Marina Will Battle Geenan for Assembly Seat

The title of the Fundraiser Reception for Chairwoman Marina Dimitrijevic, held yesterday, on Wednesday, November 20th, was in retrospect calculatedly ambiguous. You were supposed to think the event was for her re-election to the County Board. But Wednesday morning supporters found out that funds raised at the reception would go to her just-announced (yet widely anticipated) campaign for the 19th Assembly District. We had earlier predicted she would run. That seat is being vacated by Rep. Jon Richards, who will give it up to run for Attorney General. (Donations are accepted at the “reelectmarina.com” website, which has since been renamed “votemarina.com.”]

Dimitrijevic calls herself a “labor-supported champion for working families and a strong, trusted voice for workers’ rights,” and indeed she lists the support of the Milwaukee Labor Council’s Mike Balistriere and the endorsement of SEIU Local 1, so that gets her the janitors.

But Sara Geenen, a labor attorney who is the only other announced candidate for the Democratic primary, [Facebook page] also has picked up some labor support. In fact, she has used that support as leverage to dissuade others from running, according to insiders.

On Tuesday November 19th, Geenen scored the endorsement of the United Steelworkers Union.

“We could not have found a better representative and advocate than our own member, Sara Geenen,” said Michael Bolton, USW District 2 Director. “She has proven her commitment and willingness to stand up and fight for Wisconsin’s working people and their communities.”

The Steelworkers District 2, based in Menasha, represents about 60,000 steelworkers in Wisconsin and Michigan. The trades it represents are all over the industrial map, including “metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in public sector and service occupations.”

Very few of these jobs are located in the lakefront district Geenen hopes to represent. USW Local 1343, based in South Milwaukee, represents workers at Caterpillar, Nordco, Russel Steel, Ryerson, Vilter and Wrought Washer companies. Some of those workers possibly live in the 19th Assembly District. Well, at least the money should be good.

So why does Geenen get the support of this particular union, even before other candidates had announced?

For that we must visit the website of the Steelworkers International Union, where we find that Jon Geenen, Sara’s father, is the union’s International Vice President, a very high position in the 850,000 member union.

Rae Says Nay; A Hog for Moews

In  other 19th District candidate news, political activist and Democratic Party National Committee member Jason Rae decided last week that this was not the time for him to pursue the seat.

Rae has enough things keeping him busy with the Party, his job at Nation Consulting and the campaigns he helps to coordinate, including those of judicial candidate Laura Gramling Perez and candidate for sheriff Chris Moews.

Perez was at the Veterans Day parade just at about the time that Sheriff David Clarke rode up astride a horse. A couple of days later, on Wednesday, November 13th, I saw Moews at the Black Sheep, 216 S. 2nd St.  attending the anniversary reception for the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, another Rae project.

Reflecting upon the image of Clarke on his horse, I wondered if Moews were a horseman (he’s darned near the size of one.) “No,” he answered, “but my wife is skilled with horses and has entered and won equestrian events.”

This is an interesting tidbit, but does not answer how Sheriff Moews plans to get around a parade. This is a big part of the job of Sheriff, as Clarke has demonstrated.

“I’ll do parades on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle,” he said. “My own one — not the taxpayers’. I’m a hog, not a horse.”

Live Like an Art Critic

Ever want to spend a night (or two) in a “glamorous art lovers (sic) apartment?” Well then, head on down to the Knickerbocker on the Lake, “a historic residential hotel in the ultimate city location,” according to the website airbnb.com, where every man’s home can be his hotel.

There, you can rent unit 526-527 of the converted hotel at 1028 E. Juneau Ave. for $155 per night, (minimum two nights’ stay).

“The apartment is normally the home of a local art critic and a longtime designer and it shows in the Hollywood Regency-meets-midcentury modern interiors and in the art.”

Well, who could this mysterious critic be? According to city records, the 1,444 square foot apartment in the 204-unit building, built in 1927, is owned by Mary Louise Schumacher and Josephine A. Schumacher, who bought it in 2007 for $210,000. Taxes on the place are 5,831.32 and are paid in full.

So what amenities do you get for your $155?

“When you arrive, a welcome packet with a key will be made available for you at our front desk. Once you find your way to our 5th floor unit, you’ll be greeted with a bottle of wine, some Milwaukee-inspired nibbles, Colectivo coffee, and lots of information about area attractions. We’ll even recommend arts events specific to the time of your stay, since that’s the area of our expertise!”

Mary Louise’s welcome packet includes a $155 bottle of wine each night. Nice. This might be just the thing for my next weekend fling. And when it’s time to clean up and head home, “a coin-operated laundry is also available.”

More Interesting News

Cream City Fuels has filed an application for a Certificate of Occupancy with the city for its long-awaited “Biodiesel Filling Station” at the city-owned building at 1726 S. Harbor Drive. However the company was unable to immediately answer some simple questions from this end like, “is it open?” and “What are the hours?” and “Is it staffed?” …  The Oscar Meyer Wienermobile was sighted in the Third Ward and on Brady Street today, Wednesday November 20th. … A rather pleasant mural has appeared in a surprising space — the rear stairwell of a nine-unit apartment building at 1838 N. Oakland Ave. It is only visible from the alley, and shows a colorful floral scene that brightens up what is ordinarily a dreary space. The building is owned by Burzoe and Nancy Ghandhi of Pindar Company.