Good morning.
Saturday in Whitewater will be cloudy with a high of 41. Sunrise is 7:07 and sunset 4:21 for 9h 14m 05s of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 74.8% of its visible disk illuminated.
On this day in 1942, during the Manhattan Project, a team led by Enrico Fermi initiates the first artificial self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction (“a crude pile of black bricks and wooden timbers”).
By Melvin A. Miller of the Argonne National Laboratory – http://narademo.umiacs.umd.edu/cgi-bin/isadg/viewobject.pl?object=95120, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8147703
Bad politicians dislike chronologies the way that vampires dislike garlic. (In the case of vampires, it’s possible that they simply dislike natural ingredients that act as blood thinners.)
In the case of bad politicians, however, the objection to a chronology is clear: to be reminded of their past errors and delays is a reminder they don’t want their constituents to have. When someone comes along and lists what has happened (and what hasn’t happened) month after month is for those types an objectionable accounting.
For ordinary people, by contrast, a simple chronology is never objectionable; it’s merely a factual statement of events.
All this comes to mind when reading professional reporting on the Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center. WhitewaterWise ably recounts the interminable negotiations over the pool in Following attorney’s recommendation, council sends unapproved aquatic center operational, lease agreement back to school district.
From that reporting, one reads that
Information within the meeting’s open session packet included a letter received by Weidl on Nov. 1, from von Briesen and Roper Firm attorney Christopher Smith. In his capacity as contracted counsel representing the city, Smith wrote that the version of the contract he had most recently received [from the Whitewater Unified School District] contained two changes made from the previously authorized draft, which had been agreed upon by the two bodies — the council and the school board, describing the changes as “substantive.”
The news story then recounts month after month of negotiations, with change after change, demand after demand, from the school district. The definitive chronology is over four thousand words long.
After all this talk, over many months, somehow the Whitewater School Board decided to make changes and send the contract back.
From the school board, this has stopped being responsible dealmaking and has descended into negotiations as a fetish. Those who wish to be taken seriously behave seriously. These board changes aren’t serious; they’re ridiculousness cosplaying as seriousness.
A thorough chronology in this matter is both an irrefutable account and damning indictment.
Mount Etna erupts again, sending hot lava down its snowy slopes:
Mr. Adams,
I present to you a brief encapsulating the ongoing situation regarding the Whitewater Unified School District’s (WUSD) involvement in the negotiations for the Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center (WAFC). This brief outlines a chronological account of the events, emphasizing the actions and decisions of WUSD, with a focus on their implications and outcomes.
Background of the WAFC:
– Funded by the city, private donations, and fundraising, the WAFC is now a valuable asset of WUSD, enhancing its property value and amenities without corresponding tax implications. The expectation was for WUSD to prioritize the interests of the facility’s users and the community, aligning with the original intent of its creation.
March (Initial Negotiations):
– WUSD proposed a mere $7,500 annual contribution for WAFC use, significantly less than their previous contributions, which exceeded $150,000.
– Conclusion: This drastic reduction in contribution by WUSD shifted the financial burden onto the city, potentially risking the facility’s closure or a substantial reduction in services, contrary to the city’s vision of equal partnership.
March-April (Subcommittee Meetings):
– Contrasting with WUSD’s initial $5 million improvement proposal (requiring $500,000 annually from both entities for five years), the city maintained the need for $100,000 annual contributions from both parties for capital equipment and equal operational funding.
– Conclusion: WUSD’s eventual agreement to a significantly lower amount for capital and significant reversal on operational funding raises questions about their initial proposal, suggesting either a negotiation tactic or a miscalculation, reflecting poorly on their negotiation strategy or competency.
May (Debate of Proposals):
– Despite prior agreements, WUSD refused to address its share of the accumulated operational deficits.
– Conclusion: City Manager and council enforce compliance with presenting agreements. WUSD’s prior refusal demonstrated a blatant unwillingness to honor financial commitments, eroding trust in the partnership necessary for the WAFC’s successful operation.
June (Proposed Operational Takeover):
– WUSD proposed managing the operations of the WAFC lap pool, contradicting their stated focus on education.
– Conclusion: This proposal was inconsistent with WUSD’s educational priorities and raised doubts about their capability to effectively manage the facility’s operations.
July (Continued Stalling):
– WUSD’s proposals repeatedly fell short of ensuring the WAFC’s operational sustainability.
– Conclusion: The erratic and self-interested negotiation approach by WUSD contrasted sharply with the city’s objective, fact-based decision-making process.
August (Progress in Agreement):
– A potential agreement was reached on shared operational expenses and capital contributions, with the city assuming a greater financial burden.
– Conclusion: The city’s increased financial commitment highlighted its dedication to the WAFC, a commitment not equally reflected in WUSD’s negotiation stance.
September (Additional Changes and Delays):
– WUSD returned with further changes and prolonged discussions, despite prior progress.
– Conclusion: The continual modifications and verbose discussions led by the WUSD board president suggested a pattern of stalling and lack of decisive action, delaying resolution.
October (Snow Removal Negotiation Issue):
– The council president discussed snow removal logistics with the WUSD board president without proper procedural adherence, later deemed impractical by the public works director and city manager.
– Conclusion: This incident involving snow removal negotiations underscored procedural missteps and a lack of strategic planning, complicating the negotiation process. School board president will operate outside legal norms to achieve dispositive community results.
General Conclusion:
Throughout the negotiations, WUSD, particularly under its president’s guidance, consistently demonstrated an ill-conceived strategy that placed undue financial and operational burdens on the city, risking the future of the WAFC. The district’s shifting proposals, reluctance to fulfill financial obligations, and apparent lack of strategic foresight have significantly impeded progress toward a sustainable agreement for the WAFC. This pattern raises concerns about WUSD’s commitment to a mutually beneficial partnership and the welfare of the Whitewater community.
Sincerely,
John Jay
Good morning. Many thanks — this is a definitive chronology useful to all Whitewater as a reference. Only when residents have a chance to see events plainly recounted are poor decisions made clear — and can sound decisions then be made.
My best to you,
Adams
The Parable of the Self-Serving King and the Dark Horse Underdog
In a small town, cloaked in the deceptive calm of a winter’s day, the self-proclaimed king, a landlord and school board president, conducted his reign with a mix of clumsy arrogance and a misguided sense of entitlement. This king, perceiving himself as the master of the game, was in fact merely fumbling with the pieces.
The self-serving king’s latest scheme involved the town’s prized pool and fitness center. Under his guidance, the school board proposed contributions so meager they threatened the facility’s very existence, a stark deviation from previous commitments. His strategy was as transparent as ice, revealing a pattern of shirking responsibility and placing undue burdens on others, much to the chagrin of the townsfolk.
Further, the king’s negotiations were marked by erratic stalling and a lack of decisive action, with month after month of talks leading only to more changes and delays. His tactics became a source of ridicule, akin to a jester’s antics in the court of public opinion. The climax of his clumsy rule came in the form of a snow removal negotiation with his pawn the council president, a simple matter turned into a farce by his inability to adhere to proper procedures and strategic planning.
In contrast to this self-serving king stood the Dark Horse Underdog, a figure who championed the good of all over the desires of one. Their approach to governance was grounded in the well-being of the community, marked by an unwavering commitment to ethical and sustainable decision-making. As the king’s follies became more apparent, the underdog’s steadfastness shone ever brighter, offering a beacon of hope to the townspeople.
The townsfolk, once passive observers, began to awaken to the king’s self-serving antics. They realized that the true strength of their town lay not in the hands of a clumsy ruler but in the collective will of the people, united under shared purpose. This realization sparked a transformation, a shift from being subjects in the king’s play to active participants in their town’s destiny.
As the parable unfolds, the king’s realm of self-interest and mismanagement is gradually overtaken by a vision of a community-first approach. The townsfolk, inspired by characteristics like integrity and sacrifice, start to rewrite their town’s story, one where every decision, every policy, is made with the greater good in mind. The king, with his self-serving ways, finds himself increasingly isolated, a relic of a bygone era in the face of a town reborn with a newfound sense of purpose and unity.
go dog go!!!
It’s like they make up fake problems so that they do not have to deal with real problems.
It’s easier to prolong contract negotiations over a pool than to uplift a school district’s academic performance. No one deserves credit for avoiding hard academic work by making unnecessary contractual work for others.