County Executive Candidate Forum 10/06/2024 recap

I was able to attend one of the candidate forums, this one was sponsored by the NAACP and the Racine Interfaith Coalition hosted registration and refreshments. This is MY recap, any clarification will have to come from the candidates. We have 6 candidates running for this position:

• Cory Sebastian – she wants to hear all sides, and consider our socio-economic as well as cultural diversity of all ages before making a decision. Please click her name for more details, and “she” to get to know her as a person. As a small business owner and serving on various nonprofits boards and as a volunteer, and is eager to help Racine county as a whole, flourish. She is also currently serving as an alderperson on Racine City Council.
• Adam Jaskie is a newcomer to the public eye. As a family man from Waterford, he could use some extra help filling up nomination papers. He has a “loud voice” for the people, and is willing to go up the chain to get more to help Racine county. He offers a fresh voice.
• Lorenzo Santos has been involved with government offices such as Emergency Management for Ready Racine County, and a former Navy Reserves officer. He believes in grassroots organizing and believes that we empower everyone by getting people involved from the bottom up. He understands the inner workings of government.
• Wendy Christensen is the current Clerk of Courts and believes in the community. As a proud Racinian, she wants to run. She wasn’t present at this forum, so I don’t have her answers.
• Melvin Hargrove is a strong community leader and an ordained minister and founded Zoe Ministries. He has served in the Army, Racine police and fire, school board and more. He is for the development of our young people.
• Ralph Malicki has rooted in Racine, and has been a successful business owner in Racine, and has helped many people, groups, local/regional small businesses and produce farms/orchards, and so many more. He has also served on many nonprofits of all types and brings knowledge of where the gaps could be closed between government services and nonprofits.

Moderator Question 1: Out of all of the items that the late County Executive Jonathan Delagrave was working on, what do you agree with most and what would you cancel?

• Jaskie supports the 0.5% sales tax – not to disregard anyone, but would be a small solution to fund necessities like 911 services and infrastructure
• Hargrove supports the sales tax to keep city and county jobs going as well as health services across the board
• Malicki supports the sales tax and would prioritize where it would go
• Santos agrees with the sales tax to continue the many vital programs that Racine County residents have come to rely on.
• Sebastian supports for mental health, youth programs, and to share services to benefit the city and county

Moderator question 2: What are the thoughts about public safety

• Jaskie mentioned state tax surplus in Madison and would be a loud voice to bring some of those funds here, to help fund school safety, include greater scope to speak loud for us on a larger level
• Hargrove would steer conversation toward work, environment, partnerships, and make Racine a place to go, to live, and to work
• Malicki has proven himself in bringing together people and connecting people with churches and community groups to bridge the gaps in services
• Santos wants to equip the people responsible for safety and bridging the gaps in staffing underserved areas
• Sebastian believes we all deserve to be safe, adapt to the budget and continue serving in the best way possible

Moderator question 3: How would you approach the fentanyl and drug issues?

• Malicki would be proactive about getting addiction support by supporting programs like AA/NA, public health services, and reach out to places that can add to the services such as the nonprofit sector, to help save public funds
• Santos would work on prevention through education, utilize law enforcement and treatment programs including social programs to help teach the public to say no
• Sebastian loves nonprofits which often bridge the gaps that the public sector can’t do, and to look at duplicate services to see if some could redirect to areas not covered
• Jaskie wants to step up services to also look at trauma therapy as many who face addiction issues have underlying trauma that led to that in the 1st place. (as an advocate, I appreciate this)
• Hargrove would bring together the family, community, and maybe form a cabinet of teamwork to tackle this issue

Moderator question 4: how to balance the budget if the budget passes or fails:

• Santos wants to support public safety, economic support, health services lik LS, HHS, and prioritize on what should be on the budget
• Sebastian would work on the best way with what we have and together, work through things by not overlapping services. nonprofits can help bridge gaps
• Jaskie would cover he holes and would like to legalize medical cannabis, prioritize education and student safety
• Hargrove would cover mandates first, youth jobs and trade programs, education, and housing
• Malicki is willing to make the tough decisions and support partnerships with businesses, nonprofits and more, and would set priorities by talking to people

Public question 1: Homelessness is an issue, HALO is underutilized. What can you do to help people?

• Sebastian believes all deserve a roof over their heads and to be safe. Nonprofits can totally help fill this gap with other resources as well
• Jaskie would attract developers, get granting to our area and collaborate with other leadership to make things happen, reiterates being a big voice for Racine
• Hargrove would push for leadership from the entire county to collaborate to attract people to come to visit, spend money here, and make it attractive for businesses to come here
• Malicki would focus on HALO and collaborate and build bridges between various agencies to support jobs, transportation, rehab and education beyond high school
• Santos supports nonprofits to help as inflation is up, and there are gaps where people need help, and would reach out to state and federal legislators to press them to act as well

Public question 2: The economy is down, and has been for decades. What kind of permanent economic development to make the heart of the city and the county flourish again?

• Hargrove would work with agencies like RDCD, RAMAC, etc to ensure Microsoft is stable here, and that would attract more businesses here, help farms reach out to get more help, and reach out to new partnerships
• Malicki believes Microsoft is the biggest thing going on, and pushing the trades to foster long-term/futuristic skills as well as to attract more jobs to the city and reinvigorate the economy
• Santos would prioritize making US attractive to net new builders that will follow Microsoft. average age of Racine is 40, so for the long-term, would like to attract younger people to the area, and supports a commuter rail to bring people to the area.
• Sebastian is excited to build a balance of who works, lives and plays here as well as push trades for young people, and looks forward to what Microsoft can bring
• Jankie admits that Microsoft isn’t the end-all, but it’s a great start, and how this can lead to revitalization because more business would follow. He also supports light rail.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness had a candidate forum earlier in the month, which I could not attend, so I will not answer anything from that one, as I was not there.

here is the video, 1 hour, 42 minutes and 45 seconds, to get your own interpretation: https://www.facebook.com/BigHomieRay/videos/580246304575822

I’d like to ask my own question: Many 50+ people are struggling financially. Nonprofits aren’t the end-all. Those who are underemployed because they can’t work in factory, warehouse, or fast food due to health issues. How do you intend to bridge the gaps for this group, especially into retirement, because some of us can’t wait 20 years for economic programs? This is a serious concern for me and several people I know.

People, Talents & Hey!

I met Soldwolf, the author of Meeting the Parents, a little over a year ago at one of the places I volunteer with.  He'd been regular there for a while, and very established in his role there, and has been very active with the day to day activities that happen.  The place is lucky to have him there, especially in the morning, and even the paid staff relies on him a lot.  With all that he gives of himself to the center to serve the neediest people in the community, he still takes a lot of guff from fellow staff & especially the clients.

Because the clientele is highly needy to an extent, coming in for a variety of reasons, there are those who are thankful to be there to help make their ends meet, then there are those who want to get anything and everything they can get their hands on.  My friend has no issues firmly telling people "no", and often, because he is firm with his principle, some people misinterpret him as being mean, rude, etc...  





It is interesting, because as much flack as he takes, these people get forgiven, and he faithfully comes in ridiculously early to dedicate a part of his day to ensure that things are going smoothly.  Many people seem to overlook that.  Yet I think there are those who go in that makes it worthwhile for him to go in, such as the very talented resident artist who does an excellent job drawing & painting people/scenes there.  There are also a couple of musicians (a pianist and an aspiring fiddler), and I think I remember someone bringing in a knitting or crocheting project along that line.  Being that I'm pretty crafty myself, I understand why Soldwolf appreciates these people who help brighten the day, when others can be stressful.

In getting to know him, I find that he's smart, funny, and very accommodating.  When he puts his foot down, there is always a logical reason for it.  And, if people were to actually give him 10% of the slack he gives everybody else, they'd realize he's a good guy to know...  And, I really enjoy his military sci-fi story, which is still a work in progress (I've posted chapters in previous blogs), and because I think reading is a good thing, I'm sharing since you know, sharing the love is the right thing to do.

Chapter 39 - Fireworks

Now, who doesn't love a good fireworks show?  But who am I kidding?  Us Asian people love our light & sound shows.  It would be neat to learn how to become a pyrotechnic, and the hero's Japanese friend won't miss it, either.  I like how the author captured authentic cultural characteristics in the story.  It is also cute how certain things can sound really strange to someone from another planet when they don't have a basis for reference.  You're going to have to read about which sweet treat it is...

But of course, even during a celebratory fireworks show, not everything is fun and games.  The hero is in charge of some military operations, and of course, there are always things that need to be done, especially with personnel.  Other things are going on in the background.  Do heads roll?  Is there a death toll? You'll have to find out what kind of damage control is being done yourself.

Chapter 40 - Takedowns

Oh, and what a takedown...  I'd really hate to be in the position of this guy...  When a retired military officer comes out of retirement to see you, you know it isn't good!  And the intel that is being dug up, wow...  It's HUGE!

And with the Hero & his lovely (among those there to support them), being that they have pull within the military, still have to balance the work/life cycle delicately...  The tension & excitement grows, as to what will happen next.

The author's highlighted name at the top will bring you to his writing profile, and for those who want to read from the beginning, the title of the story will take you to chapter 1.  With more people stopping in to read, the better chance he gets of having publishers taking his story, once he's done, and actually printing it into a book.  With how he gives his time, also being a veteran, this would be a great way to be able to give back to him.

Father's Day Facts

In the USA, we take for granted that every year, we celebrate Mother's Day in May and Father's Day in June.  Not every country does this.  Certain countries expect that every day, you honor your parents in some form or another, especially when you still live at home.  In Japan, they celebrate Girls' Day on 3/3, Boys' Day on 5/5 - though it's starting to shift to having 1 Children's Day per year.

Here are the countries, other than the United States, which celebrate Father's Day on the 3rd Sunday of June every year:  Argentina, France, Netherlands, Chile, Canada, United Kingdom, India, and Japan.  Other countries do celebrate but on different days.

It is interesting though, how different cultures celebrate.  Breakfasts and brunches are somewhat popular around the world.  Going fishing or on other outings that the dads enjoy are also popular.  One that is underrated yet great, especially for dads who have everything, is to donate to a good cause in his honor would also be something cool.

Speaking of giving to dads, an author friend is a giving dad.  While I don't know how he pulls it off on occasion, but, evidently, his military background helps him keep a good regimen going.  He gets to the Hospitality Center before 0600 all 4 days in the morning and helps set up for breakfast to feed the people who come in, make the coffee for everyone, and all of the things that need to get set up to run smoothly.  Once that is in place, it's taking in and organizing all of the various donations which include food from multiple sources, among other donations for clothing and more come in, on top of getting called to make more coffee, get supplies for the main meal into the kitchen, and everything else...  These people are lucky to have him there helping.  

Would you be a dear, and give this Navy dad of 3 grown daughters a read?  It would cool to be able to make Plans & Tours (Chapter 37) and treat our families, like in Soldwolf’s story, Meeting the Parents. Children can be handfuls. You either know how to handle 'em, or you don't, and they still crack me up to pieces. It's also interesting learning a little bit about Military etiquette. And, just like any place else, you have young ones who wander off, and adults who can't keep track of themselves, much less anyone else... Let's just hope the mischief is kept to a bare minimum!

4th of July is coming up in just a few weeks, where it’s like a Festival (Chapter 38) all by its self. Who doesn't love festivals? And a designated driver? But no, it isn't because of what you might think... It just would be nice once in a while. Of course, with every festive gathering, there are always gifts. Now I'll have to find what happened to MINE (you'll have to read the chapter to figure out what of mine I'm talking about) to show off & take pictures of... And it's so fun to introduce people to customs familiar to me but new to them, so I almost wish that I could be this type of gift bearer! The Lady is also Japanese, so I am relating with her as she gives her omiyage to people (okay, so I'm only half, and was a child in coming here, but...)

Just remember, every read he gets, gets him one step closer to being able to be found by publishers to turn this work in progress into a book. And what would YOU give to a Navy dad if you knew one, anyway? I don't know...

Advocacy & More

As the founder of Youth Voice Initiative, I get called upon often to do advocacy work, whether it's for a single parent who needs a letter written to the courts, or to speak up for a special needs child, or to help see what kinds of programs are available for various things whether it's a support group or just information in general.  It is truly rewarding to know that I can help make a difference for some people, including the lives of children.

Because of the experiences I've had, I'm also a volunteer advocate for Sexual Assault Services, and take the crisis phone to offer peer support as well as to make hospital visits for recent survivors.  It's not always easy work, but very worthwhile, because sometimes as the advocate, I might be the only one they see as being on their side.  One thing I enjoy doing, when there are small children present, whether the survivor is a child or the adult survivor brings their children in, is that I like to read age-appropriate books with them.  Reading often reduces stress and allows people to feel more normal.

In my own free time, I enjoy reading as well, and my favorite genre is Science Fiction, just because it's filled with action, technology, culture, and more.  It fascinates me.  The current story I'm reading is still a work in progress by a friend of mine, Soldwolf, called Meeting the Parents, which is a military sci-fi set in the future, where Earth is unified and has allies culturally and militarily with other humanoid type species intergalactically.  Please check previous blogs for more information, if you'd like.

Parties, Friends & Guests (Ch 33) We all like to eat. Sometimes it's nice to not have to cook, and it's even better when you have your special place with that special someone. The earth hero, Scott, even found a favorite spot on his lovely's planet that he even wants to show off to his family! But the question is, though, are the potential in-laws going to get along with each other? Or will it be a disaster? The dynamics can get interesting, so just read & find out for yourself. I just have to wonder though, where are MY Kyoto hair sticks?

Gathering Friends (Ch 34) It's fun to meet new people, especially when they're going to be important connections. While exciting and comforting, it can get overwhelming. I'm feeling the hero, who is anxious about remembering names, but fortunately, his lovely & her family are there for support. Even with his military friends, it's all about balancing work & life. I'm just wondering though, will they get to introduce Cajun cooking to these nice Tamalnii people? If this chapter doesn't tug at your heartstrings, I don't know what will.

Friends Reunited (Ch35) It's refreshing to find that even big tough guys can have a gentle soul, and how often, they could use a personal hero, too. heartwarming stuff, and when reuniting with friends, who are also formally connected, what better than hosting an official dance? And then of course, what is a dance w/o doing more party planning? So much fun stuff going for sure!

A Circle of Friends (Ch36) Everyone needs a good one of these, and I tell you, the hero and his lovely are lucky to have who they have. I'm really digging the new characters introduced, and how they get back to business on both work and personal fronts! Oh, and some huge things are brewing, so you don't want to miss out on the action!

Now, please be a dear, and click the highlighted areas, they're hyperlinks to where you need to go to read.