There’s a story, from yesterday’s Daily Union, about the Starin Road extension. See, Whitewater dedicates Starin Road extension. In the story, Whitewater’s city manager advances a few justifications for the multi-million-dollar, taxpayer-financed extension: first for emergencies, then for connecting the Innovation Center to the campus, then as part of a package including bike trails. There’s…
Economy
Economy
“Pretty bleak numbers”
by JOHN ADAMS •
This is no discernible recovery; this is no time for half-measures. Budget-cutting (simply to balance a budget) offers no solution. Cuts should me made to spur private investment and offer temporary, emergency assistance where necessary. Empty tech park schemes and Gov. Walker’s wasteful road-building projects offer no opportunities for ordinary people. (These ideas don’t offer…
Economy, Poverty, Walworth County
Whitewater Among Top Six Walworth County Communities for Foreclosures
by JOHN ADAMS •
Although Whitewater is a larger city than some others in the county, nothing about her presence on a foreclosure list is auspicious. If there’s even the slightest doubt that these last several years have been unfavorable for countless thousands in the county, perhaps another disappointing statistic will overturn years of empty boosterism. See, Top Six…
Economy
Economy: Signs of a Slowdown
by JOHN ADAMS •
Business Insider has a story online entitled, The Economy: Signs of a Slowdown. The economy is slow; it may be slowing still more. It’s hardly a high-octane magazine, but then stating the obvious doesn’t require high octane. If our economy were strong, we’d have less reason to think about it. It’s weak, so it compels…
Economy, Free Markets
AP: “In free market, seeds of Africa’s food solution”
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s an encouraging story about Africa today, from the Associated Press, about the power of free market to overcome chronic famine. Peter Waziweyi is bouncing around the lush countryside of Mozambique in his 30-year-old truck, visiting his customers’ maize fields and relishing the sight of their rich, ripening crops. In an East African country that…
City, Development, Economy
Whitewater’s May 17th Common Council Meeting
by JOHN ADAMS •
Tuesday’s Common Council meeting, embedded below, included a discussion of Whitewater’s calculation and charges for new construction permits. That discussion takes places from 21:50 to 31:20. Of that discussion, there were two positive changes to Whitewater’s current policy: (1) that the city should calculate new-construction permit costs by square footage, and (2) that the rate…
Economy
Weekly Unemployment Claims See Fall, But Jobs Picture Remains Weak
by JOHN ADAMS •
Economy
Business Insider: Don’t Mean To Be Rude, But The Economy Sucks
by JOHN ADAMS •
Yes, it still does. It went bad under the last administration, has been slow under the current administration, and looks as though it will be anemic for yet longer. A change of administrations, and a change of majorities in the House, were not themselves – nor should we have expected them to be – guarantors…
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…
Development, Economy, Free Markets, Government Spending, Innovation Center/Tech Park, Planning, Taxes/Taxation
Stossel: End Corporate Welfare
by JOHN ADAMS •
Over at Reason, John Stossel writes about the problem – a big, expensive one – of corporate welfare. Particular businesses shouldn’t receive preferential treatment, including taxpayer handouts, from government. Taxes and fees should be lower across the board, and without preference for one corporation over another. Corporate handouts only reduce competitiveness and increase dependency, and…
Economy, Government Spending, Liberty, School District
Extended Contracts for the Whitewater School District
by JOHN ADAMS •
Over a month ago, I wrote a first take on the politics of cuts to state shared revenue. See, Cuts to State Shared Revenue: Whitewater’s Politics of It All (First Take). Much has happened since then. Of the school district, I noted previously that There are so many better and higher tasks than labor disputes,…
Economy, Government Spending
How Big is the U.S. Debt?
by JOHN ADAMS •
Economy
10 Charts That Embody Everything That’s Wrong With The U.S. Economy
by JOHN ADAMS •
Economy, Laws/Regulations
Coming Soon: A 300-Percent Increase in Foreclosures
by JOHN ADAMS •
At Calculated Risk, Tom Lawler, a real estate economist and former risk policy veep at Fannie Mae, tries to figure out how many people have actually lost their homes to foreclosure, short sales or deed-in-lieu desertions. The answer: Not enough. Lawler (who is now living the life of Riley on a Virginia farm) says the…