Not a good neighborhood for challengers!
UPDATE 9:02 a.m.. today 08-23-22:
No ‘politicians’ elected or not!:
“For decades, the Good Neighbor Festival’s policy has been to welcome elected officials who currently serve Middleton to participate in the annual community parade as long as they do not engage in campaigning. Given recent circumstances and ongoing statements being made on social media, the festival’s Executive Committee has concluded that it is in the best interest for the safety and enjoyment of all parade participants and attendees not to include any politicians (both elected officials and candidates) in the 2022 parade.” — official statement from Middleton Good Neighbor Festival.
Organizers of next Sunday’s Good Neighbor parade in Middleton WI 08-28-22 are not allowing Republican candidates to participate. Only incumbents, they say. Unfortunately, for Republicans, all the incumbents are Democrats.
Candidate for state Senate Robert Relf, congressional candidates Charity Barry and Eric Olson, and sheriff’s candidate Anthony Hamilton have all been denied permission to walk the parade. Republicans, all.
“Their opinion is that even though an incumbent can walk in parade and have a slogan on their vehicle, that is not considered campaigning,” Hamilton told the Werkes today.
Middleton IS allowing incumbent Sheriff Kalvin Barnes and Congressman Mark Pocan to march. State Rep. Diane Hesselbein, who is competing with Relph for an open State Senate seat, gets in, too. So, also, does Alex Joers who is running for Hesselbein’s open Assembly seat. Joers gets to march because he is an incumbent county board member, apparently. All are Democrats..
“They’re arguing it is not discriminatory and I am arguing it is. They’re not allowing any opponents and all of the opponents are Republicans,” Hamilton said.
In a social media post, Middleton Good Neighbor Festival organizer Adam Warriner said participants can only represent their current government positions. No campaign T-shirts, signs or literature.
“The comment that we won’t let Republicans March in the parade is totally inaccurate. If Ron Johnson wanted to march in our parade, he would be allowed. As long as he did not do any type of campaigning for his re-election bid.” UPDATE: Kristi Warriner commented to this blogge:
In the Middleton Public Library is a stack of microfiche going back over 100 years. Since this is the festival’s 59th year, you can find all of the reporting about who participated in the parade. As it’s the festival’s policy that has remained unchanged, why ask a group of volunteers to justify a long-standing policy that you disagree with? That’s on you. You will find Skindrud, Kasten, and Klug (as a small sample) have been welcomed in the parade.
Blaska’s Bottom Line — Other area festivals — Waunakee’s and Sun Prairie’s Corn Festival parades — have allowed all candidates in the best spirit of grass roots democracy. Middleton even allows for-profit companies to parade, for a fee. But no challengers permitted in Middleton’s public square!
What’s the harm in letting in challengers?
Education
Blaska Policy Werkes 
It’s the Select Neighbor Parade.
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Write-in challengers too? Not yet announced challengers?
I for one would attend the parade if Trump participated.
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And what about 50 feet tall balloon caricatures of defeated challengers’ daughters?
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What Middleton Good Neighbor Festival is doing has the wretched stench of being pure political regardless of their stated intentions.
I wonder how many of the participating Democrats will intentionally smear their Republican opponents as being completely out of touch with their constituents because they didn’t march in the parade. Someone that’s part of the Middleton area might want to keep track of those kinds of ads during the rest of the campaign.
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Organizers of Middleton’s Good Neighbor Festival are obviously taking their cue from Congressional Democrats (to say nothing of Orwell) in calling something by its opposite term. Just as the Inflation Reduction Act does nothing to reduce inflation, the Good Neighbor Festival does nothing to increase neighborliness.
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Maybe an actual citizen of Middleton could demand that the Festival management prove to the public via archive documents that it has been doing this exact same thing since its inception and that it’s not something new.
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In the Middleton Public Library is a stack of microfiche going back over 100 years. Since this is the festivals 59th year, you can find all of the reporting about who participated in the parade. As it’s the festivals policy that has remained unchanged, why ask a group of volunteers to justify a long-standing policy that you disagree with? That’s on you. You will find Skindrud, Kasten, and Klug(as a small sample) have been welcomed in the parade.
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Thanks for the info. Now a question for you: what would be the harm in allowing challengers in the parade? Isn’t that part of being a good neighbor? As well as in the spirit of grass roots democracy?
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Kristi Warriner wrote, “Since this is the festivals 59th year, you can find all of the reporting about who participated in the parade.
Reporting on who participated in the parades may not accurately reflect the Festival’s actual policy because newspaper reports on an event that took place is generally not the whole story.
Kristi Warriner wrote, “As it’s the festivals policy that has remained unchanged…
So Kristi, you just made a claim of fact and it’s now your responsibility to support your claim; I’ve made no such claims of fact to prove.
I’m not saying definitively that the policy has changed, I’m saying that there is an appearance of impropriety and that gives off a wretched stench of being purely political. Personally I think that if this has actually been their policy since the beginning then it’s always been an ignorant policy setting them up for an appearance of impropriety and the board should have changed it years ago.
This really is quite simple; the Festival should simply prove to the public that their policy hasn’t changed, regardless of whether the policy is considered right or wrong by anyone, prove it! This should be a relatively simple thing for them to do. The controversary is the direct result of their policy, they created their policy, they need to step up and show us that this has always been their policy.
By the way; having incumbents that are literally in the midst of a political campaign for reelection in a parade is POLITICAL in nature and not allowing political challengers to participate in such an event to get equal public exposure is ridiculous and it’s intentionally discriminatory against the challengers to incumbents regardless of their perceived political party. This policy is wrong.
This happening now, in this particular way, in a time when Republicans are literally being persecuted (subject to hostility and ill-treatment because of their political beliefs) wreaks of discriminatory partisan politics.
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Oops, I used the wrong spelling for “reek”. My bad.
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Excluded Republicans should crash the parade, guns on full display.
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March in the parade without permission, you bet as long as the don’t interfere with the approved parade participants; march with firearms on display, absolutely not.
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That’s the spirit. A veritable insurrection.
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If republicans want to march in the parade, maybe they should win elections. Also, sheriffs are non-partisan offices…
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It’s always about the guns with you guys. What do you want next: a pick-up covered in trump flags running people down?
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One of yours already did that in Waukesha and u blamed the SUV if I recall.
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HA! How non-partisan was the last Dane County Sheriff–or the current one? About as non-partisan as Nancy Pelosi. And how “democratic” is it to accord special privileges to office-holders (of any party) as opposed to candidates for office? Take hypocrisy, add self-righteousness and a pinch of authoritarianism and you’ve got the recipe for progressivism.
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You should be aware that private groups monitor remarks like these as well as your remarks last week in support of Timothy McVeigh. They get reported to the Social Media Exploitation team at the F.B.I.’s National Threat Operations Section. They are the ones that arrested Adam Bies last week.
Your previous behavior at parades and words fit a disturbing FBI profile. The Middleton police should also be informed.
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David Gerard wrote…
It’s clear to me that you’re extrapolating what Gary wrote to absurdity.
Although you may not “like” what Gary wrote in his comment, he wrote nothing “wrong” in this comment and he shared no opinions in this comment that would be considered violent or threatening by any reasonably standards and judged by a reasonably critically thinking person.
You on the other hand; you’re reply is intentionally threatening by any reasonable standards and a completely unwarranted threat. Your bias is obvious and it’s made you stupid, that’s exactly what bias does.
We get it Mr. Gerard, you think you’re some kind of honorable citizen gate keeper for FBI and have full knowledge of their extremism profiles and you’re here to intimidate those that share opinions that you don’t like with idol threats based on your own ridiculous extrapolated fantasies. Your bullying behavior shows a very disturbing psychological profile; it shows the mindset of being part of the progressives (that’s an oxymoron, they’re actually regressive) cultish, brown shirt like, totalitarian hive-minded, social justice army of sheeple. Is this really the kind of public persona that you want to project to others?
Go ahead Mr. Gerard, enjoy threatening those you disagree with while you still have a shred of liberty and constitutional rights left because you’re literally enabling the totalitarians to destroy your liberty and rights right along with the liberty and rights of those you disagree with. Go ahead Mr. Gerard, report this comment from Gary to the FBI and local police, they’ll likely forward your name to their unit that evaluates obsessed people making delusional accusations.
The choices and consequences are yours, choose wisely.
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My choices are influenced by the following quotes:
“Excluded Republicans should crash the parade, guns on full display.”
“One thing we can be sure the FBI raid did is spawn a whole new generation of Timothy McVeighs. I’ll refrain from commenting on whether or not that’s a good thing.”
“My only regret is that they weren’t armed to the teeth and didn’t leave the Rotunda strewn with the bodies of every Democrat they could lay their hands on.”
“I still believe that desperate times call for desperate measures.”
When asked “Who is on your kill list in Madison WI?” His response was “All the local progressive nutjobs who make regular appearances on this blog.”
What’s clear is we have very different values and beliefs.
I don’t beleve that guns should be on full display at a children’s parade.
I don’t believe that Timothy McVeigh is a hero.
I don’t believe the Capitol Rotunda should be strewn with bodies.
I don’t believe in kill lists.
I don’t believe that deaperate times call for desperate measures.
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David Gerard wrote, “What’s clear is we have very different values and beliefs.”
Only an idiot trolling me would write that when the proof is right here in this thread.
Let’s start with this, “I don’t believe that guns should be on full display at a children’s parade.”
I stated as the very first reply under Gary’s comment that I was opposed to displaying guns. There is no way on God’s green earth that you could have missed that post so it’s abundantly clear that you’re lying and trolling me.
David Gerard wrote, “I don’t believe that Timothy McVeigh is a hero.”
Neither do I and Gary actually never said that McVeigh is a hero, you’re reading between the lines.
David Gerard wrote, “I don’t believe the Capitol Rotunda should be strewn with bodies.”
Neither do I.
David Gerard wrote, “I don’t believe in kill lists.”
Neither do I.
David Gerard wrote, “I don’t believe that desperate times call for desperate measures.”
Really? Where has your public voice of opposition been while Democrats have been spewing that exact phrase since well before 2016? Democrats have been using the “desperate times call for desperate measures” phrase as a droning mantra against Conservatives for years and it’s pretty clear to me that Gary was intentionally parroting Democrats as trolling for effect and it sucked you right in. It’s pure propaganda and you smearing him for the use of that phrase is signature significant.
The use of that phrase is subjective and depends entirely on the individuals’ perception of what a desperate time is. Personally I never use the phrase because it’s too subjective.
Conclusion
Your claim that “…we have very different values and beliefs” is so clearly absurd that I think I can justifiably call it an intentional lie posted to troll me.
TROLL: (abbreviated version of internet troll) Those that post inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion, often for their own amusement.
Do you want to go a couple more rounds or do you give up?
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P.S. None of what you wrote justifies you threatening Gary for this comment.
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David Gerard,
Quick honest question…
Was your statement “What’s clear is we have very different values and beliefs” intended to be directed at Gary’s statements or mine?
I think it’s obvious that I initially took it as being directed at my statements because it was a reply to me and your “we” implied it was me, as in you and I; however, I think that it could also be read as being directed at Gary thus making much of my most recent reply not accurate. Since your intent on that point is truly ambiguous I think giving you the benefit of the doubt is the fair thing to do; so, if your intent was that statement was not directed at me then I apologize for much of my previous comment and retract it with the exception of the part addressing the phrase “desperate times call for desperate measures”.
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Do let us know how the Middleton police respond to your information.
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Very attentive – and they are not going to forward my name to “their unit that evaluates obsessed people making delusional accusations.”
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David Gerard wrote, “Very attentive…”
Good, that’s exactly what the Police are supposed to do no matter what the caller might sounds like.
David Gerard wrote, “…and they are not going to forward my name to “their unit that evaluates obsessed people making delusional accusations.”
That you know of. 😉
Do you understand that that part of my comment was full tongue in cheek, right?
Tongue in Cheek: in an ironic, flippant, or insincere way.
That said; I suspect you didn’t present your report to the Middleton Police in the same manner in which you presented it in your comment on August 23, 2022 at 6:58 am. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about; the remarks (a bald-faced assumption) claiming that that Gary supports Timothy McVeigh, and your knowledge that private groups monitoring these threads and forwarding information to the FBI Social Media Exploitation team at the F.B.I.’s National Threat Operations Section (conspiracy theory), and your claim of knowledge of how FBI does profiles on private citizens (you being an FBI profile expert and all). Yup, I’m sure you included all those things to the Middleton Police, right, or did you whitewash your report and just give them the honorable citizen gate keepers “see something, say something” presentation and keep the apparently delusional parts of your comment out of the conversation?
Delusional: characterized by or holding idiosyncratic beliefs or impressions that are contradicted by reality or rational argument.
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Middleton Police Capt. Jeremy Geiszler said Wednesday police were made aware of the posts about protesters openly carrying firearms. Geiszler said he told parade organizers that was legal, as long as the demonstrators were on public property.
Geiszler said Middleton Police were already planning to have a bigger presence at this year’s parade because of concerns after a gunman killed seven people and wounded dozens more at the Highland Park, Illinois Fourth of July parade.
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David Gerard wrote, “Middleton Police Capt. Jeremy Geiszler said Wednesday police were made aware of the posts about protesters openly carrying firearms. Geiszler said he told parade organizers that was legal, as long as the demonstrators were on public property.”
Thus the basis for my comment below about the usage of the word incitement as it’s related to Gary’s comment.
David Gerard wrote, “Geiszler said Middleton Police were already planning to have a bigger presence at this year’s parade because of concerns after a gunman killed seven people and wounded dozens more at the Highland Park, Illinois Fourth of July parade.”
That’s a good plan on their part. I am a bit surprised that the police Captain actually told you what their plans were, things like that are not usually disbursed to ordinary citizens.
In conclusion David,
I actually commend you for following through to report something that you think might show a pattern even if I disagree with some of your claims about the supporting evidence you used and your conclusion. If Gary hadn’t been posting his particular style of trolling comments, as in posting inflammatory messages in an online community with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response, then this kind of perception of his commentary might not have taken place. If Gary were to get a knock on his door as a result of his trolling I hope he learns that trolling has real world consequences. Our other resident internet trolls should make mental notes and try to shift their rhetoric away from this particular kind of inflammatory messaging. I recognize trolling for what it is and I also have a little bit of experience in recognizing signs of pure obsession that could cause an internet troll to take things into the physical world.
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This kind of irresponsible incitement will get you banned from this blog, Gary.
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Incitement: the action of provoking unlawful behavior or urging someone to behave unlawfully.
Unless I’m completely misunderstanding something, what Gary wrote was not actually provoking unlawful behavior because nothing he wrote to do is actually unlawful. If I’m wrong and he was promoting breaking some law, can someone tell me what law that would be?
Incitement may not be the correct word in this particular case but trolling could easily fit.
Trolling: Posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion, often for their own amusement.
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Since Mandela Barnes is an incumbent running for a different office I wonder if he will get to march in the parade?
Oh and speaking of Mandela Barnes, Dan O’Donnel did an excellent job of exposing just what Mandela actually believes in and stands for and what kind of groups he is associated with.
https://newstalk1130.iheart.com/featured/common-sense-central/content/2022-08-22-the-radical-left-wing-political-machine-behind-mandela-barnes/
If you want at the very least a socialist from Wisconsin that will go along with every socialist or communist idea, then Mandela is your man. If you want a reasonable State Senator, vote for Ron Johnson.
I was not going to vote for Tim Michels as I see that he and his family live in Connecticut and on Park Ave. in New York. But, if we can get rid of Tony, I’ll vote for Michels.
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The Good Neighbor Parade……. The new Smoke Filled Back Room….
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Ok so no politicians period. Good.
But they’ll still have the old fat guys on the little motorcycles right? Right?
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No old guys on motorcycles. But the Roy Cohn Republican Club will march on the sidewalk – old, drunk, bitter queens all in a row.
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Ouch. This does not reflect well on Middleton or the Democrats. What do they fear if they let the Republicans in?
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Republicans? What about the COMMUNISTS?
You act like there’s only 2 parties.
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Kristi is the only one who looks good in this whole thing. Reminds me of Martha Burke’s threats to boycott Masters sponsors years ago. Masters responded by releasing all their sponsors and tv coverage was commercial free the whole weekend.
Pick your battles, y’all look like a bunch of whiners.
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Dear Steve,
This is in response to your 8/25/22 comments at 7:30 a.m. where you say “I’m sure.”
Don’t be so sure. My report to the police was made in person and in writing, the same way Adam Bies was reported to the FBI. He remains in custody and faces a maximum of 10 years in prison if ultimately convicted.
You may not know that the F.B.I. and the Department of Homeland Security recently issued what is known as a joint intelligence briefing warning of a spike in threats across the country. The investigation of Mr. Bies began when the Social Media Exploitation team at the F.B.I.’s National Threat Operations Section received a tip from a private group that monitors far-right extremists. Federal agents then issued what is known as an Emergency Disclosure Request to the website where the threats were made. That is how they discerned Mr. Bies’s name and address in Mercer, Pa.
This link from Reddit will give you an abbreviated version of my police report
This link from WKOW TV contains the police response https://www.wkow.com/news/middleton-parade-reverses-course-elected-officials-no-longer-invited/article_95e6d432-2400-11ed-a462-b75cf6166fdc.html
This link from the Milwaukee Sentinel https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/08/25/middleton-bans-politicians-marching-its-hometown-parade/7885032001/?gnt-cfr=1
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David Gerard wrote, “This is in response to your 8/25/22 comments at 7:30 a.m. where you say “I’m sure.” … “Don’t be so sure. My report to the police was made in person and in writing…”
I’m not too sure you realize this, but nothing you wrote or shared in this comment factually contradicts what I wrote in either of the “I’m sure..” sections of my comment that you referenced so your “don’t be so sure” statement if taken in context with what you wrote doesn’t make much sense. I’m not sure where you were going with that.
David Gerard wrote, “You may not know that the F.B.I. and the Department of Homeland Security recently issued what is known as a joint intelligence briefing warning of a spike in threats across the country.”
Yup, I knew about that. What’s the point you’re trying to make that I haven’t already covered in other comments?
David Gerard wrote, “…the Social Media Exploitation team at the F.B.I.’s National Threat Operations Section received a tip from a private group that monitors far-right extremists.”
Are you seriously trying to imply that Blaska is a far-right extremist and some allusive private group is actively monitoring his blog? If so, that kind of implication is way, way off base. Just because some people don’t “like” some of the things that Blaska has written doesn’t mean he’s a far-right extremist. Heck read my blog, are these leftist snowflaking social justice warriors monitoring my blog too – personally I hope they are that way they can learn a thing or two about their irrational behaviors.
David Gerard wrote, “This link from Reddit will give you an abbreviated version of my police report”
Seriously, that was “an abbreviated version of my police report”? Did you share the right link?
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If I correctly understood the local news last night, it sounded to me like the Festival management has disinvited all “politicians”. The Festival management literally set themselves up for exactly this kind of an appearance of impropriety and they should permanently change their policy to eliminate this kind of thing for the future.
As I said/implied before, I don’t think that should stop any of the candidates in the upcoming elections from “crashing” the parade event and walking around to talk to their constituents as long as they aren’t directly interfering with the actual parade.
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