FREE WHITEWATER

Monthly Archives: March 2009

City

Participatory Democracy

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I received an email from a reader, discussing recent neighborhood meetings in Whitewater. It’s true that I have not commented on these meetings. I wrote him yesterday thanking him for his email, and I’ll offer a public post on the topic. First his message, and my reply follows thereafter in red.

There will a second, public meeting of people from the East side of UWW’s campus to discuss ways they can preserve the quality of their neighborhood. The meeting will be held March 5, 7:00 PM, at Starin Park. The first meeting had more than 60-70 people in attendance. Short talks were given by city councilpersons, the city administrator, the city’s code enforcement officer (Bruce Parker), the police chief, and the municipal judge.

There was also a similar meeting for people living South of UWW’s campus. A second meeting is being considered for this group as well.

It would be interesting to read your perspective on matters discussed.

These meetings, well-attended as inaugural sessions, represent a significant development in Whitewater. Sustaining momentum won’t be easy, and how these groups look months from now interests me most.

Some preliminary remarks —

Community Led vs. City Led. These meetings are community meetings, but how they evolve apart from the participation of city officials will show how community-based they truly are.

The City of Whitewater’s played a role in encouraging these groups, through the Housing Task Force. There’s great irony in all that – part of the problem, from the groups’ view, is that the city has not protected adequately their property rights. It’s hardly reasonable to expect that the City of Whitewater’s guidance will make the groups a success. There may be a few city officials who hope for a partnership, where they guide the work of these community groups.

These groups will be a success when they establish a clear objective, that they can explain, and advance, regardless of the views of municipal officials.

Community Led. It’s a risk of every community group that they might propose solutions that are too restrictive, intrusive, or unlawful. Condo associations sometimes stray down this path.

Brunner’s Pandora’s Box. It’s Dr. Nosek who has advanced, at every turn, the idea that student housing, rental housing, is a threat to single family neighborhoods. No politician has advanced this agenda, or any other, so successfully over the last two years’ time. I disagree with Nosek’s analysis and approach, but I can easily see that he has doggedly pushed farther than so many others, on any issue of theirs.

City Manager Kevin Brunner’s affirmed the issue of housing as Whitewater’s greatest challenge, although I have no idea why. I think he’s wrong to think that this is our community’s biggest challenge.

I also think, though, that it was politically foolish to acknowledge the issue without better control over it. If there’s one thing that this administration cannot appreciably control, it’s the mix of housing – rental versus single family – in the city.

Toward this greater goal, Brunner has no hope of success – he can’t appreciably move this market in a different direction.

There is a lesser goal, of simple enforcement, of course. Forget the mix of rental versus single family homes – can the city adequately enforce existing (and recently-enacted) ordinances adequately?

I have argued that we have a problem of both under- and over- enforcement – Whitewater’s either too hot or too cold. In some situations, enforcement is sadly inadequate; in others, it’s too intrusive.

That’s not just an enforcement official’s problem, though – it’s the city manager’s responsibility. Yet, for all the talk on the issue, no task force, mission statement, survey, PowerPoint show, quotation, or motivational slogan on a t-shirt will solve this problem.

Why an administration given to that approach would embrace this issue, I’m not sure. If there was even a faint hope that paying lip-service to the issue would placate Dr. Nosek, it was one of the great miscalculations of recent Whitewater politics.

There’s likely to be a disappointment for someone, somewhere, in all of this.
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Daily Bread

Daily Bread: March 3, 2009

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Good morning, Whitewater

It’s not just any day in Whitewater — there’s a Common Council meeting at 6:30 p.m. tonight. The agenda for the meeting is available online.

In Wisconsin history, the Wisconsin Historical Society reports that Walter J. Kohler, politician and plumbing king, was born on this day in 1875:

On this date Walter Jodok Kohler was born in Sheboygan. An industrialist, Republican politician, and Wisconsin governor, Kohler was noted for conceiving and building Kohler Village, a planned community for employees of the Kohler Company outside Sheboygan. At an early age, he went to work for his father’s farm implement company. Upon his father’s death in 1900, he and his brothers assumed management of the firm, known after 1912 as The Kohler Co., which grew to be one of the largest of its kind in the nation. It pioneered production methods for plumbing equipment and enamelware, and today supports a museum showing its traditions to visitors.

Kohler was also chairman of the board of the Vollrath Co., an officer of the Security National Bank in Sheboygan, and a regent of the University of Wisconsin from 1918 to 1924. Kohler served one term as Wisconsin governor, from 1929 to 1931, but his chances for a second term were defeated when he lost the Republican gubernatorial nomination to Philip La Follette in 1930. Although successful for the bid in 1932, he was then defeated in the general election by Democrat Albert Schmedeman.

Walter Kohler was often criticized by labor for his opposition to trade unions. In 1934, when his employees attempted to organize and join the A. F. L., Kohler refused to bargain with them. A violent strike ensued and on July 27, 1934, two people were killed.

Kohler is remembered today for his civic services and firm control of one of the state’s most successful corporations during the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression. He is also looked back upon by many conservatives as a predecessor who shared their values before the modern Republican Party had taken shape in Wisconsin.

There’s a website called Find a Grave, that displays the graves of famous people. (There’s a website for just about anything.) I thought that I’d take a look, to see if a man who profited from the sale of indoor plumbing fixtures might have memorialized those efforts at his gravesite.

No, he didn’t. His grave is surprisingly dignified, actually. Although someone couldn’t refrain from a marker that allows mourners to sit down, it’s just a bench for a relative. See for yourself.

School District

Lincoln School — Special Apology Post

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Well, I had a letter from a super angry curious Lincoln Leopards booster this morning. (He’s a longtime reader and prior correspondent, actually, and his message was much appreciated.)

He wrote to observe that coverage at Free Whitewater seems to focus disproportionately on Washington School, to the exclusion of Lincoln School (home of the Leopards) or Lakeview School.

(Lakeview School is home of, well, I’m not really sure, actually, but it’s probably something good. The logo looks like a playful whippet, but it might actually be an Italian greyhound or Pharaoh hound or Ibizan hound. I can’t really tell, and anyway, I only know about those other breeds because I just looked them up on the AKC website as I was writing this post.)

I’ll reply afterward, in red.

Here’s what he had to say:

Hi Adams,

I am a long-time viewer and 3rd time e-mail engager (probably not a word).

Please take this as a curiosity, rather than a complaint, but it seems to me that I have noticed a pronounced exposure weighted toward the activities of Washington Elementary. Is this a personal preference or does Lincoln (and Lakeview) publicly advertise their activities/ events significantly less?

To update you: today Lincoln Elementary celebrated Dr. Seuss’ Birthday with a Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast for students along with their Parents (if possible) and then a school-wide reading of a Dr. Seuss classic in the gymnasium.

I was educated by the Staff of Lincoln (’79-84- then known as “Stinkin’ Lincoln” by Washington kids– they all knew better 😉 ) as is my son now. I am a little sad if the Lincoln activities are not shared as prominently with the community as the Washington activities. I guess if I were a jaded and sullen taxpayer, this would lead me to ASSUME that Lincoln goes through the motions compared to Washington. The result: a negative opinion of a fine Elementary School {so far our experience for our son has been very positive at Lincoln}.

Is your data source devoid of Lincoln (and Lakeview) activities?

Go Leopards!

Sincerely,

George Bailey

Adams replies: I owe an apology to the Leopards. Well, it’s true – I have had more coverage of Washington School. I have no personal preference for Washington, though, either as a school or president, over Lincoln. (I’d rate Lincoln the finer president, and I’ll not rate one of our elementary schools over another on that basis.) I’ll also not argue with someone whose pseudonym shows that, ultimately, he understands that it really is a wonderful life.

I have had more postings on Washington, but that’ll change — I signed up additional sources today to help with Lincoln and Lakeview information. Thanks so much, loyal readers.

I will post more comprehensively on all three schools – and I would be the last person who would wish to ignore a Dr. Seuss celebration. A day of Dr. Seuss is worth, I’d estimate, at least 2.7 days of just about anything else.

Unfair, surely, to ignore the author who wrote this, and the school that celebrated his accomplishments:

I would not like them here or there.
I would not like them anywhere.
I do not like green eggs and ham.
I do not like them Sam I Am.

Clever and endearing, both.

City

Prisoner Monday

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For the next several weeks, I’ll make Monday Prisoner Monday here at Free Whitewater. A longtime reader previously suggested to me that being in Whitewater sometimes felt like living the plot of The Prisoner.

That fine British series, now being re-made as an AMC program, tells the story of a secret agent who resigns from service, only to find himself in a mysterious place called The Village.

I’m sure some uptight official public servant will look at this and bemoan how I’m besmirching the reputation of Whitewater, but that’s not true. If anything, a comparison to The Prisoner is favorable to Whitewater. I’m not sure that Whitewater — and its officials — have ever been as stylish as those in the series, and any comparison makes our public servants look better than they really are.

Besides, I’m hardly wrecking the reputation of our city; our officials can do that job on their own.

AMC has the full episodes of the original series online, and also offers one-minute summaries of those original episodes. I’ve previously posted the first of the videos:

Here’s the second, one-minute summary.

Enjoy.

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Daily Bread

Daily Bread: March 2, 2009

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Good morning, Whitewater

One often hears that March arrives like a lion, and leaves like a lamb. We’ll see.

In our schools today, the Book Fair at Washington School — proud home of the Golden Eagles — continues today. At the High School today, at 6:30 p.m., there is a scheduled Music Parents meeting.

It’s an astonishing day in Wisconsin and American history today. For those patronizing the Washington School Book Fair, perhaps something to commemorate Dr. Seuss’s birthday — Theodor Geisel was born this day in 1904. The History Channel has a link to a video highlighting events today, including Seuss’s birthday.

(It’s also the anniversary of the New York premiere of the original King Kong.)

In Wisconsin History, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society, Senator Russ Feingold was born today in 1953:

On this date U.S. Senator Russ Feingold was born in Janesville, Wisconsin. Feingold graduated from Janesville Craig High School in 1971. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1975 and attended Magdalen College in Oxford, England as a Rhodes Scholar. He received a graduate degree in 1977 and graduated from Harvard University Law School in 1979. He was admitted to the Wisconsin bar in 1979 and practiced law in Madison, Wisconsin from 1979-1985. He served as a visiting professor at Beloit College 1985 and a member of the Wisconsin State Senate from 1983 to 1993. Feingold was elected in 1992 as a Democrat to the United States Senate, reelected in 1998 and in 2004 for the term ending January 3, 2011.

I am no fan of Feingold’s position on so-called campaign finance reform (McCain-Feingold limits speech through its restrictions on campaign spending), but there’s no doubt that he’s been one of the most noted senators in Wisconsin’s history. Feingold’s views are sometimes unpopular even within his own party, and I respect his resolute advocacy. Many senators, even from large states, are dull and unimpressive; one could never say that of Feingold.

Happy birthday.