This is the fifth post in my series on the Whitewater Police and Fire Commission. The first post was an introduction to the series, and the second post cited the authority of our PFC under Wisconsin law. The third post suggested reasonable standards for Whitewater’s PFC. The fourth post discussed meeting minutes. Let’s consider PFC…
121 search results for "coan "
City, Police
Police and Fire Commission: Introduction
by JOHN ADAMS •
Readers know that I am a critic of the Whitewater Police Department, and its chief, Jim Coan. In this series, I will consider our Police Commission, and its role — by law and practice — in overseeing the Whitewater Police Department. My views on the city are those of a libertarian, and libertarian thinking informs…
City, Elkhorn, Police
Cat Has Your Tongue?
by JOHN ADAMS •
Last week, I criticized a policy of confidentiality in municipal litigation. I offered seven reasons that a city should not seek or receive confidentiality as a condition of settlement. Confidentiality in municipal litigation is a bad idea, principally, because it deprives citizens of information about the conduct of public officials, on the public payroll, in…
Inbox Reader Mail
Inbox: Reader Mail (On the Budget)
by JOHN ADAMS •
Uncategorized
Coming Attractions for the Week of November 26th
by JOHN ADAMS •
I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend. Last week’s posts included discussion of Jim Coan’s Big Night, suggestions for Kim Hixson, the view of a consultant and schemer, and the disappointing direction of the 2008 city budget. This week’s coming attractions include — • Planning/Architectural Review Board Meeting for November 26th • Beautiful…
City
2008 City Budget’s Disappointing Metrics
by JOHN ADAMS •
The latest City Manager’s Weekly Report shows that, on principal fiscal metrics of the 2008 city budget, Whitewater is heading in the wrong direction: Total city spending under the approved budget will increase 3.28% to $9,23,640 from 2007 and the city property levy will increase 4.27% to $2,718,958 up from this year’s $2,607,619. The city…
City
Common Council Meeting for November 20, 2007, Part 2
by JOHN ADAMS •
This is Part 2 of my review of the latest Common Council meeting, on November 20th. Part 1 was posted previously. On Tax Rates. City Manager Brunner mentioned that tax rates in Whitewater have been declining year over year. That sounds impressive, but it’s not meaningful by itself. A reduction of tax rates in the…
City
Common Council Meeting for November 20, 2007, Part 1
by JOHN ADAMS •
Our latest Common Council meeting was a packed night, with approval of the city’s proposed budget for 2008. Here are the highlights, Part 1. Jim Coan’s Big Night. Background — the Common Council, at its last meeting on November 6th, increased the amount of the tax levy to the maximum that Wisconsin would allow for…
Elkhorn, Police, Press
Signs of a Broken Police Culture, Part 2
by JOHN ADAMS •
What a surprise – truly – to see the Register report in its 11/8/07 issue that the Walworth County District attorney’s office will not prosecute a felony count against a Whitewater man who was involved in a standoff with the police recently. Outside the man’s residence during the standoff, armed city and county officers reportedly…
Inbox Reader Mail, Police
Inbox: Reader Mail – Signs of a Broken Police Culture
by JOHN ADAMS •
I received an email this week from a reader whose property was stolen during a recent rash of car burglaries. The writer expressed disappointment that the Whitewater Police seemed to have cast blame on him, and others, for not locking their car doors. Here’s part of what the property owner wrote in his email to…
City, Elkhorn, Police
Questions on the Settlement in the Larry Meyer Case
by JOHN ADAMS •
Larry Meyer, now retired, was a controversial member of the Whitewater Police Department, and is the defendant in a federal civil suit. Meyer’s counsel filed a motion for summary judgment in March, but the Fourth Amendment federal constitutional claims of the Plaintiff, Steve Cvicker, survived that motion. Previously, I have published posts about the damage…
Police, Press
Catching up with the Register, October 25th Issue
by JOHN ADAMS •
From the October 25th issue, on a story about an arrest in an overnight standoff — How many police officers and sheriff’s deputies does it take to persuade an apparently suicidal man to leave his home? In Whitewater, it takes approximately 30. What is a “suicide type statement,” by the way? It’s how an inarticulate…
Holiday
Boo! Scariest Things in Whitewater, 2007
by JOHN ADAMS •
Here’s the FREE WHITEWATER list of the scariest things in Whitewater. I’ll start in reverse order, from least frightening to super-scary. 10. Fear of Outsiders. You’d think that Milwaukee and Madison were Lord-of-the-Flies nightmares. If you’re describing someone from another country, you might as well be describing an extraterrestrial. It’s not that they’re scary, it’s…
Inbox Reader Mail, Police
Inbox: Reader Mail (ID Theft)
by JOHN ADAMS •
I received two emails from a reader who asked to remain anonymous. One is about supposed identity theft, the second about sundry other matters in Whitewater. Her remarks in black, my reply in blue. As you’ll see, we do not share the same views. Anonymous Reader: Mr. Adams, you stated: “Real identity theft not…