2014 general and 2012 recall elections. In ald dist one, (one of four voting districts composed of 19 wards), Mary Burke defeated Scott Walker with 1,528 votes for Burke and 410 votes for Walker out of 1,966 votes cast for a 77 percent to 20 percent defeat of Walker in the 2014 general election. Since 2014, incidents of voter obstruction and harassment of voters by white poll workers and white Fitchburg City Clerk staff, Patti Anderson and Tracy Oldenburg, have increased in wards one-four, district one, as has been documented and stated publicly at municipal civic trials by former Fitchburg poll worker, ((2007-2016), Mal Contends).

On the Fitchburg Common Council, Hartmann, Ald Julia Arata-Fratta and Mayor Jason Gonzalez, (after amassing a wide coalition in his 2016-17 campaign), have thrown in with Republicans on the eight-member Council, and are eyeing money in the city's Community Development Grant Program, (CEDA), to be used as a slush fund [information describing the city's CEDA including how to apply, was posted on the city website Aug. 18, 2017 some five weeks before Mayor Jason Gonzales posted his proposed 2018 budget calling for the "removal" of $110,000 in non-profit funding, (The Capital Times)].

We want that money

"Fitchburg Alds. Julia Arata Fratta, Dan Carpenter and Dorothy Krause are sponsoring an amendment to the proposed 2017 budget that would remove club funding from the city budget and put it under the control of the Community Economic Development Authority, whose eight members would decide how to allocate it," notes The Capital Times in 2016.

Many Fitchburg residents are watching whether Arata Fratta-linked non-profits have become new applicants for the slush fund, if the budget proposal gets passed.
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Meanwhile recall alders and mayor efforts continue as political observes gaming out scenarios fish around for mayoral candidates in a possible 2018 recall election, including perennial mayoral candidate Jay Allen, a supporter of several Republican Party congressional nominees, including John Sharpless, Dave Magnum and the far-right fringe candidate, Ron Greer. 

GOP-run Fitchburg, Wisconsin Looks to Zero-out Funds for Popular Community Non-Profits

Fitchburg, Wisconsin Republicans Become Objects of Disgust in Budget Spectacle

Fitchburg, Wisconsin — Elected in April 2017, first-term Mayor Jason Gonzalez did not run on a Republican platform to eliminate funding for community non-profits.

That's because local politicians here do not publicly oppose successful community initiatives anymore than national politicians want to go on record against Social Security and Medicare-Medicaid.

The only plausible way for local Republicans to cut all funding to popular nonprofit organizations here is: Cut all funding for nonprofit organizations and then deny this black-and-white budgetary commitment in Mayor Gonzalez' proposed 2018 budget, (Facebook).

Among Gonzalez and his diminishing political coalition black is white and $0.00 equals $110,000.

Gonzalez' proposed 2018 budget calls for the "removal" of $110,000 in non-profit funding from the 2018 budget, (The Capital Times).

Gonzalez and his campaign manager, Ald Tony Hartmann, say this proposed budgetary cut comes because they have found a "better way," (Hartmann's term), of funding the non-profits: By not funding the non-profits.

Only Fitchburg politicians holding the citizenry in contempt could axe popular non-profit funding by offering an equally contemptuous lie.

Reads p.22 in a the Mayor's Proposed 2018 Budget, (Facebook): "The $60,000 allocated to the private charitable partners was removed from the 2018 budget. The $50,000 in property tax funding for the CEDA, (Community and Economic Development Authority), community grant program was also removed."

Hartmann and Gonzalez' effort is underhanded and disingenuous, continuing a long hostility of white Fitchburg Republicans against its growing minority citizenry.

The budgetary cuts that Gonzales and Hartmann implausibly say are not cuts have caused community outrage as the political world in progressive Dane County viewing the scandal steps up to contribute to the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County, one of the targeted-by-Fitchburg non-profits.

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, (Madison), after hearing the news solicited over $3,000 in new funding for the Boys and Girls Club in the second congressional district. Taco Bell, the restaurant chain, has contributed $10,000. Other contributions are coming in to make up for the underhanded Fitchburg Mayor's budgetary scheme, (Facebook). (See Michael Johnson in Facebook for updates).

No municipal scandal in Dane County has ever caused the local congressional member, restaurant chains and community members to roll their eyes with such collective political disgust.

Ald. Tony Hartmann, Mayor Jason Gonzalez and Fitchburg Republicans have politically tied their future to this scheme and their credibility is in the offing.

A public hearing in Fitchburg, Wisconsin on the zeroing of funding for non-profits is tonight.

Fitchburg, Wisconsin—An Exercise in Social Domination, Emboldened White Supremacy

Villainous Boys and Girls Club of Dane County, Wisconsin

Blacks will not replace us

Fitchburg, Wisconsin — Municipal politics have been long racist in this suburb of 25,000, just south of Madison since the city's incorporation in 1983.

White entitlement, entrenched racism, Evangelical Christians, an ascendant Republican Party and white supremacists coalesce with the dim bulbs of white municipal bureaucracy generating a toxic concoction that is bubbling over now.

Lived in and worked in Fitchburg since the late 1980s, serving then as a correspondent for the The Capital Times, (Madison, Wisconsin).

Recently, Fitchburg has crossed a threshold as the Republican-dominated and white Fitchburg Police Dept efforts have been unsuccessful in driving out minority residents, a longstanding enterprise known and confirmed, but not acknowledged by any City official. [Ex-cops who know won't object and confirm publicly out of fear for their careers. Ratting-out follows cops and it's a rare breed who blows the whistle on the blue gang.]

Non-whites and non-Republicans comprise strong numerical majorities here so Republicans are desperate to crack-down on citizens outside of their political coalition through the use of public office. In a manner of speaking: Scott Walker and Donald Trump are in charge, Fitchburg is for whites, this is our community; and there ain't no John Doe statute anymore for a DA public integrity investigation.

The signs of the back-lash against people, mud people, are obvious and to a non-racist mind the system is blinking red.

It's business as usual as police target minorities with traffic citations, white poll workers discourage the wrong types of voters in aldermanic dist. one. [Emboldened whites actually blacklisted me, Mal Contends as a voter, obstructing me from for some 30 minutes on Aug. 9, 2016, followed by two non-traffic civil citations totaling $626, two 1:00 a.m. harassing visits to our home by Fitchburg police with voiced and deceitful claims crimes had been "traced" those early mornings, and repeated conspicuous tail-gating of our car by police.]

But the latest in Fitchburg is perhaps the worst.

That enemy of proper, white society, the villainous Boys and Girls Club of Dane County Wisconsin, is too friendly with non-Republicans and non-whites, way-too-heavy on civil liberties and they have been making atonal political noise for too long.

The Fitchburg Common Council has announced it's dropping all City funding for this community organization.

The new Fitchburg mayor, Jason Gonzales has decided to go with the Republicans on the eight-member Common Council, as he and his former campaign manager, alder Tony Hartmann, have lowered the boom on the uppity black Community group, per an evolving series of justifications.

Hartmann claims no funding elimination, no removal of expenditure but rather the instituting of a new and "better process," as written in an email to Dane County resident, Tonya Ellis.

Actually, Hartman is lying.

Reads p.22 in a the Mayor's Proposed 2018 Budget, (Facebook): "The $60,000 allocated to the private charitable partners was removed from the 2018 budget. The $50,000 in property tax funding for the CEDA, (Community and Economic Development Authority), community grant program was also removed."

Tony Hartmann and Jason Gonzalez' attitude is captured in Rob Schultz's reporting in the Wisconsin State Journal this morning.

Both don't like Michael Johnson of the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County getting uppity and voicing views publicly.

Both Hartmann and Gonzalez display the plantation attitude of greater-white Fitchburg deigning to "gift," (Schultz's paraphrase), funding to the Dane County Boys and Girls Club, aka them, the others, the dark folks living on King James, Allied Drive, Fish Hatch, Post and Leopold.

Gonzalez and Hartmann conceive investing in our community as a different proposition when it's investing in initiatives serving folks in hoods where dark folks live. King James, Allied Drive, Fish Hatch, Post and Leopold are not places of 'us'-inclusive.

To white Fitchburg, they are different, separate from the white homeland envisioned by the Fitchburg City geniuses who named my neighborhood, Jamestown, after a 17th century Virginia slave colony.

Doubt I'll see a change in my lifetime from these chucks relating to and identifying with black people. To serve on the Fitchburg Common Council means: Nobody breathe, careful, and go along.

No matter, now it's getting really uppity in Fitchburg, Wisconsin:

Many children above are black, hence a problem in
Fitchburg, Wisconsin.

I'm a Fitchburg, Wisconsin Election Inspector, Was Stopped from Voting for 35 Minutes and Harassed

Voter Obstruction and Harassment Has to Stop Now

Update II: White Fitchburg election inspector leaves comment at Mal Contends, corroborating in part allegations below. MC would publish comment, (it is saved), however it is this site's policy not to run the words of racists, as I hate those fuckers.
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Updated - I have voted at Fitchburg Fire Station, Number 2, for some 15 years, working as a sworn election inspector, (contract employee), for some nine years.

This morning I walked-jogged to my polling place to vote.

I walked into the fire station, said 'hi' to the greeter, said hi to Hertis at the Ballots table, hi to Lynette Rasmusson, a retied teacher, friend and neighbor down our street, at the M-Z voting books.

I walk over to the A-L table to state my name and address, as I do in every election.

I gave the Republican Election Inspector on the A-L books my Wisconsin-issued voter-photo ID who proceeded to take about two minutes time, apparently pretending to inspect attributes.

'Get to work, boys. Leon, Michael, Monticello Way, 5767,' I said jokingly.

But something was up. I worked the voting rolls inspecting IDs in before, and it does not take this long to examine an ID.

Election inspectors typically are not adversarial and hostile except maybe to black folks, but I'm waiting for my voting number to get my ballot.

I take my ID and I place it back in my wallet.

'I need to see your ID again, I have to check, ahh, the expiration date," said the Republican.

—You just saw it and inspected my ID. You don't need to see it again, I say.

This guy is screwing with me, with my vote. I'm pissed.

'I need you to state your address, Mike,' using my name.

—You're screwing with me. I gave you my ID, and my address. You know fully well who I am. Where's my [voting] number. I'm voting today.

I can't believe this Republican is screwing with me, with my vote. He has my name and address, and after examining my ID, now he's preventing me from voting.

I'm going to settle this with the election authorities, I say. I'm being denied my right to vote, I said, glancing at Lynette Rasmusson at the M-Z table.

I call up the US Atty's office, the Wisconsin DoJ, the Fitchburg City Clerk, the Dane County DA and then the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC, formerly GAB).

Should have started with Elections Commission, but my guard is down, I was ambushed. Hey, I'm voting; it's social, civic and political.

So, after being on with the Elections Commission for several minutes, I gave her the name of Dale Z., the Republican Chief Election Inspector seated behind and to the right of the voting rolls.

I hold the phone in the air, and she hears the chatter from the A-L table. 'We need your name and address,' says the Republican.

Okay, they are screwing with me still, and I cannot believe it, but I'll try this again with the Elections Commission on. I give my name and address again. This time, the two Republicans and Ron Johnson, (also working the A-L table), all yell, cheer and say, about time.

The Elections Commission says, what was that? Those are the Republican election inspectors, I reply.

It sounded like a gasp, but I don't know.

I call a Fitchburg Alder, Tony Hartman, and the Fitchburg Star and a bunch of local politcos and elected officeholders.

This harassment and voter obstruction has to stop now.

Tony Hartman says he'll talk to Patty and Tracy at City Hall. I'm on with Mike Haas at the Wisconsin Elections Commission, and tell him in no uncertain words, this harassment has to stop.

I call City Hall, the election inspector dismisses my complaint out-of-hand with no investigation.

By not taking my complaint seriously, she was giving tacit approval to the violators and condoning their action.

City Hall doesn't like my writing, doesn't like my sticking up for voters. I'm still on with Haas.


Jackie, my life partner who is in ill health, calls from the living room and said, there is Fitchburg Police squadron stopping at our home, and two armed FPD officers walk up our drive-way and pound at the door.

Jackie is scared is her own home, and she cannot afford stress.

This is voting today, this has to stop. Right now.
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Email to Fitchburg, Wisconsin Common Council members sent Aug. 9

This needs to stop right now.

I had multiple conversations with District Attorney Ismael Ozanne, the GAB's Mike Haas, and State Rep. Robb Kahl's office, among many other parties.

I related this morning's events about being obstructed to vote for 35 minutes, followed by two visits of Fitchburg

Police banging on our home, and upsetting Jackie to tears. Her health is not good, and she need a stress-free environment. I will file a civil rights complaint and a civil suit if personal injury results.

These events are chronicled here.

The voter obstruction and police harassment comes as a partisan tactical voter suppression campaign is clear, and secondly my status as an ethic minority is met with hostility by Republicans including but not limited to three Republican Fitchburg election inspectors and Tracy Oldenburg.

There will be an investigation conducted by the District Attorney's office as well as the Elections Commission, I have been assured.

Prior to these investigations, it is incumbent that we realize Tracy is not capable of addressing complaints, as evinced by her behavior in which she summarily dismissed my complaint with no investigation.

More insidious is the fact Republican election inspectors felt entitled and empowered to engage in this clearly hostile voter obstruction. Tracy Oldenburg is incapable of administering elections and an inquiry should be addressed with an eye towards removing her.

I would ask for a thorough consideration of the facts of harassment against my family and me, and voter obstruction conducted with the assent of Tracy Oldenburg.

Mike Leon

Dane Co Assembly Race Has Two Great Candidates

Three candidates—Julia Arata-Fratta, Tony Hartmann, and Jimmy Anderson running to fill an open seat in Dane County's progressive 47th assembly district—lead the Fall 2016 Wisconsin Partisan Primary, now held in summer after legislative Republicans engineered election changes, (Wisconsin Legislative Council).

The 47th assembly district comprises neighborhoods on Madison's east side and a Democratic-progressive mix of several small municipalities in Dane County.

The August 9 Democratic primary winner will succeed outgoing State Rep. Robb Kahl  (D-Monona).

The three candidacies—Tony Hartmann, Jimmy Anderson, Julia Arata-Fratta—feature in a wide-open race as perceptions of the strongest opponent to Republican governor Scott Walker will likely decide the winner, (pp. 29-30, Wisconsin Elections Commission).

The winner of the Democratic Party primary will face no Republican opposition in November

Julia Arata-Fratta is a long-time public critic of Scott Walker, and along with Tony Hartmann, signed the 2011-12 Recall Scott Walker petition. In Dane County this visible support of a progressive agenda against Walker is political ambrosia. Jimmy Anderson did not sign the Recall-Scott Walker petition.

Two of the candidates—Arata-Fratta and Hartmann—have proven track records, and long histories of community involvement.  One candidate, Anderson, does not.

Both Arata-Fratta and Hartmann serve as city of Fitchburg alders, and have long advocated for public education and the environment against the hostile Walker administration and its donors (DeFour, Wisconsin State Journal).

Analysis of District 47 Assembly Race

Anderson Not Qualified for State Assembly

Jimmy Anderson has a compelling life story and would make an effective candidate for municipal or county office in the future.

A compelling life story is not sufficient to merit an endorsement from this site.

Anderson has scant public policy experience, no history of effective progressive advocacy, and has never held elected office in Wisconsin. But he does have $10,000, $50,000, $25,000, $2,000, and $500 donations to his Wisconsin assembly primary campaign.

Who wants this guy in office? Jimmy Anderson does, and the above donations are Anderson's personal loans to his campaign comprising over $87,000, according to Anderson's Campaign Finance Report (July Continuing - covering all activity from Jan. 1, 2016-June 30, 2016).

A newcomer to district 47, Anderson moved into the district from the neighboring assembly district, the result of an apparent assembly seat-shopping excursion.

Anderson was reportedly urged by local activists to wait or get experience before running for assembly district 47. Anderson ignored the advice and instead loaned his campaign the large infusions in an effort to win the seat this August 9.

Anderson has missed numerous important votes as a citizen, including statewide Supreme Court races and a statewide race for Superintendent of Public Instruction, according to data obtained from the Wisconsin Elections Commission site, comparing Anderson's voting activity, (BD - 08-26-1986), with elections held the past four years.

Jimmy Anderson's candidacy appears more for the benefit of Anderson, and less for the residents of the 47th assembly district.

This is not to question Anderson's ethics or decency, rather to state public service is for the benefit of the public and not for the prospective public servant.

It would be an insult for an assembly candidate to parachute into a district, attempt to buy the seat, and criticize the outgoing state representative in campaign literature while the candidate expects to gain the loyalty of would-be constituents for whom their local state representative is the most intimate connection to state government.

This is precisely what Jimmy Anderson is attempting to pull off. Such an effort should be discouraged.

Tony Hartmann Qualified Now to Serve

Tony Hartmann is qualified now to serve as a state rep. for Assembly District 47.

Born in Dane County, a longtime resident of the district, current Fitchburg alder, small business owner and MATC instructor, Hartmann would hit the ground running in the Capitol. He handles difficult policy and politics questions with apparent ease and obvious candor.

Residents may have noticed Hartmann fairly haunting doors this spring and summer, as Hartmann invites and fields an array of policy questions.

Brilliant, decent and hardworking, Hartmann would make an excellent state rep. against a sociopathic and doctrinaire Republican Party of Wisconsin.

Julia Arata-Fratta Qualified Now to Serve

"Outraged" at Scott Walker, reads Julia Arata-Fratta's latest campaign literature, repeating a central theme of her candidacy supporting the UW System, public education and a restoration of funding for technical colleges.

Julia Arata-Fratta is an outstanding candidate and is qualified now to serve as a state rep. for Assembly District 47.

Arata-Fratta moved to Fitchburg over 12 years ago and this policy wonk would be Wisconsin's second Latino serving in the state assembly, (Julia for Assembly), (Madison.365).

Nearly every Fitchburg resident contacted has either met or heard of the rising star who, if elected, has the policy acumen, intellect and dynamic personality to become a U.S. senator in the next 10 years.

As Arata-Fratta's campaign biography indicates, it's difficult to find a sector of society that this proud mother, successful professional service woman and Fitchburg alder is not involved.

Whether District 47 voters elect Tony Hartmann or Julia Arata-Fratta, the future of this progressive, growing, and hyper-educated district looks bright.