Yesterday, I mentioned that I would share observations from a longtime resident about marketing efforts on behalf of Whitewater. First the observations, then my remarks. ….Ten years ago I think all the rhetoric about a perfect Whitewater was meant to set the tone for those already living in and around the town. They wanted to…
Politics
Business, City, Development, Economics, Economy, Health, Local Government, Planning, Politics, WGTB, WHEN GREEN TURNS BROWN
Meetings & Motivations
by JOHN ADAMS •
Post 11 in a series. This is series about a proposed digester energy project for Whitewater, one that would rely on importing other cities’ unwanted waste into Whitewater for processing. A series like this is only indirectly about general wastewater upgrades, at whatever price. It’s about waste importation, and officials’ claims that importation would be clean…
Blogging, City, Local Government, Politics
Measuring the Strength of a Position
by JOHN ADAMS •
A good way to measure the strength of a position (considering its quality of being strong, its merit, and its desirability) is to ask: would one trade that position for another one? If the answer is that one would trade, then there’s something better in an alternative by way of greater heft, reason, or enjoyability. …
Assault Awareness & Prevention, Culture, Local Government, Politics, University
The Better Way to Address Sexual Violence on Campus
by JOHN ADAMS •
Neil Heinen is the editorial director of WISC-TV in Madison. I have little idea of his politics; we’ve never met. I do know, however, that his station’s position on how universities should address allegations of sexual assault is better – ethically and practically – than the approach that UW-Whitewater has adopted. Heinen is entirely right:…
Local Government, Marketing, Politics, Science/Nature
The Cold Fusion Problem
by JOHN ADAMS •
In the late 1980s, scientists Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons told the world that they had a device that demonstrated the energy-producing consequences of a nuclear reaction, but at room temperatures. Since humanity had produced energy from nuclear reactions only at very high temperatures, this sort of fusion would have been cold (and more easily-produced)…
Education, Elections, Politics, School District
On School Board Candidate Kelly Davis
by JOHN ADAMS •
Whitewater invites people to choose the city, to live here, and to commit to our community’s civic life. We offer our way of life to others, hoping that they will join us in the improvement of our schools, public institutions, and neighborhoods. Into our small city now comes a talented and educated woman who seeks…
Misconduct, Politics
The Act Utilitarians
by JOHN ADAMS •
The worst of officials, even in a fair society, look like a parody of utilitarians: as though they were the crudest act utilitarians, justifying any action merely by whether it produces a presumed, aggregate benefit of happiness. (Motivated only consideration of aggregate human enjoyment, for example, a perverse society of dog-haters might commit acts of…
Assault Awareness & Prevention, City, Culture, Education, Elections, Law, Local Government, Politics, School District, University, Waste Digesters
Policy Topics for the Spring
by JOHN ADAMS •
In October 2014, I wrote about Four Public Topics for the Fall. They seemed to be the city’s prominent public policy questions, looking ahead from 10.20.14. Those topics were (1) the 2015 City of Whitewater budget, (2) Whitewater Schools referendum, (3) UW-Whitewater’s social relations, and the (4) City of Whitewater’s waste digester proposal. Now, as…
Gov. Walker, Government Spending, Politics, Religion, Science/Nature, State Government, Wisconsin
Budget First
by JOHN ADAMS •
Last week, Gov. Walker declined to answer Englishman’s question about whether he, Scott Waker, believed in evolution. Today, in the Journal Sentinel, one learns that Assembly Speaker Robin Vos does believe in evolution. (I’ll bite: I was raised in a liturgical, high-church tradition that taught that the theory of evolution was consistent with faith. I…
City, Culture, Local Government, New Whitewater, Politics, School District, University
Whitewater’s Near Future Depends on What Year It Is Now
by JOHN ADAMS •
Politics
Even Smaller Government Can Be Intoxicating for the Vain
by JOHN ADAMS •
City, Culture, New Whitewater, Politics
The Absence of Equilibrium
by JOHN ADAMS •
Later this week, I’ll check to see how I did on my predictions for 2014, and make some new ones for 2015. The week of January 6th, I’ll elaborate on themes from the predictions for 2015. Here’s an observation, however, that I think describes Whitewater’s politics and culture, generally: there is an absence of equilibrium,…
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…
City, Elections, Politics, School District
Thoughts on the 11.4.14 Election
by JOHN ADAMS •
Whitewater will not see an election so big as last night’s for another two years’ time. There’s much to consider about the results. A few remarks appear below, along with a table using preliminary, unofficial data from Walworth, Rock, and Jefferson Counties with results for the referendum and gubernatorial questions. COUNTY COMMUNITY REFERENDUM YES REFERENDUM…