New Waukesha Mayor Advised to Learn From Soglin

James Rowen couldn't stop himself from telling new Waukesha mayor Jeff Scrima, age 32, that he could learn from how 27-year old Paul Soglin managed to wrest actual power from the old staff in Madison City Hall back in 1973.

I saw a similar effort to box in and undercut a new Mayor years ago in Madison when Paul Soglin was first elected Mayor, at age 27. I was his then-administrative assistant, a position now called chief of staff.

The old guard fought back in and around City Hall because some more senior officials and traditional power-brokers couldn't grasp or abide the sudden shift in power.

New young Mayors get tested, that's for sure.

Insert old fart/"get off my lawn" joke here.

- Barry Orton