The Bright Side

The morphing Lake Geneva Area Chamber of Commerce. Now, look for the “Visit Lake Geneva” site and organization, or whatever it is. What do they do? They get to collect taxes, most of which they get by taking a major slice of the resort room taxes formerly gathered in by the City of Lake Geneva. Now “Visit Lake Geneva” cuts them in for a slice of the action. Illegal? Yes, but who’s bothering with any of that?

Dan “small ball” Draper has approved Lake Geneva’s version of ‘alternate facts.’ So, when the “Visit Lake Geneva” sales team comes around to attempt to sweeten their monetary pot, what are they really selling? Well, they no longer base their membership charges on your number of employees or any of that. Now, it’s what you want to pay, for what you might get. What you might get for up to a “Tier 5” membership is a whole bunch of website stuff. Web this and web that. That’s a website by the way that’s about as enticing, as yesterday’s left open loaf of bread. Hey, wait a minute, though. You can get a free membership. What do you get? A basic website listing and “consideration” for an event calendar listing. But, what the hay, it is free. Since about seventy percent of the former chamber, now “Visit Lake Geneva”, organization comes in from the taxes on the big resorts around the lake, how much clout do you think you are going to have as a small business in town? How about that free membership again? You’re going to get ‘consideration.’

In the movie The Outlaw Josey Wales, the Indian character is seen holding up a piece of rock candy to Josey, after being asked if he has any food. “I’ve got this here piece of rock candy,” the Indian says, “but it’s not for eatin” , it’s only for looking through.” If you are a small business, and you know who you are, then when viewing the new “Visit Lake Geneva” brochure you are very likely looking through a piece of rock candy.

Is democracy dead in Lake Geneva? Three fourths of residents of the City of Lake Geneva who go to vote in the spring election will find that the ballot that they receive will have only one candidate for each elected city office, thus assuring that those candidates will win. So much for a representative form of Government in the City of Lake Geneva. When three quarters of the city residents have no choice in selecting who will represent them in the city for the next two years, then the City of Lake Geneva no longer has a representative government of the people. This is not the first time that this has happened, but rather it has become the pattern in the City of Lake Geneva. For the last several elections most city candidates have run unopposed, including those for vacant offices as our current mayor did last year. The problem is not in our form of government nor the people who are currently in office. The problem is that so few residents are willing to run for a city office.

So those being elected are not being selected by the residents, but are self-elected because theirs is the only name on the ballot. This defeats the purpose of an election, which is for the people to select the people who are to represent them. To restate: Three fourths of residents of the City of Lake Geneva who will vote in the spring election, will have no say or vote in selecting the city alderman who will represent them for the next two years. District #2 is an exception.

Thanks goes to both Ted Horne (an appointed incumbent) and challenger John Halverson, who are both running for the second district aldermanic position. This gives the residents of the second district the opportunity to select the alderman who will represent them. A choice not available for the three other aldermanic districts in the City of Lake Geneva, because the winner for their districts has already been decided. So democracy is not completely dead in the City of Lake Geneva, it is only ¾ dead. To those who may think a write in candidate is an option, there is the option on the ballot for a “Write in.” However, if the “write in” person has not already signed up as a “Write in Candidate”, then even if they were to receive 99% of the votes, they will not be elected, because by law those votes will not be counted.

Bright Person of the Week

James Bingham, assistant manager of the hardworking staff at Noodles and Company over by Walgreens in Lake Geneva. James does much of the hiring and training at Noodles and company. James is gregarious and wonderfully social. The place is amazing because it’s like he hires male and female clones! The food is also really terrific. Try the Steak Stroganoff, Macaroni and Cheese, or a Caesar Salad.