I have just a couple of comments/additions to what is written here. Very well done, but some missing pieces... We used to have at least two newspapers in this town, and according to my good friend and mentor Frank Zeidler, they clamored at the Mayor's office doors for any bit of news. When I ran for Mayor in 1984, it was because we were looking for a candidate to run against Henry Maier, and had formed a coalition called Committee for a New Milwaukee to do so. When no known political would run against Maier anymore, we ran me, after we/I ran, Maier, embarrassed, chose not to run again, and then the gates opened for many men who were not at all tuned into Milwaukee politics and issues to jump in the race in 1988. Getting back to my point, when we ran in 1984, every press release we wrote, every campaign event we held, got news coverage, radio, TV and newspaper, all spurred by the Sentinel morning coverage. This mattered. Also, Frank would say that political organizing happened at the bus stops. The automobile killed that. But, when I ran, we had strong neighborhood organizations, one of which I worked for, and local politics did matter. Most of those are gone now. Finally, do you remember when they had those card stock paper signs up on the telephone poles, with all the registered voters listed and their ward numbers and polling place? These were everywhere, and encouraged voter participation and registration. We should bring this back! Please send this along to Phil Rocco. Thanks! Donna Horowitz Richards, now living in Fond du Lac.
I have just a couple of comments/additions to what is written here. Very well done, but some missing pieces... We used to have at least two newspapers in this town, and according to my good friend and mentor Frank Zeidler, they clamored at the Mayor's office doors for any bit of news. When I ran for Mayor in 1984, it was because we were looking for a candidate to run against Henry Maier, and had formed a coalition called Committee for a New Milwaukee to do so. When no known political would run against Maier anymore, we ran me, after we/I ran, Maier, embarrassed, chose not to run again, and then the gates opened for many men who were not at all tuned into Milwaukee politics and issues to jump in the race in 1988. Getting back to my point, when we ran in 1984, every press release we wrote, every campaign event we held, got news coverage, radio, TV and newspaper, all spurred by the Sentinel morning coverage. This mattered. Also, Frank would say that political organizing happened at the bus stops. The automobile killed that. But, when I ran, we had strong neighborhood organizations, one of which I worked for, and local politics did matter. Most of those are gone now. Finally, do you remember when they had those card stock paper signs up on the telephone poles, with all the registered voters listed and their ward numbers and polling place? These were everywhere, and encouraged voter participation and registration. We should bring this back! Please send this along to Phil Rocco. Thanks! Donna Horowitz Richards, now living in Fond du Lac.
This was brilliant. Thanks for this!