One may say two things, preliminarily, about the Walworth County Circuit Court race: It’s a race between generally conservative candidates; there are no left-right differences of significance. Incumbent District Attorney Dan Necci, after only briefly serving in that role, is running with almost no local, official support for his candidacy from among those with whom…
Elkhorn
City, Economy, Elkhorn, Government Spending
The Martians Beset Elkhorn
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
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,…
Crime, Elkhorn, Health, Law, Laws/Regulations, Liberty, Police, Walworth County
The End of the Beginning
by JOHN ADAMS • • 1 Comment
Elkhorn, Law, Walworth County
Walworth County District Attorney Koss’s Foolish, Ignorant Price Tag on Justice
by JOHN ADAMS •
Readers will recall a story from 2009 about Walworth County’s lawsuit against a crime victim to collect part of the cost of an expert the county hired to aid in the prosecution of those who victimized her. I wrote at the time that the county’s lawsuit was “an astonishing and disgraceful departure from legal…
Elkhorn
The Emergency Services Mess in Elkhorn
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s a story at Walworth County Today, entitled, Elkhorn emergency services plagued with problems. The story describes those problems — of staffing, membership, morale, and uncollected revenue. The only thing worse than these mistakes and problems would be hiding them from public scrutiny. When problems like this mount over time, even with a volunteer force,…
Elkhorn, Politics
Walworth County Board Wisely Rejects Expansion Proposal
by JOHN ADAMS •
One sees that the Walworth County Board voted, 8-3, to recommend against an expansion of the board’s size. (The 8-3 vote included all eleven current board numbers.) See, Walworth County Board Opposes Member Increase. This was the right decision — expanding the board because of politicians’ complaints of overwork at a time when too few…
Development, Elkhorn, Planning
WCEDA tabs executive director — GazetteXtra
by JOHN ADAMS •
Elkhorn, Politics
Walworth County Today: Walworth County Wants Public Input on Board Size (politicians complaining about a large workload)
by JOHN ADAMS •
Walworth County, where I Iive, voted to reduce the size of its county board of supervisors from 25 to 11, in 2007. I read today that at least one supervisor on the board now wants to talk about expanding the board again, because the smaller board size means more work for elected officials. There’s a…
Elkhorn, Law
Walworth County’s Arrogance of a Few
by JOHN ADAMS •
Walworth County is a small rural county in southeast Wisconsin. There are diverse delights in the county, from the many capable, caring, common people who live here, and from the natural beauty visible from at every vantage. Sadly, many of our politicians, bureaucrats, and judges are not among those delights. Even the simplest understanding seems…
Elkhorn, Press
Update: The Secret Warrants of Walworth County
by JOHN ADAMS •
On December 28th, the Janesville Gazette published a story entitled, “Walworth County search warrants could disappear.” I posted on that astonishing possibility, in a post entitled, “The Secret Warrants of Walworth County.” Here’s what the Gazette uncovered in its original story: ELKHORN – In some Wisconsin counties, sealed court documents hold back details from search…
Elkhorn
The Walworth County Judicial Candidates’ Positions, and Understanding
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
The more one hears about the candidates for Walworth County circuit judge, the more one comes to see that only two of the candidates seem to understand the office for which they are contesting. Along the way, one has no trouble seeing that the Whitewater Register doesn’t understand the role, either. Yesterday, I had fun…
City, Elkhorn
Judicial Candidates for Walworth County Circuit Court
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
A sharp reader wrote, and asked me about the upcoming Walworth County election, as judge Michael Gibbs is retiring from office. There are four candidates in the race: Mark Bromley, David Danz, Scott Letteney, and David Reddy. The Judgepedia has a page that lists candidates for judgeships across the state. See, Wisconsin Judicial Elections 2010.…
Elkhorn, Press
The Secret Warrants of Walworth County
by JOHN ADAMS •
Update, 2/9/10: See a follow-up post, Update: The Secret Warrants of Walworth County. A tenured surgeon walks into an operating room with a pair of chopsticks. Someone notices that the surgeon is carrying two wooden sticks instead of a scalpel. The surgeon replies, “Now that we’re having this discussion, I’ll address it.” What would you…
Elkhorn
Walworth County’s Justice Can’t Be Blind — She’s Looking for a Victim’s Wallet
by JOHN ADAMS •
We often hear that justice, personified as Justitia, is blind: that she is impartial, temperate, and reasonable. Blind, perhaps, but only to the superficial, the emotional, or the self-interested. A statue of Justitia so sculpted sits before many court houses. I don’t recall a similar statue in Walworth County, our county seat, and it’s probably…