It’s less than we need. The story reports that a collection of local government associations estimated that, nationally, local governments may cut almost 500,000 jobs through 2011 (or 8.6% of their total workforces). These are only estimates, and they say nothing about how any particular community will fare. In any event, sacrifices should always begin…
City
City
Record All Public Meetings
by JOHN ADAMS •
I wrote earlier this week about the agenda of a Whitewater Community Development Authority meeting. The agenda seemed oddly vague, and some portions of it were so obscure that it provided no reasonable information about a subject’s contents. See, Daily Bread for Whitewater, Wisconsin: 7-26-10. The agenda’s not a minor task; it’s a public announcement,…
City, Economy, Poverty
Rethinking the U.S. Poverty Measure
by JOHN ADAMS •
I’ve written about poverty in Whitewater before, and the 2010 Census will offer fresh information on the state of Whitewater’s economy. It’s a subject that cheerleaders for the town probably wish would go away. An ordinary person would prefer economic arrangements that make poverty go away, but there you see the distinction between sensible &…
City, Government Spending
Many Possibilities: “A city outsources everything. Sky doesn’t fall.”
by JOHN ADAMS •
I don’t believe that my small town, Whitewater, Wisconsin, needs to outsource everything. I do think that we have too many leaders in the city. Reductions in number or compensation, if any, should begin at the very top. It’s simply absurd for a small city’s principal bureaucrat to have his own bureaucrat to assist him.…
City, Government Spending, Innovation Center/Tech Park, Planning
Whitewater’s Publicly-Funded Innovation Center on Sunday, July 18th
by JOHN ADAMS •
City, Planning, Politics, Uncategorized
Persistence in the Wrong Course
by JOHN ADAMS •
At the conservative Commentary, Peter Wehner offers a critical assessment of the federal administration that I think would be more apt for the municipal administration of Whitewater, Wisconsin: Its policies are failing, its popularity is sinking, its excuses aren’t working, and its incompetence is showing. Yet the administration appears incapable of admitting – even to…
City, Planning
Whitewater’s Planning Commission Meeting for 7-12-10 (Live Blogging)
by JOHN ADAMS •
Here’s the format I will be using for live blogging tonight’s Planning Commission meeting. I wouldn’t expect anyone to read my comments live; instead, I’m interested in experimenting with live blogging to produce commentary more quickly. (My comments will remain after the meeting for later viewing.) The window will become live just before 6 PM,…
City, Economy, Planning
Meeting with Confidence the Challenge of the Hard Economic Times Likely Ahead
by JOHN ADAMS •
It’s seems ever clearer that there is no “Recovery Summer” in store this year for America’s economy. The problems of the last few years haven’t been solved. What will happen next is disputed, between those who see a second recession, those who see growth so weak it will feel like a recession, and those who…
Beautiful Whitewater, City, Law, Police, Politics
Citizens’ Complaints and the Reaction of Misguided, Selfish Officials
by JOHN ADAMS •
Here’s a question about (limited) government: If the residents of a town want an official fired, is the fundamental problem that they’re asking that he be fired, or the reason that they’re asking? In the Township of Linn, not far from Whitewater, a group of residents want the police chief fired. They’ve filed a complaint…
City, Economy, Government Spending
After Ineffective Spending, an Effective Comparative Advantage Solution
by JOHN ADAMS •
There are two recent stories that highlight the challenges facing the national economy, and that implicitly show the impossibility of a national solution to Whitewater, Wisconsin, or any other small town. One has probably read that U.S. Representative Ryan of Wisconsin said that he thought of “the stimulus as a sugar high.” See, Top Republican:…
City, Economy
U.S. Private-sector Job Growth Lags in June – JSOnline
by JOHN ADAMS •
The stark numbers, and then the stark reality: The economic recovery limped ahead last month as the nation’s private-sector employers added an anemic 83,000 jobs – a pace far too slow to replace the 8.5 million jobs obliterated by the recession. June marked the second consecutive month of wheezing private-sector job creation, and long-term unemployment…
City, Holiday
Whitewater’s Fourth of July Events
by JOHN ADAMS •
Whitewater’s Independence weekend events continue, and a full description is available at ww4th.com. Here’s what’s upcoming: Saturday, July 3rd (Kid’s Day) 12 Noon Festival Opens – Midway by Christman Amusement Opens (Arm Bands 12PM-4PM) – American Legion Beer Tent Opens – Food Vendors Open 12:00 noon – 4:00PM – Children’s petting zoo – Sponsored by…
City, School District
It’s Online for All: The City of Beloit’s Good Government Example
by JOHN ADAMS •
Yesterday, I posted on the use of paper documents rather than timely and easily accessible public ones, in places like my own town, Whitewater, Wisconsin. See, “It’s in Your Packet.” The best part of publishing a website isn’t writing, but is reading the good ideas and information from generous readers. A fine example would be…
City, Economy, Government Spending
Forewarned is Forearmed: Facing the Tough Going Ahead
by JOHN ADAMS •
Dr. James Hussman, of the Hussman Funds wrote recently that he sees a possibility of a second recession in the offing. (I have no connection to the fund.) He writes that “[b]ased on evidence that has always and only been observed during or immediately prior to U.S. recessions, the U.S. economy appears headed into a…