There’s another council meeting tonight, but two political parts of the last meeting stand out. Fees for a Search Firm. There was discussion, and approval, of additional fees for a police search. Approval was the right decision, and the additional cost would have been easier if former police chief Coan hadn’t sought to retain thousands…
City
City, Laws/Regulations, Liberty, Politics, Walworth County, Wisconsin
Emily’s Post: ‘Welcome to Wisconsin, Jim Crow’
by JOHN ADAMS •
Emily Mills writes about Assembly Bill 7, sure to become law: This bill is, at its core, a rollback of the right to vote that impacts the most vulnerable and already disenfranchised populations in this state. It spits in the faces of those who’ve come before and fought (and sometimes died) to see this most…
City
Whitewater-Area League of Women Voters May 2011 Newsletter
by JOHN ADAMS •
The Whitewater-Area League of Women Voters’ May 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. This June, on Friday, June 10 and Saturday, June 11,…
City, Laws/Regulations, Politics, Wisconsin
A Freshman Legislator’s Unusual Choice
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s an AP story over at Walworth County Today entitled, Rep. Wynn pushes for earlier alcohol sales as a convenience to tailgaters. Rep. Evan Wynn is the freshman assemblyman representing the 43rd Assembly District, a district that includes Whitewater. I’m opposed to most restrictions on alcohol, but it’s easy to see that this is an…
City, Politics
Whither Whitewater’s Democrats?
by JOHN ADAMS •
At a time of large labor protests, the near-victory of a previously-unknown Supreme Court candidate, and the prospect of recall elections against six GOP state senators, can Whitewater’s Democrats have a hard time in 2012? Yes, for at least two reasons. First, successful restrictions on public employees’ collective bargaining rights are meant to reduce unions’…
City, Innovation Center/Tech Park, Planning
Whitewater’s Innovation Center: ‘The die is cast’
by JOHN ADAMS •
City, Government Spending, Police
Funding a Leadership Search
by JOHN ADAMS •
Whitewater’s Police Commission is conducting the search for a new chief, and there’s a request before Whitewater’s common council for additional funding. Information on the request may be found in the council agenda packet, and in a story about the search published last week in Walworth County Today. See, Whitewater panel seeks more money for…
City, Press Release
Informational Forum: Potential Local Impacts of the Proposed Wisconsin Budget, Wed., May 4th, 7-9 PM
by JOHN ADAMS •
The League of Women Voters of the Whitewater Area presents Potential Local Impacts of the Proposed Wisconsin Budget: An Informational Forum Wednesday, May 4th, Cravath Lake Community Center, 7 – 9 p.m. How will the proposed Wisconsin budget likely affect Whitewater and the surrounding area? On Wednesday, May 4th from 7-9 p.m. at the Cravath…
City, Freedom of Speech, Politics
On Forward Whitewater
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s a new political group, Forward Whitewater, recently formed in the city. The organization has its own Facebook page. (Note: I’ve been a libertarian critic of Gov. Walker, but I have no connection to Forward Whitewater.) Here’s the description and mission of the group, from Facebook: Description — Forward Whitewater is a group of citizens…
City, Planning
Money, Memory, Butterflies
by JOHN ADAMS •
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
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…