FREE WHITEWATER

City

Babbittry, City, Demographics, Economy, Poverty

Contrast

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Consider the contrast between how the Janesville Gazette‘s publisher want his city to be seen, and how an economics reporter describes the Janesville area: Janesville Gazette editorial, A question for Janesville to consider: [James] Fallows and his wife learned the differences between success and failure during a 54,000-mile journey across the United States in a single-engine…

City, Culture, Local Government, School District, University

Old Whitewater and Populism

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Most of the figures who represented an Old Whitewater outlook have faded from the scene. Their high water mark was several years ago; they’re receding now. Their like won’t be seen again. Their decline, however, comes in the immediate conditions of an impatient populism. That populism doesn’t represent a New Whitewater, but replaces Old Whitewater’s…

America, City, Local Government, Politics, School District, University

National in Local

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I’ve always thought that the best approach for local public policy is to reach for competitive national standards (where one truly tries, rather than simply insisting that local work is nationally competitive). A focus on a national approach now matters for another reason: our current national environment is troubled, and by focusing on it reminds…

City, Local Government

Hiring Processes

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Whitewater’s public bodies (city, school district, university) have over the years hired more than one person; they’ll keep doing so. (Those who have asked if two of last week’s posts were about a hiring process are right to think so, but only in part. Those posts were also about broad trends within the city. See …

Blogging, City, Culture, Local Government, Politics

Policies & Actions

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Yesterday’s post, The Winnowing Transition, offers thoughts on the last several years in Whitewater, and a look ahead to the next several. The key point is that we’re in a transitional time, where many who were politically prominent a decade ago no longer are, and few who are prominent now will come through the next…

City, Economy, Politics

The Winnowing Transition

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Today’s a good day to post about the transition through which Whitewater is now going. It’s a winnowing transition, in which many political and economic positions formerly popular are slowly being swept away. (There are, in fact, few leading public officials even from a decade ago still around. Those who are operate in conditions of…

City, WEDC

The Astonishing Truth About WEDC

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One can be a longtime critic of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and still learn even worse things about that agency. With the Foxconn deal pending, WISGOP legislative leaders Vos & Fitzgerald want the WEDC board to be able to see the full text of the Foxconn contract. See Walker Delays Commenting On Possible Change…

Business, City, Culture, Economy

The Market

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There’s an editorial at Royal Purple that contends a future Grocery store should accommodate students. The editorial makes sound points for pricing outreach to students, but my focus here isn’t merely a supermarket or co-op, but the general economic market of Whitewater and nearby, smaller towns (some of which are part of the local school…

City, Holiday

Boo! Scariest Things in Whitewater, 2017

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Here’s the eleventh annual FREE WHITEWATER list of the scariest things in Whitewater for 2017. The 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 editions are available for comparison. The list runs in reverse order, from mildly frightening to truly scary. 10. Dirty Dogs. This town’s like a magnet for every smooth talking heel…

City, Demographics, Walworth County

Area Population, Properly Understood

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There’s an unfortunately misleading story from the Lake Geneva Regional News, picked up uncritically at the Banner, on a population increase for Walworth County and part of Whitewater. See “Walworth County population is up — here and there.” The story (1) cites a tiny population increase, (2) ignores relative trends entirely, and (3) leaves readers (and…