In a competitive marketplace of ideas – of left, right, center – each idea questioned and considered – the best authority is a well-reasoned position. Simple appeals to personal authority – of the kind that have been the foundation of Whitewater’s politics over the last generation – just aren’t good enough anymore. Who you know…
City
City, Government Spending, Local Government
The City of Whitewater’s 2013 Draft Budget (Overview)
by JOHN ADAMS •
It’s budget season for the City of Whitewater, running into November, and in this post I’ll offer a few overview remarks. Subsequent posts will consider aspects of the budget in greater detail. The City of Whitewater’s Budget, not Whitewater, Wisconsin’s Budget. A bit of perspective — something lacking in past years — is in order.…
Business, City, Laws/Regulations
The Transient Merchant Ordinance
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s a discussion at Common Council tonight of our “transient merchant ordinance.” The text under discussion is part of the agenda packet, at numbered pages 33 – 42. This current provisions of our municipal code are online as well. Council’s session begins at 6:30 PM in City Hall the Municipal Building.
City, Government Spending, Taxes/Taxation
The City of Whitewater’s 2013 Draft Budget
by JOHN ADAMS •
Whitewater’s municipal administration released its draft 2013 budget to the public last Friday. I’ve linked to it below (where readers can review, download, or print the one-hundred fifty page document). Common Council will begin consideration of the budget tonight, with tonight’s discussion addressing a portion of the full proposal: Revenues-General Fund, Debt Service-Revenue and Expense,…
City
The Old Guard Can’t See the Trees for the Forest
by JOHN ADAMS •
One often hears that a person, seeing only parts but not the whole, cannot see the forest for the trees. With Whitewater’s old guard, something like the opposite is true: they can’t see the trees for their (odd) view of the forest. There’s a reason for this: beyond the many thousands of capable and productive…
City, University
Whitewater, Wisconsin Without Thousands on a College Campus
by JOHN ADAMS •
City, Crime
The Crude Illegitimacy of Vandalism
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s a story today that a large, illuminated American flag display in Whitewater was vandalized. The worst crimes are, surely, crimes of violence against people. Yet among property crimes, not involving harm to a person, there’s a particularly crude aspect to vandalism. It’s a purely destructive property crime. The large display that was damaged this…
Beautiful Whitewater, Charity, City, Good Ideas, New Whitewater, Poverty
Sunday, 10.7.12: Whitewater CROP Hunger Walk 2012
by JOHN ADAMS •
Details: Location – Begins at Fairhaven Retirement Home (435 W. Starin Road, Whitewater) and ends at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church (46 S. Church St., Whitewater). Registration – 12:30 p.m., Walk: 1:00 p.m. See, for additional details or donation link, Whitewater CROP Hunger Walk 2012 – CROP Hunger Walk.
City, Press
The Local Press as a Bad Habit
by JOHN ADAMS •
If local officials (whether elected or appointed) want to be successful, they’ll have to set higher standards for themselves than our local press sets for them. Successful leaders have been, are, and will always be those who set a better standard for themselves. There’s no partisan ideology in this – the same applies to those…
City
The Common Council Session for 10.2.12
by JOHN ADAMS •
Tuesday saw a common council session in Whitewater, with topics including recognition of private accomplishments, citizen comments on housing, a municipal budget update, snow removal, council’s approval of the terms for Whitewater’s new City Manager, Cameron Clapper, and discussion of the job posting for a new Director of Public Works. A few remarks on meeting…
City, Politics
Whitewater-Area League of Women Voters October 2012 Newsletter
by JOHN ADAMS •
The Whitewater-Area League of Women Voters’ October 2012 Newsletter has arrived, featuring articles and a calendar of upcoming events. This latest edition is available as a link on my blogroll, and is embedded below. Upcoming events: Date: October 13th (Saturday) Event: LWVWI Issues Briefing Where: Crown Plaza Hotel, Madison Date: October 18th (Thursday) Event: Public…
CDA, City, Green Energy Holdings, Waste Digesters
The Whitewater Community Development Authority Meeting for 9.27.12
by JOHN ADAMS •
Whitewater’s Community Development Authority met yesterday afternoon, the agenda including both open and closed session discussions (with a return to open session). The principal topics of the meeting appear below. I’ll address one of particular concern first, and the rest in the order in which they were discussed in public session. The Waste Digester Proposal.…
City, Press Release
City of Whitewater Selects Cameron Clapper as Next City Manager
by JOHN ADAMS •
Please see a press release from the City of Whitewater about the selection of a new city manager, following a selection process concluding with interviews of finalists earlier today: PRESS RELEASE Saturday, September 22, 2012 After interviewing five finalists, the City of Whitewater Common Council has unanimously selected Cameron L. Clapper to serve as Whitewater’s…
City
On Whitewater’s Candidates’ Forum for City Manager
by JOHN ADAMS •
Update, 9.22.12: Embedded below is the video of the Friday evening candidates’ community forum. City Manager Candidates Forum 09/21/2012 from Whitewater Community TV on Vimeo. Original post from 9.21.12: Earlier this evening, Whitewater held a candidates’ forum for her open city manager position. There are five candidates, and it’s likely that Council will pick one of them…