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CORRECTION: An article Sunday about state Sen. Gary George's residency misstated the location of University School of Milwaukee. It is in River Hills, not Bayside.
George's distance a flash point
Ozaukee house, outsiders' donations anger recall leaders
By BRUCE MURPHY bmurphy@journalsentinel.com, Journal Sentinel
Sunday, May 25, 2003
It would be hard to find a place more removed from the central city neighborhoods of state Sen. Gary George's district than the upscale residence at 1138 N. Lakeshore Road, where his family lives.
The Town of Grafton home sits on 3 acres of prime lakefront property on a high bluff with a spectacular view of Lake Michigan. On a typical day, the only sounds to be heard were the wind, the waves and the song of birds drawn to the pastoral landscape of pine trees and rolling fields.
George's senatorial district on the north side of Milwaukee includes the destitute blocks where a gang of youths beat Charlie Young Jr. to death last year.
The Town of Grafton home stands as a perfect symbol of the issues raised by leaders of a recall effort that threatens the legislator's 23-year political career. His opponents have charged George is disconnected from his district and supports his lifestyle on campaign donations from wealthy outsiders.
But it's difficult to evaluate such charges because of the mystery surrounding George: He generally refuses to discuss any controversies involving himself, and he declined several requests for an interview for this story, as did George's attorney, Mark Sostarich.
Jerrel Jones, a recall leader and owner of such black media outlets as the Milwaukee Courier and radio station WNOV-AM (860), has no doubt that George lives somewhere besides Milwaukee. "He's not a resident of his district at all," Jones said.
Technically, that's not true. The state Blue Book lists George's address at 1100 W. Wells St., an apartment on the 17th floor of the Knights Tower, but it's listed in the phone book under "G. Raymond," a pseudonym George sometimes uses.
George purchased the home in the Town of Grafton in 1990, when he was married to his first wife. At the time, the purchase caused some controversy.
"If you buy a $279,000 home, you'll probably use that as your primary residence," said Ald. Marvin...