Holy (whatever), this is one huge mess this week. There are 4 meetings in legistar without agendas, 2 committees show up in legistar and aren’t on the weekly schedule and of the meetings that are scheduled 5 are in the middle of the day. No meeting on Tuesday for the election. Don’t forget to vote!
Local Government
Government Spending, Local Government
Incentives in conditions of supposedly high demand
Still, it’s pretty much a circus monkey ransom note from folks who want to soothe our pain of having nearly zero vacant industrial space by giving them free land and cash to build industrial space that would attract tenants so quickly, they’ll notice we have “nearly zero” vacant class “A” industrial space just in time again for the next ransom note demanding more free land and money to build class “A” industrial space …despite high demand for it. Ad nauseam.
Local Government, Regulations
Victory Over City Hall
Score one for the “little guy”, as this week a Winnebago County Judge rules against the City of Oshkosh in its lawsuit against the founder of the Downtown Pub Crawl. The judge found that Joe Kubiak–the man that drama queen Mayor Steve Cummings once claimed was “holding the city hostage”–is not responsible for securing a special event permit or paying the fee for that permit. It ends a nearly two-year legal battle between the two sides–that only added more to the taxpayers’ expense.
Law, Local Government, Newspapers, Open Government, Public Records, State Government, Wisconsin
Public Records Requests Are A Right, Not a Gift
So a local paper complains that a local school superintendent won’t comply with a public records request, won’t put the paper on a media contact list, and simply ‘must’ improve communications.
A few points –
1. Compliance with a public records request isn’t a ‘communications’ issue; it’s a legal issue, of rights of residents under Wisconsin law….
Via 4 Points About Public Records Requests @ FREE WHITEWATER.
Link
Business, Government Spending, Local Government, Press, Taxes, WEDC
Janesville Gazette Distorts meaning of Tax Incremental Financing
First of all, TIF districts were not designed or intended to be used by municipalities to “acquire” property or weaponized to allow private parties to acquire property through government force or below market value. But apparently, according to the newspaper’s new definition, that is how a TIF District works. The part about “charging” the cost of common areas and infrastructure to the district IS how it is supposed to be, but ironically, that’s not how the TIF works for Dollar General.
Via Local Tools Rework TIF Districts Into Tax Exempt Districts For the Oligarchs @ Rock Netroots.
Federal Government, Immigration, Local Government, Madison
Madison’s No Sanctuary
Homelessness, Local Government, Madison, Poverty
Homeless Madisonians v. Paul Soglin
Homelessness, Local Government, Madison, Poverty
Rousting the homeless
The Downtown Pedestrian Protection Ordinance would impose a time limit of one hour on the use of public benches and prohibits sitting, lying or lodging on public sidewalks and right-of-ways during most hours of the day. That prohibition would run from 5:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. for any city office properties, and from 5:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. for the rest of the downtown.
Madison Police would be required to give a verbal warning to anyone violating the ordinance, but after that violators would be subject to a fine of $100 for a first offense and $250 for a second or subsequent offense within one year of the first.
Via Mayor Soglin proposes sweeping ordinance aimed at homeless population.
Animals, Local Government, Regulations
When kangaroos are outlawed, only outlaws will have kangaroos
“Beaver Dam Common Council approved an amendment to the municipal code that redefines a service animal as a dog or miniature horse and not a kangaroo.”
Local Government, Misconduct, Police
Mothers of Homicide Victims Welcome Review of Beloit Police
Local Government, Misconduct, Police
What Led to Beloit Police Leaders’ Suspension?
Local Government, State Government, WISGOP
Local control fades
“Republicans hate one-size-fits-all laws that take local control away, right? Nope! Remember when Republican Sen. Tom Tiffany tried to take away local control from communities effected by sand mining? It follows a pattern; they did that with billboards, cell towers, water quality in Dane County, and paid sick leave. So why not mines? Despite being…
Local Government, Madison, Poverty
Madison struggles with homelessness
“Remember the classic wooden benches in the lobby of the City-County Building? A grace note for the tired-of-foot taxpayer? Gone down the memory hole. Victim of Madison’s dominant political culture, its subservience to the Cult of Victimhood. Madison’s dominant political culture cannot bring itself to evict the vagrants befouling the seat of local government, so…
Local Government, Nannyism, Regulations
Local Gov’t Thinks Big
City leaders in La Crosse are considering whether to make it illegal to have upholstered furniture outside. #news3 http://t.co/SE4P9MFHtq — WISCTV News 3 (@WISCTV_News3) June 4, 2015
Local Government, Madison
Working Conditions
There has been no shortage of news stories over the months about the unsanitary conditions, the verbal abuse, drug abuse, and even sexual acts taking place among some of the homeless at the city-county building. As a result more than 190 employees from multiple city and county agencies in the building signed a strongly worded…
Crime, Local Government, Milwaukee
MKE passes marijuana decriminalization
Breaking: Marijuana decriminalization motion passed in #milwaukee! — ACLU of Wisconsin (@ACLUofWisconsin) June 2, 2015
Crime, Legislation, Local Government, State Government
State Would Trump Cities on Sex-Offender Placement
Local Government, Madison, Politics
Fractures
Via Is Madison Mayor Soglin building a political wall against the Young, Gifted, and Black coalition? @ blue cheddar.
Local Government
Because, of course, Alderman Jason Litkowiec must be so much smarter
Crime, Local Government, Madison
Madison Resolves to Hire ‘Expert’
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City will allocate up to $50,000 to hire an expert(s) in community policing, law, problem oriented policing, racial disparities and implicit bias to thoroughly review the Madison Police Department policies, procedures, culture and training. A citizen committee of 3 will be appointed by the Mayor to work with…
Culture, Local Government, Madison, Politics, Race
Blaska on race in Madison
Madison fears The Race Card more than stage four cancer. The institutions have been sufficiently mau-maued by “activists.” The mob closed down a bank on the capitol square for an afternoon. The mayor tried to penalize contributors to the wrong political action groups. The threat of economic boycott looms over independent-thinking businesses; social ostracism awaits…
Business, Crony Capitalism, Cronyism, Government Spending, Local Government
Where government’s business isn’t your business
At Monday’s city council meeting, a phantom developer using the name Capital Circle I Corp just picked up nearly $850,000 in lump sum free money from Janesville taxpayers. That’s OK because Janesville taxpayers are loaded with mucho excess cash and almost no one cares about who is getting the free stuff anyways – as long…
Business, Ecology, Environment, Legislation, Local Government, State Government
WISGOP plans control of liberals’ water supply
Business, Environment, Local Government
Big Oil Begs Dane County
ICYMI: Enbridge appeals to Dane County Board to avoid spill insurance http://t.co/4w05F6VWx1 pic.twitter.com/F8Euf2fWeo — Wis. State Journal (@WiStateJournal) May 6, 2015
County, Local Government
Dane Towns v. Dane County
Local Government, Press
What’s Left, Chronicling What’s Left
Over nearly eight years that I’ve been writing, local print news has declined, and its online versions have not been able to stem erosion in revenue and quality. Although the quality’s poor – and it is – these local papers still offer a lingering value. Now and again, they print the views of Whitewater’s town…
Local Government, Madison, Poverty
Soglin tries to clean up City-County Building
Mayor Paul Soglin, after waiting what some would argue was too long a period of time, has finally said conditions are so bad that enough is enough. Last week the mayor restricted the homeless to only sleeping outdoors at the city-county building. That makes sense so to reduce having problems spread throughout the downtown area. …
Local Government, Madison, Poverty
Homeless Defecating Throughout Madison’s City-County Bldg
Conservatives, Elections, Local Government
Conservatives win council seats in blue Janesville
Contrary to what I believe some “progressives’ are thinking, the decisive re-election wins by incumbent Janesville council members Sam Liebert and Doug Marklein represent huge wins for the corporate status quo Walker-booster club Forward Janesville and the Janesville Gazette. Three of four of the candidates pushed by the Gazette won seats on the city council.…
Culture, Local Government, Madison, Police, Politics
Rejection
‘Order doesn’t work for us’ 'Order doesn't work for us': Young, Gifted and Black embrace radical role http://t.co/ZLPaEsxEc7 pic.twitter.com/SHoeeOvLbo — madison.com (@madisondotcom) April 3, 2015
Crime, Local Government, Politics, Progressives
Are liberals to blame?
Who knew? Madison — a city governed by liberals, progressives, and socialists for the past 40 years — does not have enough regulations to contain the bloodlust of its police! At least, so those self-same rulers say. … Via Madison liberals will protest the city they have created and governed @ Blaska’s Bring It!