?? This Tuesday, February 23rd at 1 PM, there will be a showing of 21 Bridges @ Seniors in the Park, in the Starin Community Building: (Action/Police/Crime/Thriller) Rated R (Violence, language) 1 hour, 39 minutes (2019) An embattled NYPD detective (Chadwick Boseman)is thrust into a citywide manhunt for a pair of cop killers after uncovering a massive conspiracy…
City
City, Economy, University, UW System
The Bad Economy Isn’t Causing Good Enrollment Numbers
by JOHN ADAMS •
Catherine Rampell observes Tough economies usually push people into more education. It’s not happening this time. She writes that Usually, postsecondary enrollment increases during tough economies, as workers seek shelter from the lousy job market and invest in upgrading their skills. This can be a (small) silver lining of downturns: If displaced workers choose wisely…
City, Disinformation, Economy, Employment, Poverty
Unemployment Imagined and Real
by JOHN ADAMS •
National unemployment figures have been undercounting the true number of those unemployed. Rachel Siegel reports Fed chair: Unemployment rate was closer to 10 percent, not 6.3 percent, in January: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell said Wednesday that the unemployment rate in January was “close to 10 percent,” significantly higher than the 6.3 percent rate…
Business, City, Coronavirus, Economy, Free Markets
Buy Local Will Change
by JOHN ADAMS •
The pandemic has made takeout and delivery more valuable than ever, not only for convenience but also for reduced exposure. In larger cities, some changes to restaurant delivery (among other services) have been building for years, and are likely to be permanent. See Heated patios, QR code menus and pop-ups: Milwaukee restaurants got innovative during…
City, Film
Tuesday, February 9th, 1 PM @ Seniors in the Park, Mulan
by JOHN ADAMS •
?? This Tuesday, February 9th at 1 PM, there will be a showing of Mulan @ Seniors in the Park, in the Starin Community Building: (Drama/Adventure/Family) PG-13 1 hour, 55 minutes (2020) Mulan is a legendary folk heroine from the Chinese dynasties, AD 4th to 6th century. According to their legend, Mulan takes her aged father’s place in…
City, Government Spending, Local Government
Whitewater Common Council Meeting, 2.2.21: 5 Points
by JOHN ADAMS •
The Whitewater Common Council met last night, 2.2.21. The recording of the meeting is embedded above. The agenda for the meeting is available. A few remarks, on selected items of the agenda — 1. Term Limits. Whitewater has relaxed term limits for boards and commissions. A city that has an admitted same-ten-people problem will now allow some…
City, Film
Rescheduled: Thursday, January 28th, 1 PM @ Seniors in the Park, Seraphim Falls
by JOHN ADAMS •
This Thursday, January 28th at 1 PM (having been rescheduled from 1.26 due to expected inclement weather), there will be a showing of Seraphim Falls @ Seniors in the Park, in the Starin Community Building: (Western/Action/Thriller/Chase) Rated R (Violence, extreme action) 1 hour, 55 minutes (2007) Now for something totally different—-a two-fisted, good old Western! Five years…
CDA, City, Development, Government Spending, Local Government, Poverty, WEDC
Whitewater Common Council Meeting, 1.19.21: 6 Points
by JOHN ADAMS •
The Whitewater Common Council met last night, 1.19.21. The agenda for the meeting is available. A few remarks, on selected items of the agenda — 1. Public Works Buildings. Whitewater plans to update its public works buildings, now scattered over a multi-acre plot near Starin Road. The total estimated price is high for a small town (about…
City, Elections, Fair Maps, Gerrymandering, Law, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Counties Backing Fair Maps
by JOHN ADAMS •
The fight against gerrymandering will be a key political issue statewide (and in Whitewater) over 2021-2022. See Probable Wisconsin Political Issues for 2021. Both of the counties of which Whitewater is a part have supported resolutions in favor of fair maps. For more information, visit the Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition to help end gerrymandering in…
City, Film
Film: Tuesday, January 12th, 1 PM @ Seniors in the Park, The King of Staten Island
by JOHN ADAMS •
?? This Tuesday, January12th at 1 PM, there will be a showing of The King of Staten Island @ Seniors in the Park, in the Starin Community Building: Comedy/Drama Rated R (Language, Sex, Drugs) 2 hours, 16 minutes (2020) A semi-biographical film of Pete Davidson, a member of the ensemble of “Saturday Night Live.” At age…
City, Elections, Failure, Local Government, Presidential race 2020, Scott Fitzgerald, Sen. Ron Johnson, Trump, Trumpism, Unfit
Johnson & Fitzgerald: Betrayers of Wisconsin
by JOHN ADAMS •
The Journal Sentinel’s editorial board correctly contends that Ron Johnson, Scott Fitzgerald and Tom Tiffany should resign or be expelled for siding with Trump against our republic: It was one of Scott Fitzgerald’s first votes in Congress — and he voted to give aid and comfort to an insurrection. This is what putting Donald Trump…
City, Culture, Demographics, Economy, Education, Local Government, Politics, School District
Local 2021 Races in the Whitewater Area
by JOHN ADAMS •
Update: this post about local politics, with an optimistic final sentence, was published before the morning and afternoon events in Washington. It has always been true – and always will be true – that what harms the country harms the city; what stains the nation stains the city. Every moment of opposition to Trump and…
Aside, City, Local Government, Planning, School District
Problems of Small-Town Planning
by JOHN ADAMS •
Problems of small-town planning are not from lack of plans, they’re from lack of judgment and foresight. Even the smallest towns have plans, regulations, task forces, etc. Problems come from planners (both professionals and residents on committees) who lack the judgment to distinguish between big and small matters (and so waste time on the small).…
Aside, City, Coronavirus, Culture, Economy
For Whitewater, the Pandemic Reveals What Was Already There
by JOHN ADAMS •
For Whitewater – and other places – the pandemic hasn’t changed contemporary politics or culture, it has revealed plainly the character of contemporary politics and culture: divided, debilitated. Whitewater’s meaningful changes began years ago, with the Great Recession (2007-2009). For small towns like Whitewater, that recession never ended. It’s as if a man with poor…