Chris Kliesmet

Actually, County Comptroller Could Get $1.3 Million Backdrop

Or $815,000 if Scott Manske is not reelected. That would save taxpayers $485,000.

9 Reasons Why Barrett Recall Failed

Recall effort falls far short of number of signatures needed. Why?

Anti-Streetcar Petition Dies

Paging General Bob Donovan, what happened?

Milwaukee streetcar opponents kick off petition drive to oppose future system expansions

The Strange Politics of Anti-Streetcar-ites

So when is that referendum coming, and where are those aldermanic opponents?

Race for Dudzik’s Seat Could Get Heated

Will anti-streetcar group get involved? And did Journal Sentinel exaggerate the number of candidates?

Shirley Abrahamson Against the World

Chief Justice’s fight against a constitutional change to demote her is a minor issue. So why such a juicy battle involving so many conservatives?

Streetcar Referendum Petitioners Plan New Strategy to Gather Required Signatures

Data was presented indicating that the current effort will fall short of the goal.

Anti-Streetcar Petition Drive Fails

Streetcar opponents failed to get enough signatures in 60 days; now say they’ll relaunch drive in May.

Who is “Lobbying” For the Streetcar?

Money is being spent and wild rumors are flying. So what’s the truth?

Crowd Celebrates City Birthday Party

Politicians, PR people and other notables schmoozed away. The best rumor was that Chief Flynn might be retiring.

City Attorney Says Streetcar Petitions Might be Moot

Legal opinion says Common Council approval of streetcar in July 2011 might make petition drive demanding a referendum irrelevant.

Koch-Funded Group Backs Anti-Streetcar Drive

Americans for Prosperity has provided paid staff for petition drive, its state director says.

Who Is Funding the Anti-Streetcar Effort?

Ald. Bauman and others are certain that dark money is pouring in for this, which streetcar opponents deny.

Will Anti-Streetcar Referendum Succeed?

The process is far more complicated legally than has been reported. Which will make it harder for opponents.

The Story Behind the Streetcar Referendum

Conservatives from outside Milwaukee hope to join forces with black city residents to oppose the streetcar.

CRG Network to Assist Direct Legislation Petition Drive to Require Referendum on Milwaukee Streetcar Project

Milwaukee citizens, activists, businesses, and politicians in an effort to pass direct legislation requiring citizen approval of taxpayer-financed rail projects.

Why Didn’t Chisholm Go After Democrats?

Republicans say the John Doe probe proves bias. So does the federal suit against DA. Are they right?

15th Aldermanic Candidate Hopeful Monique Taylor Aligned With Right Wing Organization Center For Responsible Government (CRG)

FROM KINGFISHMKE.COM…. The left side sees Republican Gov. Scott Walker as the devil. The right side sees the same in President Barack Obama. But there is one thing they can agree on: Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm has got to go. “What we have here is people with a common cause, that feel that together we are strong,” community organizer Tory Lowe, tells Wisconsin Reporter. “That kind of common ground doesn’t happen all the time, and that’s a testament to how (Chisholm) is running his office.” As Wisconsin Reporter first reported, Lowe and fellow community organizer Monique Taylor met Monday night with Orville Seymer, field director of Citizens for Responsible Government, one of the state’s most successful conservative action organizations. Seymer and CRG’s Chris Kliesmet detailed the mechanism of recall, with the leaders looking to establish a Recall John Chisholm exploratory committee as soon as next week. CRG certainly knows the ropes of Wisconsin recall. The conservative organization is perhaps best known for its successful recall of former Milwaukee County Executive Tom Ament, who was caught in a public pension scandal in 2002. Rather than face recall voters, Ament retired, remaining eligible to collect his county pension. Lowe and Taylor scheduled a meeting tonight at 5:30 at the Wisconsin African American Women’s Center in Milwaukee with representatives from the NAACP,Occupy Milwaukee, the League of Young Voters and other liberal organizations to talk about the formation of a recall campaign. “We want to make sure we get our ground troops and energy together if we want to put it all together to have a successful recall election,” Lowe said. It is a cause of admittedly strange bedfellows, a fledgling movement of people who have previously struggled to trust each other in racially divided Milwaukee – a group that includes citizens who worked hard to recall Walker, and others vehemently opposed to that unprecedented campaign. In fact, Lowe says, community organizers want to learn from the lessons of the failed 2012 effort to oust Walker. CRG lays claim to assisting some 30 grassroots recall efforts, all conservative-led campaigns. Seymer said any campaign to remove Chisholm must be a team effort. “Obviously we have black liberals and white conservatives working on this,” he said. “We have to look at our main goal, which is to remove John Chisholm.” It’s a cause with different motivations for recalling the Democrat district attorney. Conservatives are frustrated, many furious, with the seemingly endless, secret John Doe investigations into conservatives led by Chisholm’s office. They feel that the probes are nothing more than political witch hunts, and a prosecutorial abuse of power. Black community leaders like Lowe and Taylor are outraged with what they see as Milwaukee’s criminal justice system failing black victims. Among the more high-profile cases was Chisholm’s decision not to file charges against the three men involved in the December 2012 death of Corey Stingley. According to the official account, the 16-year-old was attempting to steal alcohol at a West Allis convenience store when he was detained by three men. Video from the store’s camera shows Stingley leave his backpack and the alcohol with the clerk, grab his debit card from […]

The Mystery of Sanfelippo’s Taxicab Empire

Why is Rep. Joe Sanfelippo the registered agent for all of his brother’s many companies?

Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch Joins “We Did Build It!” Event Line-up

CRG Network is proud to announce that Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch will join U.S. Senator Ron Johnson, Wall Street Journal and Fox News Economist Stephen Moore, and Heartland Institute Joseph Bast at the “We Did Build It!” event.