There’s almost no part of government, down to the smallest unit, that doesn’t approach the public as though a salesperson, as a matter of persuasion through public or media relations. Consider how odd, how ironic, this situation is: government, whose authority derives in a free society only from the public, uses public resources to present…
Local Government
Local Government, School District
Mediocrity’s Overweening Sense of Entitlement
by JOHN ADAMS •
Officials, candidates, and political parties are – and should be – free to choose and act accordingly. What they shouldn’t be – and in Whitewater will not be – is free to act merely on their own terms, without question or comment. Want to run for office? Good luck. Want to hold office? Best wishes.…
Federal Government, Local Government, Politics
Public Choice Theory Inoculates People from Poor Policy
by JOHN ADAMS •
In places big and small, one of the many questions for residents is this: is holding government office, whether elected or appointed, a more virtuous way of life than private activity? If it should prove more virtuous, then one can reasonably contend that long-tenured government officials are, themselves, more virtuous than private citizens. One could…
CDA, City, Development, Economy, Government Spending, Infrastructure, Local Government
Is Whitewater’s Public Infrastructure Undeveloped? No.
by JOHN ADAMS •
I wrote on Friday that I would consider a bit more about Whitewater’s 2015 proposed budget today. This post’s title frames how to think about the budget: the city’s fiscal condition is only a small part of the local economy’s condition. Important, to be sure, but also small. Many city services are ordinary and commonplace…
City, Government Spending, Local Government
Catching Up with Last Night’s Council Session
by JOHN ADAMS •
Common Council met last night, and continued her discussions toward a November 18th final vote on the proposed 2015 budget. I’ll write more about Whitewater’s budget on Monday. It’s best to keep this principle in mind: that one works diligently to overcome setbacks, but spends far less time reflecting on successes. So, just a bit…
City, Government Spending, Innovation Center/Tech Park, Local Government
At Council Tonight…
by JOHN ADAMS •
At Common Council tonight, there’ll be, among other items, ongoing consideration of the proposed 2015 budget, and a presentation from Chancellor Telfer on the Tech Park. Both items offer curiosities. As in past years, City Manager Clapper will stand back from the discussion of the bus, but happily accept any money Council offers for it.…
City, Local Government
Two Topics from the Proposed City Budget
by JOHN ADAMS •
At last night’s Council session, City Manager Clapper mentioned two upcoming budget topics of particular interest: funding for Downtown Whitewater and for the Janesville Transit Bus. The two items could not be more different: expenditures for Downtown Whitewater support local merchants, while the Janesville Bus supports a bumbling, dissembling Janesville bureaucrat’s ambition for his town…
City, Local Government
Bad Policy’s Like Low-Level Radiation Exposure
by JOHN ADAMS •
It’s seldom true that a single misstep ruins an official. With the exception of criminal conduct, most mistakes are ones from which a politician or bureaucrat can recover. And yet, and yet, some mistakes take their toll. They do so, however, with a cumulative effect – one after another debilitates as does cumulative radiation exposure. …
City, Local Government, Planning
Ordinances & Department Regulations @ Public Meetings
by JOHN ADAMS •
Whitewater’s last Planning Commission meeting was a week ago, Monday (10.13.14). I’ve two suggestions: First, it would be a good idea to keep a copy of Whitewater’s ordinances and regulations available at the meeting. It may be that a city employee cannot recall a certain requirement or provision of our local law. That’s not surprising;…
City, Local Government
Four Public Topics for the Fall
by JOHN ADAMS •
There are (at least) four predictable public policy topics in the Whitewater area between now and winter’s beginning on December 21st. The City of Whitewater’s Proposed 2015 Budget. It’s budget season in Whitewater. The city’s proposed budget is now under consideration, at weekly meetings to stretch into November. The Schools Referendum. Outside and inside the…
Corporate Welfare, Development, Local Government, Planning, Politics
Will the last one to leave please turn out the lights?
by JOHN ADAMS •
JANESVILLE—The city of Janesville is losing its second economic development staff member in as many months. Ryan Garcia, the city’s economic development coordinator announced his resignation effective Nov. 15, according to a city release Wednesday… Via (subscription req’d) Janesville economic development coordinator resigning @ Janesville Gazette. Perhaps the economy-meddling, big-government conservatives at the Gazette will…
Business, Corporate Welfare, Economy, Free Markets, Local Government, Wisconsin
The New (But Old) Zero-Sum Game
by JOHN ADAMS •
Over at Rock Netroots, Lou Kaye makes this accurate observation about how most local communities’ officials understand development: For the most part, city leaders here [he’s referring to Janesville] and across Wisconsin not only believe that communities are in competition with one another, they vigorously support and fuel those concepts by carving out special slush…
Books, Business, Development, Economy, Local Government, Press
The Book on Janesville
by JOHN ADAMS •
Amy Goldstein, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter at the Washington Post, is writing a book about Janesville after GM’s departure, entitled, Janesville: An American Story. I’ve been awaiting the book, and recently (also happily) discovered publishing information about it, from PublishersMarketplace.com: Pulitzer-winning Washington Post reporter Amy Goldstein’s JANESVILLE: An American Story, following three families as the GM…
Beautiful Whitewater, City, Development, Government Spending, Hip & Prosperous, Local Government
Whitewater’s Independent Merchants: Supporting Small Bricks Over Bytes
by JOHN ADAMS •
A quick summary of my views on business would be to say that (1) private markets are typically superior to government regulation, subsidies, or game-rigging, (2) government should be impartial to different kinds of businesses, (3) government ‘business’ or ‘development’ efforts are often self-promoting efforts of officials, bureaucrats, and hangers-on who are parasitic of public…