Open Blog - Tuesday

Yummy.

New Weather Widget

The weather forecast on our sidebar now comes from the Weather Channel. Accuweather has changed their widgets and they are huge.

Local Loyalty - Sweet Flame

Today's edition of Local Loyalty

 is about a wonderful find at 335 Main Street, 

Sweet Flame, open Mon.-Sat., 10am-5pm.

Here is the link to their web site -

 

Sweet Flame

 

They are also on Facebook. 

I had the nicest visit with Tom, who owns it along with his wife, Sheila. 

When I 1st walked in, the atmosphere was so warm and inviting, and smelled simply yummy!  

Their 2 year birthday as a business there, was yesterday, 

the 8th of December. 

They offer an amazing variety of honey's, both local and from across the nation and the world. You can even taste and try many of the varieties they offer! Can't do that at the grocery store! Anything you want to know about each honey, they are your people.

 

They also carry some very unique foods from specialty places, and deal with them directly. That direct connection with the very people that make their products is really cool. 

Tom personally makes all the candles for the store, right there, in store - how cool is that? They are all natural wax, and well scented. He can custom color or scent any candle, tealight, votive or pillar, 

or even special order. 

When asked what three words he would use to describe their store, the answers were - 

Unique

Artisan

Handmade.

Next time you're downtown, try to make a point to stop in and check them out. You'll be glad you did, I sure am!!

      

 

Open Blog - Monday

Be careful out there.

Lovejoy Rising

I have posted lots of pics of Comet Lovejoy and managed to get up early enough this morning and brave the chilly Tucson (below freezing...don't judge northerners!) temps to take some shots.

Saguaro National Park east is about a 10 minute drive from where I live. I wanted some pics with some nice foreground objects so I hiked into the park a little bit to get to the first batch of big saguaros. I got several wide shots with a 35mm lens. I used a feature on my Skytracker that will track at only half the rate the stars move across the sky. I did this to split the difference between the land and sky, keeping both of them reasonably in focus with minimal blurring during the 20-30 second exposures I was using.

Of course I felt the need to put on the longer (250mm) zoom lens and try a two minute shot of the comet. The tail is developing nicely and covers several degrees of the sky.

Comet Lovejoy was visible to the naked eye and it is definitely brighter than M13, probably a little brighter than 5th magnitude. Easy and nice binocular target, naked eye under dark skies. For finder chart, Heavens Above is a good place. Just set it to the time you want to observe. 

I should note that Lovejoy is moving farther into the northern sky. For much of the continental U.S., it can be seen after sunset and before sunrise, although it is much higher in the sky and easier to see before sunrise. The farther north you are, the easier it is to see after sunset (although Mike Weasner got it after sunset from Oracle, just north of Tucson a few nights ago so anything Tucson or north is fair game for sure!)

I am enjoying this comet, but could the next one please be a good evening object?

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

Open Blog - Weekend

Maxine is a blast.

Four for Fridays

Hello everyone and welcome back! It has been a quiet week for me. Not much has been going on.... Could it be the weather? Anyways, here are your questions....

1) What cartoon do you still like watching?

2) Where is the funniest or the strangest place you have fallen asleep?

3) When was the last time you went barefoot in public?

4) What poems do you have committed to memory?

Enjoy your weekend!

Open Blog - Friday

Feel the love.

My kingdom for a spatula!

Which one of you wise guys hid or took my silverware during the move?  I have a fork, a butter knife, and a paring knife.  I've got dishes and bowls and pots and pans, but no utensils.  Well, that just keeps giving me an excuse to go to Top Dog Hot Dogs for food.  I hope I find my stuff before I go broke.

"Black Friday Shopping Chaos [Super Cut Compilation]"

Thanks to Racine Community Media for posting this video: http://racinecommunitymedia.tumblr.com/post/68618066660/black-friday-madness-a-video-montage-capturing

What have we become? 

Downtown Post Office Doesn't Pay Taxes

From Property Reports:

Why do Racine County taxpayers have to carry so many downtown properties on our backs?  Some of these businesses have owed taxes for years and years, and still nothing is done about it.  Lying John's friends play by a completely different set of rules than us..  Their tax debt is simply ignored while our services are cut and cut again.  I would be ashamed of bilking so many people out of so much money, but lying John's friends are proud of their crimes.

Read more: http://racinesales.wordpress.com/2013/12/05/mr-president-can-you-pay-your-taxes/

Party on, lying John!

Star Trails Over Kitt Peak

I have always wanted to try a star trails picture. A couple of weeks ago, I had an evening at Kitt Peak. The Moon was waxing gibbous and very bright and lit up the domes very nicely. I was with a group over by the 0.9 meter telescope so I set up my camera outside, programmed it to take 30 second exposures for a few hours, and went about my work.

I ended up with 162 pictures by the time we were getting ready to go. I made some adjustments in Lightroom to tame the bright sky and then imported them into a free program called StarStax. StarStax will add the individual images automatically and create the star trails picture for you. There are some options you can adjust, but it's pretty automated. Here is the result. 

Overall I am pretty pleased with the first attempt. I can spot a couple of flaws to clean up (and I would like to figure out where they came from, but I might have to look closely at 162 pictures to find the bloody things!) You can see the north star in its tight dance around the celestial pole and many other stars making nice trails. The lights of Tucsonare off to the right.

I have some old pics I used to make time lapses. I might go back and put together a few more of these from those old pics. 

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

"Downtown Racine Real Estate Prices Collapse"

From Racine Exposed:

Kenosha KOs Racine:

Racine property values go down hard.

But don't worry, because a solution has been found;

Life is great at the top.

Read all about it: http://racineexposed.wordpress.com/2013/12/04/downtown-racine-real-estate-prices-collapse/

How Do You Tell When the United States is Pissed at Your Country?

When you look up and see a Tomahawk Cruise Missile fly overhead.

A Tomahawk can be launched 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles) from its target.

It has surgical strike capabilities meaning it will hit its target and be accurate within 1 meter (39 inches) delivering 1,000lbs of explosives or nuclear warheads.

All this technology for the mirror price of $1 million dollars apiece!

WHO LET THE DOGS OUT

Open Blog - Thursday

Aw, that's cute.

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my movers and shakers!  How are you?  I’ve been helping Mr. OrbsCorbs settle into his new apartment.  There is so much stuff.  I think the boxes breed when we’re not looking.  I’m exhausted and I’m just tapping out a short blog for this week.

Our wounded warriors from Green Bay fell again on Thanksgiving Day.  O woe!  They will meet their next foe, the Atlanta Falcons, on Sunday at noon.  Arise from your wounds and maladies, dear Packers.  Massacre the Falcons.

In the Irregular Football League, we are already into our playoffs.   Of note is that Mr. OrbsCorbs’ Orbliterators have fallen into fifth place while my Screaming Psychics remain in second.  I predict a late surge that will result in Mr. Hale-Bopp’s Half-Astrophysicists dropping to second place.

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We should remember to give thanks more often.  An attitude of gratitude invariably snaps me out of the dumps.

Christmas is in the air.  The Salvation Army bell ringers have been out for weeks.  And there are the myriad displays of holiday lights.  Be sure to spend some time with someone that you love.  Like I love you.  Thank you for reading my blog

Have you been naughty or nice?   madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com

Stay warm and dry, my dears, to ward off colds and influenza.  Get your Christmas shopping done now to avoid the rush.  Bibliobibuli!        

Open Blog - Wednesday

Have a great hump day.

Open Blog - Tuesday

Enjoy your day.

Air Glow Over Kitt Peak

Another shot from my night on Kitt Peak a few days ago. This is a wide shot taken from the Visitor's Center. 

You can see the iconic McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope in the background and the sky glow from Tucson on the left. However, if you look on the right side of the image, you will notice a faint green glow and possibly even fainter red if you look close. This is a real phenomena called air glow. Due to air glow, the sky is never completely dark. Airglow occurs all over the sky but is usually more pronounced close to the horizon since you are looking through a thicker layer of atmosphere.

There are several sources of air glow. During the day, atoms in the upper atmosphere are ionized by sunlight. When the ionized atoms and electrons recombine, they give off light...and oxygen can give off green light in the process. Cosmic rays striking the upper atmosphere contribute to air glow as well. Finally, oxygen and nitrogen can react with hydroxyl ions in the upper atmosphere and give off light through a process called chemiluminescence. 

Air glow is not visible during the day as it far too faint. Even at night, you need to be in a very dark site to capture it. Thursday night was the first time I have captured this elusive phenomena.

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

Amazon.com Shipments

On Cyber Monday, Amazon.com is expecting (estimating) they will have sales placed at the rate of 300 orders per second.

They are also working on Drones to deliver orders.  The order must be placed within a 10 mile radius of distributions centers and 5lbs or less.

You place your order on the internet; pickers at the warehouse(s) will package the order and place it on a conveyor belt.  The belt will transport the package and stop under a Drone.  The Drone will then reach down clamp the package raise it up and fly to a given GPS coordinate or your house.  Come down in your yard, set the package on the ground and fly back to the distribution center.

Elapse time from placing order to delivery at your home…30 minutes.

They are looking at a start up time frame of 2015 - 2017.

Source: President of Amazon on 60 Minutes

Useless Information

Did you know:

 

Sales on Black Friday where down compared to last year but sales on Saturday were up 37% compared to last year.

Open Blog - Monday

Have a good day, mates.

Open Blog - Weekend

Take it easy.

Green Flashes from Chile

Sitting around Kitt Peak today, I had some extra time and went back and took care of something that has been on my to do list. I photographed a great sunset from Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory back in March. I wanted to animate all the pics so you could see the progression of green flashes. I finally did that today and am pleased with the results.

This animation is roughly real time so they move fairly quickly. You can watch the green flashes (yes, plural) break off the Sun, move away and disappear. Look at the last green flash...do you see other colors as it vanishes? I recommend checking this one out full screen!

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

An Open Letter From Comet Lovejoy

Dear Earthlings,

I see you have been really excited about Comet ISON. There was a lot of hype about it being the "Comet of the Century", "Brighter than the full Moon" and a "Once in a lifetime experience".  I am happy my comet brother seems to have survived his close pass to the Sun. I wish ISON nothing but the best.

However, I can't help but feeling a little ignored over here. I know I was only discovered on September 7th so maybe I kind of snuck up on you. I was originally only forecast to reach 8th magnitude according to Universe Today so maybe people thought you would need a big telescope to see me.

But hey, I have been working hard to put on a good show for you and I don't feel like anyone is paying much attention to me. I have brightened up a lot more than expected and can be seen with the naked eye from a moderately dark site. I bet most city dwellers could find me with binoculars without too much difficulty. Heck, you can even photograph me with off the shelf cameras. Look at this shot from this morning taken with a Canon 60D and Ef-s 55-250mm zoom lens. Okay, he used an iOptron Skytracker to take a longer exposure, but I think I am looking pretty good here!

Come on, look at that tail! If you look close, I think you can tell there are two tails!

I am about at my brightest and best right now. I am going to start slowly fading as I get farther away from Earth but I think you have a few more weeks to take a shot at seeing me. I am hanging below the handle of the Big Dipper right now, one of the easiest things to find in the sky. Here is a finder chart from Heavens Above to help you out. Change the date and time if you need to because I move quick!

Okay, I am a morning Comet so you will have to get that strong cup of coffee when you come to see me. It will be worth it. The Moon is a slender crescent now and not too bright so it doesn't interfere with seeing me. The Moon will be new December 2nd and move into the evening sky leaving me in a pristine, dark morning sky, the perfect time to check me out!

So, do we have a date? I would love to meet you all before I leave. I mean "Love" is right there in my name! I won't be back for about 8,000 years or so and it would break my heart not to meet you.

Sincerely,

Comet Lovejoy

Repritned with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

Four for Fridays

Hello everyone and welcome back! Black Friday, my day off from work as part of my Thanksgiving vacation. Nice to sleep in for a change and get some rest. Anyways, your questions.

1) Have you ever gone shopping on Black Friday?

2) What the closest you have been to a lightning strike?

3) What meal is your mother's best?

4) What MOVIE comes to mind when you think of the 2000's?

Enjoy your weekend!

Open Blog - Friday

Hear, hear!

Open Blog - Thanksgiving

May we all give thanks for our blessings.

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my symmetrical snowflakes!  How are you?  I was in traffic the other day when the snow was falling.  It really wasn’t that much, but all of the drivers forgot how to drive in snow.  I’ve noticed that happens every year.  They have to relearn it.  The Journal Times even had a story on it: http://journaltimes.com/news/local/accidents-abound-as-snow-falls/article_7ce0f81c-55f3-11e3-900e-001a4bcf887a.html  The snow caught me by surprise.  I arrived at my appointment a little late.  At least I arrived.  A lot of vehicles ended up in fender benders or ditches.  Now I will allow myself more time for driving depending on weather and road conditions.  Now I start taking baby steps across snow and/or ice to keep my posterior upright.  Now I light candles, but still curse the darkness. 

A tie is not as bad as a loss, but it’s not as good as a win.  It’s kind of a numeric limbo.  Our gallant and glorious Green Bay Packers fought to a tie with the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday.  I believe that if our team’s injuries were all to heal magically, no one could stop the Pack.  As it is, I’m proud of our gladiators for giving as good as they got.  Tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, the peerless Packers take on the Detroit Lions at 11:30 AM.  May a spirit of gratitude give Green Bay the attitude that it needs to defeat the Lions.  Go Pack!

In the Irregular Football League, the standings remain the same.  I think that perhaps Mr. hale-bopp is using his scientific wizardry to give himself an edge.  Isn’t that cheating?  I dabble in a little wizardry myself.  Perhaps I should apply some to the IFL.

As some of you may already know, famed psychic Sylvia Browne died last week.  I don’t wish to disrespect anyone’s passing, but she was much more fame than psychic.  To her credit, her faithful fans followed her even after her “psychic powers” were shown to be fraudulent on a number of occasions.  She kept the con going and she kept the con big.  I wish her well in her next life.  I’ll bet she’s already sizing up the marks and cooking up a scheme.  St. Peter, check your watch and wallet after dealing with her.  Oh my.

Señor Zanza, Junior and I are going to Señor Zanza’s parents’ home for Thanksgiving dinner.  Oh my, oh my.  I haven’t met the Zanzas before.  I’m all nervous and worried.  Physician, heal thyself.  Hah!  If I drink any of my tonics to calm my nerves, I’ll be semi-comatose at dinner.  I’ll just have to load up on whatever alcohol they serve.  Or maybe bring a couple of flasks if they don’t.  Junior is anxious to go because Señor Zanza has a couple of daughters from his first marriage who are coming to dinner.  I look forward to meeting them and finding out more about this first marriage that I haven’t heard about until recently. 

Here’s an oldie but a goodie with the late Mr. Johnny Carson reading children’s recipes for cooking a Thanksgiving turkey:

I know it shows my age, but I laughed and laughed at that.  Mr. Carson was special.

Thank you my dears for reading my blog and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  As we give gratitude and break bread with our loved ones, we join millions of others in the family of man.  We are many and we are one.

How to pluck a turkey and other cons of the trade:  madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com

Enjoy the holiday.  Don’t eat too much.  Don’t get trampled on Black Friday.  Don’t forget to help Mr. OrbsCorbs this Saturday if you can.  Happy Irregular Thanksgiving!  I love you all. Gambrinous!

Open Blog - Wednesday

Thank you very much.

"Hey, Blockhead! Aluminum Christmas trees regain their shine -- at least for a while"

From JSOnline:



By Meg Jones of the Journal Sentinel

"Madison — Lucy Van Pelt coveted one in the Peanuts Christmas special. So did apparently a million people who bought an Evergleam to turn their living room into a space-age winter wonderland.

"Like a TV antenna's wad of tinfoil magically coming to life, aluminum Christmas trees sparkled and glowed in living rooms and front windows during their heyday in the 1960s and '70s. No need to traipse out to a tree lot and wrestle one home tied to the car roof. No needles littering the carpet. No need to worry about the family dog drinking out of the stand.

"Then, like any fad, they wore out their yuletide welcome and were forgotten in attics, tossed out in the trash or sold at garage sales for 50 cents.

"Now, they're hip again in a retro 'Mad Men' way. And sought after. Some aluminum Christmas trees are selling for $1,000 on eBay.

"Tapping into nostalgia for a time when Christmas trees looked as silvery and shiny as an astronaut, the Wisconsin Historical Society Museum is opening an exhibit on Tuesday featuring 20 Wisconsin-made aluminum trees.

"Billed as the largest public exhibition of Evergleam aluminum Christmas trees, the exhibit will include rare 2-foot tabletop trees, a selection of 4-, 6- and 8-foot aluminum trees, accessories such as rotating tree stands and multicolored light wheels as well as advertising and packaging. The exhibit also includes trees in gold, green and even pink — the holy grail of Evergleams. Because few people bought pink trees, few were made, which now makes them very rare and valuable."

Read more from Journal Sentinel: http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/hey-blockhead-aluminum-christmas-trees-regain-their-shine-b99150445z1-233393661.html#ixzz2ljEKG8F6
Follow us: @JournalSentinel on Twitter

We never had one of these, but I knew people who did.  A spotlight with a color wheel was a must have accessory.

Next week, flocking.

Open Blog - Tuesday

It's good to share with friends.

Do Not Forget!

AAA issues warning not to use E15 gas coming to your gas station

Very good article, a must watch...SER

 

Local Loyalty - The Summit Restaurant

This is becoming quite an interesting journey, for me!

This week's interview was with Brian,  

general manager of The Summit Restaurant.

Click here to check out their site 

We had a really nice visit with quite a twist, we're almost related!

That made for an interesting time, but I digress...

There have been many cool changes in decor. We went there a couple months back and I was just mesmerized by the interior décor. It's very beautiful yet not hoity toity. The feel of this restaurant is casual to fine dining. Many updates and improvements have been made to include really nice outdoor dining as well. 

When asked what 3 words he would use to describe The Summit, 

the answers were - Contemporary, Cool, and Unique. I concur!

His goal is for The Summit to be the place to be. He's doing an amazing job. 

There will be many upcoming events in the near future as well as many planned for the upcoming year. Check out their website as well as finding them on Facebook.  Through the website, you can sign up for email updates for upcoming events.

Just a few highlights of things to come -  

Wine tasting events, steak special nights,

 live music and much more. 

I HAD to ask about the giant steer, 

who called their parking lot home for a few months. 

His name is USDA-licious, love it!

 He's currently hanging out in Milwaukee near the airport 

but will return to our fair town again. 

 He time-shares between 2 brothers and their restaurants.

 I do miss him!

Stop in and give them a try, I'm sure you'll love it! 

 

Open Blog - Monday

The same to you, Betty.

Useless Information

Did you know:


Jack Ruby, who shot Lee Harvey Oswald tried to comment suicide by sticking his finger in an electrical socket!

"Trash Can Guitarist- Cambridge England"

You have to pay your dues before you hit the big time.

The earliest video that I've seen of him was posted in 2008. The latest was this year. It must pay off decently.

"Detroit Fire Commissioner: Let it Burn"

Thanks to Property Reports for posting this video: http://racinesales.wordpress.com/2013/11/20/slums-of-racine-ii/

Five hundred arsons a month!  Detroit is literally hell on Earth.  

Open Blog - Weekend

Have fun.

Morris Schwartz

Morris Schwartz is on his deathbed, knows the end is near, is with his nurse, his wife, his daughter and 2 sons. "So", he says to them:

     "Bernie, I want you to take the Beverly Hills houses."

     "Sybil, take the apartments over in Los Angeles Plaza."

     "Hymie, I want you to take the offices over in City Center."

      "Sarah, my dear wife, please take all the residential buildings downtown."

      The nurse is just blown away by all this, and as Morris slips away, she says , "Mrs. Schwartz, your husband must have been such a hard working man to have accumulated all this property".

      Sarah replies, "Property? What property?  The schmuck had a paper route!"

"First Person POV of Tornado Strike"

Like the guy says, "Holy Moly!" That's astonishing. Poor Josie.

"Black Friday bargain hunters pitch tents outside of Ohio Best Buy 10 DAYS early"

"A group of hard-core bargain hunters has already lined up outside at least one Best Buy for Black Friday sales.

"The dedicated shoppers set up three large tents outside the big-box store in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, a whopping 10 days before the annual post-Thanksgiving shopping spree that sends hordes of customers scrambling for deals.

"They’re waiting in comfort, with tents rigged with generators, flat-screen TVs, microwaves, heaters and mattresses.

"Jonas Allooh had the honor of being in first in line on Monday, the Akron Beacon Journal reported.

"The next day, he was joined by Tony Avitar, who was first in line last year."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/black-friday-bargain-hunters-line-10-days-early-ohio-article-1.1525737#ixzz2lQejS6Fr

I don't understand people.

???????????

You know any LOCAL newspapers that remind you of this?

"Woman loses her mind at McDonalds"

Wow! That's why I don't use the drive-thru.

Racine Politics

This song reminds me of Racine politics

John F. Kennedy

RIP JFK

50 Years ago today

 

 

Four for Fridays

Hello everyone and welcome back! Overtime, overtime and more overtime.... Been working too much lately. My bones are getting tired. Anyways, your questions.....

1) Have you ever lost your credit card or driver's license?

2) Have you ever gone to work sick?

3) Do you think the changes in the entertainment industry are for the better or worse?

4) What MOVE comes to mind when you think of the '90's?

Enjoy your weekend!

Open Blog - Friday

TGIF.

"Volvo Trucks - The Epic Split feat. Van Damme (Live Test 6)"

Hot Damme!

Useless Information

Did you Know:

Robert F. Stroud, The Bird Man of Alatza never had any birds while on the Rock.

All his work with birds was done while he was imprisoned at Leavenworth.

Open Blog - Thursday

Hey, it's Spider-Man.

"BATKID SAVES SAN FRANCISCO"

"Batkid: Thousands cheer on pint-size superhero"

"After fighting off cancer, capturing the hearts of a city was a cinch.

"Five-year-old Miles Scott - a.k.a. Batkid - lived out his wish of becoming a caped crusader Friday, quashing a crime spree in his pint-size superhero suit as San Francisco became Gotham City. Thousands of volunteers and spectators stopped what they were doing to take part.

"People cheered as Miles buzzed by in a Lamborghini Batmobile. News crews gave chase as the boy rescued a damsel tied to cable-car tracks. Social media lit up with cheers.

"Even President Obama took a break from defending his health care law to say in an online video, 'Way to go, Miles. Way to save Gotham.'

"'In a world where we keep hearing about shootings and muggings, to have our city come together like this is unbelievable,' said Jason Dorn, 43, who navigated the thick crowds.

"The Make-A-Wish Foundation has often arranged elaborate gifts for kids with life-threatening diseases - but never at this scale, said Patricia Wilson, the foundation's Bay Area head.

"Wilson had originally hoped a few hundred volunteers would support Miles, who lives in Tulelake (Siskiyou County) and is in remission from leukemia. But more than 12,000 signed up.

"They saw Police Chief Greg Suhr - playing Commissioner Gordon - lend his forces to Batkid, who thwarted a bank robbery and rescued Lou Seal, the San Francisco Giants' mascot.

"By the afternoon, the San Francisco offices of the U.S. attorney and the FBI had joined in the theater, indicting the Riddler and the Penguin. Mayor Ed Lee gave Miles a key to the city made of chocolate.

"Elisa Haidt, 37, and Amy Jackson, 32, had tears in their eyes. They had worked with Tripit, a travel website and Make-A-Wish partner, to plan a flash mob dance in Union Square to Journey's 'Don't Stop Believin'.'

"They said Miles' enthusiasm was contagious.

"'We were here to cheer on Miles, but Miles also helped us,' Haidt said."

Read more: http://www.sfchronicle.com/batkid/#/0

What a wonderful story.

CI"RACINE ALDERMEN VOTE TO GIVE MAYOR, CITY ADMINISTRATOR AND MAYOR’S ASSISTANT ALL PAY RAISES!!!"

From Racine Community Media:

"RACINE- The aldermen of the City Of Racine have voted to approve raises totaling over $30K for the Mayor, Administrator and assistant!! As the documents from the 2014 city budget show, there are 3 employees including the mayor himself, each one of the 3 employees are raking in approx $129,777.00!!!!! There is a clear raise from $276,993.00 in administrative salaries in 2013, to the new and improved $307,343.00 in 2014, that’s an over $30K raise for the mayor’s office!!!! Don’t worry though, none of your elected officials or aldermen even questioned this move!! What the aldermen of Racine “DID DO” however is raise your property taxes 2.2 percent and also raise the recycling fee an additional $5 because the city is broke, they also raised the storm water fees for residents up an additional $7.51!!!!!!"

Read more: http://racinecommunitymedia.tumblr.com/post/67572136608/city-of-racine-aldermen-vote-to-give-mayor-city


I guess lying John doesn't feel our pain.  He's giving raises to himself and staff while destroying our city.  What a monster Dickert is.  The taxpayers pay more and more for less and less.  The administration has said repeatedly that we are broke.  Yet, somehow, they find a way to reward lying John and his pals for their malfeasance.  $100K salaries for jobs that require no more than a high school diploma.  Meanwhile, Dickert pisses on us, cuts our services, and raises our taxes while flying overseas on our dime.

Why don't lying John's pals have to pay proerty taxes?  Why are the rest of us forced to susidize tax cheats?

Party on, lying John!