FREE WHITEWATER

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: April 16, 2008

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Good morning, Whitewater

It’s predicted to be a beautiful day in Whitewater. The National Weather Service says sixty-nine degrees and breezy. Good enough. Farmers’ Almanac predicts a spell of pleasant weather. They’re either both wrong, or both right.

As we approach summer, each day has been about two or three minutes longer than the preceding one. Although the official time for sunset is a just past 7:30 p.m., civil twilight extends for about a half hour more. There’s ample light to live, work or play outside until past 8 o’clock. (There’s my libertarian outreach to a favorite smart growth planning slogan.)

Today in our history, the battleship USS Wisconsin was commissioned, in 1944. On Wisconsin!

At 7 p.m., there will be a meeting of the tree commission. That’s the only public meeting scheduled in the city today. There has been periodic concern about leaf collection in the city — focusing on how irritating it is to rake them up. There is also a small number that favors government regulation at every turn.

I am surprised these two groups have not joined forces. Whitewater could be the first city in Wisconsin that mandates a cactus-only policy. No leaves, and I’m not even sure if the needles ever fall off.

There’s a policy that will attract attention far and wide.

Press

The Importance of Curiosity

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FREE WHITEWATER is a website of independent commentary. It’s not a news site, but it does have something is common — as blogs do — with news sites. Curiosity is key to writing about life in town.

That’s why good reporters and newspapers always exhibit an interest in what lies beneath the initial statement or public announcement.

Here’s a great example — a new blog from a reporter, who’s writing about what it’s like covering the news. It’s called “It’s All about the Story,” and it’s about ‘the day to day grit’ of being a reporter. There’s much — much — to being a journalist, but as a non-journalist, I am very sure that curiosity and interest in one’s own profession must be vital to those skills.

News is more than a mere listing of events — it’s an insight into how news is crafted, reported, and presented to others. It’s All About the Story has the right perspective — it is all about the story.

Over at the GazetteXtra, there’s a whole section on reporters’ and editors’ blogs, so that those who care about reporting can share their insights, insights that underlie their reporting.

Elected — and appointed — officials will provide one take on an event, and often hope and expect that what they say will be taken at face value. In fact, it’s that they expect it to be so — based on who they are, and believe themselves to be — that’s so presumptuous.

In the end, their view on policy comes as close to do you know who I am? than even a parody would be able to do.

The best antidote for all this is an inquisitive outlook. A good reporter or newspaper will be a curious one, interested in the work of journalism itself.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: April 15, 2008

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Good morning, Whitewater

It’s April 15th, tax day in Whitewater, and for three hundred million Americans. No one needed to be reminded, but it’s worth noting that we are a highly-taxed state. Wisconsin has been that way for years, and it has taken a toll on us. The sad (and sad because avoidable) details are available at the Leaving Wisconsin blog.

The National Weather Service predicts that it will be 62 and breezy. If that’s the same as the Farmers’ Almanac prediction of ‘squally’ (and I have my doubts) then the forecasters are in agreement.

In Wisconsin history today, in 1900, Spencer Tracy was born. Tracy was born in Milwaukee. My favorite Tracy film: Bad Day at Black Rock, from 1955. Tagline from the film, according to the Internet Movie Database — “Suddenly you realize murder is at your elbow! – and there’s no way out!”

There are no meetings scheduled in the School District, but there are any number of sporting events that should be unaffected if the weather holds as predicted.

There is a Common Council meeting tonight at 6:30 p.m., with the swearing in of new members, and the election of a new council president, etc.

The Brewers did not play yesterday — they play the Cardinals tonight. Milwaukee is currently half a game back (to St. Louis) in the National League Central, so it will be a key, early-season series.

Press

Janesville Gazette Covers FREE WHITEWATER

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Welcome, visitors from the Janesville Gazette and the Gazette‘s online edition, GazetteXtra.com.

The April 14, 2008 Gazette has two stories on FREE WHITEWATER: City Officials Seek Blogger’s Identity and Blogger Keeps a Watchful Eye on Whitewater.

Gazette reporter Kayla Bunge describes what blogging is like, recounts responses here to this blog about life in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and presents different points of view on blogging. It’s a fair assessment, from a reporter and paper that understands this new medium, and presents different perspectives.

The Janesville Gazette is a modern paper. The Gazette has blogs of its own, and offers electronic features and an electronic edition that are as advanced as any other paper in our state.

New readers must be wondering about FREE WHITEWATER.

Who am I, and what is this small site about, by the way?

That depends on whom you ask. Some public officials describe me one way; I would describe myself in another. I blog about municipal affairs, and other topics, as a libertarian, and my website has sometimes been critical of certain police practices and actions, and government planning. Most of all, I have hoped for a better leadership for our police force for our city, and I know that one day we will have just that.

The real message of my site, though, is an uplifting one: the greatness of the American promise of individual liberty and the liberating power of free markets. I have been fortunate to grow up libertarian, am religious, have celebrated the joy of a citizen’s life, offered photos of beautiful spots in my town, cheered public accomplishments, offered classic American animation, and even what’s great about HP calculators!

In the end, I’m just a common man, like so many others — citizen, resident, property-owner, husband, and parent. Bloggers are from all walks of life, across the political spectrum, and are, I think, just modern-day pamphleteers.

I’ll also offer some responses to the comments of city officials in these latest stories.

1. What an official appreciates is less important than what the law requires. To think otherwise is to be seeped in entitlement and presumption.

These city officials don’t offer believable explanations; they offer tissue-paper excuses.

Of course anonymous speech constitutionally is protected. See the 1995 U.S. Supreme Court decision in McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission:

“Protections for anonymous speech are vital to democratic discourse. Allowing dissenters to shield their identities frees them to express critical, minority views . . . Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority. . . . It thus exemplifies the purpose behind the Bill of Rights, and of the First Amendment in particular: to protect unpopular individuals from retaliation . . . at the hand of an intolerant society.”

(As referenced on the EFF.org website, and linked through Justia.com.)

2. The effort to create a dialogue requires no more than sending an email.

3. Let’s be clear: There is nothing innocuous, or fairly innocuous, about running a license plate without a valid law enforcement purpose — it’s a violation of federal law.

Someone who respected privacy and civil liberties would not be running licenses plates on citizens.

Consider this case, from the Wisconsin Department of Justice website, in an official document entitled, “TIME System Newsletter,” Crime Information Bureau, from March 2006:

Are You Liable?

As TIME System users are informed from day one, information access is provided via the TIME System for law enforcement/criminal justice purposes only. Use of the system for other purposes is not only a policy violation, but also subjects violators to possible civil and criminal penalties, as the current case shows.

In the current case, a police dispatcher, two officers from different agencies, the town, and others, are being sued for allegedly violating the Federal Driver Privacy Protection Act.

The lawsuit stems from an incident in which a subject repeatedly attempted to obtain vehicle owner information from the police department, asking them to query a license plate. In the first phone call the dispatcher refused to release the information. About 20 minutes later, a male subject requested owner information from an officer. The officer had the dispatcher query the license plate, but refused to provide the information to the man, only telling him the vehicle belonged to a local resident. Less than 10 minutes later, an officer from another agency contacted the dispatcher and requested the same information. Initially the dispatcher refused to provide the information, but relented when he promised not to divulge the information. The second officer is a relative of the male subject who had earlier tried to obtain the information.

Unfortunately, about 30 minutes later, the male subject went to the residence where the vehicle was parked, kicked out a porch light, and threatened the vehicle owner with bodily harm.

TIME System users and their departments must ensure the system is being used only for authorized
purposes.

4. Traffic at FREE WHITEWATER? Up! Here’s a response that I can make happily — traffic is up significantly, month over month, even discounting spikes for recent news coverage. Not only has it gone up each month, it stays up — I am fortunate to gain new readers and keep them.

I’ll have more good news to announce in this regard in mid May, at the one year anniversary of FREE WHITEWATER. more >>

Development, Economy

What the Progressives in Whitewater Don’t Have

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I wrote a post reflecting on the election results in Whitewater, and one thing stood out to me: progressives have done well in the city on statewide referenda and races. That’s why I pointed out that

Although I am not always in agreement with the progressives, it’s easy to see that they are increasingly successful in town, on significant issues that affect our state. In time, they may come to shape a new direction in our city. They have not achieved that result, but the momentum is theirs.

There are two things that progressives don’t have, however.

First, they have not had success at the local level, in several Council elections, etc. They can command majorities citywide, but they have not had that success at the Council district level.

Second, they have as their principal political competitors not libertarians, moderates, or conservatives, but anti-market reactionaries, committed ferociously to an agenda that directs government action down all sorts of anti-growth alleys.

These men and women are not conventional conservatives. If one considers an opportunity conservative like, for example, Jack Kemp, and then considers one council member’s anti-student housing, anti-dumpster crusade, there’s no comparison. None. Lacking an understanding of economics, and thus any coherent economic argument, they want what they want, without understanding or caring about the consequences of their desires.

That’s why when progressives seek a government-business partnership, to create a community (using a smart growth slogan) where “people will live, work, and play,” they find that their use of government is different from the rabid anti-market faction. That status quo group takes the machinery and tools of government, and channels its more benign uses toward a path of anti-market bias, fear of outsiders, grudges, and score-settling.

These anti-market crusaders are also lazy and dissipated: they have not arguments in their favor, but merely narrow personal tastes to impose on a community. They have long since abandoned the need to reason carefully. It’s all bile and desire now.

The progressives want to be right, and to create a better community; the anti-market town faction is convinced (falsely) that it’s right, doesn’t give a damn what anyone else thinks, and will say and do what it feels it must to win.

I have, as any libertarian would, fundamental doubts about the progressive project, but I do not doubt their intentions. As a political matter, however, if the progressives are to advance in this city, they’ll need to see how rabid and selfish their true opponents are, and advance their case recognizing that opposition for what it is.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: April 14, 2008

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Good morning, Whitewater

The National Weather Service says that today will be sunny, with a high of 52 degrees. The Farmers’ Almanac predicts “squally over the Great Lakes.” No word on how squally translates to Whitewater’s small lakes.

Here’s the symbol of the National Weather Service. They’ve chosen a stormy image, with thunderclouds and a lightning bolt, for their symbol. That makes sense, really, for two reasons: (1) weather forecasts that warm of bad conditions are more important to public safety, and (2) people are most fascinated, I think, by stormy weather that reveals the power of nature. A smiling sun logo just wouldn’t be as impressive.

There are two public meetings scheduled for today. A Community Development Authority committee meets from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. This is a meeting of the Business Park Committee rather than the full CDA.

Later today, the Irvin Young Library Board of Trustees meets from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. They will meet at at the library, in the White Memorial Room.

There are no school district events scheduled today. District Administrator Steinhaus, however, submitted an application as a candidate, based on published accounts, for at least four positions in other communities: The superintendent’s position in St. Cloud, Minnesota, the Prior Lake-Savage district in Minnesota, the White Bear Lake District in Minnesota, and the Holmen School District in Wisconsin. (If the Register — our local paper — listed all these applications, I missed it.)

No one submits this many applications for new jobs and intends to stay in an old one.

Today in 1953, the Milwaukee Braves played their first game at County Stadium. They won, defeating the Cardinals in extra innings. County Stadium was new back then — it’s hard to think of a time when County Stadium was ever new, in appearance. more >>

Register Watch™

Register Watch™ for the April 10, 2008 Issue

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Here’s my weekly coverage of the Whitewater Register‘s April 10, 2008 issue.

The Register‘s front page runs two stories, both above the fold: a profile of a farm in Richmond, and part two of the Register‘s multi-part series on the Whitewater Police Department. I mentioned last week that I will refrain from commenting on the police department series until it concludes.

The story on the local farm is ample, and pushes the Whitewater Police Department’s push for accreditation onto page two. News listed under the heading “Community” appears on page three. The heading “UW-Whitewater in the News” appears on page six.

Such is our community paper that it feels compelled to let readers know where to look for the community news.

I’ll offer a few observations on advertisements in the Register. I have mentioned before that only a minority of the picture advertisements in the Register are for Whitewater businesses. This raises two possibilities: other businesses in Whitewater don’t advertise, or they advertise elsewhere.

It’s elsewhere. One can find many print ads for Whitewater businesses in the pages of the Good Morning Advertiser.

The GMA Good Morning Advertiser is a true shopper-advertiser with advantages over the Register. It’s small, easy to read, and arrives via the mail without cost to recipients. The Good Morning Advertiser has a solid selection of local merchants’ ads.

If the Register lacks the advertising appeal of the GMA Good Morning Advertiser, then it also lacks the frequent color postings of the Banner. I have teased about aspects of the Banner‘s content, but I have also noted that it has clear advantages over a dead-tree publication like the Register.

Less the advertiser, and less the source of plentiful local content: whither the Register? Being part of a local chain surely helps the Register, and must make it easier for the paper to keep publishing.

There is a way to a better paper, if only someone would embrace it. (I’m not holding my breath.) The Register would do better as a feisty, inquisitive newspaper. Some advertisers might flee, but others would commit themselves to a publication that actually piqued readers’ interest.

Whitewater merchants, with their income and prosperity at risk, are a good judge of what will be read. When the pick the Good Morning Advertiser, they signal not their preferences, but the preferences of their customers.

NOTE: In this post, I am describing the weekly shopper the Good Morning Advertiser. Although I abbreviated the name of the advertiser as GMA, in fact GMA is a different entity. I have indicated throughout both the original way that I posted, and my corrections.

Cartoons & Comics

Friday Morning Cartoon: Double Feature

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I have two very different cartoon offerings today. The first is a short, animated Popeye cartoon from Max Fleischer, from 1936, entitled “Little Swee’Pea.” This is a fine effort, with well-rendered animation for its time.

In response to a reader request, I’m adding some links to contemporary print cartoons, today. Sometimes cartoons — especially these print cartoons, offer a counter-cultural message. There are magazines of both left and right that publish cartoons with sometimes acerbic messages. Here are links to a few:

“This Modern World,” by Tom Tomorrow. In an April 3rd cartoon, This Modern World satirizes the Clinton strategy against Obama.

Bill Griffith’s Zippy the Pinhead. Griffith’s website even has a guide to help readers unfamiliar with the cartoon understand what’s going on.

Chris Muir, Day by Day. Here’s a right-of-center cartoon, available on the Web and in color, that’s become increasing popular. Day by Day‘s website includes an archive of past cartoons.

Enjoy. more >>

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: April 11, 2008

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Good morning, Whitewater

Rain. That’s the forecast from the National Weather Service; it’s also what I see out my window. Over at the Farmers’ Almanac, the forecast is usually the same for a few days in a row — and it has been off for these last few days. NWS prediction for today: 70% chance of thunderstorms, with a high of 54 degrees.

So far, each week of the three that I’ve posted Daily Bread has ended with the National Weather Service being more accurate than the Farmers’ Almanac. I’ll check to see if there are any published studies that compare the two, and then post what I find next week.

On this day in 1965, Wisconsin and neighboring states were struck by tornadoes, and three people in Wisconsin lost their lives, with millions in property damage in the southern part of our state. (April 11th fell on a Sunday that year.)

It’s activity night at the middle school at 7 p.m. tonight.

There are no public meetings scheduled for today in the city of Whitewater. There were none scheduled yesterday. It’s a private sector streak, heading into the weekend.

I’ll post my latest Register Watch™ tonight, focusing on both content and advertising alternatives to the Register.

The Brewers lost yesterday, and our now 6-3 overall, but 3-3 in their division. They have an away series with the Mets (4-4 overall) beginning tonight at Shea Stadium. I’ll post my next Ballpark remarks on the opening series with the Cubs, and what it might say about the Brewers’ prospects this year.

Uncategorized

Ballpark: Brewers Season Overview

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Ballpark is an occasional series of posts following the Brewers season. In this post, I’ll make a few general observations about the Brewers, and their prospects this season.

The Milwaukee Brewers have been a professional ball club, under that name, since 1970. They played their first game on Tuesday, April 7th 1970 at County Stadium. (They lost to California, 0-12.) That year, they were fourth in the AL West, with a dismal 67-97 season. In the years since, they have had thirteen winning seasons (including two seasons with a .500 record.)

In 1998, the Brewers moved from the American League to the National League, with the slogan (if I recall correctly) “we’re taking this thing National.” The shift was seemingly a welcome one, as payrolls were generally less in their new league and division, and a traditionally different style of play in the National League would, presumably, help the Brewers competitive prospects.

Sadly, they have had only two winning seasons since switching leagues in 1998.

Last year was a winning season for the Brewers, along with a winning season in 2005. Although the Brewers finished only second in their division last year, there was more hope for the team — and there is again this year — than I have seen in many years before. We have reason for optimism.

Baseball has a long season (162 games) in a sport with a long tradition. The length of the season is arduous, and almost distracting: the 162 games are a prelude, really, to the post season. Competitive teams see it this way — the contest is not merely for the games through September, but to reach October and the playoffs. The Brewers, and their fans, have thought less about the post seasons as we have so seldom had that prospect before us.

What matters in the season ahead (one that I think will be a winning season)? Pitching, forward thinking to August and September, and division-oriented play. Interleague games, games against teams with celebrity players, and non-division play count for less than division success. Far less.

The Brewers must win their division to make the post season. That’s because each of the three National League divisions sends one team to the playoffs, and one additional team, with the best record after the division winners, goes also to produce an even number of four playoff teams. Both of the other NL divisions are likely to have second-place teams with records better than the Brewers, so it’s win the division or sit home in October.

I know that most analysts — including the full team at ESPN, to my knowledge — predict the Brewers to place only second in the division. I am more confident than that — improved pitching (especially if Sheets stays healthy) and a team that’s young but more experienced than last year, gives the Brewers a good chance of winning the National League Central.

Ninety games can win the division, easily. We can do this. Really.

Next from Ballpark: The series against the Cubs (March 31, April 2, 3) and what portends for the season.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: April 10, 2008

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Good morning, Whitewater

There are no public meetings scheduled for the City of Whitewater today.

In the school district, however, there will be a 7 PM musical performance from middle school students held at the high school.

The Farmers’ Almanac prediction, as it is usually a several days’ prediction, again looks to pleasant conditions; the National Weather Service forecasts a 100% chance of heavy rain. Best bet — carry an umbrella.

Over at ESPN, they show the Brewers as 6-2, followed by another notation, 3-2, in parentheses. That’s the secret, really, to their season — it’s division play that will make the difference for the Brewers. I’ll pick up on that point in my first Ballpark post, this week.

In Wisconsin history today, in 1861, over two dozen Sauk County volunteers joined the Union army. Wisconsin was — happily — for union and the Union. Geography was the least of the issues in contention. It was, ultimately, a matter of liberty and effecting liberty through representative government.

That’s why principled libertarians reject a fringe group of so-called libertarians (with whom Ron Paul has always flirted) who favor rights of state secession over the liberty of citizens within each state. (Lord Acton, sadly, had this same problem when commenting on the Civil War.)

Libertarians

Barr’s Website Fundraising Stats

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Well, he’s had an exploratory website since the weekend, but possible Libertarian Party nominee Bob Barr has so far raised only about 20,000 through that site.

Senators Clinton, Obama, and McCain probably spend that much on dry cleaning.

Unless Barr’s not listing non-website contributions, he’s off to a slow start. (For an earlier post on Barr, please see a post succinctly named, “Bob Barr.”)

(Quick note: I have no current preference in the presidential race; there’s time.)

Economy

New Website Chronicles High Tax & Regulatory Burden

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There’s a new blog, entitled Leaving Wisconsin, that posts on the “great exodus out of the taxation and regulation hell of Wisconsin.” We have been a highly taxed and regulated state for some time — neither major party has moved us in true low-tax, low-burden direction.

For data to support the contention that we are a highly-taxed state, one need look no farther than the Tax Foundation‘s website: our state & local tax burden has been higher than the national average, and in the top ten of all states, for decades.

We are among the most beautiful places in America, and if there is an exodus from this state, then we have only ourselves to blame. We have one consolation — if we have made conditions undesirable, then we can make them desirable and comparatively advantageous, too.