Former mayor Cieslewicz worries.
Dave Cieslewicz, former mayor of Madison WI, told the head groundskeeper here at the Werkes that he did not think he could get elected alder in his aldermanic district. That would be the Regent/Monroe Street-centered 13th, where Ald. Tag Evers (Progressive Dane) hopes to hold off the equally rabid David Hoffert in the April 6 municipal elections.
Citizen Cieslewicz (pronounced just the way it’s spelled; Polish pronunciation: [t͡ɕɛɕˈlevit͡ʂ]) was a cutting edge Madison liberal when he served two terms between 2003 and 2011. Big on bike paths. City minimum wage. Smoking ban. How quaint.
Madison politics, he fears, has passed him by. Dave analyzed last week’s 02-16-21 primary election results in his new blog. It’s named after those things found in the middle of the road: yellow stripes and dead armadillos. Deprecation is an appreciated form of humor but it does speak to the former mayor’s despondence at the direction our city is headed.
“Right now,” former mayor Dave says, “It seems likely that the hard-left majority on the council will see its numbers increase.” The ex-mayor quotes a NY Times columnist:
“What could doom Democrats is fellow Democrats.” [The Seattle] City Council is never far [away] from a bad idea. A recent proposal would make it the first city in the nation to appear to incentivize misdemeanor crime. Assaults, trespass, stalking — all could be excused if their offense is linked to poverty or a behavioral health disorder.”
Progressive Dane already controls Madison city government
Cieslewicz comments:
This is exactly the kind of thing we could see coming from the Madison City Council this year. The current council has already voted down aid for State Street businesses simply because there were no Black owners, never mind that two-thirds of businesses on the street are owned by women or people of color.
They voted to spend a half million dollars in the midst of a city budget crisis to form a police oversight board whose specific purpose is to harass (that’s a fair word) a police department widely regarded as one of the best in the nation. …
‘I am growing in my feeling that the far Left will ruin any chance for sensible, center-left progress after the next year or so. I hope I’m wrong.’ — former mayor Dave Cieslewicz.
Three aldermanic races are key
Progressive Dane already claims 9 of the 20 alders and several more are cheating the Far-Left political party out of its dues. Add Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway — she’s PD, too! These three aldermanic races could determine whether Madison breaks its fever or succumbs:
- On Madison’s northwest side 9th District, Nikki Conklin (Progressive Dane) is challenging Ald. Paul Skidmore, the city’s most effective advocate for public safety.
- Charles Myadze is the bright hopeful challenging incumbent Ald. Rebecca Kemble (Progressive Dane) in the northeast side’s 18th.
- Brandi Grayson (Progressive Dane) is challenging sensible Ald. Sheri Carter in the south-side’s 14th.
Progressive Dane is Defund the Police, Cops Out of Schools, Derail the Jail, blockade rush hour traffic, shout down your opponents, play identity politics, excuse anti-social behavior on institutional racism. PD is Mad Max Prestigiacomo (Progressive Dane) urging his followers to “F-bomb S * * * up!” at an upcoming riot. It is Brandi Grayson saying: “Defunding the police is a step towards moving us to a post-law enforcement world. … The police do not make us safer.” Notice, she said defunding was “a step towards.” Her ultimate aim is to abolish the police; as is Kemble’s. We explicate here.
⇒ For further study: “Council president Carter called out PD alders for their “bullying behavior.” (Read & Weep)
⇒ The socialists at RedMadison endorsed Kemble and Conklin. (Amaze your friends.)
Blaska Policy Werkes 
27 responses to “Will ‘hard Left’ prevail in Madison elections?”
Well maybe M.D.C. needs to delve the depths of depravity before the populace is moved to embrace the reality that socialism is not the answer , but time will tell..
LikeLike
So far unfortunately the lessons have been all backwards and mixed up.
The typical near-east or near-west side liberal can sit back in their lovingly restored Craftsman home and tsk-tsk at story after story of increased shootings, stolen cars, armed robberies, etc., and agree that “more needs to be done” — a/k/a throw millions at “the problem”, further hamper police from doing their job, and scold anyone in earshot that the rampant crime increase is all Trump’s fault and white liberals in Madison need to think more nice thoughts so the racism will go away.
No matter how respectable and learned some of those folks seem, they are content to make sure they are safe and sound in their silliness and stupidity.
LikeLiked by 1 person
And poof! Just like that! Madison became full of White Supremacists.
LikeLike
Not here! Ridding the fridge of all Coke products and to be safe, white milk.
LikeLike
Don’t forget salt, sugar, all-purpose flour, and rice.
LikeLike
Short Answer to you question. Yes, they will win every single time going forward, madison is lost. Why would anyone try to run in opposition, they would have to run as and R to get any kind of major backing of a political party. Running as an R in madison is a fools plan. I warned years ago that Progressive Dane will win all elected seats and they will then implement their plans for the City and County. Cho Cho trains are coming, High Density housing is already here, importing or share the wealth of criminal housing developments. Destruction of Education. All paths lead us kings and serfs. It is happening nation wide. Only the enlightened are allowed to obtain wealth for family.
The believers in this destruction are gleeful. While anyone whom fights this path will be subjagated, depised, shamed and not allowed to participate in society, generations deep. if mom and dad cannot work, who feeds their children, back of the line serf. I have some land to confiscate, wealth to tax.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” —Jude 1:7
Blasphemous Madison should not be saved.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear happymouse,
Most Makistani are self-made men who worship their own Creator. Makistanis are much like the Sodomites, … they’re on the predictable path toward proglobotic perdition. If Makistanis believed in a higher power, they might, like Abraham, try to save their city.
Abraham bargained with God, (he was Jewish after all), asking, “Will You save the city if their are 50 righteous men there? How about 45? How about 40? How about 30? How about 20? How about 10?”
God was gracious and merciful and answered, yes, he’d save Sodom if Abraham could find just 10 righteous people there. He couldn’t. Makistan is the same, there’s not 10 righteous people to be found.
Perhaps one day Lefties will wake up, smell the coffee and honestly ask themselves, “Why are we in this hand basket, … and where are we headed?”
Keep the baby, Faith,
GDHM
LikeLike
GDHM wrote, “Makistan is the same, there’s not 10 righteous people to be found.”
I disagree.
The problem in Madison is apathetic people not unrighteous people. In fact I believe that there are plenty of righteous people to be found in Madison but they’re either being apathetic or they’re being intimidated into silence by the extremes. Moderate Liberal and Conservative voices are being drowned out and driven out by the leftist extremes. Madison Liberals have been apathetic about the extremes in their party for far too long.
LikeLike
The bible has nothing to do with the conversion of society back to serfdom.
LikeLike
As a Christian man and a constitutional patriot, God and Country are central to my defense of liberty.
Before most missions in Afghanistan, a chaplain or other leader would lead us in prayer. For combat soldiers, the Bible and faith are very important because we fight with our lives against “the conversion of society back to serfdom” and other anti-liberty forces.
For atheists, “the bible” is a meaningless book which often conflicts with their desires. Also, for most atheists, nothing is actually worth fighting or dying for.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Someone said of the Bible, that it’s one of the few books one can open at random and find wisdom. Only the mildest of atheists thinks the Bible is “meaningless”; most rabidly despise it, claiming it’s harmful to women, and “marginalized” people who’ve been brainwashed by a white patriarchy into believing anything in it (this would include folks like MLK). It’s no coincidence that most far left types are atheists; the only thing they think is worth fighting for is their poisonous ideology–which all of us had better get used to having shoved down our throats on a daily basis now that Obama’s third term has officially begun.
LikeLiked by 1 person
happymousegifts,
Use the Bible as your guide and draw strength from your beliefs and values but don’t try to ram it down the throats of others, that’s not leadership. Please read the section in this blog post that’s specifically about leadership.
LikeLike
spoons,
[sarc on] Good thing it doesn’t stick in my craw, [sarc off], but @happymouse wasn’t ramming any of his deeply held beliefs/values down anyone’s throat. In fact, I admire both his warrior spirit and his public Christian witness. Claiming someone is “ramming beliefs and values down someone’s throat” is predictable, proglobotic trope intended to bully someone into silence.
I don’t get it. You say apathy is a causative factor, but when @happymouse speaks up, you condemn him for it.
Because ALL have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, … many of us never speak out. Even if someone gets tempted to speak up, many of us stay silent because we’re taught that in polite society, “you’re not supposed to mix religion and politics.”
Because of this, we’ve grown ignorant of both God AND politics. Of course, politicians have no problem getting involved in religious matters, but that’s supposed to only go one way, while Christians mostly keep their mouths shut. If a Christian still wants to speak up and say something’s wrong, we’re told not to “talk about social issues.”. If godless Lefties had their way, … talking about abortion, homosexual marriage and other sexual sins would be strictly verboten. And when a Christian brings it up, the gutless, censorious Lefty lemmings won’t engage except in single-sentence, snide-sniping mockery.
It’s too bad, because it could’ve led to more enlightened understanding.
Allow me to extend my deeply held beliefs and values: For much of American history, we lived in a culture built of certain assumptions about human identity; relationships, morality, and reality. Any calls for maintaining the stability of that society were within that frame. Marriage was between a man and a woman. The father was the head of the home. Children were blessings to be raised in obedience to God. The church was the body of Christ, tasked with spreading the Gospel, and growing in a deeper relationship with Christ through faith and repentance. Schools were extensions of the family to develop rational and moral citizens. Government was instituted by God to protect the rights and liberties of its citizens. Men were men. Women were women.
Today, that frame has been broken within the consciousness of most Americans. The house has been reimagined. Marriage is whatever anyone feels like. Fathers are unnecessary. Children, especially babies, are expendable. God is only allowed out of His God Box on Sundays. Religion is prohibited in the public square. Church is not a place to worship God in repentance and faith in Christ, but rather a usefool tool to right society’s historical wrongs of racism, sexism, homophobia, bigotry, and economic inequality. Schools are extensions of the state with curricula rooted in secular theories that focus on community organizing, reconstructing history, social experimentation, and indoctrination. Government today is a tool of power to make people good according to social doctrines and to secure equality of outcomes for the marginalized; equity has primacy over equality, and equality has primacy over liberty.
We are not living in an era of unprecedented doubt. We are living in an era of unprecedented idolatry. As a culture, Americans are looking for meaning in ourselves, … in “muh truth”, … truth defined by our own moral standards and feelings. But there’s no such thing as “muh truth”. There’s only The Truth, and then, there’s your opinion.
We are seeking understanding of who we are and our place in the world, … although not in our Creator, but in group dynamics and social movements that feed on self-worship. Our belief, our confidence, is in ourselves, especially as we organize within groups that prop up our own doctrines of self. Of human power and self-will, there is no doubt. The clay has told the Artist that it is perfectly capable of molding itself.
The nut of it is that when our shared foundational beliefs: religion, moral absolutes, and the moral authority of God are rejected, …. when the righteousness of God is spurned, and only the subjective truths of sinful man are elevated and deemed legitimate, … all crumbles.
As my old home boy, Martin Luther, always said, in his small one,
“This is most certainly true.”
Good thing it didn’t stick in my craw.
GDHM
LikeLiked by 2 people
GDHM,
I understand and appreciate your point of view, please understand mine too. To better understand my point of view regarding the leadership aspects, which was what I was specifically writing about, please read the leadership section of the blog post that I linked to.
LikeLike
Dogman and mouse,
Thank you for publicly witnessing your Christian values.
Humans are too spiritually immature to navigate life in a righteous manner without an eye toward the Divine in all things.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Steve lambasted with:
A. “…don’t try to ram it down the throats of others”, B. “that’s not leadership.”
Stating one’s beliefs is not ramming anything. You either agree or -disagree. Further, how many countless “leaders” have relied on the basic tenets of religion as a bulwark of their leadership? Too may to list here, even by the most famous.
So your harsh response mystifies/disappoints me. IMHO, if we applied MORE of the basic truths of morality, and demanded accountability, the US would be in better shape.
LikeLiked by 1 person
‘I am growing in my feeling that the far Left will ruin any chance for sensible, center-left progress after the next year or so. I hope I’m wrong.’ — former mayor Dave Cieslewicz.
He’s finally arrived at the same conclusion many of us have years ago. This IS the new normal in Madison, and barring some miracle where the composition of the Council and mayor become radically different, it’s not going to improve.
Hate to break it to people who’ve left Madison, but this is coming to a town near you. Speak up while you still have a chance.
BTW, depending on the region of Poland, his name is also pronounced ChessleVICH.
LikeLike
I had to chuckle at the barrage of letters published in the Madison newspaper recently, agreeing with the suddenly popular consensus to “turn State Street into a pedestrian mall”.
Random observations–
1. I thought that happened 41 years ago!
2. What they mean is remove busses, taxis, and delivery trucks (but probably NOT bikies)
3. It will probably only serve to expand the territory for aggressive panhandlers, really bad street musicians, street-corner screamers, protesters, pickpockets and other criminals
4. People in this city are just not practical…. businesses need deliveries and many of them can only be reached on State.
5. Busses transport customers…. removing busses from State removes customers, no?
6. The extra space provided by nearly a mile of a 2-lane street may be total overkill if the stores presently closed or vacant never return or reopen.
7. The cross-streets!! DUH!! There are at least 3 major cross-streets that intersect State that will be problematic and will impede a “pedestrian mall”.
8. The bikies! Along with the e-bikies, bikies will cause havoc on a pedestrian mall, banned or no.
9. Weather is total crap in these parts about half the year.
10. Police and public safety??? Hahaha! Make me laugh. Police will be hamstrung just to try to prevent harassment of pedestrians. Let a police officer somewhere/anywhere in North America defend from an attack by a perp and say hello to a repeat of spring/summer mostly fiery Burn-Loot-Murder protests.
11. City idealists would be better off doing this with only 2 blocks on upper (or lower) State and see how it goes.
12. Lastly, those letter-writers I referred to? ALMOST ALL were from outside Madison. Suburbs, nearby communities, a few from other counties or even outside the state.
My midterm plan is to join them in living outside of Madison, considering the clear trend this city is well on its way to becoming an undesirable community to live. I won’t ever go back to State Street. There is nothing there worthwhile anymore — and I practically grew up on that street!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Adam, I followed Isthmus’ version of the unmitigated glee of Madtown, RE: public malls & trolley-transport, covered canopies lining the streets, etc. I posited to them one sobering thought (I hoped it was sobering…) that 1st they should assure the patrons and biz owners on State St. that they be secure enuff to actually take down some… plywood. It was a futile attempt, of course.
LikeLike
Overheard a couple in a café lamenting the state of State Street and one person mentioned the Wollman Skating Rink in NYC and how Trump took over a boondoggle and resolved the bloated corrupt fiasco under budget and ahead of schedule.
A nearby table of four overheard the name *Trump* and they all went over and got in the faces of the couple in a rather intimidating manner causing the couple to flee the café visibly shaken.
Isn’t Madison neat…
—————————————————————————————
Excerpts:
Having fallen into utter disrepair during the New York City fiscal crisis, unable to make ice, the city’s Parks Department embarked on a total refurbishment of the facility in 1980, estimating it would take two years to complete. After six years and having flushed $13 million down the drain, the city announced they would have to start all over again and it would take another two years to complete. *The Wollman Rink fiasco amplified the public perception of the general incompetence of government and their inability to complete even the simplest projects.*
Enter the Donald. In late May of 1986, the 39-year-old Trump made an offer to Mayor Ed Koch. Trump would step in and take over the construction and operation of the project for no profit and have it up and running in time for the holiday season. Koch tried mightily and quite sneakily tried to reject Trump’s offer. A very public Trump-Koch feud ensued; Donald ultimately prevailed taking on the responsibility to finish the rink in less than six months for no more than $3 million. *The city politicos could only hope that when Donald failed it would divert attention from their own incompetence.*
Instead of failing, Trump finished the job in just four months at a final cost 25% below the budget. It wasn’t rocket science according to Trump. It was common sense and “management.”
Read about it here:
https://welovetrump.com/2019/02/01/donald-trump-and-the-true-story-of-the-wollman-skating-rink/
LikeLike
I wrote a letter to the editor that was contrary to most regarding turning State Street into a pedestrian mall. I put my two cents in as a recently retired Metro transit planner who did all the bus detours for special events and road projects, so. I feel I’m more informed than others due to my previous position. I made several of the same points you made AdamC in my letter to the paper. They don’t want to hear it.
LikeLike
Charles Myadze looks great on paper, but then again, so did Gloria Reyes.
This concerns me:
“In conversations people have had with Myadze, he shares the view of the Rev. Al Sharpton.”
https://madison.com/wsj/opinion/letters/myadze-understand-the-role-of-police—-allen-m-rickey/article_026d0df1-957a-5cc9-8127-2f0100abb855.html
LikeLike
“Will the hard left prevail in Madison’s elections?” Oh, I dunno. Will the sun rise in the east and set in the west tomorrow?
LikeLike
If Skidmore loses, that is strike one against my staying in Madison.
LikeLike
“Will ‘hard Left’ prevail in Madison elections?”
The answer is yes. They have been prevailing, they are prevailing, and they will continue to prevail until we get effective leaders to stand up against their totalitarianism.
Strong Leaders Are Needed To Inspire Nationwide Grass Roots Movements To Support The Constitution & Confront Totalitarianism
LikeLike
To those of us who can see with our own eyes what is really going on in Mad Town. BAIL OUT, Bail Out, Bail Out, She’s breaking up, she’s breaking up, we can’t hold on much longer, we’ve lost all control!
To the lemmings that inhabit the rest of the city: Madison has become the funny farm where life is beautiful all the time and you’ll be happy to see those nice young men In their stolen cars with their semi-auto’s locked and loaded as they’re coming to take you away and dump you in a ditch somewhere with a bullet in your head.
Sad that many of you can’t see the reality that is staring you in the face but keep voting for this and you will get what you voted for.
Just make them promise to be good boys and send them home without so much as a slap on the wrist and they’ll be better next time I promise! After all, it was your neighbors car that was stolen, house that was broken into, not yours!
What we have lost in Madison is our MORAL Integrity. You and I have the right and the responsibility to vote. The state did not give you and I that right. It came from man’s acceptance of each individuals intrinsic value as a person. Equal to that statement is the fact that it also comes with an acceptance of each individuals responsibility to treat everyone else as a person with intrinsic value. And to make Damn sure that the state is run by competent individuals who recognize that right and responsibility and want to preserve it for all individuals for all time, at any cost!
The demise of this city will come from the corruption of the systems and institutions. The corruption of the systems and institutions is a reflection of the corruption of the individuals who make up this city who now see themselves a part of various collectives.
The question we must ask ourselves is: Am I part of a collective or am I a sovereign individual?
If I am reduced to being just a “part of a collective” then what does it matter if I am treated like just another part of that collective? If I am just a “thing”, as a part of that collective, what does it truly matter if my rights are taken away?
Unless and until we, you and I, get our MORAL Integrity back, we are ALL screwed!
That statement also includes those who are currently attempting to bring this society down. Do you really think that you will come out on top when you have crashed this society to it’s inevitable end? Are you really that smart? Do you really have that much power?
I doubt it!
LikeLiked by 1 person