This Just In ...

Is Franklin too..... YAWWWNNNNNNNNN

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Oct. 26, 2009

The end of 2009 is quickly approaching. As I have in previous years, I will produce a series of blogs about The Top Ten Stories of Franklin for 2009.  

Preliminary planning about the year-end series brought me to the conclusion that unlike previous years, coming up with ten stories won’t be impossible, but it won’t be as clear cut, either.

Why is that?

Did very little of anything newsworthy occur in Franklin during 2009? Was our humble city quiet? Dullsville?

Well, that’s certainly part of it. Franklin is no means Peyton Place. In my sleepy subdivision, this television program is rated XXX.

Is that necessarily bad?

Let’s start with public safety. Franklin is relatively safe. Actually, Franklin is very safe, despite recent TV news and warnings about a rash of break-ins. Our well-being is in large part thanks to an effective police department.

Our local government is free from the corruption that so often haunts other municipalities. From the top down, our city officials care deeply and are committed to doing their very best. Do they tax and spend too much? I certainly think so, but the reins have been pulled in as of late.

Critics without foundation or factual evidence but a hangar full of black helicopters like to invent scandals and controversy. You know what? There aren’t any.

One naïve Franklin blogger once actually wrote that certain aldermen had, in his foolish words, “destroyed Franklin.” I don’t think so. Rumor has it he wants to be an alderman someday. God help us all if that happens.

What about our school system? The best I can say is that the administration is out of touch. They are not friends of the taxpayers. Even so, Franklin is blessed to have fine schools, teachers, and administrators. If only we had a stronger administration and a far more responsible school board, there’s no telling what our school system could achieve. The most glaring problem we have in our city, other than taxes from hell, is the school system and the way it is managed.

On the issue of state government, I, of course, am very biased. I moved into Franklin in 1992 and have seen first hand the representation our city has in Madison. Mary Lazich and Jeff Stone are tireless fighters for Franklin, and if anyone cares to debate me on that, I'd be more than happy to.

Why aren’t more Franklin citizens involved in their government? There’s a definite apathy in our city. The only time meetings are filled is when a NIMBY issue is on the agenda. Otherwise, Franklinites are content to stay home and pull up their sidewalks (if they have any) at about 7:00. Could it be the citizenry is simply simpatico with the way things are and doesn’t see the faux controversies dreamed up by some bloggers?

Franklin has some nice restaurants and retail locations, just not enough of them. I’d like that to change dramatically. In the meantime, we survive.

Our library is a gem. And while we don’t have an aquatic center or community center or cultural center, is any of that reason to move out, or not move here in the first place?

Last, but not least, at the danger of sounding trite, Franklin can boast nice neighborhoods and nice neighbors.

Take the time to pay close attention to suburban stories on TV news and the other NOW web sites. When you come upon the juicy stuff, ask yourself, does this ever happen in Franklin?

We are not downtown Milwaukee. We are dreadfully quiet and I swear if my house ever caught on fire, no one would notice because they’re zipped up at night and fast asleep. Ethel, are those sirens outside? I ain’t goin’ out there.

Would I like just a little more pzazz? If my taxes wouldn’t go up 10%, hell yes!

But if the rip on Franklin is that it’s too peaceful and so non-controversial, I’ll take it.