Post 5 in a series. What happens when one looks closely, line by line, and sentence by sentence, at a municipal presentation? Last week, I gave an overview of a 12.3.13 presentation on a plan to use Whitewater’s digester to import waste from other cities into Whitewater. Today, I’ll go through that presentation closely, and…
167 search results for "Brunner "
City, Local Government
Bad Policy’s Like Low-Level Radiation Exposure
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
It’s seldom true that a single misstep ruins an official. With the exception of criminal conduct, most mistakes are ones from which a politician or bureaucrat can recover. And yet, and yet, some mistakes take their toll. They do so, however, with a cumulative effect – one after another debilitates as does cumulative radiation exposure. …
Business, CDA, City, Corporate Welfare, Innovation Center/Tech Park, Local Government, Politics, University
Local Crony Capitalism via the WEDC (and similar schemes)
by JOHN ADAMS • • 2 Comments
Whitewater’s had a decades-long problem of a few town insiders manipulating government and public resources for their own private ends. That time is drawing to a close, but there are yet some years ahead in which aging, mediocre town figures will push their self-promoting lies. As their chief motivation is personal vanity and pride, they’ll…
City, Corporate Welfare, Economy, Government Spending, Planning
Discussion about the Bus, 3.20.12 to 11.5.13
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
I promised earlier a summary of principal arguments made about a (mostly) publicly-funded transit bus that benefits (mostly) one multi-billion-dollar corporation. Here’s that post, with a summary of points about the project at Whitewater’s Common Council sessions of 3.20.12, 11.20.12, and 11.5.13. For each date, I’ve included a link to a Vimeo page with a…
Charity, Government Spending, Nature, Walworth County
The Nature Conservancy
by JOHN ADAMS • • 2 Comments
If a man wanted to leave a legacy of land to remain forever in its natural state, then he could donate it to the Nature Conservancy (http://www.nature.org/), a charity that preserves donated nature land in exactly that way. I’m indebted to a sharp reader who offered this suggestion for proposed parkland for Walworth County. I’ve…
Gluttony, Government Spending, Walworth County
Parkland at a Price of Millions: Bogus Philanthropy at Public Expense
by JOHN ADAMS • • 2 Comments
How about a plaque for the site of Walworth County’s parkland scheme, should it be completed? DEDICATED TO ONE PRIVATE SELLER WHO FULFILLED HIS DREAM WITH MILLIONS OF YOUR TAX DOLLARS Last Sunday saw another public-relations exercise in selling the residents of a rural county on purchasing private land, at a cost of millions in…
Corporate Welfare, Government Spending, Local Government
Part 2: Hey, Walworth County, How About Buying Over-Priced, Half-Unsuitable Parkland with Taxpayer Money!
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
I posted last week against a proposal for Walworth County to purchase nearly two hundred acres of overpriced, half-unsuitable parkland. Four days later, on Saturday, June 15th, the Janesville Gazette‘s editorialist wrote in support of the proposed purchase. For my original post, see Hey, Walworth County, How About Buying Over-Priced, Half-Unsuitable Parkland with Taxpayer Money!…
Government Spending, Walworth County
Hey, Walworth County, How About Buying Over-Priced, Half-Unsuitable Parkland with Taxpayer Money!
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Most people would say that among the important uses for public money are public safety (and the administration of justice) & emergency services for the truly needy. One might think of it this way: safety, justice, and poverty assistance. There are few people who would ask a small rural county – with a large state…
City, Elections, Local Government, Politics
Assessing Whitewater’s April 2, 2013 Vote
by JOHN ADAMS • • 1 Comment
Here’s a quick analysis of local political results. Precinct detail is available online for Walworth and Jefferson Counties, and statewide totals (including limited local information for Whitewater) is available online at the Journal Sentinel. Singer-Crone At-Large Contest. The only citywide council race finished 724-452 (12 write-in votes). That’s 61%-38%-1%, in a city that mostly picks…
CDA, City, Corporate Welfare, Government Spending
The City of Whitewater’s 2013 Budget: CDA & Bus
by JOHN ADAMS • • 2 Comments
Whitewater’s Common Council considered four budget items at length during her 11.13.12 session. I’ll address now the first two of those four, immediately below. The Community Development Authority Budget. Someday, one hopes, Whitewater’s Community Development Authority won’t require tens of thousands from the City of Whitewater’s general fund, as it does now, since the CDA…
City, Corporate Welfare, Green Energy Holdings, Waste Digesters
The Tech Park Board and a Waste Digester
by JOHN ADAMS • • 1 Comment
Bad leaders and ideas often go in only one direction: from bad to worse. One sees the truth of that in the agenda for today’s Tech Park Board meeting: 13. ADJOURNMENT to Closed Session, TO RECONVENE APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES AFTER ADJOURNMENT TO CLOSED SESSION, per Wisconsin Statutes 19.85(1)(e) “Deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public…
City, Press Release
City of Whitewater Selects Cameron Clapper as Next City Manager
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Please see a press release from the City of Whitewater about the selection of a new city manager, following a selection process concluding with interviews of finalists earlier today: PRESS RELEASE Saturday, September 22, 2012 After interviewing five finalists, the City of Whitewater Common Council has unanimously selected Cameron L. Clapper to serve as Whitewater’s…
CDA, City, Development, Green Energy Holdings
A Waste Digester Proposal Summary, June to August
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
As with so many other recent proposals, the proposal for a large waste digester in Whitewater was announced quickly, without public input, and trumpeted unthinkingly. In this way, the scheme was the quintessential proposal of the outgoing Brunner administration. There’s much more ahead about all this, but before that, a summary of where we are.…
City, Economy, Local Government
Differing Accounts
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
From the Janesville Gazette, June 5, 2012: Brunner credits team effort for successes at Whitewater. From the Daily Union, August 22, 2012: Whitewater council mulls dismal budget assumptions. One might try to reconcile these accounts, of course, but the effort would be pointless. The former’s just an odd history, an ill-timed goodbye gift to Whitewater’s…