“Hellbound on a Cheese Bus: Whiskey Fiends, Public Loot, and the Tourism Grift That Ate Lake Geneva”

Should Lake Geneva taxpayers subsidize businesses outside Lake Geneva?  That is the heart of the question Lake Geneva city council president Mary Joe Fesenmier keeps asking at the secretive Lake Geneva Tourism commission.

Two applicants came before the commission on March 10,2025 looking to dip their snouts in the public trough. The Lake Geneva Whisky Club organized by Dana Trilla and Rick Casey for $20K and Lake Geneva House of Music and Adams Publishing Group Chris Buttleman & Robert Ireland looking for $25K. They wanted to hold a Whiskey Festival and Cheese Festival respectively.

The Wee Whisky Festival will be held at Grand Geneva Resort in Lyons Township and the Lodge at Geneva National in Geneva Township with a bus to take the whiskey drinkers to various watering holes in downtown Lake Geneva. A very good idea that’s all we need in Lake Geneva is more bar hoppers driving.  Of course, they will not be stopping at other stores in town besides the bars.

The fact that was never asked is if this was a good idea for City of Lake Geneva taxpayers to promote the consumption of alcohol. It is well known that alcoholic beverages are now classified as carcinogens, and the public is starting to get the point . Even Rick Casey stated that “whiskey sales are actually on a decline.” Commissioner Brian Waspi concurred that “all alcohol sales are.”

The health warning of drinking is at a point now like the warnings of tobacco smoking were in the 1960s. Is the city opening themselves up a unlimited liability for future litigation? It would be a good idea to get a liability release from all tourists grant applicants at the tourist commission and at the city council level since they are also required to sign off on the permit.

The recent data show that Gen Z is not consuming alcohol with the gusto of their parents. Is it because they see the damage of consumption on their parents just like the boomers have witnessed on theirs from tobacco smoking? Alarmingly now Americans in their 30’s and 40’s are coming down with cancer at a rate and much earlier in life.

This correspondent had an opportunity last year to talk about Gen Z drinking with one of the owners of Celebration on Wells, Cory, who does a lot of catering to the vacation home rentals in the Lake Geneva area. He pointed out that mock tails, nonalcoholic beverages as very much the new preference to many of his clients. It is now a big business nationally, even Brunos Liquor has a large selection.

Unfortunately, this being Wisconsin and Wisconsin has the highest rate of excessive drinking in the U.S., with about a quarter of residents reporting it. The state’s overall alcohol consumption per capita is quite high, ranking 8^th in the county. Nationally, about 19% of adults report excessive drinking, compared to Wisconsin’s 25%

Wisconsin consistently ranks high in binge drinking rates, which is defined as consuming a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time, typically five or more drinks for men and four or more for women within about two hours. Excessive drinking includes both binge drinking and heavy drinking, with is eight or more drinks per weeks for women and 15 or more for men. So, binge drinking is about the quantity in one sitting, while excessive drinking covers overall consumption patterns.

Members of the Tourist Commission all approved the grant of $20K to the Wee Whiskey Fest. It was noted in their budget was padded with $7500 for “Website Modification” and $15K for “Facility Rentals.” Really!

Next group with their hands out for public largesse was Lake Geneva House of Music and Adams Publishing Group who last month was in for $25K but was postponed to this meeting because Mary Jo Fesenmier noted they were in Geneva Township and Geneva Township has their own Tourism Commission. According to the application, they should ask for money from them first and they had not every tough Chris Buttleman was on that Tourism Commission.

Well, it turned out that Geneva Township now has given them $15K but they were still asking for $25K from Lake Geneva. What then followed was 30 minutes of a song and dance for that $25k. Even Mayor Todd Krause had to point out that “The Geneva Township received $600,000 of tourism money. So why? Why didn’t they award you $25,000?”

At that point the commission was like in suspended animation struck dumb on what to do. You see they had very rarely ever said no to anyone who came asking for money. After about 5minutes Zakia Pirzada couldn’t hold it in any longer and puked up $10K. To the relief of everyone, except the mayor, they voted in favor of awarding that to the Cheese Fest in Geneva township. They just can’t say no. $10K here $25K, Lake Geneva’s slush fund in action. Now you know why they do not want to have their meetings recorded and posted. They used to be streamed live till Mayor Todd Krause was elected.

Alderperson Fesenmier wants the commission to set some rules for when events are held outside the city of Lake Geneva. A good place to start should be they get funding from the municipality of event is held at. Especially if it is held at a resort because resorts business models are to keep visitor’s captive, so they spend their time on site. If the event is held outside of the city, they should look to the Lake Geneva Chamber of Commerce d.b.a.Visit Lake Geneva for the funding since they promote the whole area and get 51% of Lake Geneva’s room tax money vs only 19% for Lake Geneva’s Tourism Commisssion.