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City

The Failure of Municipal Public Relations

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In almost every community with financial or political challenges, local officials will feel the temptation to respond to trouble with a feel-good public relations campaign.

It’s a foolish idea.

In a town like my town of Whitewater, Wisconsin, that favors local orthodoxy, the temptation is nearly irresistible.

There are three problems with officials’ use of a PR strategy: (1) it wastes time that should go into reform, (2) it distracts people from uncomfortable truths of local life, and (3) public relations is done so poorly in Whitewater that officials media efforts only undermine the diversionary case that they want to make.

Despite all the arrogant self-confidence from officials in Whitewater, this is a group that presents a poor case, and fails – startlingly and often – to understand the obvious, embarrassing implications of their own messages.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: August 6, 2008

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Good morning, Whitewater

There are no public meetings scheduled in the city today.

In our history today, there are two crime-related events. The first is from 1911, involving the tragic kidnapping and murder of a small child. Here is the Wisconsin Historical Society account:

n this date 7-year-old Annie Lemberger was kidnapped from her bedroom. Despite an intensive search by police and volunteers, she was not recovered. Three days later, cement worker George Younger found her body floating in Lake Monona. Police arrested Lemberger neighbor John A. “Dogskin” Johnson for the crime. Johnson confessed to the murder and was sentenced to life in prison. Johnson later claimed he was coerced into confession and continually proclaimed his innocence. Members of the Lemberger family were also accused of the crime. Johnson was eventually freed based on additional evidence offered during a pardon hearing. The story was sensationalized in local media for years.

There is a national crime-related moment from history on this date, too. On this date in 1890, New York native William Kemmler, a confessed killer, was the first person executed in the electric chair.

The National Weather Service, predicts a high of 82 degrees and a slight chance of thunderstorms. The Farmers’ Almanac, predicts “becoming wet Great Lakes, followed by clearing.”

Uncategorized

A Libertarian Tribute to Solzhenitsyn

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David Boaz offers fitting remarks in tribute to Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

Solzhenitsyn waged a lifelong struggle against Soviet communism, a tyranny that killed tens of millions, oppressed hundreds of millions, and destroyed lives across every continent it touched.

Solzhenitsyn did not embrace the conventional libertarian vision as we have, but shouldered a noble burden, rare and forbidding: to stand against a continental tyranny, implacable and resolute.

Boaz’s remarks in appreciation may be found here:

http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2008/08/04/

alexander-solzhenitsyn-rip/

Register Watch™

Register Watch™: Walking the Beat

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Here’s the latest issue of Register Watch™, where I cover stories in our local, weekly newspaper.

This week has a story that reveals how officials can mask prior lapses by contending that their action has been justified only by recent events.

Whitewater is a small town of about fourteen thousand people, with a campus of the University of Wisconsin system. It’s a small Midwestern town. We’re exactly the sort of place where people assume true community policing is the norm.

That’s why the story in our local paper, the Whitewater Register, about an officer starting to walk the beat because of recent high gas prices, entitled, ” Walking the Beat,” is so odd.

If not here, then where? If not always, then why not?

A few points, in no particular order:

First, I’ll readily assume the good intentions and conduct of the patrol officer highlighted in the story. I don’t know him, but I have no reason to doubt him. My remarks are not about the conduct of those in the field — but about the leadership of our department.

Second, does anyone believe that it takes high gas prices to have an officer walk the beat? Whoever wrote this story must not understand that it reads like a parody. Let’s be clear: community policing should be a technique on its own merits.

Our community could, and should, have done as much when prices were low. Consider other absurd outcomes:

PILOTS TIRE OF HIGHER WHISKEY PRICES –
DECIDE TO FLY SOBER

CLASSROOM TELEVISION BREAKS –
TEACHER DECIDES TO TEACH ALGEBRA

Someone, somewhere might have thought one could make lemons into lemonade by showing that our police department could respond to higher gas prices. Unfortunately, it’s a response that should have been the norm here even when prices were low.

Third, Who wrote this story? The Register does not include a byline, and it’s published a submitted photo.

So be it. Maybe it’s a timesaving measure to turn half the front page over to someone unidentified. Yet, for a paper whose editor recently fretted about the risks of anonymity, it’s hardly consistent to run unattributed stories now.

Fourth, the nearby Janesville Gazette captures far more of the story than the Whitewater Register. The Gazette story is available here, and gives detail on how much time officers spend, and the uncertainty over whether the program will even continue.

Fifth, in a town of our size, every leader in the department should be walking though a part of the city each day, visiting with residents. Our chief doesn’t need a pricey uniform allowance, or wasteful trips to big cities as part of his work.

This should not be work for patrol officers alone — every leader should commit time each week to accompany patrol officers on a foot patrol.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: August 5, 2008

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Good morning, Whitewater

In our history today, from the Wisconsin Historical Society, on this day in 1825, a council was held to resolve differences between Native Americans and settlers:

“On this date a great council of Native Americans and white settlers was held at Prairie du Chien. For days prior to the event, canoe-loads of attendees converged from all directions and included members of the Sioux, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Chippewa, Ottawa, Potawatomi, Iowa, Sauk, and Fox tribes. The purpose of this gathering was to promote peace among the tribes and to establish boundaries for their territorial claims.”

The National Weather Service, predicts a high of 87 degrees and a patchy fog. The Farmers’ Almanac, predicts “becoming wet Great Lakes, followed by clearing.” Farmers’ Almanac predictions span a few days, so unless one thinks that the weather will be the same for a few days, they’re not even trying to describe each day’s weather.

There will be a Common Council meeting in Whitewater tonight, at 6:30 p.m. in our municipal building.

Libertarians

The Strong Libertarian Brand

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Over at Reason‘s blog, Hit & Run, David Weigel contends that, all considered, the libertarian brand, so to speak, is strong.

He’s right, of course, as Governor Mark Sanford tells Weigel, when being accused of being a libertarian: “I’m an unabashed conservative,” he told me, “and sometimes accused of being a libertarian, to which I say, ‘I’m guilty, I love liberty.’ ”

Libertarians

The AP on Ron Paul’s Persistent Support

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The Associated Press has a story on the impact of Ron Paul’s support on the McCain campaign. Many of his supporters still oppose McCain, and will be vocal for Paul at the Republican convention.

Others will support Libertarian Bob Barr in the fall.

It’s telling, and inauspicious for both McCain and Barr, that Ron Paul is still attracting zealous supporters when Paul will be neither the Republican nor Libertarian presidential nominee.

The link is available at

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iybyrJpNITSn-U8QIWUzrfBXiZUQD9291P0O0

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: August 4, 2008

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Good morning, Whitewater

In our history today, from the Wisconsin Historical Society, on this day in 1862, a public riot in Wisconsin during the Civil War: “On this date the War Department issued General Order No. 99, requesting by draft 300,000 troops to reinforce the Union armies in the Civil War. This action reinforced public sentiment against the draft and prompted the citizens in Port Washington, Ozaukee County to riot in protest.”

The account brings to mind an exchange about the effectiveness of a draft, between General William Westmoreland and economist Milton Friedman:

In his testimony before the commission, Mr. Westmoreland said he did not want to command an army of mercenaries.

Mr. Friedman interrupted, “General, would you rather command an army of slaves?”

Mr. Westmoreland replied, “I don’t like to hear our patriotic draftees referred to as slaves.”

Mr. Friedman then retorted, “I don’t like to hear our patriotic volunteers referred to as mercenaries. If they are mercenaries, then I, sir, am a mercenary professor, and you, sir, are a mercenary general; we are served by mercenary physicians, we use a mercenary lawyer, and we get our meat from a mercenary butcher.”

The National Weather Service, predicts a high of 86 degrees and a chance of thunderstorms. The Farmers’ Almanac, predicts “becoming wet Great Lakes, followed by clearing.” No temperature, just a prediction of wet — around the Great Lakes, rather than in them, presumably.

The first full week of August offers a public meeting of the City of Whitewater’s Park & Recreation Board. Here’s their agenda for the meeting:

1. Roll Call and Board Introductions

2. Approval of July 7, 2008 Park and Recreation Board Minutes

3. Citizen Comments: No formal action will be taken during this meeting, although issues
raised may become part of a future agenda. Participants are allotted a 3 minute speaking
period. Specific items listed on the agenda may not be discussed at this time; however,
citizens are invited to speak to those issues as designated in the agenda.

4. Presentation and acceptance of Moraine View Park Master Plan

5. Presentation and acceptance of Mural Park Site Plan

6. Approval of Special Rental Rate Agreement for NAWF use of Downtown Armory

7. Presentation of Recreation Programs Financial Report (Winter/Spring Programs)

8. Discussion and possible action on future meeting schedule, dates and times

9. Preliminary 2009 Budget Discussion

10. Discussion and approval of Seniors In The Park Policies and Procedures

11. Discussion and approval of Starin Park Playground Capital Campaign

12. Discussion and approval of the ability for staff to approve gift certificates

12. Staff Reports:

A. Director Report (Amundson):
• Monthly Report – highlight recreation software, surveys
• Park Improvement Projects
o Walton Oaks Park Dedication, Clay Street Acquisition

B. Recreation & Community Events Programmer (Dujardin):
• Overview of T-Ball & Rookie Ball Program
• Fall Program Brochure

C. Senior Coordinator Report (Weberpal):
• Review of Tour of Area Senior Centers

13. Board and Commission Reports: No action other than possible referral to another meeting,
but there may be minimal response to Board member questions:

A. Plan and Architectural Review Commission (Stone)

B. Bike Advocacy (Ridenour)

C. Whitewater Aquatics Center (Grosinske)

D. City Council (Taylor)

14. Request for future agenda items

15. Adjourn

Free Markets

Free Market Beats Los Angeles City Council (Of Course!)

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The Orange County Register, via the VV Daily Press, offers an editorial explaining how the free market is working faster than the Los Angeles City Council to address environmental worries about plastic grocery bags. Both Los Angeles and the state of California are considering bans on supposedly wasteful plastic bags. (As it turns out, paper bags may be even more wasteful.)

The editorial observes that

Lawmakers want to look like heroes by coming up with a solution to a “problem” that the market is already addressing. People are thinking about the impacts, quantified or not, of these nearly non-biodegradable materials and most grocery stores have responded by selling their own canvas bags, which double as advertisements. Some are offering five-cent credits or tickets into monthly raffles to customers who bring in their own canvas bags or reuse their plastic bags. While lawmakers might be “taking action,” it’s the market that’s actually doing something.

Wal-Mart, in my town of Whitewater, Wisconsin, and probably everywhere else on the planet, offers re-usable bags already. By the time Los Angeles and California enact new anti-plastic bag regulations, millions of consumers from areas far beyond that city and state will already have abandoned plastic through their own, free choice.

Libertarians

Incumbency over Good Ideas: Begging Libertarians to Quit

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In Texas, the Austin American-Statesman reports that a former GOP state representative called two (or three) Libertarian party candidates, and asked them to drop out of legislative races, lest the siphon votes from the GOP and elect Democrats to office.

I see nothing unlawful about asking another candidate to drop out of a race. I can think of several incumbents in Whitewater, Wisconsin who have been in politics too long.

It’s telling, though, that an incumbent party would rather beg Libertarians to quit running than to adjust its ideas in a more free market, more classically liberal direction.

The Statesman reports that Texas Libertarian Director Wes Benedict “told Libertarian candidates to “sit tight and stay in the race” after the calls were made. “I told them that Republicans need to earn those votes,” he said.”

That’s right.

Libertarians

Stop the Bill of Rights Blackout – Sign a Petition for American Freedoms

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From Bob Barr’s Libertarian Party website, here is a video entitled, “Stop the Bill of Rights Blackout.”


In Whitewater, in Wisconsin, and in all America as America, there are ten amendments to the Bill of Rights, including the First and Fourth.

The Barr website has a petition that Americans, devoted to the liberties of this beautiful republic, can sign. It’s available at http://www.bobbarr2008.com/rights more >>