Scenes from a local, overly-planned economy — Whitewater, Wisconsin’s Business Park. This empty building alone is half the size of a planned Innovation Center, and has more vacant space than the Innovation Center now has signed rental space (rental space for two related, publicly-funded, non-tech agencies).
280 search results for "innovation center"
City, Innovation Center/Tech Park
More Absurd Excuses from Brunner and Telfer: “UW-Whitewater Breaks Ground on Technology Park”
by JOHN ADAMS •
Excuses made on behalf of Whitewater’s publicly-funded Innovation Center and Tech Park are growing increasingly absurd, and are easily refuted. Each attempt of officials to justify the project only shows, yet again, what a wasteful scheme it is. Serious and thorough examination of tech parks like this shows they’re money-draining failures. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel…
City
Community Surveys and Popularity Real and Imagined
by JOHN ADAMS •
In December 2009, the City of Whitewater announced the results of a “2009 Comprehensive Plan Community Survey.” Whitewater’s City Manager, Kevin Brunner, predictably touted the results as proof of satisfaction with his municipal administration. Around that time, I saw the survey results online, but I’m sorry to say I didn’t comment on the survey or…
City, Government Spending, Taxes/Taxation
The Whitewater, Wisconsin City Manager’s Unpersuasive Lament
by JOHN ADAMS •
I read, each week, the Weekly Report from Whitewater’s City Manager, Kevin Brunner. The August 13th issue has clippings that Brunner chose to include from news stories and columns published elsewhere. Brunner included one from New York Times columnist Paul Krugman. Here’s the clipping Brunner included: Krugman States Anti-Government Movement Hurting “Basic Government Functions.” Paul…
City, Government Spending, Innovation Center/Tech Park, Planning
Buildings in Tokyo, Japan and in Whitewater, Wisconsin
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s an intriguing video on YouTube that records in time-lapse filming the construction of a tower in Tokyo. It’s the Tokyo Sky Tree. The video depicts work over an extended period. (Although the description on YouTube somewhat misstates the timespan of the recording, it’s still fascinating.) Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb8MUeZrxbc. Despite all its beauty, the video invites…
Eleven Fifty-Nine
Eleven Fifty-Nine for 7-2-10
by JOHN ADAMS •
Good evening, Whitewater’s weather tonight should be clear and comfortable. People sometimes say that summer nights in the 50s or 60s are comfortable. That’s true (and tonight is forecast for 60 degrees), but even occasional colder nights are agreeable. Hard not to find these days other than agreeable. It’s the beginning of America’s largest summer…
Economy, Government Spending
An Economy Worse Than Two Years Ago
by JOHN ADAMS •
City, Innovation Center/Tech Park
The City Manager’s Greetings from Ames, Iowa
by JOHN ADAMS •
I’ve posted cards about Whitewater from earlier times, but it’s a card from Iowa that I’ve embedded today. Imagine someone passing along a card from Ames, Iowa, site of a recent International (!) Town and Gown Association meeting on sustainable partnerships. Here’s that recent find: Click card to view larger image The postcard that I’ve…
Development, Free Markets, Planning
The Wall Street Journal on Private Campaigns Against Walmart
by JOHN ADAMS •
In prior posts, I’ve made clear the difference between competition between private merchants and local government’s endorsement of a campaign that expressly favors one kind of merchant over another. That’s not the place for government, either on principle (government should be limited) or prudently (government has a poor record of picking winners in the marketplace).…
City, Government Spending, Innovation Center/Tech Park
Avoiding State and Local Economic Problems
by JOHN ADAMS •
In a state with high unemployment, with temporary census workers masking the true weakness of the job market, and with the prospect of upcoming tax increases that will retard economic growth, there are still ways for local governments to improve their own prospects. I posted earlier this year on the suggestions of Stephen Goldsmith of…
Daily Bread
Daily Bread for Whitewater, Wisconsin: 6-7-10
by JOHN ADAMS •
Good morning, Whitewater Today’s forecast calls for a day of isolated showers, with a high of seventy-one degrees. The City of Whitewater has a busy day ahead, with three municipal meetings scheduled. From 10 a.m. to noon, there will be a meeting of the Whitewater-University Tech Park Board. The meeting’s agenda is available online, and…
Economy
U.S. Economy: May Employment Gain Trails Forecast (Update1) – Bloomberg.com
by JOHN ADAMS •
I’ve contended that our economy, nationally and locally, remains week. The recent unemployment figures confirm that view. See, U.S. Economy: May Employment Gain Trails Forecast (Update1) – Bloomberg.com. The details of the latest report reveal a grim picture: American companies hired fewer workers in May than forecast and workers dropped out of the labor force,…
Daily Bread
Daily Bread for Whitewater, Wisconsin: 5-24-10
by JOHN ADAMS •
Good morning, Whitewater’s forecast calls for a mostly sunny day with a high of eighty-nine degrees. There’s a meeting of Whitewater’s Community Development Authority today, beginning at 4:30 p.m. The agenda is available online. Over at Wisconsin Builder, there’s an article entitled, “Top Projects of 2009.” Our campus’s Hyland Hall is one of those top…
City, Law, Laws/Regulations, Planning
Whitewater’s Planning Commission Meeting from 5/10/10: Residential Overlay
by JOHN ADAMS •
At Item 10 of the May 10th Planning Commission meeting, the Planning Commission considered a residential overlay ordinance, that would place greater restrictions than there would be, for example, in a conventional R-1 zoning district. (Two or fewer unrelated persons living in the single residence, rather than three or fewer persons.) The item stated that…