It was Gov. Romney, I think, whose presidential campaign slogan was ‘Believe in America.’ I’m not a Republican (I’m Libertarian), but I did like the slogan. America is worth believing in. I believe in Whitewater, too. Not how she’s been depicted, entirely, but how she truly is, and in the good things that lie…
City
City, Corporate Welfare, Government Spending, Local Government, Planning
The Bus Discussion @ Council Last Night: A Fiasco by Any Definition
by JOHN ADAMS •
Update, 2 PM: A reader wrote today, asking why I seem relatively unconcerned about this vote (as a practical matter). That’s my omission: in the discussion last night, it’s clear that Generac plans to reduce funding in the future. Advocates of this project will have to find other corporate sponsors and make it work with…
Business, City, Corporate Welfare, Economy, Government Spending
The Bus: Bad for Whitewater Now, Far Worse for Whitewater Later
by JOHN ADAMS •
As I write – these last eighteen months now offering ample evidence – Janesville Transit’s bus to Whitewater has been a failure. It’s been used too seldom, at considerable public expense, mostly for a vast corporation that could easily pay its own way. And yet, and yet, conditions might be even worse were the bus…
City, Corporate Welfare, Economy, Government Spending, Planning
Discussion about the Bus, 3.20.12 to 11.5.13
by JOHN ADAMS •
I promised earlier a summary of principal arguments made about a (mostly) publicly-funded transit bus that benefits (mostly) one multi-billion-dollar corporation. Here’s that post, with a summary of points about the project at Whitewater’s Common Council sessions of 3.20.12, 11.20.12, and 11.5.13. For each date, I’ve included a link to a Vimeo page with a…
City, Local Government, Police
Policies for the Police and Fire Commission
by JOHN ADAMS •
Whitewater’s Police and Fire Commission meets tonight at 5:30 PM, to interview patrol officers and consider several policy documents. Those documents appear below, and at the bottom of this post readers will find the video recording of last week’s PFC meeting. There are five processes or documents to be considered tonight: (1) PFC Oath (2)…
City, Economy, Elkhorn, Government Spending
The Martians Beset Elkhorn
by JOHN ADAMS •
In many ways, Whitewater’s present fiscal and economic success depends on getting as far past the last administration’s outlook as possible. Our former city manager from 2004-2012 mastered a reverse Midas touch: turning what he grasped not into gold, but lead. We can – and I am confident will – get beyond those ill effects,…
Business, City, Free Markets, Good Ideas, Hip & Prosperous, Local Government, New Whitewater, Planning
The Planning Commission Meeting for 11.11.13
by JOHN ADAMS •
Whitewater’s Planning Commission met last night, and among the topics was consideration of re-zoning and a conditional use permit for Casual Joe’s, a new restaurant, tavern, and distillery to operate at 319 W. James Street (at the site of a long-unused commercial building, the former Fort Auto Body). On 4-3 votes, a majority of…
City, Laws/Regulations, Local Government, Nature
The Leaves on the Streets PSA
by JOHN ADAMS •
Whitewater has a public service announcement about leaf collection, to remind residents not to sweep their leaves into the street. It’s a short, clever video. It does government a lot of good to remind someone of a policy without doing it in a heavy-handed way, but with a more light-hearted approach. This does the…
City, Corporate Welfare, Government Spending
Common Council for 11.5.13 (Bus & Budget)
by JOHN ADAMS •
Update, 2 PM: Earlier today, in response to my email inquiry, I received kind messages in reply from City Manager Clapper and City Clerk Michele Smith, about posting online the documents I mentioned below. They’ve acted quickly and thoroughly to provide materials that others gave to them only at the last minute. It’s right to…
City, Local Government, Police
Police and Fire Commission Meeting for 11.6.13
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s a Police and Fire Commission meeting tonight, at 6 PM. The PFC meets quarterly, but will meet twice this month, both tonight and (according to tonight’s agenda) again on Thursday, November 14th. There are three main parts of tonight’s meeting: (1) election for two PFC offices (a vice president and a secretary), (2) a…
City, Holiday
Boo! Scariest Things in Whitewater, 2013
by JOHN ADAMS •
Here’s the seventh annual FREE WHITEWATER list of the scariest things in Whitewater for 2013. The 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 editions are available for comparison. The list runs in reverse order, from mildly frightening to super scary. 10. Red Foxes. There are few people who don’t find red foxes beautiful; I’d guess…
City, Development, Economy, Local Government, Poverty
Assessing the Poverty Data for Our Area
by JOHN ADAMS •
On Friday, I posted on child poverty in our area. The Great Recession took a toll on many cities, but undeniably so in ours: from 2007 to 2011, the number of children aged 5 to 17 in families in poverty rose from 9.89 to 17.9%. The number nearly doubled. Beyond that group, state measures classify an…
City, Poverty
Poverty in Our Area
by JOHN ADAMS •
Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, for children aged 5 to 17 in families in poverty, rate as a percentage of all children that age: Delavan-Darien Edgerton Elkhorn Area Fort Atkinson Jefferson Milton Whitewater Area 2007 10.98 7.10 11.60 7.01 8.05 5.4 9.89 2008 11.90 8.22 15.28 8.78…
City, Economy, Poverty
A City’s Most Important Economic Measure
by JOHN ADAMS •
Yesteday, I asked, “What’s Whitewater’s Economy?” If it should be true – and it is – that a genuine economic discussion is more than a budgetary one, then what economic measures should matter most? There’s no single measurement that explains it all, but what would one say about an economy if one were compelled to pick…