Bob Watt by J. Shimon & J. Lindemann
RIP BOB WATT
Milwaukee lost one of its remaining links to the Beat Generation with the death of Bob Watt. This eccentric character, with his white beard and stained fish tie was familiar to locals in the poetry and art scenes. Watt was a prolific recycler of found art. His bungalow on North Dousman Street, where he moved after a house fire, soon filled with his works, which he would give away or sell for very cheap. His canvas was usually cheap art prints on cardboard which he would overpaint, virtually always coming up with the figure of an Indian, whether the original painting was of a daisy, a butterfly, or Jesus Christ himself. Watt certainly was entitled to a place of honor in the pantheon of Milwaukee’s avant-garde, although this opinion was not shared by Mary Louise Schumacher of the Journal Sentinel who published just such a list last month. Her choices also failed to include Watt’s good friend and champion Jimmy Von Milwaukee, whose Christmas parties often included a Santa Bob happily posing for portraits with the guests photographed by John Shimon and Julie Lindeman.
For 86 years Watt always managed to be of another time. He was a true character.
RON JOHNSON DOTH PROTEST
Recently, I wrote a column regarding the way Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) paid a staffer he hired: Patrick McIlheran, former conservative columnist for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. McIlheran’s salary is paid entirely by a senate subcommittee.
Johnson’s press secretary Brian Faughnan, however, wrote us to ask for a correction, insisting that “McIlheran is not a shared employee of Senators Johnson’s personal staff and his subcommittee staff. He works for the subcommittee.”
Actually, my original article did quote Faughnan saying McIlheran doesn’t work on Johnson’s personal staff. I’m happy to again quote Faughnan to that effect.
However, when the article was being researched, we checked McIlheran’s Facebook profile. It said McIlheran was “a writer and researcher for Senator Ron Johnson,” and included a link to Senator Johnson’s website. That link was removed from the Facebook page after the publication of my article . McIlheran no longer lists an employer of any sort.
Likewise, McIlheran’s LinkedIn account at the time listed his job as “a writer and researcher for Senator Ron Johnson.” That reference was also been removed subsequent to the publication of the article, and McIlheran now lists his employment as “Professional staff, U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, Subcte on Oversight of Govt Mgt.”
Finally, my article referred to the June 11, 2011 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel announcement of McIlheran’s new job. The article was headlined, “McIlheran to leave JS for spot on Sen. Johnson’s staff.” The story noted that “McIlheran, who will work out of Johnson’s Washington, D.C., office, will research issues and write about them for the senator. McIlheran also will work for the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia, of which Johnson is the ranking member.”
Finally, our original reporting included a call to the subcommittee office asking for McIlheran. The operator said McIlheran did not work at the subcommittee’s office, and forwarded the call to the office of the senator.
As our story noted, it is not unusual for Senators to have staff that work partly for a subcommittee and partly as personal staff. The issue, as an expert with the LegiStorm website noted, is how the salary is allocated between the two. Faughnan, however, insists McIlheran works 100 percent of the time for the subcommittee, meaning Johnson need not pay a dollar of McIlheran’s salary.
Faughnan also noted that McIlheran’s total pay of $27,213.84 for the Third Quarter 2011 reports was for 102 calendar days, meaning his pay would be $97,382 on an annualized basis, not $108,000, as we reported. Our apologies for that error.
FIRE AT OCCUPY RIVERWEST INJURES GYPSY JAZZ MUSICIAN
A Christmas fire at the Occupy Riverwest site at the southwest corner of North Bremen and East Locust streets inflicted third-degree burns on the leg of Ryan Eckert, an occupant whose sleeping bag ignited at the makeshift camp. Eckert, the guitar player for the Fourth Street Elevator Gypsy swing band, is currently hospitalized at Columbia St. Mary’s burn unit. Friends who have seen him say he is in pain, yet good spirits after skin grafts.
“He’s talking a lot about Buddhism,” said one friend to Eckert’s reaction to his life-altering experience.
The band played its usual Tuesday gig at the Bremen Cafe, but leader and MPS teacher Phil Schwinn says it will be the group’s last for the time being.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
Edward A. Flynn will be sworn in to his second four-year term as Milwaukee Police Chief on Friday, January 6th at 9 a.m. in the Common Council Chambers. Flynn took office in January 2008 after serving briefly as the Commissioner of Police in Springfield, Mass. Flynn also served as the Secretary of Public Safety for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts during the administration of Governor Mitt Romney. … Mayor Barrett will have a photo-op Thursday, January 5th at 2 p.m. standing at the base of a pile of road salt at Jones Island. He will be celebrating the 1 million plus tons of salt that arrived in the Port of Milwaukee this shipping season. … Online gallery Artbook will get its brick-and-mortar status Friday, January 6th when it opens at 1761 N. Warren Ave., just north of Brady Street. Passersby might remember the corner building, the windows of which were filled for years with some delightful antiques that never were for sale. … If you want to get your face on first, head to Bombshell, which has opened at 1234 E. Brady St. It specializes in facials and combing your hair. No haircuts, though. This is a highly specialized industry.
