Craig Peterson, the public relations flak who voiced earlier opposition about the city giving away some $20 million in projected parking revenue with the Riverbend development, did not testify at ZND, though he was there throughout.

I’ll say it again - at City Hall, CRG is bankrupt.

As for RICO and D’Amato and Kohler, you’re right — some objectivity is needed at Boots and Sabres blogsite.

The complaint against Kohler and D’Amato is simply the result of a neighborhood dispute in the Brady Street area in which a small minority of homeowners are attempting to foist their will on the majority who would like to see the historic character of the neighborhood preserved. Overlays like this are a creative way to preserve a neighborhood’s character and to make sure new development is sympathetic with existing architecture and design. It’s sensible and consistent with the development vision of the Brady Street area, and has been in the works for over a decade.

If you”ve followed the story, you’d realize that it is not being covered because it’s just not much of a news story, and that the complaint against Kohler and D’Amato doesn’t have a lot of merit. Within RICO, the required democratic processes were observed. Majority ruled, the minority is not happy, and is now pressing forward with their rights to pursue a complaint.

It doesn’t mean that the complaint will stick or that the minority should rule on the Lower East Side.

It won’t.

Unrelated to that general observation, I would suggest that you limit your criticisms of CRG (of which I have many) to specific issues, rather than their entire mission (”bankrupt politically”).

Someone needs to pick up and run with this story:

I have been wondering why this saga involving D’Amato,
Kohler, Ferguson, the Overlay District, the RICO suit, etc. has not been
getting any media attention. So, of course, I Googled it.

I thought, this story has the potential to reveal massive influence peddling
and no bid contracts, so to speak, in Milwaukee City government, and who knows what else. Surely, someone in the media is helping publicize this story. There seems to be a trend throughout the levels of government to confront corruption, so maybe here in Milwaukee the media has finally decided to cover the story as it ought to be covered; to use the power as the media to raise public awareness to something that the public would want to know. They might be angry, but they would want to know.

What I found is here, from May 2005:

http://www.bootsandsabers.com/index.php/weblog/comments_w_sidebars/4674/

You may recognize the source. In my eyes, these folks are not the most
objective media source, they are the only ones with the mettle to report the
story thoroughly and without holding back. (They did not, however, mention
the RICO suit naming Kohler, D’Amato, Barrett and others, as it
is a more recent development without any real coverage)

It’s a great little nook on the east side, and I’ve spent time in Wolskis
years ago, and I’m sure it has historical and cultural significance, but the
residents ought not be forced to pay more when they improve their homes
because they happen to fall in the “Overlay District”. This whole thing
stinks.

I’m cynically wondering if some in the media in Milwaukee hestitate to cover
the story because they don’t want to participate in the downfall and
disgrace of some quite influential and respected dems in town.

respectfully,
Thad

It’s next to impossible to see where Peterson and CRG are coming from. Peterson’s likely got a personal axe to grind, it seems. CRG? They’re doing half the math, refusing to recognize the immense longterm benefits to the city, and to call this project “speculative” is truly bizarre.

Three people in the city oppose this: Peterson, Kliesmet and Fred Ballerini, a former employee of Peterson’s. Everyone else in Milwaukee is welcoming Manpower with open arms. The last thing we want to see you do is move to Brookfield.