I know, I am several days late. I always seem to be out of town on election day. Anyway, congratulations are due to John Dickert. As I may have mentioned in a previous post, I have known John since grade school. I believe him to be a person of good character and I do not doubt his enthusiasm for Racine. These attributes will serve him well.
No doubt John will now have many new "friends" jockeying for position and influence. I won't be among them. But John can count on me to offer a fair and impersonal critique of his moves in office.
I am pleased that among John's first comments was a nod to businesses. I would happily advise him on ways to make Racine a more business friendly environment. For starters, a recognition of the effects of high taxes and overregulation would be helpful. And the election is over, you can stop the demogoguery about "slumlords" and recognize that they are small businesses providing a valuable service under very difficult circumstances.
Good luck John and remember the unions tried to defeat you. You owe them no special consideration.
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you can stop the demagoguery about "slumlords" and recognize that they are small businesses providing a valuable service under very difficult circumstances.
Drive past 260 Jones St for example and tell me that is not a slum property run by a slum lord.
Racine has lots of tools for good landlords to get rid of bad tenets. From background checks from RPD to the laws that allow you to quickly get rid of drug deals in housing.
We do not need slumlords in this City.
I will grant you Colt that there are bad landlords in Racine. But I strongly suspect that we have a much greater problem with bad tenants yet we just never hear of any political solutions to that problem. Why do you suppose that we focus exclusively on bad landlords and not bad tenants?
You are right and something to ask our city leaders. I do not want the good landlords punished if some scum gets in that can and does happen.
In Madison back in the day ban tenets could and were prosecuted for destitution of property something I have not heard happing here.
We need to hold them to accouny=t
checks and balances.
Slumlords have recourses to bad tenants, their called evictions, collection agencies & badmouthing amongst the powerful Landlord's Association members
Tenants have a recourse for slumlords, its called The UNIT, Housing Dept. & building inspectors.
anon, tenants presumably sign a contract wherein both parties agree to certain conditions. Tenants have to pay etc... while landlords have an obligation to ensure that the heater works etc... and both parties have the courts to turn to if the other party violates the agreement. Both sides are protected and as such there is no need of interference from UNIT, the housing department or government building inspectors. Also and perhaps most effectively, tenants have the right to NOT rent from landlords who don't enjoy a good reputation. If only landlords enjoyed the same liberties.
So Denis, if a tenant suddenly has a leaking ceiling from their upstairs neighbor that slowly flows right above the stove & kitchen area of the downstairs tenant and prevents the downstairs family from using the electric stove, and the landlord is non-responsive to the issue or takes weeks to respond at best, your quick solution would be for the tenant to sue the landlord?
Again Denis go to 260 Jones St see a slum property. Try 1605 West 6th St see how those homes affect others near by. UNIT and the Health Dept sometimes are our only chance.
Well CTW, we should keep in mind that there are no utopian solutions to most problems, including the one you mentioned. Also, I am not a lawyer, but in some states (not sure about WI) a tenant can withhold a portion of the rent if a landlord does not fix a problem within a reasonable period of time. The courts are available to both parties but for some reason folks seem to want to tilt the scales of justice in favor of tenants. Certainly a landlord that doesn't fix problems is a problem, but so are tenants who damage property or don't pay the rent. We have a court system to resolve these controversies between the parties. Why do we need the executive branch of government involved here? Well, unless they are needed to enforce a ruling by the courts, such as evictions, garnishments etc...
Colt, you have mentioned this Jones street property a few times. Now I won't dispute that it is a lousy property with a lousy landlord and lousy tenants, however, I do wonder why you place such faith in UNIT when properties such as these are still a problem. In other words, is UNIT really making a positive difference? Your example suggests that they don't.
Failure to respond to the problem mentioned by CTW regarding a water leak, should certainly be addressed by the landlord..not the Mayor's office! Sure complain to your Alderman, arrange for a an atty. and sue..or just vacate the property. document your steps..and if the "Slum Lord" sues the "non-Slum Tenant?". Then we have properly used our system of legal recourse.
"Slum Lords" are an excuse for a business person offering a service to people with little to no money, and often a complete dis-respect for someone elses Real Estate. i.e "Slum Tenant's"
The best way to make our community better is to not have more Slum-Lords..or Slum Tenants. we can fix that be lowering taxes to business people and their companies so they will WANT to come to our city, and bring jobs, better schools, etc. The other way to help the chronically unemployed/ un-employable Slum tenant who is just as a happy no matter what sty they live in is to stop renting to them all together in our city, and they can take themselves somewhere else..And when they run out of somewhere elses they can figure it out, we hope.
But frankly if you don't want to improve your life or contribute to the community anything but problems..We don't want you and we shouldn't help. Take your crack pipes, your lousy manners, and your disregard for anything good..and just be on your way..
Very interesting Denis.....
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