Yesterday, I posted about Whitewater local government’s unfortunate (and likely cynical) embrace of one side concerning competition between types of local businesses. See, Whitewater Local Government’s Favoritism of Some Local Businesses Over Others. This is a legitimate, private debate that Whitewater’s local government should not have embraced — this city administration over-reaches when it favors…
City
City, Free Markets, Planning, Politics
Whitewater Local Government’s Favoritism of Some Local Businesses Over Others
by JOHN ADAMS •
In towns across America, private businesses and groups compete for support. This is to be expected and defended in a free society. That competition for support need not — and should not — receive a preferential boost from local government. It’s only in a community where bureaucrats are confused about the limits of government that…
Charity, City
Whitewater’s Bethel House Charity Golf Event: Saturday, June 12th
by JOHN ADAMS •
On Saturday, June 12th, Whitewater will see its 13th Annual Bethel House Golf Event. I received the following letter and flyer about the event, that I am happy to post. The full letter and brochure may be viewed, downloaded, and printed through the links below. The proceeds from this fundraiser are used entirely to support…
City, Development, Free Markets, Laws/Regulations, Planning
Local Merchants and Whitewater’s Walmart, Co-Existing
by JOHN ADAMS •
I’ve contended before that many local businesses can do very well alongside Walmart, and will weather an expansion of our current Walmart, store number 1274 of that retail chain. I can safely say this, because in towns across America with Walmarts, there are other businesses, too. They co-exist. Consumers should be able to make choices…
City, Holiday, Press Release
Whitewater’s Fourth of July
by JOHN ADAMS •
I received the following press release that I am happy to post — The Whitewater Area 4th of July committee is excited to announce it has a packed line-up of activities and entertainment for the 2010 Festival held at the Cravath Lakefront Park. The festival has secured national recording artist Heidi Newfield for a Saturday…
City, Free Markets, Laws/Regulations, Planning
Whitewater’s Planning Commission Meeting: Residential Overlay Miscellany
by JOHN ADAMS •
Here’s a bit more on the proposed overlay — there are arguments that I’ve made before, but did not repeat in my 5/16/10 post about the May 10th Planning Commission meeting. The proposed overlay has a grandfather clause for existing rental properties, but that hardly solves the long-term problem of restrictions on buying and selling…
City, Law, Laws/Regulations, Planning
Whitewater’s Planning Commission Meeting from 5/10/10: Residential Overlay
by JOHN ADAMS •
At Item 10 of the May 10th Planning Commission meeting, the Planning Commission considered a residential overlay ordinance, that would place greater restrictions than there would be, for example, in a conventional R-1 zoning district. (Two or fewer unrelated persons living in the single residence, rather than three or fewer persons.) The item stated that…
City, Development, Planning
Whitewater’s Planning Commission Meeting from 5/10/10: Walmart
by JOHN ADAMS •
After a few preliminary items, Whitewater’s 5/10/10 Planning Commission meeting considered Walmart’s proposal for a significant expansion at its present location. A video recording of the meeting is available at http://blip.tv/file/3624624. The agenda with a memo from Vandewalle & Associates about the Walmart expansion is available at Planning Commission Agenda & Attached Documents. The documents…
City, Development, Planning, Press
Whitewater’s Planning Commission Meeting from 5/10/10: Overview
by JOHN ADAMS •
On May 10th, Whitewater’s Planning Commission held a meeting at 6 p.m., with principal the topics being a possible expansion of our local Walmart, and an overlay to an existing residential zoning ordinance for the Starin Park neighborhood. Recording of the meeting — Here’s the video of the meeting, which I will be using for…
City
Whitewater-Area League of Women Voters — May 2010 Newsletter
by JOHN ADAMS •
The Whitewater-Area League of Women Voters’ May 2010 Newsletter is now available, and the latest issue includes 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. Upcoming for the Whitewater-Area League is an annual meeting…
City, Laws/Regulations
Banning Drink Specials: Miscellany
by JOHN ADAMS •
Update, 5-13-10: All of what I write below rests on the idea that the all-you-can-drink ban would lead to some reduction in tavern drinking, as proponents certainly hope. If that’s not true, and their lack of confidence is an inability to reduce tavern drinking, then the ordinance is an exercise in futility, and an embarrassment…
City, Fire Dept, Police
On Whitewater’s Quarterly Police and Fire Commission Meeting
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s a quarterly meeting of Whitewater’s Police and Fire Commission scheduled for tonight. The agenda is available online. One sees that on May 5th, this was the distribution of the agenda: May 5, 2010 Emailed/mailed to PFC members Faxed to the Whitewater Register for posting Faxed to the Library for posting Emailed to Channel 13…
City
Wisconsin State Journal: Local [Dane County] Officials Concerned Hispanic Immigrants Will Avoid Census
by JOHN ADAMS •
The decennial census is a constitutional requirement, from Article I, section 2: “The actual Enumeration [of states’ populations] shall be made within three Years after.. the first meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct.” I have a…
City, Laws/Regulations
Whitewater’s Ban on Drink Specials: Bad Origins and False Empiricism
by JOHN ADAMS •
I’m not surprised that a majority on Whitewater’s Common Council made the mistake of banning drink specials at Tuesday night’s Common Council meeting. I wrote about the proposal a few months ago, and I did so in the belief that the ban would be passed. (For remarks on the topic, see, The New Prohibition –…