Senior Viewpoint

A few years ago my wife, Kathy, and I went on a trip to Paris, France, and we signed up for a tour bus to Normandy, a small village where the invasion of Europe took place during World War II.

After a long 3 1/2 hour drive we reached our much anticipated destination. First, there was a walking tour in two small buildings which contained souveniers and exhibits of the military and the invasion plan.

We were reminded that the Allied forces came from many different countries, including England, Australia, Canada and Poland.

We then went on a walking tour towards Omaha Beach where the troops landed. High above the beach there were remains of enemy bunkers and we had a vivid impression of how well fortified the enemy was when the Allied forces landed.

We were given permission to collect sand from Omaha Beach and I proudly did and have the precious reminder in a glass jar.

The most emotional experience was to visit the endless rows of graves where our heroes from that brutal invasion now rest peacefully.

Kathy and I wanted to pray and honor these heroes with our own personal tribute, so we each chose a grave and on our knees we kissed each chosen headstone to represent all of them and prayed.

Both Memorial Day and the anniversary of D Day is a time to reflect and remember the military heroes who sacrificed their lives so that future generation may be safe and enjoy the freedoms we are so fortunate to have.

Now that we have heard from all the candidates for President none of them have taken a meaningful stand on two important

 issues for senior citizens.

1. Crime. This includes felonies, misdemeanors, and local ordinance violations. Drugs and alcohol is on the rise for both adults

and juveniles. Some will say that statistics prove that crime is decreasing, but some statistics are the product of those who have

a special interest in the numbers. Not all crimes are reported as such or are degraded by those who report them, and not all

those who commit crimes are caught or arrested.

2. Social Security benefits. Senior citizens who qualify for benefits have paid income taxes and the government taxes them

again on retirement benefits. This is not fair to those who have worked hard their entire lifetime the enjoy financial stability

while in retirement.

My research show that formal local government in the Brookfield area started in 1846 when Waukesha County was split off from Milwaukee County, and the Town of Brookfield was created. Prior to this time Brookfield was referred to as the "Milwaukee Woods".

After 1853 , when the first railroad depot was built, Brookfield was often referred to as "Brookfield Junction." In 1867, a second and larger depot was built at the present site. At that time Brookfield consisted of many small farms, and beautiful green fields criss-crossed by many brooks and streams were served by dirt roads. The area was joined by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad, which also connected the area to points west, such as Waukesha and Watertown.

Brookfield remained primarily a quiet farm community, although there were some subdivions of lands in the 1930s and 1940s. After World War II there was a rapid growth in population and in 1954 the City of Brookfield was created with the incorporation of 16 square miles of town land. The Mayor-Council form of government was chosen because it was thought to be the most democratic and closer to the people. Franklin Wirth was elected the first Mayor.

The City was divided into 5 wards , now called districts with two Aldermen elected to represent each ward, forming a 10 person Council. In 1960 the City was redistricted and 7 districts were created resulting in the 14 person Council.

The vision of our forefathers was that the City of Brookfield would be governed by ELECTED officials who are chosen by the people, the city residents. Should a city-manager or similar type of government be formed it has to be done by the electorate in a referendum vote with a reasonable time before the vote for public debate and written notice to the residents explaining both the pros and cons of such a drastic change in our government

The City of Brookfield residents deserve "Open Government" because it is their tax dollars that finance our government and its employees.

By the way, what ever happened to the LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, who sponsored public debate for public office and were a great service to our community ?