I’ve often commented on the local press covering Whitewater, and how print newspapers are facing a bleak future. What, though, of editorial cartoons, once so much a part of a daily newspaper’s editorial page?
Editor & Publisher asks if the cartoon might vanish…
Here are the results from my highly unscientific, not-at-all professional poll on options for budget cuts for a city or school district.
Reduction in benefits came as the leading answer — far above employee layoffs, tax increases, salary reductions, or reductions in services.
There’s more than one way to address a shortfall, and when city or public school district officials insist that employee layoffs had to happen because of a reduction in state aid — well, it’s just not true.
Good morning, Whitewater
In the City of Whitewater today, there are no municipal public meetings scheduled.
In Wisconsin history today, the Wisconsin Historical Society recalls a tornado —
1899 – New Richmond Tornado
On this date the worst tornado disaster in Wisconsin history occurred. The storm virtually leveled New Richmond on the day the Gollmar Brothers Circus came to town. At the time, New Richmond was a prosperous town of 2500 people and one of the most scenic places in Wisconsin. On the day of the storm, the streets were filled with residents and tourists waiting for the afternoon circus parade. Shortly after the circus ended, the tornado passed through the very center of town, completely leveling buildings. Over 300 buildings were damaged or destroyed. Massive amounts of flying debris resulted in multiple deaths in at least 26 different families. In all, the storm claimed 117 lives and caused 150 injuries. [Source: National Weather Service]
| Almanac | ||
|---|---|---|
| Friday, June 12, 2009 | Sunrise | Sunset |
| Official Time | 05:15 AM | 08:33 PM |
| Civil Twilight | 04:40 AM | 09:08 PM |
| Tomorrow | 05:15 AM | 08:34 PM |
| Tomorrow will be: | 1 minute longer | |
| Amount of sunlight: | 15h 18m | |
| Amount of daylight: | 16h 28m | |
| Moon phase: | Waning Gibbous | |
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel keeps track of federal stimulus money sent to Wisconsin. The Journal Sentinel also links to the Wisconsin Office of Recovery and Reinvestment.
How your federal dollars are being spent…
Wisconsin Stimulus Money Tracker
Sent via BlackBerry
Good morning, Whitewater
In the City of Whitewater today, there’s an Historical Society meeting at 7 p.m.
In Wisconsin history today, the Wisconsin Historical Society marks a birthday —
1935 – Gene Wilder Born
On this date Gene Wilder (aka Jerome Silberman) was born in Milwaukee. Wilder graduated from Washington High School in Milwaukee in 1951. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Iowa in 1955, and studied judo, fencing, gymnastics and voice at the Old Vic Theatre School in Bristol, England.
Wilder won the Clarence Derwent award for the Broadway play “The Complaisant Lover” in 1962. He continued to perform on Broadway in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1963), Dynamite Tonight (1964), and The White House (1964). Wilder made his film debut in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), then earned an Oscar nomination the following year as the accountant Leo Bloom in The Producers, the first of three films he made for writer-director Mel Brooks.
Wilder is known for his work in such films as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972), Blazing Saddles (1973), and Young Frankenstein (1974). After his second wife Gilda Radner died of ovarian cancer, Wilder co-founded Gilda’s Club, a support group to raise awareness of the disease. [Source: Wisconsin Film Office]
Here’s a clip of Wilder singing Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory —
| Almanac | ||
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, June 11, 2009 | Sunrise | Sunset |
| Official Time | 05:16 AM | 08:33 PM |
| Civil Twilight | 04:41 AM | 09:08 PM |
| Tomorrow | 05:15 AM | 08:33 PM |
| Tomorrow will be: | 1 minute longer | |
| Amount of sunlight: | 15h 17m | |
| Amount of daylight: | 16h 27m | |
| Moon phase: | Waning Gibbous | |
Fear-mongering from the mainstream media, culprit number one – Time magazine.
I’ll not blame Americans for their skepticism of an unstimulating federal stimulus.
Reason has the story at 45 Percent of Americans Want to Cancel the Rest of the Stimulus
In the post immediately below, a dash cam calls into question an official justification for the use of a taser on a seventy-two year old woman.
Note, though, that the cam might also exonerate other officers, in other situations, where they were falsely accused of misconduct.
Whitewater gains when her public officials are open, and video record as much as possible of meetings and official actions.
Every community relies — and wants to rely — on its police force for protection. Therein rests the honor and burden of the right to use force on behalf of the community: that trust is readily given, and a worthy leadership in return commits to a practice of openness and verification.
It was Reagan to whom the expression, ‘trust but verify’ is attributed. Like so much else from Reagan, it’s a clear, direct, prudent principle.
Weak, mediocre, or dishonest officials fear verification of their actions. They expect trust alone. That’s a fool’s policy — verification of public actions — true accountability — is necessary for a free, well-ordered society.
Over at Wired‘s Danger Room, there’s a disturbing account of the use of a taser on a seventy-two year old woman, entitled Raw Video: Cop Tasers 72 Year-Old Granny “
In a speeding case!
Two video clips accompany the story. In the first, from a news station, there’s an interview with both the taser victim and representative of the department (from Texas). As Danger Room notes, the constable’s description seems almost reasonable.
That’s until one relies not on a self-interested account from a defensive department, but sees instead the actual dash camera footage of the arrest, and use of the taser, on the diminutive senior citizen.
Then, seeing the event unfold directly, free from official sophistry, one sees the truth — the use of a taser here is grossly wrong. There’s no reasonable justification for any official to use force as this officer did, on this suspect.
That’s why dash cams are a good idea, and sometimes a necessity – they show the truth apart from official explanations that way be mistaken — or deliberately wrong.
A strong, well-ordered department will always invite verification.
First — the news report, with the official justification for use of a taser on a seventy-two year old speeder —
Then — the actual footage of the event, free of mere official characterizations and declarations of legitimacy —
Dash cams are instruments of integrity, honesty, accountability, and fairness. more >>
Yesterday, I posted a short clip from the 1949 film version of Ayn Rand’s Fountainhead. The film stars Gary Cooper as Howard Roark, an architect and individualist.
Here’s a bit more. Rand wrote the screenplay for the film, and one can easily hear her voice in Roark’s words. Roark finds himself on trial, and delivers a defense of his conduct, that’s truly Rand’s defense of individual action.
(Quick Note Number 1 — I’m not an Objectivist, and do not share Rand’s full range of views. I see cleary, though, the contribution of her work to a libertarian defense against state collectivism.)
By contemporary standards, it’s an acerbic defense — Roark refers to those opposed to individual action as ‘parasites,’ for example. In our more delicate time, one might say that others were parasitic, but it’s hard to see how a film’s protagonist would be scripted to call opponents parasites. We’re just more delicate now.
One sees, too, Roark’s undeniable love of America, one that all libertarians share: “the noblest country in the history” of humanity, “was based on the principle of individualism…”
(Quick Note Number 2 — for Chief Coan, Lt. Otterbacher, Sgt. Winger, et al. — Roark is defending himself against the destruction of property he designed. Rand wrote the novel, The Fountainhead, a work of fiction. She also wrote the screenplay for the film, a work of fiction. Gary Cooper, an actor, portrayed Howard Roark, a fictional character. No one, at any time, actually destroyed any property. Famous fictional novel, famous fictional screenplay, famous actor, portraying a fictional character — it’s just a movie.)
Good morning, Whitewater
In the City of Whitewater today, there’s a Landmarks Commission meeting at 6:30 p.m.
In Wisconsin history today, the Wisconsin Historical Society notes the arrival of two pioneers at Madison, just hours apart —
1837 – Darwin Clark Arrives in Madison
On this date Dane County pioneer Darwin Clark arrived in Madison, just three hours before another area pioneer, Simeon Mills, arrived. Clark arrived in Madison from Otega, New York, and worked as a carpenter on the first state capitol building. In 1844 he purchased the first plot of land and built his home. Located on Main Street, Clark also ran a furniture store out of the second floor of the structure. [Source: Wisconsin Local History and Biography Articles]
1837 – Dane County Pioneer Arrives in Madison
On this date Dane County pioneer, Simeon Mills, arrived on the opposite shore of Lake Monona, where he persuaded two Native American boys to ferry him across the lake to the Eben Peck’s log cabin. Mills was 27 years old when he arrived in Madison, having walked from Chicago. Mills held many prominent positions in Madison during its early years. He was appointed deputy postmaster in 1837 and erected the first mercantile establishment in Madison. For many years, Mills was the only Justice of the Peace in Dane County, officiating at many wedding ceremonies. Mills also served as Territorial Clerk of the Supreme Court and served as the first state senator from Dane County. [Source: Wisconsin State Journal – March 15 1891]
| Almanac | ||
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, June 10, 2009 | Sunrise | Sunset |
| Official Time | 05:16 AM | 08:32 PM |
| Civil Twilight | 04:41 AM | 09:07 PM |
| Tomorrow | 05:16 AM | 08:33 PM |
| Tomorrow will be: | 1 minute longer | |
| Amount of sunlight: | 15h 16m | |
| Amount of daylight: | 16h 26m | |
| Moon phase: | Waning Gibbous | |
Despite her condescension toward a student’s message sent to this website about staff layoffs at our school district, a review of Whitewater District Administrator Steinhaus’s own compensation shows that the student — not Steinhaus — has the better argument.
It’s quite a match-up —
(Quick note — there’s a legal fair use right to display these images, one worth exercising and defending.)
On Monday, I posted an email message from a student in our school district. Here’s what the student had to say —
I don’t know if you have heard but recently the WUSD released its tentative cuts for next fall. They might be cutting the 5th grade band program but for sure they are getting rid of Josh Barret the current band director at that level. The administration of course will still be receiving its 10% raise this year though. I feel that this is a serious mismanagement of government at our school level by the administration because most Americans across the country are taking pay cuts now. If you should chose to run with this story you may email me at any time and I will be willing to help you out.
Well, Dr. Steinhaus responded — but not to this website — denying the contention, and pointing out that the message was from a student.
I offered an initial reply earlier this morning. (See, Dr. Steinhaus’s Glass House.)
(I don’t see what difference it makes who wrote to this website — as I pointed out, “she knows very well that it was a student letter” as the email implied as much.)
The irony — her implication might be that one should not consider the student’s opinion seriously, but it’s one of her students, taught in one of her schools.
She should have more confidence in the quality of her own district’s work.
Indeed, much more, as when one considers Dr. Steinhaus’s own compensation, the student hits the mark!
Consider the available public information from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s website.
In 2008, the Wisconsin DPI information on School and Staff Salary Data reveals that Dr. Steinhaus received $118,035 in prorated salary and $41,068 in prorated fringe benefits, for a total of $159,103. (See, Administrative Salary Report, 2008 draft, in Excel.)
For 2009, the Wisconsin DPI information on School and Staff Salary Data reveals that Dr. Steinhaus received $129,039 in prorated salary and $45,368 in prorated fringe benefits, for a total of $174,725. (See, Administrative Salary Report, 2009 draft, in Excel.)
(I performed all these high-level calculations on a genuine HP 35s Scientific Calculator, for those who’d like more information about FREE WHITEWATER’s technological sophistication!)
Dr. Steinhaus disputes a 10% increase, but in her own case, let’s see what it really was…
2008 = $159,103
2009 = $174,725
Increase, year over year = 9.82%.
Is Dr. Steinhaus kidding?
Imagine the arrogance of denying 10%, when in her own case, she had a 9.82% gain, year over year.
How many in Whitewater had a 9.82% gain, year over year?
That’s closer to the national unemployment rate than the compensation gain for workers in this city.
A city with a higher than average poverty-rate for our area.
A city where over one in four students are eligible for federal assistance for lunches.
You know, and I know, that Dr. Steinhaus has been Whitewater’s distaff version of Claude Rains. Yet, for it all, even she must have seen some of our neighborhoods, struggling and troubled even before this severe recession.
In these last weeks, with problem after problem tumbling about her, one might have hoped for more than an incredible denial.
Not true, Dr. Steinhaus?
Oh yes, so very true, indeed.
Advantage…
Perhaps one soon won’t need any other health benefits, in that federal utopia the Obama administration leads us toward…
The Beginning of the End of Private Health Insurance
Sent via BlackBerry
Yesterday was the anniversary of Frank Lloyd Wright’s birth. I thought I’d follow up with a movie clip, from Rand’s Fountainhead. Ayn Rand often denied that the Fountainhead‘s architect Howard Roark was based on Frank Lloyd Wright. (She did, however, commission a home from FLW, one that was never built.)
Still, the real and fictional architects were both individualists, and advocated a modern design, and that’s likely much of the basis for the comparison.
Here, Roark refuses to compromise his design, in a clip from the 1949 film. Enjoy.
