Good morning,
A mostly sunny, balmy fifty-six degree day lies ahead for Whitewater.
Two public meetings await, too: the Urban Forestry Commission meets at 4:15 PM, and Common Council meets at 6:30 PM. The Common Council session features a public hearing on Whitewater’s 2012 municipal budget. I’ll offer fuller remarks on the 2012 budget tomorrow, after the hearing.
I earlier posted about the plans for an Occupy Whitewater protest on 11.17.11, and here’s more detail from the organizers’ press release, as published @ CSI Media:
On Thurs. Nov. 17 to 18th, the American Dream movement, along with three University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student groups, including Forward Whitewater, the Peace Group, and the College Dems, will be sponsoring an Occupy Whitewater event the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s South Library Mall, just off Main Street, (between Hyer Hall, the Anderson Library, and the University Center) (800 W. Main Street, Whitewater). We are the 99%, and we will recall Walker and other corporate-owned politicians who have forgotten to do the will of the people.
• We’ll have a booth to sign petitions to Recall Walker.
• There will be a teach-in starting at 3 p.m.
• The rally will begin at 5:15 p.m., with Representative Andy Jorgensen, Representative Peter Barca, and Senator Erpenbach stopping by.
• At 6:30pm we will march as a group (or you can drive) to UW-Whitewater’s Hyland Hall (Room 1000, Timmerman Auditorium), where Erpenbach will be speaking at 7 p.m.
• After the talk, please return to the UWW South Library Mall for hot chocolate and more protest fun.
• If you wish to stay overnight, tents can be set up after 2 p.m. We’re hopeful that a significant group will stay overnight in solidarity with the international Occupy Movement. Even if you don’t stay overnight, please come and join the rally.
I’m more than curious to see how this event unfolds, as it’s not characteristic of the city. Protests like these — of all stripes — are more common in other places, and there’s no reason they can’t transpire as smoothly in Whitewater.