Good morning.
Wednesday in Whitewater will see occasional thundershowers with a high of 62. Sunrise is 5:28 AM and sunset 8:14 PM for 14h 46m 25s of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 92.2% of its visible disk illuminated.
Whitewater’s Parks & Recreation Board meets at 5:30 PM.
On this day in 1756, the Seven Years’ War begins when Great Britain declares war on France.
Whitewater’s Common Council met in a brief session last night. It was not only a short meeting, but also one without controversial agenda items.
There are limits, more evident than ever, to this local municipal government’s ability to shape community life. See from 2021 The Limits of Local Politics: ‘local public (or powerful private) institutions have a limited power of action (with harmful actions likely to be more immediate than helpful ones).’ Whitewater’s challenges outstrip the ability of local government to achieve significant socio-economic uplift for residents.
Old Whitewater much believed in the booster’s motto that if local public money built something, meaningful gains would come. They haven’t.
This meeting shows, yet again, that (as with a lakes restoration plan that was millions short of received bids) received bids for a lift station were millions higher than local government’s estimates. See Video beginning at @ 08:25.
The 5.17.22 session, while brief, was more orderly than most others over the preceding two years. Order in meetings is, however, only a preliminary to effective oversight. The proper goal, if realized, would be an elected body effective in its oversight of city hall.
Sweden and Finland formally apply to join Nato: ‘A historic step’: