A few more tidbits from last night’s Common Council meeting. Money It’s correct, but disingenuous, for Whitewater’s city manager to observe that he cannot assure spending without the Common Council’s approval (and so could not have promised a particular public works project). He’s right, but he’s the last official who should make that observation. These…
City
City
Whitewater’s Common Council Meeting for 4.19.11 (Live Blogging)
by JOHN ADAMS •
Here’s the format I will be using for live-blogging tonight’s Common Council meeting. I’m interested in using live-blogging to produce commentary more quickly. (My comments will remain after the meeting for later viewing.) Whitewater, Wisconsin’s Common Council Meeting Additional remarks — 🙂 1. It’s a good idea for someone to express displeasure with boisterous or…
Beautiful Whitewater, City, Economy
Whitewater’s Ongoing Success Story
by JOHN ADAMS •
I’ve written before about the Whitewater Aquatic Center, and its impressive financial turnaround. See, A Whitewater Success Story: The Whitewater Aquatic Center. That positive news continues, and a story at Walworth County Today notes that the WAC has successfully erased past deficits — The aquatic center opened in 2001 and was operated by Mercy Health…
Charity, City, Press Release
Downtown Whitewater, Inc. Presents Whitewater Cares Weekend, Friday 4.15 and Saturday 4.16
by JOHN ADAMS •
Downtown Whitewater, Inc. Presents Whitewater Cares Weekend WHITEWATER, Wis. (April 12, 2011) – Downtown Whitewater is once again hosting their Whitewater Cares Weekend on Friday April 15th and Saturday April 16th and needs your help. October of 2010 was the first Whitewater Cares Weekend, and by partnering with local businesses and charities,…
City, Politics, Walworth County, Wisconsin
Post-Election Day in Whitewater
by JOHN ADAMS •
I’ll take the topics from yesterday’s election preview post in reverse order. Wisconsin. Justice Prosser did far better than I guessed; Asst. A.G. Kloppenburg certainly didn’t win comfortably. I would have thought Kloppenburg by 2-3 percent, outside the range of a recount. There will be a recount, with results now showing Kloppenburg with 739,589 and…
City, Politics, Walworth County, Wisconsin
Election Day Curiosities
by JOHN ADAMS •
Before the polls close, a few questions of note about the spring election for the City of Whitewater, Walworth County, and Wisconsin. City of Whitewater What’s Whitewater’s turnout today? Assuming that JoAnnne Kloppenburg carries Whitewater, by what margin will she do so? (If she can’t carry places like the City of Whitewater, she’s likely in…
City, Police
The Telling Requirement
by JOHN ADAMS •
There is no more powerful sign during a long-tenured leader’s departure than that, as he leaves, he is asked to sign an agreement that includes a promise that he never seek or return to his old job again. All those many years, all those many grandiose claims of excellence, achievement, and greatness — all of…
City
Whitewater-Area League of Women Voters April 2011 Newsletter
by JOHN ADAMS •
The Whitewater-Area League of Women Voters’ April 2011 Newsletter is out, and it includes articles and a calendar of upcoming LWV events. The latest copy of the LWV newsletter is available as a link on my blogroll, and is embedded below, with coding through Google. Here’s a sampling of upcoming events for the Whitewater-Area League —…
City, Government Spending
Veronique de Rugy Discusses the “Truth About Nuclear Power” on Bloomberg Television
by JOHN ADAMS •
Veronique de Rugy, of George Mason University’s Mercatus Institute, debunks claims about inexpensive energy from nuclear power. It’s expensive, and often relies on state subsidies. Disclosure: It’s true that, in 2008, I advocated building a nuclear reactor on the site of our current municipal building. See, Go Nuclear! and Update: Go Nuclear! I will concede…
Beautiful Whitewater, City, Freedom of Speech, Liberty
What Democracy Looks Like
by JOHN ADAMS •
Last Friday, there was a protest rally in Whitewater, along Main Street, and over one-hundred fifty people attended. See, Scenes from a Whitewater Rally, 3.18.11. That’s a large number for Whitewater — especially on a Friday evening as work was ending — and larger in ways worthy of mention. First, the pro-union gathering was one…
City, Government Spending, Walworth County
Walworth County’s David Bretl on Public Spending
by JOHN ADAMS •
Walworth County Administrator David Bretl writes a column at Walworth County Today. His latest offers this observation on municipal spending — The public has become desensitized in recent years regarding the true meanings of the words freeze and cuts. Tax rates for counties, for example, have been “frozen” for many years at 1992 levels. While that…
City
Whitewater-Area League of Women Voters Candidates’ Forum
by JOHN ADAMS •
City, Police
Whitewater’s Search for a New Police Chief (Update 2)
by JOHN ADAMS •
At last night’s Police Commission meeting, the Commission unanimously chose a non-resident as interim chief. For an earlier post on the topic, see Simple and Reasonable Compliance with the Law. Simple’s not always so simple, but then years of the wrong direction work a powerful distortion and departure from simple and reasonable.