The Way I See It!

It is unbelievable that the city would let this opportunity slip through their fingers! There is an underlying agenda here...it is obvious that McCue makes decisions based solely on his feelings, not those of the city. Of course, there are people who don't support this, but come on, Cudahy is a working community who needed these jobs, these taxes to our city and a place for us to shop at with competitive prices. THIS is what our community is about! Now that McCue has squashed this, he better get on the ball and find some other venture who can bring something to the table worthly of Cudahy!

What is so sad, it when people drive by this rusted piece of junk, they just accept that as the "norm" in Cudahy, after all, it's been there for a long time. You can't just patch it up like it is a hole in the wall. It's a big, ugly, rusted piece of failure, not just the Iceport, but Cudahy for allowing this to happen.

McCue, you better get something done about this soon!

We have a mayor who doesn’t understand a thing of what the citizens wants are just his own personal feelings towards Wal-Mart.  He didn’t even have the honor or respect to talk to the residents after his motion.  He just walked out making a b-line for the back door.

We can do better, that is for Mayor.  Someone start up the recall.  Maybe if we replace him quick enough Wal-Mart will not make a move to St. Francis or South Milwaukee.

Here is a readers comments from email.  Keep them going people!

I was at the meeting last night and wanted to let you know that I agree with the article that you wrote this morning.  What happened was a travesty, and the manner in which the aldermen conducted themselves was embarrassing.  

In your article, you mention to contact the mayor to let him know our feelings.  I wanted to share an e-mail with you that I sent to him on April 10 regarding this issue.  I was shocked when I never received a response, or even a form letter of some sort, saying "thank you for your comments.”  Given that, when he was running for mayor, I allowed him to come into my home, talk to my wife and I, and place a yard sign in front of our house, that was especially appalling.  So, I seriously doubt that he will care about any further feedback that he receives.  Believe me, if he runs for re-election, he will not receive any positive treatment from me.  Both my wife and I are extremely disappointed in how he seems to have forgotten how he got to the position he's in, and would not receive our support in any re-election or recall bid.

I know that my wife intends to send him a follow-up note today, again voicing our displeasure; but I seriously doubt it will matter, or that it will even be acknowledged.

Mr. McCue:

As a resident of Cudahy, and strong supporter of your mayoral election bid, I have been watching with keen interest the process of approving/rejecting the latest Cudahy Station plan.  Given how the process is going, I felt that you should be aware of how one of your constituents feels.

I was strongly opposed to the Iceport idea, and felt that it would have been a giant white elephant for the city, had it been built.  I was thrilled when it did not happen, and excited to hear that you had a new vision for the city and for that site.

At first, when I heard about the proposal to build a Wal-Mart on that site, I was quite skeptical.  However, after giving it more thought, I strongly believe that it's the right move for the City of Cudahy.

The proposal, as it's been laid out, sounds like it would bring a large number of people into Cudahy. People from all over the South Shore who would shop at the Wal-Mart.  People from all over the Southeastern Milwaukee area who would use the soccer facility.  Those items, along with the promise of further development in the way of a potential hotel, restaurant, and other stores, would bring in a large amount of jobs and tax revenue.  And while they're not high paying jobs, in today's economy any job growth is a positive.

Additionally, it sounds as if they are willing to take on a lot of the bill to aid in the cleanup of the site, thus helping to remove that burden from the City.  Given how high taxes are already, that has to be a huge positive point in favor of this proposal as well.

I've heard that this proposal wouldn't be a "destination", and that it doesn't go in line with what the image of Cudahy should be.  I strongly disagree, and think that those statements are unrealistic.  There are a number of booming suburban areas, middle and high class included, where Wal-Marts are being built.  Consumers from all over the South Shore would come in to spend their money and find out more about our city.  Additionally, I doubt that it could cast a negative light on Cudahy.  In fact, given what seems to be the general stereotype of what Cudahy is and stands for (small taverns with low-income patrons, high crime, etc.), it's a step up.  While I don't agree necessarily with that image, I think we need to be realistic and realize that is the image that many people have.

If we pass this opportunity up, without another realistic option for a comparable or better offer, it will be regretted for years.  If there are other, realistic plans out there, they should be communicated to the public. I, for one, would definitely be open to other possibilities.  But, given how long the potential of this site has gone untapped, and how much money our city is losing in development costs, not to mention the eyesore factor, the time to act is now. It's a solid proposal that would, no doubt, attract consumers into Cudahy. It's time for the city to move forward and act, rather than wait for another option which may never come.

If we pass up on this opportunity, it will be very difficult for my wife and I justifying to stay in Cudahy when we look to move; while other cities in the area are moving forward, our city seems stuck in the mud, waiting for unknown opportunities that may never happen.  If another option is possible, let us know.  Otherwise, move the city forward now.

Thank you for your time and feedback.

I just can't believe it!!!!!!  Obviously no alderperson or even the mayor drive down Layton Ave and see that wonderful "iceport shell" because it is digusting and they wonder why other communities laugh at the City of Cudahy, how embarassing.  I hope that there is a recall for the mayor because he will definitely be leaving the mayor office real fast.  He must enjoy taxes going up every year.  Cudahy is a working class community and we are proud of that.  So we get other people from the other communities to come into Cudahy to shop at Wal-Mart my feeling is that all the other businesses that people have to pass to get to Wal-Mart would also benefit but I guess the mayor or alderperson were not listening to want the People of Cudahy wanted.  START THE RECALL FOR NOT ONLY THE MAYOR BUT ALSO THE ALDERPERSONS and find someone that is speaking for the City of Cudahy and not for themselves.

Gee,  I wonder why everyone is suprised.  If you look at the mayor's web page he did not want a Wal-mart.  Cooler heads need to prevail.  If you remember the ball is in Continental's court.  What is their plan B.

None.  It is obvious the city nee the Mayor doesn’t want to work with them.  They could have said yes and made the changes after.  Wal-Mart and the Wave will move just outside the Cudahy border and watch the open arms.  I am told it will not be long.  Other near by cities has inquired on them.  Cudahy has a Mayor with a misconnection to the people of the city.

Randy,

   One thing you have to admit is that land is cursed.  It seems that any developement or proposal comes to a strange end.

Yes, you are right, it is cursed!  I think too many people place that land too high on a pedestal.  If you listen between the lines of the Master Plan person, the downtown is expanding to include Pennsylvania and Layton it is moving WEST.  Maybe the Mayor can use eminent domain to take over the houses around that area and just make an even larger downtown.

I was told people are just lining up for that land.  Let us watch.

I wish I knew how many emails and calls the Mayor was getting today about the dissatisfaction of his decision last night.

The Question last night was not for Wal Mart or against Wal Mart like Randy would have you believe. The question last night was would the City of Cudahy finally act by considering long tern planing, or would it only continue to re-act to one short term problem by creating two new long term problems. The other question last night was could SPORTSITES LLC, the present owner of the land in question, "sell" the citizens of Cudahy not only his dream of the "ICEPORT" but now the $12.9 million taxpayer backed bailout of his fiasco. To answer the second question first, the new Cudahy Station proposal was deeply flawed from day one, no one can develop this site unless the over $12 million in SPORTSITES LLC debt is paid before even one cent can be used to build anything, or Cudahy must foreclose on the land. It was only because of this fact that Continental was brought in to represent SPORTSITES LLC interests, and that Wal Mart and the MILWAUKEE Wave were proposed for this site. The City of Cudahy only collects $7 million per year in total taxes to run the operations of the entire city. Presently, Cudahy has some of the highest taxes in the State. Why would adding the equivilent of about $4,000 per family in new additional taxes to help WAL MART and the MILWAUKEE Wave come to this particular site, help the citizens more than hurt them?

The answer to the first question is much more important. The City of Cudahy has one of the most deluted and spread out business districts for a small city our size. Cudahy never did enforce any long term planning of our business districts and thus we ended up with the hodge podge of businesses that line miles of Packard Ave, Layton Ave and parts of Pennsylvania Ave. There is only a few places where the density is high enough to really atTract and retain businesses. Way too much of it is only one, two or 3 business in an entire block. As the Lopez Backery in Cudahy found out, you can not just bring a good business to a new city, without carefully researching the surrounding businesses. There were no related businesses near the Lopez Backery that complimented its business and it folded. Cudahy is lettered with used Car dealers for much the same reason. The City has all these various properties zoned business, but there is realy no other retail businesses nearby, so the only people willing to rent the property ends up a used car dealer.

Now Cudahy has invested over $20 million of taxpayer dollars already in an attempt to change the Cudahy Downtown area into a pedestrian friendy area.  The City already has the existing plan for the automoble driven business district to be along Pennsylvania Ave, and has invested millions in the corresponding developments that area. All this taxpayer money would have been wasted if Wal Mart was developed at Cudahy Station along with the $12.9 Bailout of SPORTSITES LLC.

The claim that the new proposal for Cudahy Station, was not materially different than that proposed for Lakeport Village (ICEPORT) is also wrong. That project was going have nearly 4 times as much sport facility and resulting draw to the city, than this new one. The old project was going limit any retail space to a size less than 25% that of the sports facility. The new porposal reverses this so that main draw is only a small percentage of the major retail presence. The site plan clearly goes from a few small secondary retail developements helping support a major sport facility, to almost all retail with only about a quarter of the land and value being deducated to a sports facility.

In like manner, the city must at the least plan for KLM. It would be a gigantic waste of taxpayers money to invest in the wrong developments today just to get something done, if tomorrow the city must tear eveything down and start all over again in just 5, 10, or even 15 years. As presently proposed, the KLM Station for Cudahy and Mitchell field is to be located on the railroad line just south of Layton Ave. This means that trains will be parked 50 ft from Layton and will have to start off and slow down right accoss Layton and Barnard Avenues. This inconvience of shoppers in Cudahy Downtown area would have been in addition to all the additional car and truck trafic that a new Wal Mart right there would have generated. Also the new KLN would require another large parking lot within blocks of the large Wal Mart and large Patrick Cudahy Parking lots. There would have been acres and acres of asphalt in the hear of our city.

The vote last nigh does not mean that Wal Mart is not wanted in Cudahy, but it does mean that the city wants to put Wal Mart where it would best serve our city's long term needs. While I personally still have a problem with the major public taxpayer financed "draw to the City of Cudahy", having the name of the local city that is our greatest competator, the MILWAUKEE Wave was not driven from the city either. Moreover, when they come back, I would recommend that they also bring along a plan that reduces the taxpayer subsidy of their building to less than 70% of their package.

Joe Henika

PS. The SPORTSITES LLC debt has never been paid. The creaditor, other than the City of Cudahy have both discounted their debt, and changed it to unsecured from the lein interest they used to have, in order to entice the City of Cudahy go forward with the $12,9 million bailout. They only got paid a penny once Cudahy walked away from our $6.3 Million first mortgage, which will not now happen.

SPORTSITES LLC owns the land and the shell. The courts have ordered SPORTSITES LLC to take the shell down. They just do not want to do it.

There was a contractor at last nights meeting who contacted me about how he should go about PAYING THE CITY TO REMOVE AND SALVAGE THE STEEL from "ICEPORT". Unfortunately, without SPORTSITES co-operation, nothing much in going to be done until the city gets its land back. Sportsites LLC and Continental had over 10 months to open the court orders (2 seperate orders) and show some real good will toward the City of Cudahy, but they not your elected officials decided to leave it up instead.

As you pointed out earlier the City of Cudahy has spent nearly $5 million dollars to clean up the Sportsites site and had a completion letter from  nearly issued, just before the SPORTSITES financing failed. While there is still some enviromental problems on the site, by far the worst pollution has been cleaned up. Again, if Sportsites and Continental truely wanted to show they had the best interests of the Citizens of Cudahy at heart, they had 10 months to put up the required fences. How do you explain they didn't do so?

PPS Cudahy has been one of the top 5 fastest growing citys in Milwaukee County for 4 years now. Cudahy will continue to grow with or without Wal Mart and the MILWAUKEE Wave, However, it is time that the citizens of Cudahy come to CDA meetings and tell the city leaders, what they want for the city, where they want it, and how much they are willing to pay for it. These meetings seldon have even one non-participate citizen attend to just observe, let alone any real public imput. Yet they control how millions of taxpayers' dollars are spent each year

I am sure Joe Henika will be smiling while he chimes in on how happy he is.  In fact he just sent up his reply.  One thing people, his tax number he keeps talking about $2,832.32, just about doubled last night while talking with people.  How can that be?

I don’t have to explain why fences were and are not up around all of the site, not just the rusting ice rink (did the city put that up?).  It is the city leaders who have failed the people again.  You try and razzle dazzle people with numbers, but the money spent on infrastructure no matter who ends up with the site, needed to be done and is not a waste!  Can you get off that amount.

This is and was about Wal-Mart and the members who had a problem with them voted NO.  It is that plain and simple.  

Almost 400 views just today.

I am not going to post today’s “To copy or not to copy” post since this one needs to stay up all of today.  Sorry for the updates, but I had to rush home, read to my daughter, help put her to bed and come down and write this one out.  Normally I like to dump the voice recorder and makes notes from it.  I have it in mp3 format and I am looking at getting a website to upload them so you can download them and listen for yourself.  In the past, the Mayor has questioned me on things I state, but I will be dropping off a cd with them on for him so he can hear the same things I did.  He rushed out last night so I could not give him His state of the address and last plan commission meeting disk.

For some reason the software, to convert audio to type is not working correctly.  The software company blames it on Vista, I also installed it on XP, and then they claim it is office 2003 causing the problems.  You have to love software companies.

If any big updates come in I will update the title to let you know.

Please share the blog with everyone you know who would like to be informed.

Nearing the 500 mark!

Funny how Joe talks about the money, when the money last night was not the issue at hand.  The money was already approved by the CDA!  And more discussions about money would take place when the CDA would meet with them again.

It was truly about Wal-Mart!  What person would for go 500,000 visitors?  McCue that is who.  

It was about the use of the land, not money.

It was about the site plan, not money.

The commission didn’t bring up money.  It was all Wal-Mart that is for sure.

Nearing 600 mark.

This story right here is why Cudahy will always be Cudahy. The city that stood still and that time forgot.  Perpetual loserdum, congratulations...

Randy,

    Recall is not the answer.  If many of you remember the mayor was not infavor of the Wal-mart.  I know many want to make an issue of it and they have their right.  Only recall is not the answer.  Shouting and name calling will have the person tune you out.  Cudahy is in an interesting position.  We have land for developement.  How best can we use it is the real question.  

When has the Mayor been in tune?  Yes, he was not for Wal-Mart, but for personal reasons.  Not what is best for the city nor what the people want.

Recall is the answer, what has he done in the year.  Please someone tell me something HE did.  Not something, he just voted on, but something.  We would be better off with someone like Joseph Mikolajczak.  At least he will put his name and stick his neck out.

Has he done anything on the slumlords issue?  What has he done?  He doesn’t communicate and is a classic politician.

When given something like a K9 unit, he has to be 100% sure.  Remember he was only 98% sure and needed more time.  Do you know what we can do if we have one?  Better yet, do you know what we are missing not having one?

I was preaching in older blogs to give McCue the benefit of the next two years, but it is oblivious he cannot govern with a clear head and only is making decisions based on personal beliefs.

With a recall, people can judge McCue more fairly then he allowed the Wal-Mart and Wave Center with votes.

People don’t think I am being evil here, but what has McCue done as Mayor?  Is he a Mayor in title only?  What does he stand for besides against Wal-Mart?

Mayor McCue the Enigma is what one of my blogs should be.

I am not going to be spending more time looking for things, they just happen.  I am not the leader of the recall, but I person who will support it.

I hope whom ever comes forward, they are young, fired up and ready to go poised to flex voting muscle.  Showing the engagement, we are looking for from our youth.  They represent the true future of Cudahy.  Not McCue, Smith, and even Me.

They do!

I try and balance out my blogs with a gamete of topics.  

This is a bad decision and does not help Cudahy and shows the rest of corporate America as well as small business that Cudahy is not business friendly. I have found this out first hand since I opened City Lounge. I have been given a hard time about some of the most silly things. I can't have a tent over my beer garden so patrons don't get wet. I was charged double permit fees and forced to hire a HVAC engineer for something the prevoius owner(my father did) not me. Forced to take my neon sigs out of my upstairs windows.(Why, to keep the dark, dreary, uninviting feel to Layton Ave.??? I constantly am being questioned on who Fabulous Fandango Inc., III Dachshunds Beer & Cider and Halser Properties LLc., are, seeing that I have all of these businesses listed on my door window(which I also was forced to get approval for the window decals. These are all just my legal corporations that I formed and use the upstairs of my own building for. Are they worried that two many businesses are popping up?? I had to prove to them that the offices were for my business. What is the problem over here??????? I have never felt so uncomfortable and unwelcomed. Do they want me to close my doors?? Do they not want outsiders?? I regret my decision to open a business in Cudahy! I will close my doors if things keep going this way!! I have a thriving business but do not need the hassle. How about a big for sale sign on the City Lounge? Is that what they want? Walmart would of helped Cudahy not hurt. You cannot possibly hurt Cudahy more than it is alreadt hurting. It is dead and backward, made fun of, and disrespected. Wake up.

Nail on the head!  It might be the nail in the coffin as well for Cudahy!!! Thank you Mayor!!!! I am not sure if I was one of the “simply misguided mouthpieces” that a reader emailed me to tell me a Mayor Thank You was posted in the forum was mentioned. Nearing 1000 views today.  Keep it going people.

I know what the city can put on the land July 2nd when it gets the land back.  Pave it all with assfault (spelled wrong on purpose) and the city could build a museum to all the things that were on the land and could have been.  Land of broken dreams.

It was a dream of mine, an American dream to shop the Cudahy Wal-Mart.  Now we have the nightmare.

Randy Hollenbeck writes at CudahyNow on cities deciding some stores just aren't, well, correct -

What business wants to come here that is better? You can't just want something better. You have to have a willing business. I will be the first to be happily wrong if something better does come along, but how much longer can this city wait? How many more businesses will fail and leave Cudahy until something better comes along? How many other cities would have turned this down? Listen, I quite honestly don't know why they even want to build there. The property isn't a beautiful piece of property and really isn't good for much! They were taking a big eyesore and problem off the city's hands. It's not like we're talking about lakefront property here.??? Way to big of deal made over nothing!! It just boggles the mind. Why not have a referendum and let the people decide.? I'm worried about the gangs, drugs, thugs, criminals, rooming houses, slumlords, vandals, graffitti and litter, not WALMART. Time to stop wasting time and overthinking WALMART and focus on the truly bad things in Cudahy.

I was at a Soccer Tournament this weekend.  Guess what I saw.  Thousands of people, grandparents, parents, kids, friends, and a whole lot of dollar signs being flashed about.  Well done Cudahy.  Way to keep up with the South Milwaukees of the world!  

Mayor McClueless, why is WalMart good enough for Franklin, and other suburbs, but not Cudahy?

  Mr. Halser  the issue of gangs, drugs, thugs, criminals and rooming houses are being addressed.  There is a proposal for a K 9 unit sitting on the mayor's desk. We have a new police chief Tom Poellot who is taking the fight to the thugs (sorry to offend the scumbags). And with rooming houses a rooming tax which was passed in 2006 is being enforced.  Crime has been neglected for many years and is being addressed.  

    As for Wal-mart it was shot down in Muskego. The reasons were the usual.  

Ironman – It is like I know you, but Why is it just sitting on the Mayor’s desk and how long has it been there?

The Muskego Wal-Mart was not shot down “Muskego plan commissioners delayed action on a site plan for a Wal-Mart Supercenter near Moorland Road and College Avenue after raising concerns about sound, the design and landscaping.”

It was not the usual reasons “Commissioner Noah Fiedler said that noise from the building could be a problem along the property's south side.

Fiedler wanted additional landscaping added to the property.  He also asked that the building façade be changed so that the three entrances would be higher than the roofline to add interest to the design.

Fiedler also asked that the company reconsider the design of light poles for the parking lot, which he said clashed with the building's more upscale look.

Tomczyk said Wal-Mart would be willing to work with the city on those concerns.”

Ironman, the Mayor is not in favor of Wal-Mart, but his promise was not to give Wal-Mart 12 million or a tax subsidy.  Which even he stated they were not looking for.  The mayor showed us he can only see what he sees in his clouded vision.  

Look at it this way.  Let us say you are the Mayor, you don’t like Toyota and they want to build in Cudahy, and you say, “I am not a fan of them, they are not American and I don’t like their business practices.  They were caught last year working a man to death in Japan.  They feel to low class for me”.  Yes it would be jobs, but non union jobs, Cudahy can do better.  Does that make it clearer?  

As I said in the public forum, the YES crowd is the silent majority and the NO crowd is the loud minority.  Contrary to what Mr. and Mrs. Hall would like for everyone to think the Mayor was bold, he was selfish.

WOW!  Cudahy people GET A CLUE!  You LOSE!  You do not get the Wave Center.  You do not get the Wal-Mart and all the other stores that come with it.  Instead YOU GET RUST!  YOU LOSE again because there will be a Wal-Mart and a Wave Center in a neighboring community who is smart enough to welcome them with open arms.  People from Cudahy will still shop there and that community will reap all the benefits.  Yes, you still get your RUST!   Your Mayor must be a career politician and a fool who has no business sense.  I currently own four successful businesses and I know that one of your neighboring communities is in glee because of your stupid mayor!  

Ms. Hall wrote,  “Congratulations Mayor McCue and concerned citizens! It was the best decision for Cudahy. Wal-Mart needs to move on down the road (way down the road!)”, they will, just down the street.  Unfortunately ALL  OF CUDAHY LOSES on this one.  I can’t sign a recall petition, but I can contribute to a recall effort, please leave an address for Mr. Hollenbeck to post.

Jeff

and now, I will take my kids to Brookfield or Franklin or Whitefish Bay for soccer along with all of the other BMW/minivan/Lexus driving soccer moms, dads, and families.  Do you see the trend?  All "high" class suburbs, have great soccer programs.  Ask Pete "the Cudahy Connecter" Knezic!  Why not move FC Milwaukee to Cudahy instead of Brookfield?  

Mayor McClueless, how about a warehouse or bar to fill that empty field.

Randy this is one issue I agree with you. I am so frustrated with the mayor and the alderpeople. I think it is time to get rid of all of them. This mayor has no clue on what is going on.

I don't think many people remember but the mayor was an alderman back when the issue about the iceport was brought up for a vote and of course he was one of them that had voted for the Iceport. I think he is trying  now to justify his stupidity back then and still now.

The city will get no one to build anything there now because of his dumb decision. Maybe he talk Dretzka's into building a new store there because this is one of Cudahy's ma & pa stores isn't it. Is kind of store some people think are good for Cudahy? I was in Dretzka's a year ago and it has nothing anyone would want to buy. I was in there in the winter and I almost froze because they had no heat. Now you tell me how this place stays in business? I would like to know how many people in Cudahy have ever been in this store. But this is the kind of store are mayor likes, right?

I guess I kind of got off the issue but this city is making me mad and I don't have many years left until I retire and I will be out of here then because I wouldn't be able to afford the taxes coming in the future years due this stupid decision by our ignorant mayor.

He should be recalled and some of those alderpeople too.

The good thing about Dretzka's is what you see will be there next year.  I bought a pair of boots for my son who will outy grow them in a year.  They cost $3.50.  And next year I get the size bigger and they are American made.

Come on Iron man you can't be serious about Dretzka's can you? Those boots you bought were made 30 years ago and are still in that store because no one shops there. The only reason they were made in America because back then stuff like that was made in America but not any more. Do you actually think a store like that is going to bring people to Cudahy. Wake up you should leave the city along with the mayor. Maybe you can both get on a hrose and leave together because your both living in a dream world not reality.