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NARDELLI ENDORSED AS COUNTY EXEC  Thomas G. Nardelli, endorsed for County Executive by District Council 48 and its PEOPLE Committee, attended a large special session at AFSCME headquarters Sunday, March 10, to discuss issues with members (left) -- and to remind his supporters that this race will take place at a lightning gallop. Six candidates submitted enough valid signatures by the March 5 deadline to participate in the April 2 primary, which will be held in tandem with the general election. Then the top two finishers will face off in a special April 30 election.
Nardelli is currently City of Milwaukee alderman for the 15th District on the Northwest Side. Union leaders interviewed the leading candidates and examined their records. Nardelli came out on top as a "straight-shooter" and "an independent thinker" with considerable leadership experience to take Milwaukee County out of its current mess and into a future focused on service, not isolation and insulation. AFSCME District Council 48 has some 4,000 public employees on the county level, so this is a considerable endorsement and speaks directly to arguments that the union has raised for some time about county government being out of touch with its vast community, as well as often out of touch with the value of its employees and the work they do. District Council 48's March 1 endorsement of Nardelli was followed March 6 by the endorsement of the Milwaukee County Labor Council, AFL-CIO, which represents some 60,000 union workers living in the county (with 10,000 members, AFSCME is the largest of its groups). Rare in the annals of Wisconsin history has an election taken place so fast under such volatile circumstances. The limited campaign time is even more truncated in practical terms by the calendar position, with the primary coming right after Easter. Moreover, a dozen recall campaigns will be continuing in the middle of it all, plus there are crucial elections April 2 facing AFSCME candidates for the school board in the First District and city alderman in the 11th District. Plus there will be continuing upheavals over the governor's race around the corner in November, combined with Scott McCallum's attempts to cut state shared revenue to municipalities. All this has turned March into a cauldron of political activism, pulling focus this way and that. The traditional time labor leaders normally have to explain issues and motivate members, the traditional rules of campaigning -- all are out the window. This is happening now, and concerned citizens have to respond immediately. Nardelli was preparing to run for mayor of Milwaukee until members of the community approached him to take on the county executive race. Ironically, he and the other two top candidates in the county executive -- state Rep. Scott Walker (R-Wauwatosa) and Hales Corners Village President James Ryan -- are openly debating limiting or reducing the scope of the office they are running for, plus talking about cutting the size of the County Board of Supervisors. Wisconsin legislators are swiftly moving on bills that would allow that to happen. Details of how are understandably in short supply, which is why it's important to pick a county executive whose principles are clear and who is willing to talk to and work with people. Switching from a county executive to a county manager could mean taking power away from the voters for this position and putting more power in the hands of the County Board. Reducing the County Board has to happen in a way that doesn't reduce representation for the disadvantaged and minorities, not to mention working families. The timing of all this creates considerable continuity dilemmas for the community. The supervisors undergoing recall campaigns -- and many of these campaigns seem likely to acquire enough signatures to force special elections within weeks after the final election of the new county executive -- have to decide to resign or run, so the shape of the County Board that will work with the new county executive will be unclear for months. That's another reason why voters have to pick a candidate who doesn't flip-flop positions for political expedience. One already has. Walker, initially a backer of the governor's plans to eliminate shared revenue to local communities and a supporter of legislation to allow citizens to carry hidden firearms, seems to have reversed his views because these are two items that won't play well in the county race. Whether voters can absorb all these nuances in the short time frame is unclear, which raises the question: Why is this election taking place so quickly? When Tom Ament decided to resign, effective Feb. 21, in the wake of community outrage over the potential pension payouts to him and top aides, county election officials stopped counting recall petitions and decided to fold the county exec primary into the April 2 general election, on the theory that it would save considerable money compared to the costs of a separate primary and runoff. Well, after protests, they have resumed counting but they have held to the original election schedule. Strangely, though, it looks like the taxpayers will be absorbing the cost of several special supervisor elections -- which could also be primaries and runoffs taking place for months after the community decides on a new county executive. Because of Nardelli's long-planned mayoral ambitions, he entered the race with the largest campaign war chest of all the candidates -- $138,500 in political contributions. Ryan, a former county supervisor, has been picking up suburban and community support. Walker had a large financial base as well, about $82,000, and one considerable advantage in what is ostensibly a nonpartisan (no party label) race. He is a known Republican who will have the support of the Wisconsin GOP. That GOP also worked behind the scenes in the last month, according to many news reports, to convince other prominent Republicans to stay out of the race and give Walker a clear field. Nor can you discount the independent appeal of another candidate in the race: Milwaukee Public Schools official Tyrone Dumas. Council 48 and Nardelli have not always seen eye to eye on city union issues, but after interviewing the main candidates, District Council 48 endorsed Nardelli as the best qualified in the race because of his honesty and the most credible in straightforward dealings, managerial experience and policies. Nardelli, born on the Fourth of July in 1944 on the East Side of Milwaukee, has served as alderman since 1986, winning five elections in that process. He has also run for the county board. A graduate of Riverside High School, he retired from the Army Reserve with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He also worked as a radio announcer and traffic reporter for WTMJ Radio. A past president of the Italian Community Center and still active in both that center and Festa Italiana, he and his wife of 34 years, Marcia, have three grown children and attend St. Anthony Catholic Church.
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 OUR DUDZIK NEWSKEEPS GROWING Sometimes by happenstance stories keep building. Joseph Dudzik first came to our attention as a Community Profile last year in our AFSCME 48 newspaper, championing neighborhood associations. As that was happening, events led Dudzik to decide to run in the Feb. 19 primary as candidate for Alderman in the 11th District, and Feb. 19 he came in first and now faces police captain Susan Edman in the April 2 general election. On top of that, campaigning door to door turned Joe into media hero for several days in March.
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
READY TO SERVE? One way members can help Council 48 is to serve on the committees that help research and recommend policy, services and activities our union should get involved in. The work is important and rewarding. All members interested must have their names and relevant information (address, phone, local) submitted in writing, and here's how: If you are interested in serving on the Legislative Committee, please contact Denal Crawford at District Council 48, 3427 W. St. Paul Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53208. For other committees, use the same address to contact the president of our executive board, Paula Dorsey. Specify which committee(s) you're interested in. Among those Council 48 seeks members for are Buildings & Grounds, Community Services, Constitution, Organizing, Policy and Procedure, and the Women's Committee that helps organize service and charity events. You can also use our email to express and specify your interest. Just make sure to provide all the details in your message.
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BRUCE FISCHER Why is one dedicated parks worker both honored and isolated? Depending on your work experience, here's a story you'll find unbelievable or all too believable.
Fighting the budget battles
Fighting for mental health services
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TAKE THE PLEDGE How many members of your local have taken the pledge? No, we're not talking anything alcoholic. We're talking about an aggressive common sense push by union brothers and sisters to take effective action at a crucial moment, and the need for all of us to speak up on the issues right now. The AFSCME pledge is simple. For yourself and every member you can persuade, do three things: Call or email your state legislators and let them know you want shared revenue to municipalities to be maintained and even improved! Vote April 2 for Labor's endorsed candidates -- Tom Nardelli for County Executive, Louis Butler for Branch 9 Circuit Court, Annie Wacker for School Board in MPS District 1 and Joe Dudzik for Alderman, 11th District, City of Milwaukee. Attend a Local membership meeting in the month of April or May. This is practical membership involvement. It's high time to STAND UP AND BE COUNTED!
MORE WAYS TO HELP
ISSUES AND ANSWERS
How to contact City Aldermen, County Supervisors and Milwaukee-area state legislators.
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BRAVO, TANO!
OUR BUSY BOARDROOM
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© 2002 AFSCME District Council 48 Your e-mail feedback welcome!
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