Wisconsin will lead a property rights revolution... Really?

According to an article in the Lakeland Times by Rep. Adam Jarchow and Sen. Tom Tiffany, "Wisconsin will lead a property rights revolution". The article discusses the recent Murr v Wisconsin case in which the Murr family, who purchased some land on the lower St. Croix River, were prevented from selling one parcel of that land in order to make improvements on another parcel. The state of Wisconsin fought them through the court systems all the way up to the US Supreme Court, where the liberals on the court decided in favor of the state of Wisconsin that the Murrs were not entitled to use their property as they wished, nor would they be compensated for the loss of value that resulted from the state appropriation of control of said property.

In that decision, the four reliable liberal members of the Court, plus Justice Anthony Kennedy held that depriving the Murr family of the use or ability to sell an entire parcel of land did not constitute a compensable taking.

These state legislators who wrote the article are now promising to lead a property rights revolution beginning in the state of Wisconsin.

Today (July 21), we are proud to announce we will introduce legislation we call the Homeowners' Bill of Rights. This legislation will address a number of issues, chief among them, will be to reel in the state and local regulations that impacted the Murr family and others like them. Our bills will grandfather substandard lots and prohibit the deemed merger of lots. Our proposal will ensure property owners can repair and maintain existing structures. It includes eminent domain and regulatory takings reform. It will allow property owners to utilize inverse condemnation. This legal process allows property owners to receive compensation if a government regulation deprives the owner of a significant use of their property. In addition, our bills contain a number of other common-sense property rights reforms.

This all sounds very wonderful, but it was the state of Wisconsin who fought the Murr family in the first place. Do we actually need new legislation to prevent the state from abusing her constituents in the first place? Would it not be a good start for the state to just stop depriving families like the Murrs of the free use of their property BEFORE it reaches the level of the US Supreme Court? Pardon my skepticism, but I think I'll refrain from holding my breath on this lofty promise until I see some changes in behavior from state agencies that think that they have some divine right to take control of property that belongs to the individual taxpayers of the state.

Cady Town Caucus - January 10, 2017

Hello Cady Residents, 

We hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. As we begin 2017, we are presented with an opportunity to choose whom we would like to have serving us on our Town Board and our Plan Commission for the next two years.

There will be a Town Caucus at the Cady Town Hall on Tuesday, 1/10/2017, for the purpose of nominating candidates for Town Chairman, two Supervisors, Treasurer, and Clerk. The positions are currently held by Mike Tully (Chairman), Bob Klanderman (Supervisor), Jim Mikla (Supervisor), Carla Greiber (interim Treasurer), and Shelly Ninneman (Clerk). All are expected to be nominated to run for the positions that they currently hold, and if things go as they usually do, no one will be nominated to challenge them in the Spring Election on April 4, 2017.

Evidently they are hoping that this will be the case again this year because they actually stated during the January Town Board meeting that they are hoping for a low turn out at the Town Caucus. They seem to want the people of Cady to remain apathetic and disinterested in who serves on their Town Board. Let's show them that the trust we put in our Town Board members is not to be taken lightly by showing up and nominating some good candidates for these positions. There are a lot of good people in the Town of Cady who would serve us well.

There are also openings to serve on our Town Plan Commission right now as the terms of several members are up and they are showing no interest in renewing. So far, Chairman Tully has not had any success in recruiting replacements, either. The Town Plan Commission is in charge of implementing zoning in Cady. It would be wonderful if we could have some strong advocates of property rights approach Chairman Tully and let him know that they would be interested in these appointments. We could do a lot to continue to prevent the implementation of the draconian zoning ordinances that were approved by the Town Board back in 2012 and later rejected by the County. 

If you are committed to preserving liberty and might consider serving your town as a member of the Town Board or the Plan Commission, please contact the Cady Liberty Caucus at the phone number or email address below. We would love to talk to you and help you. If you are not interested in serving, we would urge you, at the very least, to participate in choosing who will serve by coming to the Town Caucus on Tuesday, 1/10/2017. If you don't work to select those whom you wish to govern over you, others will gladly do it for you. Usually, this is limited to those who desire to govern you. Don't just sit idly by and let them have their way. Let's make sure that we don't just let this Town Caucus quietly slip by us as the Town Board is hoping we'll do. Let's show up, make our voices heard, and nominate some candidates who will work hard to preserve our liberties and our chosen way of life here in Cady. We're counting on you.

Happy New Year, and God bless Cady,

AUGUST 2016 PARTISAN PRIMARY – LIBERTARIAN CHOICES

Hello Cady Residents,

And finally, here is the only choice that you will find on your ballot if you select "Libertarian" as your party of choice on August 9, 2016. There are no choices on the ballot for the Constitution or Green parties at this time.

AUGUST 2016 PARTISAN PRIMARY – LIBERTARIAN CHOICES

·         United States Senator – (Seat currently held by Ron Johnson – R)

o   Phillip N. Anderson

§  Campaign Website

§  Biography (Ballotpedia)

·         Phil is currently the President of the Libertarian Party of Dane County. Phil is also the general manager of Green Cab of Madison and owns Silver Compass Realty. He holds a B.A. in Geography from UW-Madison and an M.A. in Applied Theology from Balamand University. He lives in Fitchburg with his wife and 2 children.

·         As a Libertarian, I am free to represent the citizens of Wisconsin as INDIVIDUALS, not as members of interest groups. I seek to raise up what we have in common, not point out and exploit how we're different. In the end, almost everyone in the whole world wants the same things: to live in peace, prosperity, and privacy.

​

If you have any questions, comments, or feedback that you would like to share with the Cady Liberty Caucus, please feel free to contact us by email at CadyLibertyCaucus@gmail.com. We welcome all comments and suggestions and hope to work with the residents of Cady to ensure that voters are going to the polls fully informed of their choices.

It is the goal of the Cady Liberty Caucus to further the cause and strength of liberty in the Town of Cady, St. Croix County, the state of Wisconsin and beyond. We believe that that cause can best be served by thinking and acting locally to educate voters and to elect local officials who also support that cause. We pray that this is a service that you find useful.

Also, if you are interested in helping to further the cause of liberty in Cady by running for office, conducting research, or reaching out to friends and neighbors, we would love to hear from you. We can be much more effective if we're all working together.

Thank you, and God bless,

2016 PARTISAN PRIMARY – DEMOCRAT CHOICES

Hello Cady Residents,

As promised earlier this week, here are the choices that you will find on your ballot if you select "Democrat" as your party of choice on August 9, 2016.

It is the goal of the Cady Liberty Caucus to further the cause and strength of liberty in the Town of Cady, St. Croix County, the state of Wisconsin and beyond. We believe that that cause can best be served by thinking and acting locally to educate voters and to elect local officials who also support that cause. We pray that this is a service that you find useful.

​ AUGUST 2016 PARTISAN PRIMARY – DEMOCRAT CHOICES

·         United States Senator – (Seat currently held by Ron Johnson – R)

o   Russ Feingold

§  Campaign Website

§  New American Freedom Index Ranking – 33% (From previous terms in US Senate)

§  Former Wisconsin US Senator, lost his seat to Ron Johnson-R in 2010

o   Scott Harbach

§  Campaign Website

§  Biography

·         Investigated crime, corruption and dishonesty for more than 30 years

·         Owns three Private Detective and Security Consultant Agencies

·         Polygraph examiner for 30 years

·         Solved thousands of cases (a few in which the F.B.I. were involved in)

·         Uncovered major theft and crime within businesses and organizations

·         Considered by some to be a top investigator nationwide and will use this skill at all levels of government to uncover corruption and fraud

·         Representative In Congress District 7 – (Seat currently held by Sean Duffy – R)

o   Mary Hoeft

§  Campaign Website

§  Biography

·         UW Barron County teacher of Communication Arts & French

·         served 6 years on the Rice Lake School Board, was President of the Board of Directors of Barron County Restorative Justice Programs (BCRJP) and continue to volunteer as a Restorative Conference facilitator

·         Endorsed by Obey, former District 7 Rep

o   Joel Lewis

§  Campaign Website

§  Biography

·         Current county board supervisor, Marathon County

·         Consumer Board Member at a Federally Qualified Health Clinic

·         Served as Board Members of NAOMI (a WISDOM Affiliate), as representatives of The Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist

·         Served on the Vestry at St. John’s for 3 years.

·         State Senator District 10 – (Seat currently held by Sheila Harsdorf – R)

o   Diane Odeen

§  Campaign Website

§  Biography

·         Community advocate and an Alderperson for the City of River Falls

·         Serves as the vice-chair of FORWARD: The River Falls Public Schools Education Foundation

·         Chair of the Board of Directors of Emerge Wisconsin, which trains Democratic women to run for office

·         Lawyer in private practice specializing in employment law

·         Representative To The Assembly District 29

o   Randy Knaack

§  Campaign Website – None found

§  Biography

·         Current Mayor of Menomonie, WI for past six years

o   Scottie E. Ard

§  Campaign Website – None found

§  Biography

·         Active in state government issues for many years, Ard took that activism further as a member of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities Lobby and Rapid Response Teams the last two years. Ard was highlighted in the February issue of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities magazine series “Women in Government.”

·         Currently serves on the New Richmond Library Board, Public Safety, Ethics, Board of Review, Community Development Authority, Emergency Government, Historic Preservation, and the New Richmond Housing Authority, as well as the St. Croix County Ad Hoc Construction and Ad Hoc Construction Public Relations Committee

·         Serves on the State Steering Committee for the 50th Commemoration of the Vietnam War

·         Saint Croix County District Attorney

o   Sarah Yacoub

§  Campaign Website

§  Biography

·         Graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara with Honors with a degree in Biopsychology

·         Volunteered for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office until she was hired as a Deputy District Attorney

·         As a DDA, took over 50 cases to trial, analyzed thousands of files for filing and resolution, and completed over 1000 evidentiary hearings

·         Since moving to Wisconsin, Sarah has taken public defender cases, practicing primarily in St. Croix County

·         St. Croix County Clerk

o   Cindy Campbell (incumbent)

§  Currently holds this seat

·         St. Croix County Register Of Deeds

o   Beth Pabst

§  Currently holds this seat

If you have any questions, comments, or feedback that you would like to share with the Cady Liberty Caucus, please feel free to contact us by email at CadyLibertyCaucus@gmail.com. We welcome all comments and suggestions and hope to work with the residents of Cady to ensure that voters are going to the polls fully informed of their choices.

The next guide that we send out will probably just cover all of the third-party choices (Constitution, Libertarian, and Green) in one email summary since there aren't as many candidates running on those party tickets.
 
Also, if you are interested in helping to further the cause of liberty in Cady by running for office, conducting research, or reaching out to friends and neighbors, we would love to hear from you. We can be much more effective if we're all working together.
Thank you, and God bless,

Cady Liberty Caucus

2016 PARTISAN PRIMARY – REPUBLICAN CHOICES

Hello Cady Residents,

August 9, 2016 is the partisan primary election where you will be asked to choose a party affiliation (Republican, Democrat, Constitution, Libertarian, or Green), and then you will be asked to select from the candidates for that particular party for each seat that is up for election.

Since most of the residents of Cady tend to vote Republican, we thought we would start by sending out a list of the Republican candidates that will appear on the ballot with some links to their campaign websites, biographies, and perhaps some additional information that might be of interest to voters.

It is the goal of the Cady Liberty Caucus to further the cause and strength of liberty in the Town of Cady, St. Croix County, the state of Wisconsin and beyond. We believe that that cause can best be served by thinking and acting locally to educate voters and to elect local officials who also support that cause. We pray that this is a service that you find useful.

AUGUST 9, 2016 PARTISAN PRIMARY – REPUBLICAN CHOICES

·         U.S. SENATE

o   Ron Johnson – Incumbent

§  Unopposed on party ticket

§  Campaign Website

§  Conservative Review Liberty Score = 58% = F

·         U.S. Congress – District 7

o   Sean Duffy – Incumbent

§  Campaign Website

§  Conservative Review Liberty Score = 51% = F 

o   Donald Raihala – Challenger

§  Campaign Website

§  Biography

§  Running as challenger to establishment GOP policies with intention of following a more fiscally conservative platform that is in alignment with District 7 constituents

·         State Senator – District 10

o   Sheila E. Harsdorf – Incumbent

§  Unopposed on party ticket

§  Campaign Website

·         Representative to the Assembly – District 29

o   Vince Trudell

§  Campaign Website

§  Biography – On Hammond Village Board, served on St Croix County Economic Development Board of Directors, the United Fire Board, Planning Commission, Board of Review, as well as Finance, Ordinance, and Personnel committees

o   Rob Stafsholt

§  Campaign Website

§  Biography - Formerly served on local township planning commission

o   Current Assemblyman John Murtha not seeking re-election

·         St. Croix County District Attorney

o   Donna Burger

§  Campaign Website

§  13-year Public Defender from Hudson

§  Burger said she will respect the law, justice, and fairness while preserving public safety, individual liberty and remain fiscally responsible

§  River Channel Interview

o   Rory Eoin O’Sullivan

§  Campaign Website

§  3-year prosecutor with the Pierce County District Attorney’s Office

§  O’Sullivan said he would place “crimes involving victims” at the top of his priority list

§  River Channel Interview

o   Michael E. Nieskes

§  Campaign Website

§  St. Croix County Deputy DA and Former Racine County DA

§  In December 2011, Nieskes was appointed by Gov. Scott Walker to the bench and served as a Racine County civil court judge until July 2012 after losing an election bid

§  If elected as St. Croix County DA, Nieskes said he would take a closer look at drug problems in the county, especially methamphetamine cases.

§  River Channel Interview

·         St. Croix County Treasurer

o   Tim Schroeder (Challenger)

§  Holds an associate degree in financial accounting, moved to New Richmond eight years ago.

§  He has more than 10 years of accounting experience.

o   Laurie A. Noble (Incumbent)

§  Noble was appointed treasurer in June 2009 and re-elected in 2012

We intend to compile a similar list for the other parties available on the ballot.
If you have any questions, comments, or feedback that you would like to share with the Cady Liberty Caucus, please feel free to contact us by email at CadyLibertyCaucus@gmail.com. We welcome all comments and suggestions and hope to work with the residents of Cady to ensure that voters are going to the polls fully informed of their choices.

Also, if you are interested in helping to further the cause of liberty in Cady by running for office, conducting research, or reaching out to friends and neighbors, we would love to hear from you. We can be much more effective if we're all working together.

Thank you, and God bless,

Cady Liberty Caucus

Village of Bay City, WI Prefers Theft of Land to a Negotiated Trade

The village of Bay City has voted to put in a walking trail along the Missippi River. There is just one small problem, however. The land belongs to Bay City resident David Meixner. Evidently, that's not a serious problem if you think that the village has the ability to take what it likes whenever it likes. Mr. Meixner doesn't agree, and neither would anyone who has worked and saved to build their life's dream on their own property.

According to an article in the Peirce County Herald:

The proposed nature trail would split Meixner’s land into three separate chunks, which he said “makes everything I’ve tried to put together worthless.”

Meixner began acquiring parcels of land there about 15 years ago, in hopes of creating a nature photography sanctuary. However, he said, people walking through his land on a trail would scare away the birds and animals he hopes to attract, therefore destroying his livelihood.

Meixner is proposing to give the village a 650-by-15-foot swath of his land along the back side of his property, along what is platted (although unused) as Eighth Street. The path would then meet up with Market Street, swing around a 130-by-60-foot parking area for the ball field (which Meixner is also proposing to give to the village), and head over the berm on a permanent easement (again, given by Meixner) to the unclaimed island.

“In an effort to try and resolve the issue, I would be willing to give you the land,” Meixner said of his proposal. “The designated parking area, I’ll give it to you. You can have it. If you get the island, I would give a permanent easement to cross the berm around the pond.”

In exchange, Meixner wants a 150-by-50-foot tract of woods and wetland, owned by the village on the northwestern side of his property.

“It’s about the same amount of land I’d give you for the parking lot,” Meixner said. “I would also ask the village to stop any and all claims against my property. It would save the village a ton of money.”

But why would anyone even consider negotiating a fair trade when they have the potential ability to simply take the land for themselves? If the good people of America and Wisconsin don't stand together to protect the property rights of others, then no one will stand with them when the government decides that they would like to have their land, too.

It is the duty and commission of government to protect the natural, God-given rights of the people of their community, among which are life, liberty and property. When governments fail to provide these basic functions, it is the right and the duty for the people to amend or abolish said governments. Hey, that sounds somewhat familiar...

We must stand together or we will all eventually stand alone against the bullies who think that might  makes right and that they can get what they want under threat of force. We have to show them that they are sadly mistaken.

Church owners say they’re being bullied by small-town government (Perry, WI)

Be careful about giving your local town board the power to control the land and it's uses within the community. No matter how "nice" and "friendly" your "neighbors" are who fill the seats of the local town board, they won't always be the ones who fill the seats and they won't always have the appetite of a bird when it comes to power and control. They will succomb to the whims of their own fancies and the fancies of those who think that it is moral and just to take stuff away from people who are not using it in the way that they think is best, just because they have some self-granted legal authority to do so.

Just ask the good caretakers at an historic 19th century church in Perry, Wisconsin. Their local town board has decided that it is in the best interests of the town and the church to destroy the historic landscape surrounding the church. And they're using the power of eminent doman as well as the church itself to raise the money that they need to do it.