Here’s a latest review of City of Whitewater invoices, in honor of the Tom Waits song entitled, “What’s He Building in There?” (The song’s an ode of — but not to — paranoia, and every time that I hear it, I think of all the small-town busybodies who are sure that your business should, truly should, be their business)

But for Common Council — a public body — deliberating public issues — what are they building in there? Let’s consider the invoices paid and unpaid submitted with the agenda for the latest Common Council meeting, for tonight, July 21st.

The agenda and invoices are available online.

From the invoices attached to the July 21st Common Council agenda, one finds —

One finds an invoice for over $6,800 for terrace trees.  I have no idea how many trees $6,800 buys, but I’d say whatever the quantity, it’s not enough!

Isn’t there anyone left in this town who learned story of Johnny Appleseed?   I thought that guy walked all over America, throwing apple cores on the ground, and thereby creating orchards, say, about every five-hundred feet.  Can’t somebody do that in Whitewater? (Assuming Whitewater Police Chief Jim Coan doesn’t find the tossing of apples shockingly raucous.) 

This town’s not that big.  In fact, it’s much smaller than all America.   Just find a litterbug, give him a bushel of apples, and point him down Main Street.  

Instant orchard. Big savings.  

(By the way, I see a member of the Common Council wants to abolish the tree commission.   I can’t wait to hear why.  If it has anything to do with the M. Night Shyamalan film, The Happening, about killer trees, I can assure all our local political class that The Happening was fictional.  Trees don’t hurt people that way, and even if they did, we’d want a commission to keep a close eye on them.)

The Brown Cab Service, at a cost of over $11,000 dollars. I’m not sure what period this covers, but the entry reads, “CAB SERVICE/JUNE.”  I find it hard to believe that there’s no cheaper option available. 

From Diversified Building Mtn, bills for over $18,000.  Oh my.  

But the really interesting entries are for TID 4, the local equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle — dollars sail in, a true benefit never to be heard from afterward.  For Eppstein Uhen Architects, for TID 4/INNOVATION CTR, in the amount of $17,363.18. 

I don’t begrudge the architects.  On the contrary, for an innovation center, it almost seems like too little.  The TID 4 designation, however, loses the game — tax incremental financing’s often bad policy. 

Our TIDs have been a mixed picture, and Whitewater could build a candy store there, and still come out behind.  Also for TID 4, another $54,000 for Raymond P Cattell, Inc.  

I also see that LK Marketing received over $5,000 for a CDA/B2B calling kit.  

Finally, the team at Vandewalle, for PLANNING/MAY SVC submitted invoices, as listed here, of $5,896.49.  Good for them.  Without that $5,896.49, we’d have mayhem, disorder, chaos around here. 

They always seem to have a strong feel for this community, so very much so….

Here’s the song – Enjoy!

I wrote last week that I would post a link to the 2010 Census, a constitutional requirement. I now have that link on the main page of FREE WHITEWATER, on the left sidebar.

It’s a prominent link, easy to find and use.

Many civil libertarians find some census questions uncomfortable, but an accurate census will benefit Whitewater, tremendously.

We should see ourselves, clearly, as we really are.

There’s a Tom Waits song entitled, “What’s He Building in There?” It’s an ode of (but not to) paranoia, and every time that I hear it, I think of all the small-town busybodies who are sure that your business should, truly should, be their business. 

Private citizens preying on private citizens, enforcing conformity.    

Here’s the song –

Well, what of public matters?  That’s different!  In the words of Democratic State Senator Marlin Schneider, speaking of a legislators’ meeting, that’s “not open to every Tom, Dick and Harry on the planet.” 

Actually, legislators’ meetings should and must be open, even to every Tom, Dick, and Harry.  Our law requires it, but even in the absence of a law, a principle would apply: that good government is open government, visible and accessible to common people.  

Good government is more than open meetings, though.  It’s taking a look at what government does, and that means what it spends.  The City of Whitewater — both rightly and properly — includes copies of invoices paid and unpaid with Common Council agendas posted online.    

The City of Whitewater website has a link to the July 7, 2009 agenda and submitted invoices.

So, for Common Council — a public body — deliberating public issues — what are they building in there?   Let’s consider the last Common Council meeting, from July 7th.  

From the invoices attached to the July 7th Common Council agenda, one finds — 

Over $60,000 dollars in payments to Strand Associates, Inc. for sundry consulting projects.  Now, I thought that only local mattered, and that one didn’t need consultants, if one were a tribune, microphone, voice of the people.  Shouldn’t all this require just a cocktail napkin, a marker, and a few minutes, to whip up something impressive? 

I’m not the least bit concerned about engineering or other consultants from outside Whitewater.  On the contrary, we’re too local, too often, in matters of principle and practices, setting aside the higher, national standards others use.  

Still, there’s little good to say about thousands ($4,700, $1,760, $5,466, etc.) for tax incremental districts that — like much of tax incremental financing — often delivers less than it promises. 

Anyone — or anyone with a ready excuse — can say that “This is how it should be,” “That’s just municipal government,” etc.  

Why, really?  

There’s no inevitability in any of this; it might have been different, and it might still be different.  “It had to be this way” is a lazy person’s excuse.  more >>

I received an email from the City of Whitewater with a link to the federal government’s 2010 census, required constitutionally every ten years. A full and complete count will be difficult, but both practically and culturally critical, that we might see ourselves as we truly are. I’ll create a permanent spot for the link, too, on FREE WHITEWATER’S main page, over the weekend.

Here’s that link –

http://2010.census.gov/2010census/