FREE WHITEWATER

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: March 27, 2008

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Good morning, Whitewater

Spring is now a week old, and there is a significant chance of snow in the forecast. The expected accumulation, through, is less than predicted even a day ago — according to the National Weather Service, perhaps only a few inches. That is, all considered, a good characterization of early spring in Wisconsin.

This is a day without school, in the city or at campus, and without any listed public meetings.

I’ll be posting, though, throughout the day — the private sector carries on.

City

Common Council Meeting for March 18, 2008

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In our small city, we have a Common Council of seven members, and a city manager appointed by the council. Of our seven council members, six have been elected, and one sits as an appointee to fill the remainder of a vacant term.

They do not sit in session alone: the city clerk sits in the center of the group, and the police chief, Jim Coan, sits off to one side, beside the seat for the city manager. The police chief seldom speaks, as there is almost never a need for his participation. From his vantage, though, he stares out into the chamber, and with sloping shoulders and darkly circled eyes, surveys the small town he arrogantly and wrongly dominates.

In the session on the 18th, the city manager was not present. No matter; he had done his work for the town faction two days earlier, when he had endorsed Coan’s shameful witch-hunt against lawful speech as not merely legitimate, but ‘very legitimate.’ City Manager Brunner is not from our town — and will eventually leave for a more lucrative post — but while he remains here, he will have earned the thanks of the town’s most reactionary clique.

Coan walked all over Brunner last fall by upending Brunner’s city budget, but Brunner can do no more on his own account than endorse wrongful and mediocre conduct. Coan may have underestimated some, but he has sized Brunner up just right.

Brunner was not present at the meeting on March 18th. Sitting in for him was Director (yes, Director) of Public Works, Dean Fischer. If there has ever been evidence of inflation in titles and positions, Dean Fischer is surely a confirming example. (I’ll have more to say about Fischer on Friday.)

That Fischer and Coan were sitting next to each other was fortuitous; Fischer will not have to email to request our police department license plates on bloggers in the future. If he’s seated next to Coan again, and finds himself similarly inclined, Fischer need only whisper.

As for the meeting, nothing of great importance was discussed, and that would include council member Nosek’s concern that salt and sand from our recent winter may never fully disappear without human intervention.

Nosek even pined for former council member Hixson’s suggestion that our city purchase a leaf vacuum. Nosek opposed the proposal at the time, I think; desperate times, I suppose, call for desperate measures.

Nosek would put something like the proposed leaf vacuum to work as a salt and sand vacuum. I can help him, as I helped then-member Hixson. I offered a similar proposal in November 2007.

Over at the FREE WHITEWATER Department of Engineering for Better Everyday Living™, the design team built a device for leaf vacuuming. They estimated the cost per unit at only $76.94. Here’s the schematic:

I am not sure if it will work for salt and sand, but if Nosek’s interested, I’ll send one over to the municipal building.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: March 26, 2008

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Good morning, Whitewater

In our city, only one municipal meeting is listed for today: a 6 PM meeting of the Bicycle Advocacy Group, at the municipal building. We could use such a group, although I was not aware of it previously. Most of us could benefit from more time outside, on a bike, or walking, or running. I walk through the city every day, exploring different sections of town, and there is always something interesting to see.

The National Weather Service reports that it will be mostly sunny today, with a high of 50 degrees. For those much interested in weather forecasts, the NWS puts a discussion of its forecasts on its website. I am not a meteorologist, but the reasoning behind the forecast is available for those who might like to see it.

Over at the Farmers’ Almanac, there’s a notation that Arcturus crossed the meridian early this morning. It reminds me of a story about that red giant star, over thirty-six light years distance from earth.

I once saw a talk show segment where a guest insisted that he was from a planet orbiting Arcturus. He looked like anyone else, really, except he was slightly taller, had a pallid complexion, and spoke in an affected manner. He had all sorts of pronouncements for earthlings. The audience didn’t know what to make of it.

(Apparently, there are many odd UFO theories that beings from a world near Arcturus have, and continue, to visit our planet. A quick Google search leads to webpages that hold all the fantastic details.)

I find it hard to believe that beings supposedly from Arcturus have visited our world; it is even less likely that they’ve made a stop in Whitewater. It’s an incredible tale, but sadly no less credible than the contention that a police chief and one of his lieutenants would visit a citizen’s house merely for the purpose of ‘civil discourse.’

And that, after all, is a tale that our police chief and city manager both dare to tell with a straight face.

Press, Register Watch™

Register Watch™ for the March 20, 2008 Issue

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Here is one of my new features, along with the Daily Bread morning post. I have called it Register Watch™, and it will be a weekly review of the latest issue of our local, but dismal paper, the Whitewater Register. Going forward, it will appear one day after the latest issue of the Register; typically Register Watch™ will appear on Friday mornings.

(Quick note to my ignorant critics in municipal office: You acted wrongly and stupidly against America’s clear tradition of free speech. Your self-justification is both feeble and embarrassing. (See my post to your attention, To the Municipal Opponents of Free Speech.) You’ll not cow someone into silence; I have more to write than ever before. This feature is a small part of that expanded effort.)

The March 20th issue of the Register offers two front page stories on local or county elections, one on Leslie Steinhaus as a candidate for a superintendent’s position in Minnesota, and one more, beyond these. Ready, Whitewater? The largest amount of space, virtually everything below the fold, is devoted to an ode to spring, entitled (ready, again?) “Hope Springs Eternal.” Oh my.

Of course, the biggest story in town, covered only out of town and on this website, is the outrageous, wrong, and embarrassing conduct of our police chief against a lawful blogger. You may have heard something about this, on this website, in a series entitled, “Witch-Hunting a Blogger in Whitewater, Wisconsin.” It was also covered on the frontpage of our state’s leading newspaper, the Wisconsin State Journal. (See, “Front Page: The Wisconsin State Journal Covers Municipal Actions Against Free Whitewater Website.”)

From the Register there’s nothing. That’s nothing, as in not a thing. You should not be surprised. If a story does not support the stodgy, inept, narrow-minded town faction’s position, it will not appear in the Register.

You may guess why that is; I am not sure. I cannot confirm the rumor that the Register publishes the truth only in disappearing ink.

Dampier is listed as an editor at the Register, but that must refer to her editing duties at another publication, because her “Hope Springs Eternal” story is the worst-written and edited since, well…. memory fails, as my third grade studies were so long ago.

The stories on the candidates for election are pedestrian and predictable.

Is the Register really a Whitewater paper, may I ask? In the first section, of over forty-five prominent advertisements, only about ten are from Whitewater concerns (and this paltry number includes political ads for Whitewater candidates, and ads for the Register itself.) Why so few local merchants, and so many (wasting their money) from outside our city? You know why — the Register is the weakest link in a local chain. It’s hardly a Whitewater paper, though.

I knew about the Steinhaus story long before it made its way to the Register, and it’s almost as light as the fluff on spring. I chose not to write about it. Steinhaus is a first-round candidate for a position in Minnesota. All that requires is a brief paragraph. The Register runs the news from the front page to the inside. You’ll excuse me if, upon hearing of the possibility of her departure, I’ll not pour some Chivas quite yet. It’s waiting, though.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: March 25, 2008

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Good morning, Whitewater

There is no school today, and no municipal public meetings are scheduled in the city.

Our library is open today, as it is most weekdays, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. It is one of the great treasures of our city. I support plans to expand the library, so that it will be able to offer still more. I am sure that the staff would welcome your visit.

(Our library offers a prominent link for translation in Spanish, too. As we have a significant Spanish speaking population, it’s an example that our local government should follow. I have called for this before; I’ll keep doing so.)

The Farmers’ Almanac says that Orion’s Belt set at 12:24 a.m. this morning. I am not sure if they intend to describe the entire constellation, or if someone at the almanac is being precise about which part of that constellation set at 12;24 a.m. No matter — as Orion departs the northern sky, Scorpius arrives, and summer draws closer. My father and I enjoyed skywatching, and Orion was one of the first constellations he identified for me. Here’s a link to more about Orion, from the Earth & Sky website.

I have received email messages from across America in support of free speech. One correspondent had a signature tag on her email from a clever film —

“It’s 106 miles to Chicago, we’ve got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark, and we’re wearing sunglasses.”
“Hit it.”

I am old enough that I recalled the line from having seen the movie during its original theatrical release. I asked to make sure I had identified the movie correctly as the original Blues Brothers, and received a reply with which I wholly agree:

“Yup, it sure is. The original Blues Brothers was a sublime parody of modern social disasters. With a really rocking soundtrack.”

Well said.

School District

School Board Meeting for March 17th

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Our most recent school board meeting was on March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day.

School Board meetings are no easy thing: much of the work of a board involves legally required procedures or budgetary matters. They cannot be avoided, but they are no more unique to education than a balance sheet is to a private business. In this latest meeting, we had a discussion of a field trip, addition of snow days to the calendar, and comments on the budget advisory committee.

(One quick note about the Budget Advisory Committee’s use of the term cluster for subgroups within the committee. Considering all our budgetary challenges, is it wise to call a subgroup a cluster? Any number of people have, perhaps, already appended another, shorter word to describe the workings of each cluster.)

No one thinks, though, that education is the same as widget-making. It is a public matter, involving public expenditures, to achieve the difficult end of teaching another generation. As a libertarian, I would prefer a vibrant private school running alongside the public one. I believe that it would offer an incentive for improvement, and innovative, effective approaches, all around.

We are a small city, however, and there is no reason to think that we’ll see a private alternative in Whitewater. That suggests two things to me: first, that we have no option but to commit to the betterment of our district; second, that we should emulate competitive approaches within our public district, using parental choice to spur better teaching and administration.

I suggested one option previously — establish different teaching methods in a given curriculum, and encourage parents to choose in which their children would participate. One teaching method of English literature might be based on a great books curriculum, and another might use a contemporary approach. After a few years, we would be able to see how students fared, in enjoyment and comprehension, in the two methods.

(I’ll reply to the principal from Lakeview School, who suggested that while our summer school does not have a great books class, the class summer school offers would produce a ‘similar outcome.’ I am confident that he underestimates the value and unique consequence of a great books offering. It’s only similar in outcome to current approaches to the extent that in both cases one would expect basic literacy; it differs, I think, in more important respects.)

We are mistaken to confine students, with no other educational alternative, to one teaching approach.

One more thing, I think, matters: that every school board meeting should include, at least, a beginning and ending that emphasizes some clear academic achievement. These achievements need not be confined to basic metrics; there are any number of creative achievements — in writing, art, athletics — that should be highlighted.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: March 24, 2008

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Good morning, Whitewater

It’s Easter Monday, and the first full week of spring. School’s out, so kids should be running (and enjoying themselves) all over the place.

There are two public meetings scheduled in Whitewater today: the Community Development Authority meets at 4:30 p.m., and the Planning and Architectural Review Commission meets at 7 p.m. Both meetings take place in the municipal building, with the planning commission televised on public access cable Station 13.

The Planning Commission agenda includes discussion of a conditional use permit for a Walgreen’s store, and an implementation plan for a planned Kwik Trip convenience store. Here’s an inspirational picture of Nobel laureate and free market economist F.A. Hayek to guide the planning members.

Not so inspirational perhaps, as a photo of the other Hayek,

but well intended nonetheless.

The Farmers’ Almanac says that it is supposed to start stormy this week, and then turn fair; the National Weather Service forecast is approximately the opposite.

We’ll see who’s right by week’s end.

Holiday

Happy Easter

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When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Mark, 16:1-8

Libertarians, Press

WISN’s Mark Belling on Free Whitewater

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Yesterday, on his afternoon show at WISN radio, 1130 AM in Milwaukee, Mark Belling spoke about Free Whitewater, and municipal actions against this website.

I did not have a chance to catch the program live, but heard about it later, and listed to the segment via the WISN website.

Although Belling’s no fan of anonymous blogging, he’s strong critical of how city officials in our small town have reacted to the website, sharply observes that we are a community without a vigorous, inquisitive free press to keep watch on city government, and notes that FREE WHITEWATER’s content is lawful commentary otherwise lacking in print in our city.

Thanks much to Belling for covering the official actions against this small website.

Second, on anonymous speech, I’ll cite from 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.)

That’s not a particular protection for this website — it’s a protection for all fourteen-thousand of us in Whitewater, and millions more beyond.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: March 21, 2008

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Good morning, Whitewater

It’s Good Friday in Whitewater, and the first full day spring.

We will have snow today, followed by better weather this weekend. How much snow we do not know, although prediction range from six to nine inches. The Farmers’ Almanac says that today offers a Paschal full moon, but one cannot see through heavy snowfall, so whatever advantages a full moon brings, they will not include seeing it.

City offices are closed for the holiday, as are our schools, and some workplaces.

Libertarians, Press

Small-town Blogger on the Pulse, WTDY in Madison, 1670 AM

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This morning, at 11 a.m., I had the chance to speak on the air with Sly, of the Pulse, WTDY, 1670 AM, in Madison. Sly is host of one of the leading radio programs in Wisconsin. Naturally, my voice was disguised for the program, because I am committed to preserving the constitutional right to free, lawful, anonymous speech.

I had never been on a radio program before, and I surely did not imagine that I would one day find myself on a program with my voice disguised. Anonymity is a right worth exercising and defending. My family was encouraging beforehand, as they assured me that I have a face for radio.

We had a solid, substantive discussion of free speech, political commentary, and municipal reactions to speech in light of a pressures against dissenting political opinion. Radio programs like the Madison Midday Maverick program with Sly, vigorous newspapers, and blogs are all a vital part of contemporary discourse.

Many thanks to Sly, and WTDY colleagues Dustin and Morgan, for providing the opportunity to discuss free expression on the Madison Midday Maverick program.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: March 20, 2008

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Good morning, Whitewater

It’s spring in Wisconsin, and although the forecast for today is 44 degrees and sunny, it lists a high probability of snow for tonight, and tomorrow. The Farmers’ Almanac notes that we reached the Vernal Equinox at 1:48 AM this morning. We are now in that season midway between mounds of snow and squadrons of mosquitoes.

It’s Market Day pickup today at 5 PM at Lincoln School.

I know of no public meetings in Whitewater city government today; it’s a private sector day, so to speak. Enjoy.

I will have three posts upcoming later tonight: (1) on our School Board meeting from Monday, (2) our Common Council meeting from Tuesday, and (3) Register Watch™, a new feature reviewing the week’s edition of the Whitewater Register.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: March 19, 2008

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Good morning, Whitewater

Today, the National Weather Service predicts the day will begin “cloudy, then gradually becom[e] mostly sunny,” with a high of 45 degrees. That’s an uptick from yesterday’s forecast, and is now closer to the Farmer’s Almanac prediction.

There will be a 6:30 PM meeting of the PTA at Lakeview School.

There are two public meetings of the City of Whitewater scheduled for today. First, a 4:30 PM meeting of the Planning and Architectural Review Board. The agenda is available on the city website, and the meeting is part of the effort to develop a proposal for first-floor residential residential space in our downtown. (Longtime readers know my take on all this — plan to compete, and offer the maximum choices for use of space with the fewest restrictions.)

There’s also a meeting of the Tree Commission at 6 PM. The agenda’s on the city website. My suggestion, and an inside reference for a longtime reader: How about some cherry trees?