Wake Up! Waukesha

Gas at $4.15/gallon. Utility bills skyrocketing while they lobby for increases. Grocery bills which climb, noticeably, on a weekly basis. Flooding which impacted tens of thousands in SE Wisconsin and which will strain State budgets in the coming year(s). GM announces eventual closure of Janesville plant. "Upside-down" in one's mortgage is a phrase many now understand. Iraq. Midwest Airlines struggles in the fight of its' life to stay aloft. Lake Delton disappears in a couple hours. A continuing weather cycle which started early December and continues to plague us with storms of greater than normal intensity seemingly every 4-7 days. 401K plans never were designed for today's economic climate  And now...Mosquitos!!

Where are the lessons to be learned from this? We don't and can't control many of the above. In fact, we can go to our backyards and scream in unison and futility over the myriad of challenges we now face - and no one will listen. Lives are being changed - most not for the better. Charities are feeling the pinch of re-directed funds and many programs for those in need will go underfunded. Where is any silver lining in this?

Unfortunately many of us will not come through the next few years unscathed. Retirements will be deferred. Many will put themselves at personal and financial risk by going without expensive health care coverage. Homes in default will be taken back by lenders. People - real people, will be impacted negatively. And following is the best I can come up with...

Today's younger generation, many of them, have not experienced having to accept "no" in their lives. As guilty as anyone, I have worked diligently to ensure my kids had comforts I never dreamed of as a child growing up. I, like many of my peers, felt proud to be able to get our children "the latest, greatest whatever", and we often went to extremes (remember the hunt for Cabbage Patch Babies, Tickle Me Elmo, Beanie Babies, X-Box, and many more?) to "prove our love" for them. Don't like your ACT score? No problem - Let me get you the Cd and the on line study guide and you can take it again and again until your score gets you into the "preferred" college.

This generation is feeling the pain right now. Many are just starting out and have precarious mortgage situations where they cannot pay more for incidentals. Many are trying to save for their first home, but savings are being compromised by fuel and utility expenses as well as increasing rents. Is it possible they will, like generations before them, get through? Of course! But will they learn from the challenges being flung their way? I can only hope so.

I am 55, and my first mortgage in the early '80's was at a fixed rate of 13%. And that was an FHA loan with insurance - a virtual steal back than if you could get it. As a result, I became very rate conscious and much more "home-savvy". Rates dropped and things worked out...and I was smarter for the experience.

Bad news is upon us daily like a plague. However, there are still many wonderful things in my life - Family, friends, and job. Despite the apparently never-ending saga of bad news on the outside, I choose to believe that "Today's Pain" will be "Tomorrow's Gain" - albeit for the next generation. 

Let's hope I'm right and something good does indeed come out of this mess. 

No....Mother Teresa (were she still with us) would not qualify to be the new Waukesha School Superintendent. Nor would Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, and Albert Schweitzer would only make the first round of cuts.

Why would these otherwise kind, great humanitarians not qualify for the Superintendent's position? Because their efforts to promote kindness, compassion, wisdom, and vision were met with acceptance and appreciation. Given the current funding challenges facing the new District regime, any of the aforementioned traits will be discounted by some in the local Waukesha Community as being "not what's needed" right now.

The Waukesha School District continues to face budget cuts every year for a variety of reasons, but primarily because of an extremely flawed State funding formula. These cuts will erode the quality of this District (and many others in the State) unless an intervention occurs - and soon! I would love to believe Mother Teresa has a miracle awaiting us?(she doesn't) Could Gandhi promote Waukesha Community "accord" and togetherness instead of heavily polarized opinions? (no chance at all) Would the Dalai Lama expound philosophically with a subliminal message of hope for future students? (submarinable...submersible...subhumanal...never mind...) Would a Schweitzer "cure" for the State school funding debacle qualify him for a second Nobel Peace Prize? (sorry - someone would say he fixed the State formula just to make himself look good...)  

If the above notables would fall short in many areas needed for this position, what kind of expectations should we hold for the next Waukesha Superintendent?  Let's start with realism and a healthy dose of hope. Add to that a desire for an intelligent, compassionate, dedicated, and concerned approach. Finish with an incredibly thick skin because this Community has demonstrated a curious need to criticize at a level often approaching public humiliation, while never offering a hint of constructive criticism.

The next Superintendent of Schools truly has his or her her work cut out for them.

Maybe Al Gore (After all - he invented the Internet!) would be interested???