The REAL Alternate to Freakfest!!!

Where the cool people will be!!!

Hey SCUBA Squad!

Night of the Dead is almost here, so if you didn't get your tickets yet, go to the link below to get the pre-show ticket discount! We can't wait to play the Majestic. We've seen a lot of great bands play there recently (Blind Melon, Mike Gordon, and Derek Trucks quickly come to mind) so it's an understatement to say we're looking forward to rocking that place! We can't wait to see all the creative costumes and hang out with all of you at the 2nd annual Night of the Dead!

Click HERE to buy Tickets!

Check out the Lee Rayburn Show on theMic 92.1 FM Friday morning from 6:00am to 8:00am when Chad, Jason, and John do an acoustic set in the studio and chat with Lee about the Night of Dead and other topics. If you missed the show because you're reading this at 8:01, subscribe to Lee's Podacast. Or even if you didn't miss it, subscribe to the podcast anyway. It's a great show and we can't thank Lee enough for having us on again.

From TheDailyPage.com:
http://www.thedailypage.com/theguide/details.php?event=208906

Baghdad Scuba Review, Bu.R.P., The Grasshoppers
Music: Clubs
Grateful Dead tribute

When: 11/01/08 @ 8:00pm
Cost: $10 adv., $12 d.o.s.
Call: 217-9278
Web: www.baghdadscubareview.com

More Information:
Local jam bands Baghdad Scuba Review, The Grasshoppers, and Bu.R.P! have been confirmed to appear at The Majestic Theatre on Saturday, November 1st at the 2nd Annual Night of the Dead. The event falls on the Mexican holiday The Day of the Dead. Tickets are $10 prior to the show, $12 Day of show and are available through all Majestic Theater ticket outlets and at the Majestic Theater's website, www.majestictheater.com. The Show starts at 8pm with doors opening at seven. Falling on the week of Halloween, the event will have a political message and be an encore for costumes with a Grateful Dead musical theme.

All three of the bands have recently played to packed crowds at Madison's finest rock club, the High Noon Saloon. Last year, Baghdad Scuba Review and Run Side Down (now Bu.R.P!), played to a packed house at the first Night of The Dead, held at the Barrymore Theatre. This year we are excited to add the psychedelic jammers, The Grasshoppers to the show.

Baghdad Scuba Review is one of Madison's favorite bands. A group of highly politically driven musicians, the band's left wing message speaks for change in a city that is very receptive to it. They are known far and wide for their excellent Grateful Dead covers and vocally driven originals that all the hippies can get down to. They are a sextet (Hand Percussion, Guitar, Lead Guitar, Bass, Keys, and Drum Set), and this band throws down with their tight grooves and clean tones.

The Grasshoppers are no stranger to the Madison Music Scene. They have recently been melting faces at clubs all over Madison including t! he High Noon Saloon, Alchemy, and Harvest Fest but their music is not limited to the Madison area as they play at clubs throughout the Midwest with their brand of psychedelic prophecy.

Bu.R.P! is a fusion/funk trio formed after the end of Madison's Run Side Down, who co-headlined the show last year at the Barrymore Theater. Heavy funk and dance beats accompanied by screaming melodies has made this band a regular in the Madison Jam scene. This year's Night of the Dead, however, will be a bittersweet finale for the trio, as drummer Jon Reed will be moving on to pursue new endeavors.

"The Night of the Dead" a Benny Blaze Production
Baghdad Scuba Review, Bu.R.P., and The Grasshoppers
Saturday, November 1st - 8pm - $10 presale, $12 D.O.S
The Majestic Theatre - Madison
An Encore for your Halloween Costume!

For additional information please visit the Bands' websites and majesticmadison.com. For more information on Benny Blaze Productions, please find us on the worldwide web at the following locations:

www.baghdadscubareview.com, www.myspace.com/grasshoppersmusic, www.myspace.com/burpmusic, www.majesticmadison.com


See you there!

Read more!

Broken Promises.

Apparently, everyone has voted already, but not me. I'm waiting til election day. I'm voting for the Green Party for Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente . . . but I really appreciate what Matt Conzalez (full disclosure, I consider him a friend and from time to time an advisor), Nader's VP choice has to say. Please read and ask yourself, what is your breaking point with the Democrats?

What Do They Have to Do to Lose Your Vote?

The Trail of Broken Promises

By MATT GONZALEZ

Watching the Democrats in the final weeks of the presidential election has been a lesson in revisionist history. While they lament the terrible crimes perpetrated against the American people by George Bush and vow to keep fighting for our rights, they conveniently gloss over the fact that they have no standing to make such claims. Indeed, the Democrats, including Senator Barack Obama, have actually voted with President Bush’s agenda, making them complicit in his acts, not valiant opponents defending our liberties.

PELOSI’S PROMISE TO END THE WAR

Democratic Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi said that if she became the speaker of the House of Representatives she would end the war in Iraq. Remember that? The Boston Globe noted, “Pelosi vows no ‘blank check’ on Iraq funds.” (1/8/07). In her own words: “If the president wants to add to this mission, he is going to have to justify it. And this is new to him, because up until now the Republican Congress has given him a blank check with no oversight, no standards, no conditions.” Rick Klein of the Globe noted “Pelosi’s comments mark the first suggestion by a Democratic congressional leader that Congress could use its authority over the nation’s finances to hasten an end to the war. Her remarks point toward an aggressive stance on Iraq from Congressional Democrats in their opening days of control of the House and Senate.”

Yet after she became the speaker of the House in Jan 2007, war appropriations actually went up by $50 billion, with no strings attached and no date for the withdrawal of troops. This year, 2008, they’ve gone up by another $25 billion for a two-year total of $350 billion, with no end in sight. So what happened to the promise of “no blank check?”

REID’S FILIBUSTER RULE

Sen. Harry Reid, the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, has complained that the Republicans have filibustered (a procedure used by the minority party to delay voting on legislation) more times in the last two years than in the entire history of the United States to explain why he can’t move forward a progressive agenda. First he said it was over 70 times, then adjusted it by saying it was 65 times (Las Vegas Sun 3/6/08); yet still the highest for any two-year period (the previous record was 57 filibusters) (Politico, 3/6/08; Gov.Track.us 4/15/08). But Sen. Reid’s frustration has proven to be a red-herring. Did you know that Reid lets the Republicans filibuster telephonically, meaning that he doesn’t require that they physically present themselves on the floor of the Senate? Why is he making it easy on them? Is this what an opposition party looks like?

REPUBLICAN CLASS ACTION REFORM

Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic Party nominee for president, has a long history of voting against the interest of the American people, and specifically, the working class. Before entering the presidential contest, he supported the Republican Class Action Reform Bill, which made it harder for class-action lawsuits to be brought in the state courts. State courts are exactly where consumer protection lawsuits and recent wage and hour claims have succeeded in improving the lives of workers and helped them obtain better wages and breaks during work hours have succeeded.

Progressive commentators at the time called it a thinly veiled special-interest extravaganza. Journalist David Sirota noted “Opposed by most major civil rights and consumer watchdog groups, this Big Business-backed legislation was sold to the public as a way to stop ‘frivolous’ lawsuits. But everyone in Washington knew the bill’s real objective was to protect corporate abusers.” (The Nation, 6/26/06). So why did Obama vote for it?

PATRIOT ACT & FISA AMENDMENT

Sen. Obama supported one of the worst attacks on civil liberties in recent history, the reauthorization of the Patriot Act, which extended an earlier law granting law enforcement expanded powers to search telephone, e-mail, and financial and medical records, in addition to granting the federal government a host of other powers to combat so-called domestic terrorism. After saying he would oppose it if elected to the U.S. Senate (NOW questionnaire, 9/10/03), in July 2005, Obama voted for it.

But this wasn’t enough. After entering the presidential race and running on a “change” message, Obama vowed in February of 2008 to vote against--and filibuster if necessary--the FISA bill amendment (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) that gave immunities to telecommunications corporations that cooperated with the Bush administration’s warrantless surveillance program. This eavesdropping program clearly violated the privacy of law-abiding Americans at the behest of the president, and made the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover seem tame by comparison. Those voting in favor of the bill didn’t even first require full disclosure to see how deep the illegal conduct extended and agreed to apply the law retroactively.

Despite his promises to the contrary, and despite the vehement protests of many of his supporters, when the FISA bill came to the Senate for a vote this past July, Sen. Obama voted for it without explaining how this vote fit in with his change message or reconciled with his repeated claims he was going to protect the American people from repeated assaults on civil liberties by President Bush. Here was his chance to lead and make good on his promise, and what did he do?

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called the FISA bill “an unconstitutional domestic spying bill that violates the Fourth Amendment and eliminates any meaningful role for judicial oversight of government surveillance“ (ACLU press release, 7/9/08). Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office called the bill “a Constitutional nightmare” and noted “with one vote, Congress has strengthened the executive branch, weakened the judiciary and rendered itself irrelevant.”

Obama even voted to stop debate on the bill so he could get back to the campaign trail. How ironic is it that he was in a hurry to give more speeches about change and hope but couldn’t find the time or integrity to convert these ideas into action?

On the eve of the vote MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow noted “I’m betting that [Pres. Bush’s] wildest dreams did not include the prospect that Congress -- a Democratic-led Congress -- would help him cover up his crimes. Yet that is exactly what the US Senate is poised to do.” (Countdown with Keith Olbermann, 7/8/08).

OFF-SHORE DRILLING

As Sen. John McCain started to call for domestic drilling to ease our dependence on foreign oil, rather than debate the scientific and economic illogic of the position, Sen. Obama announced that he agreed with McCain. Reversing a 25-year ban on off-shore oil drilling, Sen. Obama led his party’s reversal, offering no explanation for how this would ease oil prices, particularly as experts noted that drilling would likely have an almost imperceptible impact on oil prices in the near future.

As Lester Brown and Jonathan Dorn of the Earth Policy Institute noted in “Drilling For Oil Is Not The Answer” (9/30/08) “The U.S. Department of Energy projects that lifting the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) moratorium [of the lower 48 states] would not increase production before 2017 and that by 2030 production would only amount to 0.2 million barrels per day—less than 1 percent of current consumption.”

Furthermore “The U.S. Department of Energy projects that opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) would lower gasoline prices at the pump by a mere 2 cents per gallon.” Even if we combined the two regions in question, it wouldn't amount to much of an impact on oil prices: “Lifting the moratoria on drilling in ANWR and the OCS would reduce the price of a gallon of gasoline by at most 6 cents—and this would not be seen for at least another decade.”

Proponents of drilling have also exaggerated the
environmental safety of current off-shore drilling and oil production technology in general. There is widespread evidence that current drilling in the Gulf of Mexico is already leading to serious pollution and spills. After reviewing data from the National Response Center, the Houston Chronicle found there had been 595 oil spills across four state coastlines, totaling roughly 9 million gallons spilled in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (“Spills from hurricanes staining the coast” by Dina Cappiello, 11/13/05). So why is Sen. Obama, who claims to care about the environment, now advocating off-shore drilling?

DEATH PENALTY

In June of 2008, the conservative Supreme Court struck down the use of the death penalty in cases of child rape (Kennedy v. Louisiana held that states may not impose the death penalty for the commission of a crime that did not result in the death of the victim), a decision that surprised even death penalty opponents who hailed it as an important step toward full abolition of the death penalty. Sen. Obama’s response? He quickly called a press conference to denounce the decision. Obama stated that he agreed with the extreme conservative minority, comprised of Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Alito, Scalia and Thomas. Despite the many known racial and class inequities inherent in the death penalty, a practice abolished and abhorred in most of the rest of the world, Obama celebrates that he has always been a supporter of it.

On the campaign trail, Sen. Obama likes to highlight death penalty legislation that he sponsored while a member of the Illinois legislature, to show his commitment to reform. But let’s be clear, he didn’t work on laws to address the disproportionate rate of death penalty convictions of African-Americans, but rather a law to require videotaped interrogations of death penalty suspects. Yes, something we can applaud, but something many critics have noted merely greases the wheels of this injustice.

Most disquieting of all, as a state legislator, Obama voted “to expand the list of death-eligible crimes” (Chicago Tribune, 5/2/07), despite admitting in his own allegedly soul-searching memoir that the death penalty “does little to deter crime.” (The Audacity of Hope, 2006).

AFGHANISTAN

On foreign policy, Sen. Obama’s approach is hawkish. He wants to deploy more soldiers to Afghanistan, which will only further destabilize the Afghan-Pakistani border. He simply ignores the historic reality that no invading army has ever managed to successfully win a war in this area or subjugate the Afghani people.

During its ill-fated 10-year war, between 1979 and 1989, the Soviet Union deployed 620,000 soldiers to Afghanistan and sustained 470,000 casualties (sick and wounded, including infectious diseases such as hepatitis and typhoid fever).

Why does Obama want to ignore these facts and risk further destabilizing the area and creating another Vietnam/Iraq occupation there?

IRAQ

With respect to Iraq, Sen. Obama has conceded the main argument of Sen. McCain’s campaign and said the so-called “surge” worked (despite significant evidence and analysis to the contrary). And he has vowed to keep soldiers in Iraq to fight counterterrorism. John Podesta, former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton who now leads the Center for American Progress, estimated this would take a 60,000 troop presence to achieve.

Moreover Obama “will not ‘rule out’ using private security companies like Blackwater Worldwide in Iraq” according to Democracy Now! Correspondent Jeremy Scahill. And Obama did not plan on signing on to legislation that seeks to ban the use of such forces by the U.S. government by January 2009, according to one of his senior foreign policy advisors. (Democracy Now! 2/28/08). (This is one promise Obama unfortunately has kept, refusing to sign onto the Stop Outsourcing Security Act, introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont).

In an interview with Amy Goodman, Sen. Obama stated his intention of leaving 140,000 private contractors in Iraq because “we don’t have the troops to replace them.” He also stated the need to keep an additional “strike force in the region … in order to not only protect them, but also potentially to protect their territorial integrity.” Summarizing the interview, Amy Goodman concluded that it sounded as if Obama “would leave more than 100,000 troops, close to 200,000 in Iraq. ‘Troops’ meaning U.S. soldiers and military contractors which some call mercenaries.” (4/1/08).

Even concerning a possible timetable to withdraw troops from Iraq, Obama has diminished his promises. He now is committing only to “reducing the number of combat troops within 16 months,” presumably to “bolster efforts in Afghanistan so that we can capture and kill bin Laden and crush al Qaeda.” (Obama/McCain debate, 9/26/08).

What we know for certain, though, is when given a chance to commit to a complete withdrawal of troops from Iraq, Obama said “no.” When Tim Russert asked him, during a debate in New Hampshire in September 2007, if he could promise having American troops out of Iraq by 2013, he would not do so.

MILITARY SPENDING

According to military policy analysts at the Arms Control Center, in their report “U.S. Defense Spending, since 2001” military spending has risen from $333 billion in 2001 to $696 in 2008 (including $189 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan). It’s expected to rise even more in 2009, to $706 billion.

Despite this, Sen. Obama has joined Sen. McCain and called for increased military spending. “I’ve said that we have to increase the size of our military,” Obama told ABC’s This Week (9/7/08). The details of which he has previously noted in a speech to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs: “I strongly support the expansion of our ground forces by adding 65,000 soldiers to the Army and 27,000 Marines.” (“Obama surrenders on military spending” by Glen Ford, The Progressive, 1/15/08).

WALL STREET CRISIS

The current financial crisis has generated perhaps the most fascinating political rhetoric of all. Obama has blamed the Republicans for deregulation and in doing so, his poll numbers have given him a healthy lead as we approach the final days of the campaign. The only problem is that the economic crisis is not just the fault of the Republicans. It is the direct result of bipartisan bills enacted into law by a Democratic president, Bill Clinton.

In 1999 Clinton signed into law the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. This repealed the last vestiges of an important Depression-era law, the Glass-Steagall Act (1933), which prohibited banking, brokerage, and insurance companies from merging together, thus compartmentalized the financial industry and protected it from future collapses.

Equally significant in 2000, President Clinton signed the Commodity Futures Modernization Act, which repealed 20-year-old agreements between the Security and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, so that financial institutions could sell credit derivatives such as the now notorious “credit default swaps” without any oversight and with no regulation. Two of its cosponsors included Democratic Senators Tom Harkin of Iowa and Tim Johnson of South Dakota. The measure had such bipartisan support that it was never even debated in the Senate and was passed by unanimous consent.

This resulted in the repackaging of mortgages into securities and the failure to regulate institutions that then over-leveraged themselves as they sold credit derivatives to investors who wanted protection from risky investments. This is what led to this financial crisis whose ramifications we have only begun to understand.

Both Obama and McCain voted for the $700 billion taxpayer-funded bailout despite the plea of 200 economists (including Nobel Prize winners) urging them not to do so (Open Letter to Congress regarding Treasury bailout plan, 9/24/08). Obama keeps emphasizing that the mess was the fault of Republicans alone. But how is this argument credible when the law responsible for the financial meltdown enjoyed unanimous support from both parties?

NAFTA

It was quite emblematic of Sen. Obama that he has changed his position on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to suit whatever situation he is in. First, while running for the Senate in 2004, he said he supported NAFTA and thought there should be more trade agreements like it. (AP story 2/26/08). Then, while running against Hillary Clinton he blamed her for NAFTA’s impact on workers in the “rustbelt” states of Wisconsin and Ohio. But once he won the primary things changed. When asked if he would truly invoke the six-month clause in NAFTA for unilateral withdrawal, Obama showed his signature political reversal.

NAFTA created a trilateral trade bloc encompassing the United States, Canada, and Mexico, which was meant to foster greater trade between its members. It primarily lifted tariffs on goods shipped between the three countries but has caused economic turmoil both among American and Mexican labor, with unexpected loss of jobs and negative environmental impacts.

Nina Easton, a Washington editor for Fortune, noted in a June 18, 2008 article that “the presumptive Democratic nominee backed off his harshest attacks on the free trade agreement and indicated he didn’t want to unilaterally reopen negotiations on NAFTA,” something he had promised to do when locked in a close primary race with Sen. Hillary Clinton. Asked directly about whether he would move the U.S. out of the trade agreement, Obama said “Sometimes during campaigns the rhetoric gets overheated and amplified.” Fortune magazine concluded that, despite once calling NAFTA “devastating” and “a big mistake,” Obama “was toning down his populist rhetoric” and had no intention of following through with his anti-NAFTA promises now that the primary battle was won.

In light of this evidence, can we believe any of the other commitments he‘s made?

THE FEDERAL JUDICIARY

Those who think Sen. Obama will appoint good Supreme Court justices should just take note of his long history of supporting some of the worst Bush appointees to the federal bench, including Thomas Griffith (D.C. Cir.), Susan Blake Neilson (6th Cir.), Milan Smith (9th Cir.), Sandra Segal Ikuta (9th Cir.), and Kent Jordan (3rd Cir.). The Neilson vote was particularly troubling as both senators from her own state “blue slipped” her for being “too extreme.”

And even when he does manage to muster the courage to vote against conservative appointees, he does it in a lukewarm and perfunctory manner, refusing to join Democratic Party filibuster efforts. This is deeply troubling. He voted cloture (to end any voting delay) on Priscilla Owen (5th Cir.) and Brett Kavanaugh (D.C. Cir.) both extremely conservative jurists, thus ensuring they would be confirmed.

SEN. JOE BIDEN AS VICE-PRESIDENT

Obama’s selection of Sen. Joe Biden as a running mate is particularly troubling and does not bode well for the decisions Obama is likely to make if elected president. Obama has presented Biden as someone who never forgot his roots, is a working class, regular guy.

The only problem with this characterization is Sen. Biden’s voting record. He was one of the main supporters of the Republican Bankruptcy Reform Bill that Pres. Clinton vetoed twice, only to have it signed into law by Pres. Bush in 2005, with Sen. Biden’s ardent support.

Criticizing the Bankruptcy Reform Bill, Arianna Huffington noted that the bill “makes it harder for average people to file for bankruptcy protection [average annual income of Americans who file for bankruptcy is less than $30K]; it makes it easier for landlords to evict a bankrupt tenant; it endangers child-support payments by giving a wider array of creditors a shot at post-bankruptcy income; it allows millionaires to shield an unlimited amount of equity in homes and asset protection trusts; it makes it more difficult for small businesses to reorganize while opening new loopholes for the Enrons of the world; it allows creditors to provide misleading information; and it does nothing to rein in lending abuses.” (Salon.com, 3/05)

Jackson Williams noted, in “Joe Biden: No True Friend of Working Men and Women” (Huffington Post, 10/27/08), that Biden “didn’t just vote for it, he helped carry the water on it. Some Democrats tried to soften the bill with a series of amendments; for example, exempting military personnel at war in Iraq. Biden joined the majority of his colleagues--the Republicans and too many Democrats--in knocking down every possible change that was offered.”

Sen. Biden has built a reputation as someone who works tirelessly for credit card companies, with some critics even referring to him as the senator from Mastercard--rather than the senator from Delaware.

In addition, Biden voted for the War in Iraq and the Patriot Act, so it’s hard to understand how Sen. Biden is going to help bring about change in the new administration.

OTHER FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES

Obama called Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez an enemy of the United States and urged sanctions against him. (Interview with Jorge Ramos, El Mercurio, 6/11/08)

He heaped praise on the first George Bush saying, “You know, one of the things that I think George H.W. Bush doesn’t get enough credit for was his foreign policy team and the way that he helped negotiate the end of the Cold War and prosecuted the Gulf War. That cost us $20 billion dollars. That‘s all it cost. It was extremely successful. I think there were a lot of very wise people.” (Larry King Live 3/23/08).

And in a much-anticipated speech to America’s pro-Israeli government lobby, AIPAC (The American Israel Public Affairs Committee), Obama towed the typical pro-Israel line. He urged that Jerusalem would belong to Israel, despite peace efforts currently underway which would allow the holy city to be shared among both Israelis and Palestinians. He unequivocally stated “Israel’s security is sacrosanct.” And “Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided.” (AIPAC speech, 6/08).

MAKING A DEMAND

Before you vote for someone with such a checkered voting record, it might be worthwhile to make some demands on him, don’t you think? Or at the very least we should ask him to explain why he’s capitulated so many times.

I’m sure Sen. Obama would find such questions uncomfortable. In fact, even progressives find such inquiry bothersome: they are aware of Obama’s lamentable history of capitulation on votes that take away our civil rights, but nevertheless cling to their wish that Obama will be something other than what he has already proven himself to be.

But it’s not likely that he will be a transformative leader. He’s already announced economic advisors whose ideas are at the heart of the economic meltdown, like Austan Goolsbee, an aggressive free trader and subprime loan advocate, and former Clinton advisors, David Cutler and Jeffrey Liebman, supporters of market-oriented solutions to social welfare issues such as the partial privatization of Social Security. (“Subprime Obama” by Max Fraser, The Nation, 1/24/08).

He has foreign policy advisors who helped take us into war, like Colin Powell, who in 2003 addressed the United Nations on behalf of the Bush Administration, outlining the reasons the U.S. had to invade Iraq (he also disturbingly, as a young Army Major, worked to suppress key evidence about the My Lai Massacre in Vietnam).

But that’s not all. Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman spoke with journalists Allan Nairn and Kelley Beaucar Vlahos who discussed Obama’s foreign policy advisors (2/10/08). They noted that Obama proudly brought on to his team old cold warrior and former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, who has boasted of having created the whole Afghan Jihadi movement; Anthony Lake, who was behind the U.S. invasion of Haiti during the Clinton years; General Merrill McPeak, who delivered U.S. fighter planes to Indonesia shortly after the Dili massacre in East Timor in 1991; and Dennis Ross who has pushed to subordinate the rights of Palestinians to the needs of the Israeli government.

What do you think the likelihood is that Obama will listen to us, once we’ve voted for him, without making any demands on him?

As Robert Scheer, a noted columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, noted on July 23, 2008, shortly after Obama voted for the FISA bill, “Barack Obama is betraying his promise of change and is in danger of becoming just another political hack.” And Scheer made these remarks before Obama decided to support off-shore drilling, denounce a Supreme Court death penalty decision, and before he voted for the Wall Street bailout.

CONCERNING RALPH NADER

But we don’t have to vote for either Senators Obama or McCain, do we? Ralph Nader has a more impressive legislative record as an outsider than do Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain combined. And he has a proven record of fighting the culture of Washington. Just think of the Freedom of Information Act, Clean Air, Clean Water, automotive safety, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Yet despite these accomplishments, Obama and McCain do not believe they should even have to debate him.

What they don’t tell you is that the so-called independent Commission on Presidential Debates is actually a private corporation run by former leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties. The Commission, which was formed in 1987, is currently led by Frank Fahrenkopf, a former head of the Republican National Committee, and Paul Kirk, the former head of the Democratic National Committee. No wonder they won’t debate Nader or anyone else.

Of course they justify this by saying Nader isn’t polling well enough to include him in the debates. Yet, interestingly, both McCain and Obama were losing their respective primary races until they were let into televised debates. And there are well-known examples of how letting a candidate debate “mainstream” candidates can lead to a different outcome. Jesse Ventura won the governor’s race in Minnesota in 1998 when he was allowed to debate the Republican and Democratic Party candidates, going from 9 or 10 percent in the polls to ultimately winning the contest.

Ralph Nader polled at five percent and above at least four different times this year in national polls, and he even reached 10 percent in one poll in the state of Michigan (conducted by Lansing-based EPIC-MRA, 4/15/08). This should have been sufficient to gain access to the presidential debates. Ross Perot got in the debates in 1992 even though he was polling below 10 percent. Perot went on to win 19 percent of the vote, and his warnings about NAFTA and deficit spending influenced Clinton policy and proved prescient. Afterwards, the two parties retaliated by creating a 15% threshold which ironically no candidate is likely to reach without being included in televised debates.

The worse part of the so-called presidential debates as they are currently produced is that two-party control ensures that the questions are not sufficiently hard-hitting. Isn’t it appalling that we saw three debates between Obama and McCain at a time our country is suffering its worst economic crisis, and no one asked these men “Why should Americans have any confidence either of you is the best choice to tackle these problems given that both of your political parties helped pass laws that made this crisis possible--or even inevitable?”

They also like to say that voting for Nader is throwing your vote away. The Democrats often cite the 2000 election to blame Nader for Bush’s victory. But they noticeably never mention the 1992 election, when Bill Clinton won because Ross Perot “spoiled” the race for George Bush’s father, an incumbent president. By the way, Clinton got only 43 percent of the vote in 1992 compared to 48 percent by Bush in 2000.

And they offer no explanation for why they haven’t worked on election reform since 2000. Imagine claiming your political party lost the presidency because the “winner” was declared even though he hadn’t won a majority of the votes cast? Then imagine doing nothing to make sure it wouldn’t happen again. Isn’t it odd that the Democrats haven’t worked on election reform in the past eight years?

They never will change the system because the way things are now, they can be assured that they will be in office roughly half the time. They also count on people to accept their arguments that Nader and other third parties aren’t polling high enough to get your vote; that the real contest is between just two candidates.

If all else fails, they argue that it’s the most important election of your lifetime. I’m 43 years old and I’ve heard this argument each time the presidential race has come up.

If you accept these arguments, you are in effect rewarding the two parties for not fixing how we do elections in this country. You reward them for creating the Commission on Debates. You guarantee that things will not change. And you ensure that candidates that support single-payer health care, decent wages and pensions for workers, controls on corporations and a foreign policy based on achieving peace rather than driven by self-interest, cannot ever be heard.

Nader wants a more humane and democratic society. He’s seen that you can’t get anything done in Washington because senators like Obama and McCain ignore what’s good for Americans in pursuit of their own interests. Sure McCain talks like a maverick and Obama talks like a revolutionary, but look closely and you will see repeated
capitulations to the very entities our government needs to get away from if we are to build a more democratic society.

WOMAN’S SUFFRAGE & EUGENE DEBS

Eugene Debs ran for president several times in the early 20th century. He advocated the right of women to vote at a time when it was not popular to do so and while other more successful politicians openly argued against giving women the right to participate directly in elections.

The general attitude among men was exemplified by Elihu Root, a former cabinet secretary to presidents McKinley and Roosevelt and winner of the 1912 Nobel Peace prize who said: “Suffrage would be a loss for women. I think so because suffrage implies not merely the casting of the ballot, (…) but suffrage, if it means anything, means entering upon the field of political life, and politics is modified war. In politics there is a struggle, strife, contention, bitterness, heart-burning, excitement, agitation, everything which is adverse to the true character of woman. Woman in strife becomes hard, harsh, unlovable, repulsive…” (N.Y. Constitutional Convention, 1894).

President Theodore Roosevelt, himself, said “Personally I believe in woman’s suffrage, but I am not an enthusiastic advocate of it, because I do not regard it as a very important matter.” (Letter to Dr. Lyman Abbott, 11/10/1908). And President Grover Cleveland said, “Sensible and responsible women do not want to vote.” (1905).

Despite these sentiments Debs advocated this right. Yet he never obtained more than 6 percent of the vote. Let me ask you: Were the men who voted with Debs throwing their vote away? If you had lived in that era, would you have voted for him? Or would you have come up with an excuse for why it wasn’t important enough?

CONCLUSION

On the street when I am approached by an Obama/Biden volunteer or someone who tells me they’re voting for Obama, I usually ask “What about the FISA vote?” And each time I hear in return “What’s that?” Or if I say, “You know he supports the death penalty,” I usually hear in response, “No he doesn’t.”

At what point will there be intellectual honesty about what is
happening? People are voting for Obama because they find him to be an engaging public speaker and like his message regardless of his history of being part of the very problem he professes to want to fix. Most people don’t want the actual facts to interfere with the desperate hope that he is everything they want him to be.

Do you really want to vote for someone who has already voted to take away your civil liberties because of some vague wish that he’ll act differently as president? Obama himself, speaking of Sen. Hillary Clinton, made a remark that could just as easily apply to him, and, unwittingly makes the case for why no one should vote for him: “We can’t afford a president whose positions change with the politics of the moment. We need a president who knows that being ready on day one means getting it right from day one.” (Salem, OR, 3/21/08).

If voting for war appropriations and taking away civil liberties was bringing us closer to a more democratic and egalitarian society, well, I would advocate it. But it isn’t doing that.

What is your breaking point? At what point do you decide that you’ve had enough?

What do they have to do to lose your vote?

Matt Gonzalez is Ralph Nader’s Vice-Presidential running mate on an independent ticket.

Read more!

Is this what your bus driver thinks of you?

Check out this email sent to all alders from a Madison bus driver. This is as it was recieved.

dear councilwhy do you want to attract so many losers to madison.i have been driving city bus for 7 years.i have noticed there are more freeloaders than ever before.middle aged and young men riding the bus and hanging around while being drunk.also a lot of freeloading moms and there disrespectful kids giving you there attitudes.when will there be enough troublemakers here.we dont need people like konkel begging for more losers.you think with 2 murdered young ladies and there killers still on the loose we would have enough.the reason why i am writing to you is because we have to deal with the troublemakers you dont.thanks [name removed]

Ignore the part about me, that's not the point. Is this what he thinks of his bus riders? Losers? How does he know that they are "freeloading moms" and what does that mean? Women on W-2 have to do 30 hours of work a week by volunteering or going to classes or looking for jobs. Should a guy like this really be driving a Madison Metro bus? How do you think he treats his riders if this is what he thinks of them? Maybe that's why he gets an attitude back?
Read more!

The "Odd" Council Recap

The meeting started a good 10 minutes late with Attorney May in costume - wizards hat, cape and wand! (Did he lose some kind of bet?) . . . Mayor said if the meeting goes to long he will ask him to get out his wand and make us all disappear . . . believe me, after about 2 hours on item #2, I was wishing he actually had that power. Or that I was Alder Cnare and not present!

SOLAR/WIND ORDINANCE #2
Note: Will Sandstrom, completely off topic, made a bigoted and homophobic remarks. He followed up his hateful remarks with "God Bless You". You can check the tapes if you want more info.

So, the issue that took the first couple hours of the meeting was the solar/wind ordinance. We spent about an hour discussing if we should refer the ordinance. This is entirely Council President Bruer's fault. For some reason . . . ahem . . . he called on Alder Compton to make the motion instead of following our standard procedure of the Council President making the motion or deferring to the sponsor of the ordinance. (He later publicly apologized after many, many furious stares from many alders on his side of the room.) Reasons given for referral were because we were in the middle of budget and couldn't deal with this (Alder Pham-Remnmele) or that this was too confusing or that people wanted to talk more about the process (Monson). I rather bluntly suggested that we either adjourn so we can deal with budget or not schedule other items during budget season . . . or that if people want to discuss changes, that they make an amendment.

At one point, there was a rather painful vote to "call the question" or end debate which failed: Aye: Gruber, Judge, Kerr, Rhodes-Conway, Sanborn, Webber. No: Compton, Konkel, Monson, Palm, Pham-Remmele, Rummel, Sanborn, Skidmore, Solomon, Verveer, Bruer, Clausius, Clear. Cnare absent.

After that there was more babbling, questions, hand wringing, etc. Eventually, we got to the motion to refer which failed: Aye: Compton, Monson, Pham-Remmele, Sanborn, Skidmore, Clausius No: Gruber, Judge, Kerr, Konkel, Rhodes-Conway, Rummel, Solomon, Verveer, Webber, Bruer, Clear. Cnare was absent. Palm and Schumacher passed until they saw which way the vote was going and then both voted no.

After the motion to refer failed, the Mayor announced that Ald Rhodes-Conway moved, and Bruer seconded a motion to adopt. Funny thing was, I didn't see either of their lips move.

Next, we voted on an amendment by Jed Sanborn which removed the covenant language that the Realtors were all concerned about. Removing it really didn't do anything, except give us enforcement authority, because it is already in state law. The vote on that was Aye: Compton, Monson, Palm, Pham-Remmele, Sanborn, Schumacher, Skidmore, Solomon, Bruer, Clausius, Clear No: Gruber, Judge, Konkel, Rhodes-Conway, Rummel, Verveer, Webber. Cnare absent. Kerr passed and eventually voted no.

The next amendment was by Alder Compton. After the typical confusion that comes with her amendments and the Mayor asking her to "just state the intent of the amendment" and some questions . . . we deduced that the motion was to create a public hearing before we approve these items. However, it seems that we can't do much after holding ahearing unless there is a health or safety issue. It's a permitted use.

Schumacher made a substitute amendment, which he didn't have drafted, that the notice would be to people within 200 feet for the wind only portion. No one had trouble understanding his amendment, even tho we didn't have it in front of us. There was alot of discussion about how complicated this might be and the motion failed. Aye: Compton, Kerr, Monson, Palm, Pham-Remmele, Schumacher, Skidmore, Bruer, Clausius, Clear. No: Gruber, Judget, Konkel, Rhodes-Conway, Rummel, Sanborn,
Solomon, Verveer, Webber. Cnare absent.

Since the substitute failed, we went back to the Compton amendment. I asked the city attorney to explain it, it took about a minute and had lots of holes in it. Compton made a substitute to her own amendment. I can't tell you what it was . . . it still had a bunch of holes in it. The motion failed on a voice vote.

Finally, back to the main motion. Without another word, it passed on a voice vote with an overwhelming yes.

We took a "five minute break" which amazingly only took 10 minutes.

BUDGET (9:20)

We had three speakers.
Gary Peterson - President of Wisconsin Planning Association but speaking for himself. Here to advocate that planning department adds alot of value to the city. He said we could expand the value for just a bit of money in the planning budget. He's a planning consultant. Wanted us to send our staff to the national and state conferences and provide them with more opportunities to see what works and what doesn't and to avoid pitfalls others have made. He pointed out that at the last national conference he did a presentation on wind turbines and that if staff had been at such a conference, we could have saved alot of time. He suggests we add $60,000 to send staff to conferences.

Steve Vincent - concerned about cash bus fare. For someone like him who is on Social Security it could be a hardship for him to pay for the fare. (Mayor clarified that TPC makes the decision, but said it was "likely" that the fares will go up to $2)

Will Sandstrom - made a return appearance. He asked us to go look at his blog. finnics7 which addresses subprime mortgages . . . and it went on . . . sigh.

Earnestine Moss - registered in opposition to raising the fares but did not speak.

The budget was referred to the next council meeting.

TROY DRIVE SIDEWALKS

It boiled down to this:
In support: 7 speakers, 1 registrant. The speakers said they need sidewalks for safety, pushing kids in strollers in the street is unsafe, hard to navigate in winter, cars speed, that there are no pedestrians for a reason - its not safe, kids need it to walk to Mendota school, people are worried about accidents, its more heavily traveled than it used to be, its in the 1992 plan and it ranked high with adults in the area as a need and the kids identified it as a need.

Against: 9 speakers, 1 speaker had to leave, 3 in opposition who didn't speak. Their issues are that they've never had them and don't need them, residents in opposition for a long time, few people walk by, they can take their kids to school in a car, only one person has been killed in 20 years, they don't want to shovel the sidewalks, they don't like the bump out and that we should delay this until we see where the economy is going.

Two alders in the area (Schumacher & Rhodes-Conway) were in support, even tho they acknowledged that there was a diversity of opinion.

Passed on a unanimous voice vote.

LAKE MENDOTA DRIVE #5 (10:45)
1 speaker against.
1 speaker says we need this because of the flooding.
1 lobbyist in support.

Passed on a voice vote.

DOUBLING FINES - SNOW & PARKING (10:55)
The staff explained that the fines will go from $20 (not downtown)/$30(downtown) to $60 city wide but that is the fine only on nights where there is a snow emergency. Plus, they can now charge $50 for towing. I asked alot of questions about the random towing and when it would be done. There doesn't seem to be any hard and fast rules, just a vague notion of "safety". Alder Verveer clarified with staff that the towing will remain the last resort, even tho they did it last winter. We don't have that in writing, but it seems to be a promise of sorts. There will a whole new package of ways to get the word out. Expect to hear more about it on Thursday.

It passed on a voice vote, Kerr and Konkel vote no.

Meeting ended at 11:15.

How embarrassing that we made all of those speakers wait so long while we made fools of ourselves. One colleague of mine said it was ok, because people got to see democracy in action. I suggested that maybe it wasn't one of our finer moments.

The following people met up at the Great Dane: Verveer, Kerr, Gruber, Konkel, Schumacher, Clear, Bruer, Solomon, Rummel, Webber, Judge . . . with most people leaving after 1:00, we decided that is was just practice for late night budget nights.
Read more!

The "Shut Up People!" Board of Estimates Changes to Mayor's Operating Budget

The room was crowded, the lobbying was fierce and they were about to blow the 15 minute rule if they don't start the meeting. (FINAL) I'm not sure what is going on for sure, but the Mayor, his staff (Joel, Mario, Janet), Alds. Clear, Bruer and Schumacher are frantically talking about something . . . likely the room tax . . . and they started the meeting at 4:45.

Here's the public testimony. It took a couple hours so I made it its own post. There are quite a few good comments in there and its worth reading.

After the public testimony, they then took up amendments 3, 5, 6, 7 and 13. #7 was amended to add $700. Those all passed and there was a motion for a "5 minute break".

Amendment No. 3
Agency/Service: Miscellaneous Appropriations / Zoo and CCB Bldg. Mtn. -- New Charges
Page(s): 10
Sponsor(s): Mayor Cieslewicz

Increase funding for the "CCB Bldg. Mtn. -- New Charges" line item by $10,590 to $20,590. Decrease funding for the "Zoo" line item by $10,720 to $359,280.

(Note: The 2009 Dane County Executive Recommended Budget includes payments from the City of $359,280 for Zoo operations and $917,700 for CCB building maintenance and janitorial services. The City of Madison 2009 Executive Budget includes $370,000 for Zoo operations and $907,110 for CCB building maintenance and janitorial services. This amendment will equalize the amounts for both line items in the City and County budgets.)

Zoo (10,720)
CCB Bldg. Mtn. -- New Charges 1 0,590
Total $ (130) Levy Impact: $ (130)

Amendment No. 5
Agency/Service: Public Health / Animal Services
Page(s): 40
Sponsor(s): Alds. Verveer and Clear (Supv. Stoebig for the companion County amendment)

Add the following language to the Operating Budget:

The Dane County Department of Administration is directed to work with the Department of Public Health for Madison and Dane County to negotiate the following provision into the 2009 contract with the Dane County Humane Society:

The Dane County Humane Society shall provide detailed information on each animal admitted to the shelter.

This information shall include the following:
a. agency that brought the animal to the shelter,
b. animal species,
c. booking number,
d. admission category (impound, stray, abandoned, or rabies observation),
e. date admitted,
f. date released,
g. disposition (euthanized, released to owner, enrolled in Humane Society program(s),
h. medical charges beyond routine care,
i. number of days charged per category (rabies observation, stray, or impound), and
j. fees collected.

(Note: This amendment would provide information important to the management of the contract with the Humane Society and future planning for animal control needs. The Executive Budget increases the Humane Society funding for stray animal services by $152,851, a 40% increase from 2008. With the increased budget, the Humane Society should provide performance measures. This data will help Public Health of Madison and Dane County manage future animal control needs.)

Total $ - Levy Impact: $ -

Amendment No. 6
Agency/Service: Public Health / Animal Services
Page(s): 40
Sponsor(s): Alds. Verveer and Clear (Supv. Stoebig for the companion County amendment)

Add the following language to the Operating Budget:

The Dane County Department of Administration is directed to work with the Department of Public Health for Madison and Dane County to negotiate the following provision into the 2009 contract with the Dane County Humane Society:

The Dane County Humane Society Board of Directors will include one representative of Dane County to be appointed by the County Executive and confirmed by the County Board, and one representative of the City of Madison to be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Common Council.

(Note: The Executive Budget includes over $527,000 for the Humane Society to provide stray animal services. With public funding making up a significant portion of the Humane Society budget, the City of Madison and Dane County should have representatives on the Humane Society Board.)

Total $ - Levy Impact: $ -

Amendment #7
Agency/Service: Public Health / Health Promotion
Page(s): 40
Sponsor(s): Alds. Verveer and Clear (Supvs. Manning and Erickson for the County amendment)

Add funding of $3,450 for Public Health of Madison and Dane County to fund a pilot program to post fish consumption advisory signs, and assess awareness among anglers fishing in areas where signs are posted.

(Note: Many people fishing in Dane County are unaware of fish consumption advisories and may not know about potential health risks of contaminants found in fish. This amendment would fund a pilot project that would consist of posting 6 to 8 signs in popular fishing locations, and would have advisories written in English, Spanish, and Hmong. The University of Wisconsin Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies will assess the impact of the signs to inform future action.)

Other Services - General $ 3 ,450
Dane County Reimbursement (1,894)
Total $ 1,556 Levy Impact: $ 1,556

Amendment #13
Agency/Service: Traffic Engineering / Special Services
Page(s): 121
Sponsor(s): Ald. Clear

Amend budget highlight #3 as follows:
"$30,000 to support bicycle programs. Funding is to be derived from a restructuring of the current bicycle registration and licensing program as determined by the Platinum Bicycle Committee in consultation with the Pedestrian Bicycle Motor Vehicle Commission (PBMVC). An increase of $30,000 associated with Bicycle Registration fees has been included in the City General Fund Revenues. The Platinum Bicycle Committee and PBMVC shall, by January 1, 2009, make recommendations regarding both the licensing and registration restructuring and expenditures in support of bicycle programs and infrastructure for approval by the Common
Council."

Total $ - Levy Impact: $ -

The break lasted 15 or 20 minutes and it was filled with more frantic negotiating with the Mayor and his staff (Mario, Raechel, Joel, Janet, Andrew) plus Schumacher, Bruer, Clear and the comptrollers staff. . . and later with the Mayor and staff and Schumacher twisting Joe Clausius's arm in the hallway. After 20 minutes or so . . . it was hard to get people back together and the Mayor had to yell "PEOPLE SHUT UP!" And the meeting resumed and we went back to the amendments.

Amendment #1 - Verveer moved to table to the end of the meeting, Rhodes Conway seconded. Many other amendments use this same pot of money and he thinks we should work through the other amendments. It was tabled til after #16 by consensus.

Amendment No. 2
Agency/Service: Miscellaneous Appropriations / Direct Appropriation to Capital General Fund Revenues / Ungrouped Revenues / Miscellaneous Revenues / Capital Revolving Fund
Page(s): 9, 14, 21
Sponsor(s): Ald. Sanborn

Dissolve the Capital Revolving Fund and eliminate Façade Improvement Grants. Transfer fund balance and loan repayments from the Capital Revolving Fund to General Fund Revenues - Miscellaneous Revenues. Add a corresponding amount of expenditure authority to the Direct Appropriation to Capital / Special Revenue line in Miscellaneous Appropriations.

Direct Appropriation to Capital $ 1 ,183,443
General Fund Revenues (Increase) $ (1,183,443)
Total $ - Levy Impact: $ -

Sanborn moved, seconded by Bruer. Sanborn called this program "facade Santa Claus". He said we shouldn't act like a bank to loan to corporations. He thinks this is an area that the city can do without.

Verveer speaks in favor of the program - says it has been successful. Latest numbers is that we have awarded 30 grants at $330,000 and we believe that an additional $600,000 of private funds were invested, so it was about $1M invested. 2 applications committed and 8 - 10 applications being processed and they are throughout the city.

Sanborn - noted that the amendment should subtract $250,000 because of a loan that is approved that has not been distributed yet. Jed says its not just his libertarian philosophy, but he feels like people need other programs instead of giving to businesses.

Schumacher - asks what kinds of financial means testing we use or why we don't use one?
Percy says - since he's been working with the programs in 2002 he says these are largely small mom and pop businesses that could not make these improvements without our help. He hands out list of groups that have applied. Percy says he would go back and research the numbers for Ald. Schumacher if he wants.

Clear points out that the loans are from the interest and repayments from previous loans.

Sanborn votes Aye (as did Alder Webber who isn't on the body) everyone else votes no.

#3 was previously adopted.

#4 was placed on the table for more frantic behind the scenes negotiations.

#5, 6 & 7 were adopted earlier.

Amendment #8
Agency/Service: Streets Division / Snow and Ice Control
Page(s): 111
Sponsor(s): Alds. Verveer and Rhodes-Conway

Restore $25,000 for public education. This amount is to be dedicated to providing education on winter parking regulations.

(Note: This amount restores one-half of the Executive reduction. The amended total budget for Public Education in 2009 would be $50,000. The 2008 Adopted Budget contained $75,000.)

Advertising $ 2 5,000
Total $ 25,000 Levy Impact: $ 25,000

Verveer moves, Rhodes-Conway seconded. Verveer explains that the concern is that given last winter and all the snow, now is not the time to be cutting back on the public education efforts. Tomorrow night is the snow ordinance amendments and this is part of the package of the snow approvals. Verveer says that "supposedly the tightest budget we've seen" and this money is an easy target, but this is imperative in the coming year because if we make these changes, we need to get word out to the public, especially since we are going to do the text messaging, plus we are doubling the fines and that is alot of extra revenue and it is only fair to let the public know before we "sock them" with these additional fines. Verveer also pointed out that much of the advertising was not directed at snow and so that is why he made the amendment.

Sanborn - asks how much of the existing budget could be earmarked towards better messages. Budget went from $75,000 to $25,000 so there isn't much left. They do press releases but there are no free ads. As the budget stands now, they would have $25,000 and this adds $25,000.

Georger says $3600 is committed to week students return in January to advertise snow rules. Sports package cannot be renewed, time has passed. He also missed the "one day sale" where you get cheap ads in the first quarter. You can't get packages for $25,000 and for TV you can't get a week and a half.

Cnare - says this is a new program, and asks if we will we need it for forever. George says this $25,000 would ideally be an annual commitement of 15 - 20,000. 6,000 for radio, some targeted newspaper ads (onion, etc), student radio, ads in neighborhood newsletters and etc etc

Clear - asks about the excess inventory on Madison Metro. George says "No money, no ad".

Several want to here from Madison Metro on this issue. Chuck Kamp says that is true for outside of the buses but that he can "work out swaps and other creative arrangements" with Metro. George says that is not what he was told.

George says that if the snow ordinance passes, its $60 for everyone throughout the city so he will need to advertise outside the Isthmus.

Bruer suggests that they advertise on their own trucks. George says that it is $3,000 per truck. Bruer than asks about current advertising. George talks about advertising for compost bin sale, and says the bag zombie ad is in the waste reduction area to get them to rethink some of their wasting patterns so we can get it to pay off.

Bruer says he supports this because of the public safety issues and the towing issues. It's a small amount of money and a great value.

Pham-Remmele is wondering if we are going to tell people what we are doing or are we going to do something small print like an insurance plan. George says goal is to make sure they know the fines have changed. Plus, we will be trying to do new notification and direct people to the website. Thuy says it should also be printed on the ticket that we get.

George asked us for ideas on how the money should be spent.

It passes - unanimous.

Amendment #9
Agency/Service: Metro Transit
Page(s): 118
Sponsor(s): Alds. Rhodes-Conway and Verveer

Eliminate budget highlight #2. Amend budget highlight #3 as follows: "($100,000 changed to $150,000) for additional service expansion, as determined by the Transit and Parking Commission. Service improvements shall be determined according to the priorities outlined in the Long Range Metro Transit Planning Ad Hoc Committee's final report."

Total $ - Levy Impact: $ -

#9 Rhodes Conway moved adoption, Verveer seconded.
Rhodes Conway says not opposed to return of 10, but we have a plan in place. And she respectfully requests that we respect the process we set up.

Passed unanimously.

Amendment #10
Agency/Service: Metro Transit
Page(s): 118
Sponsor(s): Ald. Rhodes-Conway and Verveer

Eliminate the 50 cent general fare increase and associated fare revenues. (The result of this amendment will be an increase in the City levy support for Metro operations.)

(Note: Amendments 10 and 11 should be considered as alternatives.)

Metro Fare Revenues (Decrease) $ 6 82,000
Total $ 682,000 Levy Impact: $ 682,000

#10 - Rhodes-Conway moved, Verveer seconded. Says amendments 10, 11 and 12 are a menu of options. Also pointed out that there is an amended #12. She spoke against the fare increase. Says it is not a long term solution to put security at transfer points. Instead we need to look at where the transfer points are located because they are isolated. But supports safety initiative for now. She is adamantly opposed to fare increases, because we do that then reduce service and its a downward spiral. She supports an RTA. She asks us what pavement rating we should accept on our streets, how big should a pot hole get, how do we decide whether to plow at 2 or 3 or 4 inches of snow. Her point being, how do we decide at what level to fund our basic services. We shouldn't apply that question to only Metro. She talked about her constituents and how they are transit dependent and can't afford an increase. She says that while working on the long range plan, no one talked about raising the fares, instead the report focused on increasing ridership and increasing the fares will not do that. She didn't ask people to support #10, but instead of support #11. (This was much longer, you'll have to view it yourself. I obviously was getting restless at this point and it was getting harder and harder to keeps notes and pay attention to the meeting.)

Sanborn speaks to all the amendments. He doesn't want to raise fares, but the reason he asked his question. He says if we are going to oppose a fare increase every time, we are headed towards a free bus system in a back door way. He says we talked about how people can't afford the fares, but we never talk about how homeowners can't afford new taxes. He says it has been at $1.50 for a long time. He is also concerned about unlimited ride passes - if we bring in small businesses then the people who used to pay cash fares otherwise will ride for free. We may add riders but they won't be paying more.

Rhodes-Conway and Verveer voted aye, 4 nos (Bruer, Sanborn, Clear, Clausius)

Amendment #11
Agency/Service: Metro Transit
Miscellaneous Appropriations: Transit for Jobs
Fleet Service
Page(s): 118, 10, 130
Sponsor(s): Alds. Rhodes-Conway and Verveer

Eliminate the 50 cent general fare increase (resulting in reduced Metro fare revenues of $682,000).

Reduce funding for Metro as follows:
Service Enhancements (including Route 10): ($66,671)
Metro Reserves Generated: ($235,329)
Transit for Jobs: ($40,000)
In addition, eliminate funding of Clean Air action days, which will result in an increase in Metro fare revenues of $40,000.
Finally, apply $300,000 in savings from Fleet Service fuel expense toward support of Metro operations.

(Note: Amendments 10 and 11 should be considered as alternatives. Amendment 1 proposes an alternative use of the Fleet Service fuel expense savings.)

Metro Fare Revenues (Decrease) $ 6 82,000
Metro Fare Revenues (Increase) (40,000)
Metro Service Enhancements (66,671)
Metro Reserves Generated (235,329)
Misc. Approp.: Transit for Jobs (40,000)
Fleet Service: Gasoline/Diesel (300,000)
Total $ - Levy Impact: $ -

Rhodes Conway moves adoption, Verveer seconds. Clear talks about sustainability, says we should have a free bus system, and we should find a way to make Metro sustainable. And he thinks the most sustainable of the fare options, he thinks we should raise the fares and it will give us enhancements. We can't put the entire burden on the property taxes. He is disappointed that we can't spread the increases across all riders - he thinks it is fundamentally unfair that we are locked into contracts and that they won't be charged with this increase until there are new contracts. Ultimately, we need an RTA. He thinks this is the medium term solution.

Gruber - not on BOE but supports #11. Wrong time to raise fares. We should be promoting the bus.

Rummel - brings up the fact that this is the first time we are funding a reserve. Thinks it sends the wrong message.

Clausius - asks question about how amendment 9 relates to number 11. Says he's a non-bus rider. He asks about clean air action days.

Satya says the clean air action days were ineffective . . . people don't hear about it soon enough, and instead everyone just rides for free. Doesn't do what it was intended to do. Metro is working on a program to support encouraging people to take the bus in a way that would be revenue neutral.

Sanborn - asks about the funding of Clean Air Action Days. Brasser tries to answer the question about the history, but says it became part of the Metro Budget and it became part of its base budget.

Webber - 33% increase in cash fare is not what we need. We need alternatives that work that people can use and want to use. Robbie asks what is the % we spend on other modes of transportation and perhaps we should allocate a percentage and proportionately increase it as we fund other transportation modes. She thinks this is the way to answer Alder Sanborn's question about how to decide how much to raise fares. Robbie points out this is a growing city and we should be growing our service

Mayor then tries to justify his thinking. .25 increase needed to run in place. .50 keeps Metro whole and we could add service and add the other goodies (security, marketing, etc.) He thought the right choice would be to raise the fares. He thinks this amendment leaves out important items. Yes this is the first time we have increased the reserves. He talks about Transit for Jobs and how he will double this program. At 40,000, that buys 850 monthly passes, but 1,450 if increase fares and double transit for jobs. He talks about Clean Air Action days is a promise we make to our partners. Brings up non-attainment. Then he talks about the $300,000 and says it means we need to find it somewhere else, and thinks we would take that from fund balance applied and he says the comptroller says we shouldn't take anything, its a rainy day and its raining. He says he's a strong supporter of RTA, but doesn't think it will happen any time soon.
Mayor passes out his analysis of cash fares and went into lecture mode . . . I have to admit, I started to tune out . . . Then he urged us not to vote for 11 & 12.

Rhodes-Conway and Verveer vote aye, Bruer, Clausius, Sanborn and Clear vote no.

Amendment #12
Agency/Service: Metro Transit
Miscellaneous Appropriations: Transit for Jobs
Fleet Service
Page(s): 118, 10, 130
Sponsor(s): Ald. Clear

Eliminate the 50 cent general fare increase (resulting in reduced Metro fare revenues of $682,000).
Reduce funding for Metro as follows:
Service Enhancements (including Route 10): ($150,000)
Transit for Jobs: ($40,000)
Apply $372,763 in savings from Fleet Service fuel expense toward support of Metro operations.
Finally, add to the budget highlights language directing Metro staff and the TPC to report to the Council by 6/1/09 on the feasibility of a graduated low income fare/pass structure.

(Note: Amendment 1 proposes an alternative use of the Fleet Service fuel expense savings.)

Metro Fare Revenues (Decrease) $ 6 82,000
Metro Service Enhancements (150,000)
Misc. Approp.: Transit for Jobs (40,000)
Fleet Service: Gasoline/Diesel (372,763)
Total $ 119,237 Levy Impact: $ 119,237

Clear moved to place on file. Supports the fare increase to "keep Metro strong" Passed unanimously.

#13 adopted previously.

Amendment #14
Agency/Service: Planning Division / Neighborhood Planning Preservation and Design
Page(s): 134, 37 (Supplement)
Sponsor(s): Ald. Verveer

Increase the Preservation Planner (Planner 3) position from .7 FTE to 1.0 FTE and add the following budget highlight: "In the event the incumbent resigns in early 2009 as anticipated, the position would not be filled until April 1, at which time it would increase from .7 FTE to 1.0 FTE."

(Note: There is no levy impact in 2009 as there are sufficient funds included in the Executive Budget to support the salary and fringe benefits for a full-time position, if the hiring is delayed as proposed.)

Total $ - Levy Impact: $ -

Verveer moved adoption, Bruer seconded. Verveer speaks to great need, comments on Ledell's comments, but this is a compromise and has no levy impact. Kerr speaks in support. Says we are a staff dependent group and we rely on staff and thinks this position is critical. So, it is important to get a really good candidate. Also, increased responsibilities due to new demolition ordinance. Mayor supports the amendment, "it makes alot of sense".

Motion passes unanimously.

Amendment #15
Agency/Service: Planning Division / Neighborhood Planning Preservation and Design
General Fund Revenues / Other Local Taxes / Room Tax
Room Tax Fund
Page(s): 13, 17, 134; 123 and 124 (Supplement)
Sponsor(s): Ald. Sanborn

Remove funding of $102,000 for Art and Performance Contracts. Funding consists of $15,000 from a State Arts Board Grant, $20,000 from corporate grants, and $67,000 from the Room Tax Fund transferred to General Fund Revenues.

Increase funding for the Event Booking Assistance Subsidy by $72,000 by reallocating $67,000 for Arts Grants and $5,000 for the Sister Cities Program.

Art and Performance Contracts $ (102,000)
Inter-Agency Billings (decrease) 3 5,000
General Fund Revenues (decrease) 6 7,000
Total $ -

Room Tax Fund:
Transfer to General Fd for Arts Grants $ (67,000)
Sister Cities Program (5,000)
GMCVB: Event Booking Assistance 7 2,000
$ - Levy Impact: $ -

Sanborn moved to place on file - Verveer and Bruer second - Verveer says thank you.

Amendment #16
Agency/Service: CDBG
Office of Community Services
Miscellaneous Appropriations: Emerging Neighborhoods
Page(s): 165, 168, 10
Sponsor(s): Alds. Rhodes-Conway and Verveer

Increase funding for CDBG service providers by $38,376 (specific program allocations to be determined by the CDBG Commission). Increase funding by $36,300 for Community Services community resources programs (specific program allocations to be determined by the Community Services Commission). Eliminate funding for Emerging Neighborhoods.

(Note that Amendment 1 proposes an increase in OCS funding of $72,763. If that portion of Amendment 1 is not approved, then the funding for OCS as proposed in this amendment shall be increased by $72,763.)

CDBG Purchased Services $ 3 8,376
OCS Purchased Services 3 6,300
Misc. Approp.: Emerging Neighbor. (50,000)
Total $ 24,676 Levy Impact: $ 24,676

Rhodes-Conway moves adoption, Verveer seconds. Restores to the commission request levels. Takes the rest of the funding from Emerging Neighborhoods. Mayor disagrees. R-C says it is at such a low level, we might as well apply to it places where there is a need. She also speaks to the need for various programs. We spent alot of money on police department. And having seen the results of the staffing study, we got close to what we need. But what she has heard since, from the police department, that we have not made the investments on the community services side. The police are looking for programs and things for young people to do so they don't get into trouble. So, this year, she is looking to make small strides to help the police department.

Alder Bruer moves a substitute to add the money, but taking it from the levy and not taking it from emerging neighborhoods. Verveer says that it is friendly, Rhodes-Conway agrees. Bruer says that yes, public safety is not just about police services, but about community services. This is important, especially with the economy. Says this is a modest amount and we need these programs now more than ever. Says he's not a strong fan of emerging neighborhoods but he has seen it work well. He has seen the value of the program. He says we need to look at how we are combating poverty and strengthening neighborhoods and that is the conversation that we need to be talking about.

Mayor supports the amendment. Says there are about 90 small grants in the Emerging Neighborhoods and he talks about all the programs that are funded.

Sanborn says all we do is add. We never say no. We already added money for advertising and fish signs . . . asks people to look at what we are adding.

Bruer - these are work horse investment programs. If we keep 5 or 6 kids out of the criminal justice system or get people jobs, we have more than paid for this investment. When you have your neighborhood leadership and the police department calling for a commitment from the city, he thinks this will come back to us fivefold.

Clear asks about the Emerging Neighborhoods process. He says the process became "a little clunky" this year. So they stripped it down to a staff process for Emerging Neighborhoods and made it a staff process.

Jed votes no, 5 ayes. Motion passes.

Amendment #17
Agency/Service: Office of Community Services
Page(s): 168
Sponsor(s): Ald. Rhodes-Conway

Add funding for a 1.0 FTE Healthy Neighborhood Liaison

Permanent Salaries $ 4 7,170
Fringe Benefits 1 7,830
Total $ 65,000 Levy Impact: $ 65,000

Rhodes-Conway moves adoption, Verveer second.
Need better communication, better coordination and we need someone thinking about challenged neighborhoods in the City. The police, the neighborhood and others have called for this. She hopes this position would help build the cross-department communication. We have seen the success of the work done through Weed and Seed and its important to continue that function but expand it.

Cnare says that this is great that there is support, but the question is how do we pay for it. Talked about value of Weed and Seed Coordinator. The (federal) money went away, but we do need to keep the program going. She read off some of the job description. Says this position is needed to oversee contracts and says that they can help with making sure we have good objectives for the program. She talks about how if we really want to fund Emerging Neighborhoods, we really, really need to fund it at a much higher level. She then talked about why she thought they should take the money from EINPC. She has concerns about them fulfilling their contractual obligations. Community Services are critically important, even tho not everyone uses them.

Mayor points out that Alder Cnare spoke against Emerging Neighborhoods in the last budget and now she says it is not enough.

Solomon says that the $50,000 is not enough, because the amount of agency and staff time is almost costs $50,000 in and of itself. Is this efficient? He does think that provides important services - is the juice worth the squeeze? He talks about the Weed and Seed Coordinator in Allied. He says the new job description keeps the good things that are needed from experience with Weed and Seed as well as help OCS staff get their job done. Including residents, help them grow and learn and move forward in a way that many of us take for granted with the neighborhood associations that we have in our communities. Some people in Allied haven't always agreed with the direction that this person put forth, but every single one of them spoke up to keep the position. Because of the value to the community and that is the kind of thing we need in our low-income communities, we need 10 of these positions. It is that vital. He says he knows a number of people from all positions that have across the spectrum have come out in support of the position (United Way, Police, agencies, neighborhood, staff, etc. "from public safety to social services")

Bruer - says that this is about personalities and people in positions. But he thinks that this is about Neighborhood Indicators and that we should figure out that program and then add a staff person. (And then I left and took a break.)

Kerr says this is about more than Neighborhood Indicators (which she supports) and she talked about the Weed and Seed Coordinator who helped her with her problems in Penn Park. She talked about the 15 - 20 young men that have been impacted and how it positively impacted her neighborhood. She says we don't need to wait for a study or grand scheme, but we have needs now. Said she isn't saying that person in that position needs to be kept, but feels that the position is needed.

Mayor calls Clear back to table for the vote. 3 (Rhodes-Conway, Verveer and Clausius)- 3 against(Bruer, Sanborn, Clear) and the Mayor votes against and it fails. Which means if the Mayor didn't call Clear back, it would have passed.

Amendment #18
Agency/Service: Office of Community Services
Miscellaneous Appropriations: Emerging Neighborhoods
Page(s): 168, 10
Sponsor(s): Alds. Clear and Cnare

Add funding for a 1.0 FTE Healthy Neighborhood Liaison (Community Services Specialist 1). Eliminate funding of $50,000 for Emerging Neighborhoods. Reduce funding of $15,000 from the Community Resources funding of $3,592,545 in the Office of Community Services and direct the Community Services Commission to reduce its proposed allocation to the East Isthmus Neighborhood Planning Council by $15,000.

OCS Permanent Salaries $ 4 7,170
OCS Fringe Benefits 1 7,830
OCS Purchased Services (15,000)
Misc. Approp.: Emerging Neighbor. (50,000)
Total $ - Levy Impact: $ -

Clear moves adoption and someone seconds and then he announces that he is voting against.

Rhodes Conway moves, Verveer seconds to strike language on EINPC. It would have been friendly, but Clear objected. She says with the new process this singling out is inappropriate. She thinks that there is a process, there is a reason we have use it and we should not address the process by putting particular numbers on particular agencies. She says this isn't about what EINPC is doing or how they are doing it . . . it should be discussed at the Community Services Commission and that body made a decision and it should be honored.

Alder Cnare says that she's seen the process from both sides. She says there is a synergy here that if they fund this position it would be duplicative to also fund the Planning Councils in all areas.

Alder Clausius spoke in support and about the work that is going on in Hawthorne.

Bruer makes an amendment to the amendment to eliminate the reduction in Emerging Neighborhoods Program and . . . mass confusion breaks out . . . no one knows what is on the table . . . the Rhodes-Conway amendment is now friendly and Bruer says not to take the Emerging Neighborhood. Rhodes-Conway says that isn't friendly. They vote on amendment - Rhodes-Conway is opposed, all others in support. Now we are back to amendment #17 which just failed.

Rummel points out that we need all of these things. We need the Neighborhood Planning Council's, the Emerging Neighborhoods and the Healthy Neighborhoods positions. "It was worth staying until 9:00 to watch this!" Now it is 3 (Rhodes-Conway, Verveer, Clausius) - 3 (Bruer, Clear, Sanborn) and the mayor votes no again.

Amendment #19
Agency/Service: Office of Community Services
Page(s): 166
Sponsor(s): Ald. Clear

Amend budget highlight #1 to specify the funding amounts for each of the various Community Resources Program Areas, as follows:
"Funding of $3,592,545 for Community Resources programs. This is the same level of funding included in the 2008 Adopted budget (adjusted for the transfer of two programs to other funding sources). The allocation of these funds will be determined by the Community Services Commission, which will submit an allocation plan to the Council for adoption at its meeting of December 2, 2008. However, total funding for each of the Community Resources Program Areas shall be as follows:
Child Care: $838,514
Support to Families: $447,819
Senior Services: $566,558
Youth Services: $605,261
Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault: $360,031
Community Assistance/Access: $460,558
Neighborhood Organizing and Capacity Building: $313,804"

Total $ - Levy Impact: $ -

Clear says intention is to restore some of the detail that was removed from the budget. He says it is our way to set priorities. He says it is inappropriate for us to be meddling at a lower level. He says that this level of detail helps set the priorities and explain to our constituents.

Bruer moves to place on file, Verveer seconded. If we are truly interested in getting rid of earmarks and micromanaging, we shouldn't do this.

Clear votes against to place on file, everyone else in support.

Amendment No. 1
Agency/Service: Miscellaneous Appropriations / Contingent Reserve Funding Sources / Fund Balance Applied / General Fund Revenues / Computer Reimbursement / Fleet Service /Office of Community Services
Page(s): 10, 12, 14, 130, 166
Sponsor(s): Alds. Bruer and Clear; Mayor Cieslewicz

Recent changes in projected Fleet Service fuel expense and State Aids require amendments to the estimated figures that are currently included in the City Executive Budget. Changes include: Decrease expenses by $602,763 for Fleet Service fuel expense and decrease anticipated State Computer Aid Reimbursement revenues by $30,000 due to new estimates. The result is a net levy reduction of $572,763 which, under this amendment, will be allocated toward an increase of $200,000 in the Contingent Reserve; a decrease of $300,000 in Fund Balance Applied; and, an increase in expenditures of $72,763 for Community Services programs (the specific program allocation to be determined by the Community Services Commission).

(Note: Amendments 11 and 12 propose alternative uses of some of the Fleet Service fuel expense reduction. Amendment 16 proposes an alternative in the event that the OCS funding increase of $72,763 is not approved in this amendment.)

Misc. Appropr./Contingent Reserve $ 2 00,000
Fund Balance Applied (Decrease) 300,000
Computer Reimbursement (Decrease) 30,000
Fleet Service: Gasoline/Diesel (602,763)
Office of Comm. Svcs Purch. Svcs. 72,763
Total $ - Levy Impact: $ -

#1 was removed from the table and adopted unanimously without comment.

Amendment No. 4
Agency/Service: Room Tax Fund / Payments to Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau
Monona Terrace
Page(s): 17, 18, 85, 81 and 83 (Supplement)
Sponsor(s): Alds. Clear, Schumacher, Monson, and Compton

Increase the estimated payment to the Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) for destination marketing by $263,310 to $2,018,710. Increase the amount available to GMCVB for event booking assistance by $50,000 to $200,000. Decrease the operating subsidy from the Room Tax Fund to Monona Terrace by $50,000 to $2,877,033 and correspondingly reduce the payment to GMCVB for convention marketing in the Monona Terrace budget by $50,000 from $180,490 to $130,490. These changes will reduce the projected balance available in the Room Tax Fund at the end of 2009 by $263,310 to $816,564.

Add the following language to Room Tax Fund note (b): "The City of Madison intends to amend the existing contract with GMCVB to extend the term of the agreement, for the existing scope of services and performance outcomes, through 2013. The percentage of prior year room tax collections directed to GMCVB pursuant to the new agreement will be increased from the current 20% to 23% in 2009 and by an additional 3% each subsequent year resulting in a payment to GMCVB of 35% of prior year room tax collections in 2013.

Also add the following language to Room Tax Fund note (b): "In conjunction with a semi-annual report to the Board of Estimates on event booking assistance activities, the GMCVB shall also report to the Board of Estimates and the Common Council on its progress toward the program and performance goals outlined in the contract."

Room Tax Fund:
GMCVB: Destination Marketing $ 2 63,310
GMCVB: Event Booking Assistance 5 0,000
Monona Terrace: Operating Subsidy (50,000)
Decrease in Room Tax Fund Balance $ 263,310
Monona Terrace:
Convention Marketing Services $ (50,000)
Transfer In from Room Tax (decrease) 5 0,000
Total $ - Levy Impact: $ -

#4 was removed from the table and then Bruer moved a "5 minute recess". So minutes later, after all kinds of arm waving, cajoling and who knows what else . . . everyone congratulated themselves on a job well done. Problem is there is a new amendment, no one has it in front of them and there are lots of questions about the amendment and what it means and the 12 day old report that the council has not acted on.

I don't have good notes on this part of the meeting, mostly, as I was just kind of stunned. And it took forever to figure out what the new motion was . . . this is what Alder Clear emailed me during the meeting:

Increase the amount available to GMCVB for event booking assistance by $50,000 to $200,000. Decrease the operating subsidy from the Room Tax Fund to Monona Terrace by $50,000 to $2,877,033 and correspondingly reduce the payment to GMCVB for convention marketing in the Monona Terrace budget by $50,000 from $180,490 to $130,490.

Increase the estimated payment to the Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) for destination marketing in 2009 by the difference between the actual 2008 room tax collection, less $8,594,625, which is 3% above the 2007 collection. The 2009 executive budget estimates 8,777,000 in 2008 room tax collection, making the estimated additional payment $182,376.

Add the following language to Room Tax Fund note (b): "The City of Madison intends to amend the existing contract with GMCVB to recognize the additional one-time payment.”

Also add the following language to Room Tax Fund note (b): "In conjunction with its semi-annual report to the Board of Estimates on event booking assistance activities, the GMCVB shall also report to the Board of Estimates and the Common Council on its progress toward the program and performance goals outlined in the contract."

Add the following note to the Room Tax Fund: “In order to guide the Mayor and Common Council in future room tax investment and distribution decisions, the Board of Estimates and the TOT study committee shall, by June 1 2009, review and recommend implementation steps from the 2008 report of the TOT study committee.”

Some of the notes I do have is that Rhodes-Conway was concerned about violations of open meetings laws in that there was likely a walking quorum that decided the vote on this amendment during the breaks. Instead of a during the open meeting. (I totally agree with her concerns and saw the Mayor meeting with Bruer and Clear . . . and then later with Clausius, creating the walking quorum. But hey, who needs open meetings laws!)

The Mayor supports the amendment because "we're going to have to deal with it one way or the other." So BOE should just pass it and then amend it at the council. Of course, he knows that if the motion passes now, it takes 11 votes to get it out of the budget. If they waited like they should have, it would take 11 votes to get it to pass. And that 1-2 votes could make the difference at the council. He says he's sensitive to the process concerns. And he likes the amendment because it puts the decisions in the hands of the BOE not a committee.

The bullshit went on and on and on . . . congratulating each other on a great compromise. It was a horrible end to the meeting. The motion eventually passed. I think Rhodes-Conway was the only one voting against.

On another note - all alders except Libby Monson attended the meeting for some portion. The award for the shortest appearance clearly goes to Palm . . . He made sure to get there early, set up all his stuff at the table so everyone knew he was there . . . then left. Alders Cnare, Solomon, Kerr, Webber, myself, Rummel, Schumacher were the ones that stayed the longest beyond the BOE members who got to vote. Rummel, Kerr, Cnare and Solomon left for the room tax amendment, which was likely wise. The meeting was over by about 10:15.

It will be interesting to see what the council does next. Amendments are due noon on Tuesday the 4th - Election Day. Many of us not on BOE clearly have some amendments to make, but there is no point in making them at BOE if you don't get to vote and . . .the Mayor won't call on you. :)

Council amendments will be out around noon on Thursday, November 6th. The Council meetings on the budget start on November 11th. The first night is when the public is invited to testify . . . last year, that is all we did on the first night of budget, I suspect the same will be true again this year. Stay tuned . . . .
Read more!

Board of Estimates Operating Budget Testimony

Since the public testimony took a couple hours, I did a separate post.

PUBLIC TESTIMONY (I hope I get these names right!!):
Dan - Board member of Simpson St. Free Press. Talked about program and how it helps the youths. Argued that this highly successful program should not be cut, but the cuts should be spread across all agencies.

Godwin Amagashie - Also a board member of Simpson St. Free Press. Understands these are tough times, but we should not be throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The program has really brought many kids to the point where they can be good citizens. Madison should support these good programs in the City. He is worried that without the Simpson St. Free Press many of these young kids of color will not have such a positive influence. They are about to receive a national award at the White House next month.

Andrea Gilmore - Former student with the Simpson St Free Press program and now the editor. Many of the kids come from low-income background and they have the older students mentor the younger students. She is now a UW student. As a staff member, she primarily responsible for helping the kids with their stories, but has become more and more aware of the budget and how difficult it is.

Thuy asks: How many students? 40 students, 2 days a week after school and Saturday morning. She says beyond the students that write they reach 1000's of students who work with the paper in schools.

Thuy suggests: They should get more ads. The speaker says that they have and they are.

Two people had to leave early . . . so they went next:

Mark Bergum - SASY Neighborhood Association and EINPC - Amendment 18. Talks about work in Worthington Darbo Neighborhood Association and talks about capacity building in a renter community. He doesn't think that a city position will do the same type of work that the EINPC does. EINPC gets $38,000 but the loss of $15,000 will decrease the capacity of EINPC because the person they will hire will have to raise that amount of money instead of doing the program work.

Mariah Miller - Worked on a recent project that brought people together to learn. She has learned about EINPC through that project and has really gotten involved in the neighborhoods as a result of that work.

Tom Zarnick - Amendment #4, Doubletree Hotel Manager, Innkeepers Association Member, Chamber of Commerce member and on the Monona Terrace Board. He was on the study committee for the Room Tax - and he says amendment #4 reflects their recommendation. He asks us to support those recommendations.

Renette Mauer - Amendment #4 Director of Sales and Marketing of Hilton Hotel. Says we need to invest in tourism to compete with similar cities. She wants us to reinvest in GMCVB and tourism.

Noel Radomski - Amendment #4, a way to invest hotel revenues to bring more people to the Madison area and Monona Terrace and that will help pay off the bonds. More customers for locally owned businesses, and more visitors to hotels, which creates more taxes, which we can then reinvest. Talked about legislative intent and disagrees with Mayor that it is not for property tax relief. The intent is to invest in marketing. Hotel tax revenues are not a property tax relief mechanism. If that is what you are looking for, then prioritize what is important. Says its no different that what the state legislature is doing and we should be investing these monies in hotel tax.

Bob King - Raymond Management Company - Built and continued to own a dozen or so hotels in Madison plus another handful in Dane County. Has seen effects of well-funded CVBs (Convention & Visitor Bureaus) other areas and the affects of not well-funded CVBs. We need to continue to compete and in tough economic times - those cities that fully fund their CVBs they will be the winners in tourism dollars.

George Weisner -President of Innkeepers Association. Started off by apologizing for being somewhat nasty at the last meeting. Wants to work with alders over the next few years and wants to seek a compromise and leaves it to the wisdom of the alders.

Rhodes Conway to Radomski: Asks about contract - what was his perspective on the deal we made when he was an alder. He said that it was the art of compromise. It was appropriate at the time and that at any time we have the ability to amend the contract or leave it alone. The fear from his perspective is that the current mayor and the city council is going to take more money from the hotel tax and he thinks that takes away from the purpose. And that is why he thinks we need to reconsider the contract. He says there needs to be checks and balances on the executive branch.

Rhodes Conway to Radomski: So, you are worried about the money being taken from the room tax and not how much goes to GMCVB. Radomski says no, that we are below the average that most cities give to the CVB and we should get to the average of our peers. So that is why he supports amendment 4 because over time, it gets us to the average of our peers. It also sends a message that this is an account that is supposed to be for investment. He hopes the city council will put the breaks on the mayor's plan.

Webber to Radomski: Average of what? He says the percentage of room tax spent on marketing.

Mayor says law says it allows 30% to go to the general fund, but we will only be at 23%. However, that law doesn't apply to Madison. Radomski argues that the intent was for that not to happen and just because they say that we can, doesn't mean we should.

Pham-Remmele - Asks if room tax is increasing every year. Radomski says rate went up 8 to 9 percent with the support of the industry. But they believed that it would benefit them indirectly.

Pham-Remmele - Asks if this is to make Madison to be a destination marketing and isn't it right that we shouldn't kill the golden goose. Radomski says yes.

Rhodes-Conway asks King about jobs he has created. He says hotels are a joint venture partnership and he doesn't have the numbers of the operating company of the hotel. But it is a variety of hospitality jobs. He lists a variety of positions. He doesn't think any of them are union shops.

Schumacher asks Deb Archer if this is just going to line the pockets of the hotel industry and he asked for the overall impact. Deb says that there is an independent group that assesses the value and that it is 1.2billion dollar industry that supports about 30,000 jobs in Dane County. Lodging is only about 13% and the food and beverage industry is about 30% of the people who benefit from the visitor industry.

Paul O'Leary - Amendment #5 - concerned about the language in the amendment. Thinks that the data keeping might not be the business of the city and county government and it is between the pet owner and the Humane Society. He has volunteered with the Humane Society and worked with rescue groups and he thinks that these are private relationships. Is thinking that the data should only be collected for animal control issues, not all animals in the shelter. Seems like it is an information privacy issue. He thinks the language should be limited to admissions related to public health and animal control.

Jim - Simpson St. Free Press - wanted to clarify that its not clear if Simpson St. Free Press was intended to cut. He thought the commission intended to fund him.

Satya and Brenda Ask questions - which I missed . . . probably because I was so annoyed that I raised my hand, Mayor Dave sees my hand, looks at me, looks at Rhodes-Conway and calls on her . . . and now can't remember what Satya's question was. I know I asked about how much they were being cut. A poignant point that Jim spoke about was that "some people call this an increase, our their funding is going from $34,137 to $30,000." He pointed out that the new process is confusing and although he wasn't saying it, it wasn't working, because here he is.

Jim Powell - Madison Environmental Justice Organization - Wants the signs to tell people about the dangers of eating too much fish, and the signs are only being placed in one location. He suggests for $700 more you can put the signs in all places. The signs are only $35 per sign.

Compton asks questions about how much we are paying for.

Kerr asks for a summary of how the money will be spent in the City of Madison. Jim says he can get us the information.

Verveer asks if Dane County Personnel and Finance will do the joint budgeting. Jim says two county supervisors is going to make that happen. Verveer says that he will try to straighten it out if it doesn't get straightened out tonight.

Twink - Concerned about the large spending on roads and lack of investment in buses. We need to better reflect the Natural Step and Sustainable Planning concepts. She wants us to freeze road spending. Our funding is increasing 65% for roads and population growth is only 1%. Use road building savings to prevent increasing cash fare on buses. Agrees with SASY letter to council. Is worried that increasing fares will decrease ridership. Worried about non-attainment for Dane County and health implications. This could also affect economic development in that with non-attainment will prevent some businesses from locating here.

Carl Durocher - chair of TPC but not representing them. Agrees with Twink. Wants to remind us that public transportation is integral and as important as snow plowing. It is really important have access to transportation for employability reasons. Members of TPC do not want to go to the public and hold public hearings about proposed fare increases. They had an arduous late winter/early spring meetings and thought that public transportation would be stabilized after those proposed cuts. Reliance on public transportation grows when there is predictability and stability. Amendments 11 & 12 are strategies to maintain existing services with no impact on levy without a fare increase. He reminds us that the fuel contract is less than anticipated and that is a $350,000 savings and that goes a long way to decrease necessity for increase.

Joe Lusson - left.

Laurie Wermter - supports amendment 10, 11 or 12. Likes amendment 10 the best. She thinks that Madison Metro should be supported by the City because it benefits everyone.

Thomas Koslovski - easy to get downtown on the bus and supports #9, thinks that many people rely on the bus and the .50 fare increase should be eliminated. Low-income workers need to use the bus and many workers have been in recession for years as wage increases have not kept up with the cost of living. We have seen increase in homelessness and use of food pantries and the city needs to increase service and keep current fares.

Susan DeVos - had to leave.

Ted Voth: Fare increases by their very nature hurt the people most who need the bus services the most. His vision for Metro is 24/7 fast, dependable system that is the preferred method of transportation in Dane County. Given sustainability issues, this is what we need. There is something wrong with the idea that it is a problem for government to provide community services. Its in the Constitution. It's ok to do something for the good of the population. If we're giving 65% more for roads, why don't we put that into our buses. We spend alot of money to the state and feds to be put in corporation pockets, but why can't we get some of that back for the public good.

Michael Barrett - We hear alot about fiscal conservatism. This budget is not that. We are doing just the opposite. Says each car trip $30.74 vs $2.85 for metro riders. $1.50 is paid by bus riders so its $1.35 per ride. Which is more effective for the tax payer. As long as we are paying over 20 times more for cars than buses. Let the market do the work, get more riders, raise more revenue by having good service. It's time to fully fund Metro at levels like before the mayor came into office. (Ok - it was alot more colorful and critical of the mayor than portrayed here, its worth checking out on line if you're into that kind of thing.)

Tim Wong - Points out that he was kicked off TPC for politically incorrect votes. Thinks we should increase the bus fares. Thinks bus should be free like garbage, police, fire, libraries. Also, whether the oil and gas prices stay where they are, we need to not raise the fees so that the choice rider stays on the bus and doesn't shift the costs to the captive riders. Route 10 restoration is late, but shouldn't be done in exchange for a fare increase. Notes that "bicycle escape routes" are now 4 lanes, and a bigger and bigger share of op budget is being spent on interest for the cap budget. He thinks Dane County should be contributing to Metro and the roads such as S & M.

Amanda White - TPC member, but representing herself. Supporter of amendment #11. Avoids a fare increase and increasing the levy. Not someone to say we should never increase the fares. 3 years ago she did support the increase. But not is not the time with the economic and environmental crisis and the non-attainment status. A fare increase is not a band aid fix we should be fixing with an RTA. She did an analysis of peer groups. If we raised this to $2 we would be the highest. Already at $1.50 we are at the higher levels compared to most other cities. We need to send a positive message to working families that we are providing an option. Metro is going to Middleton, American Family and Epic.

Barbara Smith - Opposes hike, thinks the employer sponsored bus pass programs have attracted new riders and stabilized the bus system. She'd like to see this model used more and doesn't want to increase the fares lest it have a chilling effect on the riders.

Margaret Bergamini - Member of TPC - but speaking on behalf of herself. In 1998 the transfer point system was put in. The number of hours of service increased, but since then, every year we have been forced to cut hours of service. Some cuts have improved efficiencies, however, some of them have cut essential services. Some of the most necessary routes are not the most efficient. Some of these routes don't measure up so well when it comes to lower income communities, but are necessary. Example: Route 13 and Route 5. As a result of these cuts, it would take a family an hour and a half to get from south to north transfer point once route 5 got cut to hourly service as opposed to 30 minute service.

Carmen Clark -Don't increase the bus fare. She rides the bus year round. Has a student bus pass but works for DHS. Rides bike in summer, but rides bus when there are orange alerts. Passes are a critical way to subsidize the buses. She rides the 2 & 11 and about 2/3s of the riders have passes. A union rep and thinks more people should get the bus pass. Bright green is about finding ways to make environmental good sense profitable. If employers offer it as a benefit, they save money because not everyone gets a pass. Don't forget about small businesses - they tend to pay less and if we raise the fares their employees won't be able to afford to get to work. This is not the time to raise the fares.

Ledell Zellers - does not increase the increase in the fares.

Sanborn to Amanda White - asks about fare increases but they didn't increase the cash fare the last time around. He asks what guidelines we should be using to decide how to increase fares. She says that she supported the last one because we were at a different point and that it had been a long time. Now, however, we have learned so much more about non-attainment and the gas prices have dramatically increased. And some of these issues are more pressing now than they were before. And, she is concerned that we are looking at a cycle of fare increases and service decreases ("service improvements"). She is also very concerned about the public message that we are sending. Sanborn says that it is a case-by-case analysis. Amanda says that she thinks that we need to look at the numbers and that is why she supports 11 not 10. Sanborn said it sounds like it is ok for fares to not keep up with inflation. She says that in a perfect world the revenues would cover expenses, but this is a critical service and she believes that it is important for the City to step in because it is a critical service.

Rhodes-Conway asks questions of Amanda . . . as did Kerr and Pham-Remmele . . . but I took a bathroom break . . . and when I got back, Carl was speaking . . . sorry I missed all that . . . but you know, it was two hours . . .

Ledell Zellers - Amendment #14 - supports Preservation Planner position being at full-time. They had it in their cost to continue and their budget reduction submittal. It's a priority because it is hard to recruit at 70% vs full time and we need good recruitment. Concerns that we are woefully behind in landmarking buildings (ex. St. Rays) and there are numerous recommendations in the Downtown Preservation Plan that have not been carried out yet. The historic plaques are not in place that should be and that would help raise awareness. Finally, the job is more than full-time when you include all the meetings regarding growth in the city (planners, developers and neighborhoods).

Dace Zeps - Amendment #18 - see email. She spoke to several amendments but didn't think that cutting EINPC is smart because the support that they get for so little means that people can get to their jobs, that their kids are safe in daycare and after school programs, sharing of ideas and resources that doesn't further burden the city, building the community ourselves to find ways to make communities strong so we can be successful in our community. Just because you don't have resources in your family doesn't mean that it isn't strong, but it creates a support system.

(Very, very rude, most people didn't hear much she said. And I was very distracted and didn't do her testimony justice.)

Anne Katz - went home.

Casandra Garcia - Pres of Hawthorne - new chair of EINPC, amendment 18 penalizes neighborhood because we are doing it ourselves and instead of relying on the network of volunteers and those relationships, we would be paying someone to rebuild all of that and we would be asking the city to solve the problems we are trying to solve ourselves.
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The (I'm so freaking frustrated with Legistar) Week Ahead

Ok - this sucks, I can't get the rest of the agendas to load . . . something is up - I don't know if it is my computer or what, but I restarted and still can't get Legistar to load or link off the Weekly meeting schedule. Anyways, here's what I started . . .

NOTE: Thank you IT people, looks like its' working now . . . but now I don't have time to put in the links . . . maybe, I'll get them done this morning . . . maybe . . . (we know that means no)

Pssst . . . how about if someone suggests that we don't have so many meetings on Wednesday night - more Thursday meetings! I'm only double booked, but its still annoying.

Monday, October 27, 2008
4:30 PM BOARD OF ESTIMATES ROOM 260 MMB
- 19 Amendment to the Mayor's budget

Tuesday, October 28, 2008
4:30 PM COMMON COUNCIL ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITTEE ROOM 525 CCB
- Snow
- New sister cities committee
6:30 PM COMMON COUNCIL ROOM 201 CCB
- The solar/wind ordinance (#2)
- Operating Budget Public Hearing (#3)
- Remaining Emerging Neighborhoods Funds (#12)
- Salt Report (#53)
- Snow Ordinance (#54)
- Elections Report (#57)
- Union Corners Redevelopment District (#74)

Wednesday, October 29, 2008
8:00 AM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TIF POLICY SUBCOMMITTEE ROOM 300 MMB
- I wish I knew what their concerns were about the policy, they offered no specifics and scheduled this meeting I can't go to. And this may be their only meeting (yeah, right, unless they have written proposals that we haven't seen??)

4:30 PM URBAN DESIGN COMMISSION ROOM LL-110 MMB

4:45 PM LANDMARKS COMMISSION ROOM LL-130 MMB

5:00 PM PEDESTRIAN/BICYCLE/MOTOR VEHICLE COMMISSION ROOM 260 MMB

5:30 PM JAMES MADISON PARKPROPERTY PLANNING COMMITTEE ROOM LL-120 MMB

I didn't have any meetings for Thursday or Friday, but I'd suggest checking the Weekly meeting schedule later today and tomorrow since many meetings often get added, which I think is horribly misleading!



Read more!

Tenant Resource Center REALLY Needs Your Help!

Seriously. We are so close, we've raised alot of money this year . . . but it is not enough to stay open for the month of December . . . unless the event tonight is really good and the donations pick up a bit. Please thank our sponsors and food donors below and check out the silent auction items! And if you can, please give - we have lots of options below to make it easy for you!!

The event is tonight (Friday), 5 - 7 at the Brink Lounge (701 E Washington Ave.) And we'd really like to thank everyone who has donated on-line, become a sustainer, sent
in checks, dropped off money or handed it to me at a meeting etc etc. However, fundraising is down this year, likely due to the economy . . . but as the economy crashes, so do many of our clients who need our help now more than ever!

It's been a hectic year and we have many plans, so we are anxious to finish up with our community fundraising and concentrate more on grantwriting and other activities to help grow the Tenant Resource Center. To read more about our funding struggles, see the recent article in the Cap Times.

This year we are also offering that if you signed up as a sustaining donor, we won't bother you with asking you to sponsor our events any more. Details are here.

Also, you have many options to donate if you can't make it tonight:
1. Paypal
2. Write a check: Tenant Resource Center, 1202 Williamson St. Suite A, Madison WI
3. Call us with your credit card number at 257-0143 (257-0006 for Housing Counseling)
4. Give through Community Shares of Wisconsin at your workplace. (If you give through United Way, we will still get the money, but only 80%, the rest will go to United Way.)
5. Give through Community Shares of Wisconsin website
6. Donate through Facebook Causes

Who TRC Helps

~ 5,335 individuals received housing counseling in 2007
~ 146,842 individuals visited TRC's website in 2007
~ 7,339 individuals received assistance at the Housing Help Desk in 2007
~ 1,018 individuals, including landlords and tenants, solved their
rental disputes as a result of TRC's mediation services in 2007
~ Of the 1,518 families and individuals who requested financial
assistance totaling $1,001,368, only 230 were able to receive
financial assistance from TRC's Housing Crisis Fund in 2007, which
provided $22,194 in small grants.

Funding the Tenant Resource Center

TRC is funded by Dane County Human Services, the City of Madison,
and Community Shares of Wisconsin. Other sources of funding are
derived from statewide seminars, publication sales, and generous
donations. In 2007, the Tenant Resource Center suffered a loss of
almost $100,000 when US Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) and the Associated Students of Madison (UW ASM) discontinued
funding for two major programs. Because we believe that what we do for
tenants and landlords throughout Wisconsin is so important, your gift
will help us to continue our mission. Any contribution is greatly
appreciated!

Please help thank our sponsors, donors and silent auction donors!

SPONSORS!
Green Universal Design Mansion ~ Jesse Kaysen & Nevin Olson

Affordable Home with a Lake View ~ Margaux Shields

Cozy House with Picket Fence
- Russell Ainsworth
- Tom Hirsch
- Bob Holloway
- Madison Development Corporation
- Michael Matty & Judith Strand
- Jennie Mauer
- Juscha Robinson & Steve Herrick
- Vicky Selkowe & Jason Engle
- Amy Westra & Luke Pacholski

Charming Flat in Restored Victorian
- Margaret Bergamini
- Curt Brink
- Carol Carstensen
- Ryan Estrella
- Garvey & Stoddard
- Josh Gildea
- Ken Golden
- Sheila Guilfoyle
- Diana Hause
- Eli Judge
- Mary Lang-Sollinger
- Fred Mohs
- Marianne Morton
- Leila Pine
- Steve Schooler & Marsha Mansfield
- Bill Whitford

Sunny and Spacious Studio
- Mary Anglim
- Mike & Pam Barrett
- Sarah & Michael Basford
- Carousel Bayrd & Tim Sobota
- Bonnie Benson
- Janice Bergholtz Loiselle
- Yogesh Chawla
- Joe Clausius
- Tom & Kia Conrad
- Aaron Crandall
- Connie Deer
- Patrick DePula
- Pat Dibiase & Allen Ruff
- Earth & Water Works
- Rick Fairchild
- Linda & Gene Farley
- Marilyn Feil
- Ariel Ford
- Jon Hain
- Hickory & Marjorie Hurie
- Kevin Kesterson
- Sharon Kilfoy
- Heidi Konkel & Clint Otto
- Tobi & Ryan LeMahieu
- Norm Littlejohn
- Jean MacCubbin
- Lydia Maurer
- Rosalie Migas
- Sonja Moskalik & Jim Roper
- Judy Olson
- Erik Poulson
- Dianne Reilly
- Anne Reynolds
- Rick Richards
- Susan Schmitz
- Arlene Silveira
- Steve Starkey
- Sue Wallinger & Augie Olvera
- Robbie Webber
- David Williams
- Cheryl Wittke
- Ledell Zellers & Simon Anderson
- Dace Zeps & Tim Dean

REFRESHMENT DONORS
- Bahn Thai Restaurant
- Bandung Restaurant
- Great Dane Pub
- Heidi Konkel
- Weary Traveler Freehouse
- Willy Street Co-op
- Gorman & Company

SILENT AUCTION ITEMS FOR BID
- Trader Joe's ~ gift basket
- Community Car ~ $35 worth of free driving plus waiver of $50 application fee
- The Great Dane ~ $40 gift certificate
- Madison Mallards Baseball ~ five vouchers for bleacher seats at any June 2009 game
- Orange Tree Imports ~ $25 gift certificate
- Michael's Frozen Custard ~ three free pints of ice cream
- Babs' French Quarter Kitchen ~ dinner for two
- Bunky's Cafe ~ pizza gift certificates
- Absolutely Art ~ handcrafted paper mache box by artist Sara Licht
- Glass Nickel Pizza ~ $15 gift certificates (two available)
- A Room of One's Own Bookstore ~ $25 gift certificates (two available)
- Absolutely Art ~ original lampworked necklace by artist Wendy Meicher
- Jesse Kaysen ~ original handcrafted necklaces
- Heidi Konkel ~ fine home-made baked goods
- Greenbush Bakery ~ $30 gift certificate
- Budget Bicycles ~ assorted cycling equipment package
- Taqueria Guadalupe ~ $50 gift certificate
- Sherry Ackerman ~ original fine art print
- Carol Chase Bjerke ~ original chromogenic photograph titled "Urban Relics II"
- Gorman & Company ~ two tickets to UW Football vs. Minnesota, November 15
- David Bacco Chocolates ~ assortment of gourmet chocolates
Read more!

Opposition to School Referendum

Currently consists of . . . emails to listserves? And they'll decide next Monday if they're going to launch a campaign for the last 8 days before the election? Based on what I've seen, its not going so well so far! Check out these responses!

Here's the string of responses:

At 12:05 PM -0500 10/22/08, Dorothy Borchardt wrote:
We have to have away to pay for it without taxing our seniors and others on limited incomes out of their homes! Look at the mess Milwaukee is in ... no jobs, high unemployment, bad schools.... we don't NOT want that for Madison.

Conflating two issues is not useful.

First off, tax policy is created at the capital. It doesn't have to be "taxing our seniors and others on limited incomes" in order to educate our children. That is the typical type of Hobbesian choices regularly presented to us for the past couple of decades. We don't have to accept that framing.

In fact, tax policy could be written, for example, so that it wouldn't tax anyone's property in order to pay for schools if they made below a certain level of income. No, the current policy on property taxes was written in such a way as to make "the little people" really pay it through the nose, and once their anger against "the government" was sufficiently piqued, you could run partisan campaigns with anti-Madison and anti-Washington themes with impunity and no one would ask too many questions. Baloney. Tax policy and school funding policy are not written in stone, they can - and must, be changed.

Why, for example, is it possible that "almost fifty thousand corporations filed tax returns with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue in 2005. Two out of three returns showed a bottom-line tax of zero dollars."? http://www.wisconsinsfuture.org/publications/taxes/WI_Revenue_Gap_12_2007.pdf
Tax policy has allowed that to happen. The report further noted, "There is indeed a pool of untapped revenue in Wisconsin - uncollected corporate taxes. "Corporate tax leakage" describes the loss of state corporate income tax due to large companies' tax avoidance using tax breaks, loopholes and profit shelters. This leakage cost Wisconsin $643 million in 2006. Overall, Wisconsin's corporate sector fell $1.3 billion short on its payments of all state and local taxes, compared to what it would have paid if it had supported public programs at the average level among corporations nationwide."

Imagine individuals or small business owners trying to get away with such a scheme. Of course your thinking, aren't we a high tax state already? Check out the chart on page 2 of this report of the business sector share of state and local taxes, Wisconsin ranks near the bottom in terms of it's taxation rate, and importantly, lower than any mid-west state around us. http://www.wisconsinsfuture.org/publications/protectingservices/Broken%20Partnership.pdf

As for individual taxation, right now, Wisconsin ranks 21st amongst all the states, right about in the middle. http://www.wisconsinsfuture.org/news/PressReleases/IWF_TaxFact_Aug15_2008.pdf What critics of this "tax hell" we live in don't mention, ever, is that we are a low fee taxation state.

As to the second half of Mrs. Borchardt's message on Milwaukee and it schools (see http://www.wisconsinsfuture.org/education/stories/RoysterNorman%208.24.08%20MJS%20op%20ed.pdf) I'm trying to see the connection beyond a simple rhetorical scare device.

Robert Godfrey

Followed by this from Peng Her . . .

Robert,

I agree. MMSD has been working very hard in finding ways to maintain a quality education with the limited resources it has in part do to the revenue caps enacted by our state Legislatures.

Until we get our elected officials to change the funding formula we can talk all we want about negotiating a new health care plan with WPS, standing up to John Mathews, and Qualified Economic Offers all we want, but we are simply not addressing the real issue. The real issue deals with funding (revenue caps).

This is my understanding of how we got where we are now. In 1993, our state Legislatures passed Wisconsin Act 16, which imposed a five year limitation on the total amount of money that public school districts were allowed to raise through a combination of state aids and the local property tax. For a five year period (1993-98) the annual increase in a district's revenue per pupil was limited to a specific dollar amount ($190 in 1993-94) or the rate of inflation times the per pupil cost. Beginning with the 1994-95 school year, the per pupil dollar amount was to be adjusted for inflation.

There were significant changes in this legislation made in the 1995-97 state Budget. For example, the revenue controls were made permanent, and the per pupil increases were set at a fixed dollar amount ($200 per pupil in 1995-96 and $206 per pupil in 1996-97). This means that districts can no longer choose between a fixed dollar amount and the Consumer Price Index.

We all are asking how can we fund or maintain a quality education system in Madison. This includes funding 4 yr Kindergarten classes. First we all must tell our legislatures to eliminate revenue caps that are strangling our schools. Most candidates running for State office I’ve talked to said they would do this. Let’s keep their feet to the fire and make sure they follow through on their promise.

Secondly, make funding equitable for schools by changing the funding formula. The new funding formula should be based on needs of the school not property value of homes in the district. A new system of funding should guarantee a base amount of resources to educate regular students to high standards and also provide enough resources to give the same opportunity to meet high standards to children with special education needs. Therefore, districts with students who live in poverty, students with limited English skills, and those with special needs would get additional funding on top of the base amount. Districts in rural areas would get additional funding to help pay for transportation needs. This is the proposal being put forth by Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools (WAES). Their website as indicated by Robert is http://www.excellentschools.org/.

Third, we need to shift cost from tax payers back to corporations for fair taxation. Just in the last two decades, the state's revenue from corporate income tax has been nearly cut in half. The Dept. of Revenue confirms that over 60% of companies whose tax returns showed annual receipts of over $100 million paid NO corporate income tax (2003). Wisconsin lost $643 million in 2006 because Corporations didn’t pay their fair share of taxes. Imagine how much better our schools would be if corporations started paying their fair share of corporate tax.

If education is going to remain a priority in Wisconsin, and if Wisconsin is going to continue producing future leaders, workers, and citizens, then an education is not a luxury—it's a necessity.

Please contact your state elected officials to eliminate the revenue caps, create a new funding formula based on the needs of the school not the property value, and invest in early childhood education.

Peng

I hope (ok, not really) her radio buys go better than her emails! Isn't it clear, we really need to support our schools right now? As Dorothy was always fond of saying when she was on the council "its for the children!"

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FISH - Next Homelessness Event!

The Dane County Coalition to Fight Poverty and End Homelessness (DCCFHEP - possibly the worst name ever) has changed its name to FISH (Fighting Impoverishment and Stopping Homelessness) and will be holding its next event on Tuesday!

The next event will be Tuesday, October 28th from 5 - 7:30 at the First United Methodist Church on Wisconsin Avenue and will feature a spaghetti dinner. The event will feature speakers and another panel. Speakers will talk about:
- An overview of the federal funding picture (Bob Jones - CAP)
- Updates on the city (Joe Lindstrom - Homelessness Consortium) and county (Sup. Barbara Vedder) budgets
- Update on the Dane County Poverty Task Force (Greta Hansen - Community Action Coalition and Dane County Poverty Task Force)
- How do homeless vote? (Staci Harbaugh - ACLU)

Panelists will be available to answer your questions about the above as well as available to discuss what's happening with foreclosures and how that affects renters?
And what happens to homeless pets? How are energy bills affecting low-income people? What trends are we seeing in the neighborhoods with this economy? General trends and issues with the homeless. Etc.

Panelists include people from:
- Humane Society
- Legal Action of Wisconsin(Heidi Wegleitner)
- Joining for Families (Ryan Estrella)
- MG&E (Gerardo Paz)
- City CDBG Office (Sue Wallinger)

Hope to see you all there! And lets celebrate a better, easier to remember name!
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What should the downtown look like?

Your input needed! Next week!

In June of 2008, a series of six public meetings was held at the Overture Center to invite people to share and discuss their ideas for the future of Madison’s Downtown. Many ideas were generated through a series of exercises and small group discussions on each of our downtown planning themes:

- Downtown Living Downtown Working & Business
- Visitors & Tourists Recreation, Culture & Entertainment
- Moving Around Sense of Place(s)

Since that time, visitors to the Downtown Plan Public Information Center (see back of this newsletter for location and hours) have contributed additional comments and
proposals for consideration.

City staff have been utilizing this input, as well as the Comprehensive Plan’s adopted principles and recommendations for Downtown, to develop a series of concepts and general approaches for each of the planning themes.

The November 5th public meeting will be an opportunity for City staff to share these concepts and general approaches to get essential feedback prior to the creation of more detailed alternatives for the Downtown Plan.

Open House 5:00-6:00pm
Talk with City Staff
View Work from Local Design Professional Volunteers
- Lake Monona Frontage / Access
- Lake Mendota Frontage / Access
- Skyline & Downtown Views

Meeting: 6:00pm - 8:30pm
Introductory Presentation
Discuss Concepts & General Approaches to:
- Downtown Living
- Downtown Working & Business
- Moving Around
- Visitors, Tourists, Recreation, Culture & Entertainment
- Sense of Place(s)

The Downtown is for everyone, so everyone invited! More info here. If you can't make the meeting, you can stop by the office.
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Delay the Firestation?

Did the Wisconsin State Journal actually say that? I guess the "basic services" message that they have been pounding away on has some nuances that puts some holes in that message. And I guess the "all that matters is public safety" message has some problems as well. Very, very interesting. Maybe the dump-all-our-money-into "basic services" and "safety" has some limits, and we've finally reached it, even for the Wisconsin State Journal editorial board. This budget season could get a even more wild than last year!
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E Washington BUILD still on hold!

This meeting was scheduled a month ago so we could get an update on what staff has been doing for the last year to year and a half . . . I guess we'll keep waiting for staff to schedule a meeting where we have quorum. (Hint: ask the committee members what their schedules are BEFORE scheduling the meeting.)

Title: Canceled: E Wash Capitol Gateway BUIL...
When: Wed Oct 22 5:30pm – 7:30pm (CDT), 945 E. Washington Ave.
This event has been cancelled.

When: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 5:30 PM-7:30 PM (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada).
Where: 945 E. Washington Ave.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

We do not have a quorum so this meeting has been cancelled. I will be in touch soon to reschedule.

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The Not Very Exciting Week Ahead

After cramming in so much last week . . . this week is relatively uneventful.

Monday, October 20, 2008
4:45 PM COMMISSION ON THE ENVIRONMENT ROOM 108 CCB
- Stump grubbing, tree pruning and Emerald Ash Borer report
- Clean Lakes Report 2008 update

5:00 PM PLAN COMMISSION ROOM 260 MMB
- Update on Zoning Code Re-write
- Public Market Report

5:30 PM BOARD OF ESTIMATES JOINT MEETING WITH DANE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS PERSONNEL AND FINANCE COMMITTEE ROOM 309 CCB
- To discuss Board of Public Health

Tuesday, October 21, 2008
4:30 PM WATER UTILITY BOARD 119 E OLIN AVE.
- PSC response to toilet rebate program

5:00 PM AFFIRMATIVE ACTION COMMISSION ROOM LL-120 MMB
- Comments by Mayor's office on the role of gender, race and disability on city committees and salaries in top positions. (No link.)
- Plans for implementation on reports on gender, race and disability on city committees and salaries in top positions. (No link.)

5:30 PM ZONING CODE REWRITE ADVISORY COMMITTEE 330 WEST MIFFLIN ST, ROOMS 1 & 2 (2ND FLOOR)

Wednesday, October 22, 2008
There is an E Washington BUILD meeting that is not on the agenda yet.

Thursday, October 23, 2008
I got nothing.

Friday, October 24, 2008
There is an IZ Oversight meeting that is not on the agenda yet.

That's about it . . . like I said, not much after the craziness last week. There's got to be a way to plan this better.
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The "Other" Presidential Candidates

This year has been worse than ever for third parties, in fact, I bet very few of even the informed readers of this blog can tell me the name of the person running for President from the Green Party or tell me one thing about that person!

Third-party presidential candidates are having their debate at 8 p.m. Sunday at Columbia University in New York.

The debate, will include at least three of the four third-party candidates - independent Ralph Nader, the Green Party's Cynthia McKinney and the Constitution Party's Chuck Baldwin. Libertarian Party nominee Bob Barr said he has a scheduling
conflict, but debate organizers say he wanted to appear only with Nader. Democratic nominee Barack Obama and Republican nominee John McCain are also invited. Don't hold your breath!

Nader and Barr are on the ballot in 45 states, while the Green Party is on 31 state ballots and the Constitution Party is on the ballot in 37 states. Nader and McKinney also are on the District of Columbia ballot.

The debate is actually sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The format for Sunday's third-party debate is still being finalized. It will be moderated by Pacifica radio host Amy Goodman. The third-party debate will be streamed at www.thirdpartyticket.com and will be shown on C-SPAN.

Thanks to Maria Recio of McClatchy Newspapers for this info!
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Where's the $700 Billionfor the Rich, $16 Billion over years to Eradicate Poverty?

Friday, October 17 is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty – so declared in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly. Last month the World Bank reported an even greater level of global poverty than previously estimated. According to recent data, more than a quarter of the developing world lives in extreme poverty. There is a growing need to invest in poverty eradication with a focus on programs that address the sharp disparities that plague many societies. International aid for family planning and sexual and reproductive health services is a powerful catalyst for breaking the cycle of poverty. Yet such aid has declined in the last ten years. In Latin America and the Caribbean, a region of extreme contrasts, this decrease in aid means that the poorest are left even further behind.

Last month at a United Nations summit to review implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), world leaders, the private sector, and civil society pledged 16 billion dollars to fight poverty worldwide. Commitments totaling nearly $2 billion next year and rising to $7 billion by 2015 were made for the MDGs relating to child mortality and maternal health.

Meanwhile right here in Wisconsin . . . homelessness in the schools is up 67% from 2003-2004. Not just in Madison.

What's wrong with this picture?
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Why is Madison voting on a school referendum?

If you don't know . . . you'd better find out!

Join us for a community event at the beautiful new Goodman Community Center (149 Waubesa Street, with parking and next to the bike path) on Tuesday, October 21, 2008, 6-8 p.m.

Free spaghetti dinner and childcare provided!

6:00-7:00 Dinner and presentation by Madison Superintendent Dan Nerad
7:00-8:00 Follow-up discussion, questions, and next steps including representatives from Community and Schools Together (CAST).

Madison School Board Members have been invited to attend.

Even if you plan to vote for this referendum, find out more about why it’s so important for the continued strength of our schools!

Questions? Contact Carole Trone at 320-9580 or ctrone@uwalumni.com

And remember to vote on November 4th!

This event is sponsored by the Tenney Lapham Neighborhood Association with additional support from the Marquette Neighborhood Association and the East Attendance Area PTO Coalition.
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How is this supposed to work?

So, the Mayor is trying to remove the political influence on the funding of non-profits by taking them out of the budget process and letting the Community Services Commission make the decision after the budget process. There's just a few problems with that . . .

Here's just a few.

1. This year, that would leave the Commission, and the Early Childhood Care and Education Board and the Senior Advisory Committee 13 days to make those decisions in order to get the information to the Council for the December meeting.

2. The Mayor said that we could wait until the January meeting, but that forces the committees and non-profits to work through the holidays during the end of the year wrap up with extra accounting and reporting duties.

3. No matter how we do it, it will likely delay the contracts for the non-profits. The Mayor seemed to think that it would be ok for the non-profits to get their contracts after the contract period starts.

4. No one has actually contacted the non-profits to let them know about all these changes, so all they know is a vague paragraph sent out last Friday and whatever they might have read in the paper.

The best part is, they promised to contact the non-profits to let them know about the meeting TONIGHT at the new Goodman Atwood Neighborhood Center at 5:15.

The other problem is that everything is a moving target. Since that letter went out last Friday, we were informed that things have changed again and at least for the Office of Community Services, the COLA increases for the agencies were going to be put back in the budget. No mention of what would have with the CDBG agencies.
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Scoundrels and Rogues?!

Right here in Madison!

STU LEVITAN REVEALS “SCOUNDRELS AND ROGUES” IN EARLY MADISON HISTORY
Free program on Oct. 23 is open to the public.

MADISON, Oct. 13, 2008 –Madison historian Stuart Levitan will take a lively look at early Madison’s “scoundrels and rogues” in a presentation sponsored by Capitol Neighborhoods on Thursday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. Levitan will focus on some of the residents and characters that got Madison going in the mid-19th century.

Levitan is the author of “Madison: The Illustrated Sesquicentennial History, 1856-1931.” He is also host of “Sunday Journal” on 92.1 FM (the Mic), hosts “Access: City Hall on the Madison City Channel, and is a member of the Madison Landmarks Commission.

The Oct. 23 event will take place at Capitol Lakes Retirement Center at 333 W. Main St. It is free and open to the public; one need not be a member of Capitol Neighborhoods to attend.

“Tales of early Madison portray a number of our early residents as slightly shady,” said Bob Holloway, president of Capitol Neighborhoods. “We’ll get the truth from a scholar of Madison history.”

Capitol Neighborhoods is made up of the First Settlement, Bassett, Mifflin West, Mansion Hill, State/Langdon, and James Madison Park districts. It covers an area marked by Blair Street on the East, Lake Monona on the South, Park, Regent and Proudfit Streets on the west, and Lake Mendota on the north. More information is on the Web at capitolneighborhoods.org

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Traing Opportunities from Grass Roots Leadership College

Check these out, there will likely be something of interest!

Here is the information about the four workshops that are being offered during November and December.Applications are available by emailing amy@grassrootsleadershipcollege.org or calling 441-0085

Cost: $20 or 2 Timebank Hours per workshop. Scholarships available

Childcare available

Transportation support on request

**Working the Systems for Social Change: Stephanie Rearick, Jon Hain, John Peck, and Rob McClure from the Dane County Time Bank, Madison HOURS, and the Madison Infoshop
November 8th 1-4pm
Description: As budgets tighten and our economic system struggles, it’s more essential than ever to look to resources beyond the dollar. What would your organization do if money wasn’t an object? This workshop will explore the many resources available right here in Madison from local currency to time banking and many in between and provide the tools to plan ways to work more effectively with resources beyond dollars.

**How to Interact with the Media: KP Whaley, Glenn Mitroff, Norm Stockwell of WORT 89.9fm
November 15th 9-12 am
Description:
Learn how to interact with the media to ensure coverage of your issue or event. Topics will include how to frame your issue, develop a press release, conduct an interview, and develop a media list. Also, learn about the various ways to work with WORT 89.9FM community radio to get out the word about your organization and events.

**Grant Writing 101 with Melissa Tedrowe and others from Community Writing Assistance, Jodi Wortsman South Metropolitan Planning Council, and Leslie McAlister City of Madison
November 22nd 1-4pm
Description:
Tough economic times mean tough grant competition. In Grant Writing 101 we’ll be sharing skills to help you write the best possible grants. We’ll share information about local funding sources as well as give you the opportunity to practice skills that will work for grant writing at the local, regional, or national level.

**Community Organizers and Local Government: Dennis Boyer December 6th 9-12am
Description:
Explore some of the challenges that community organizers face when dealing with local government. Identify the skills already present in your organization. Develop methods on how to build local government relations capacity and how to enlist help.

Celebrate Democracy with the GLC on October 15th!
Many of us have our eyes on the presidential election and the upcoming debate next Wednesday. Every four years democracy lights up in a presidential election, and the country starts talking about democracy. We here at the GLC know that while the role of president is very important, there’s a lot more than that to a vibrant democracy. That’s why we’re getting together around the debates to make democracy happen. We’ll be meeting at the GLC office 1321 E. Mifflin St. Suite 201 to watch the debates and prepare a Fall mailing that will go out to more than 800 GLC graduates and friends, giving them a chance to support grassroots democracy.

You are invited to join us starting at 6:30pm on Wednesday, October 15th at the GLC office, 1321 E. Mifflin St. Suite 201, for mailing assembly and debate viewing and discussion. Timebank volunteers can earn hours for volunteering at this event. This is also a great opportunity for youth looking for community service hours.

**More Opportunities at the GLC
Op Ed Training with the Progressive Media Project
We have one spot open for GLC alumni or committee member to represent the Grassroots Leadership College at an Op Ed writing training offered by the Progressive Media Project on Friday, October 17th from 9am-5pm. There is no cost to this workshop. GLC representatives are expected to share what they’ve learned with the GLC and to write at least one Op Ed on behalf of the GLC.

On the Job Fundraising Training
Looking for a few good voices! Phone-a-thon October 27th and 29th
The Grassroots Leadership College is hosting its first ever phone-a-thon on the evenings of Monday October 27th and Wednesday October 29th. Never been part of a phone-a-thon before? No worries! We’ll be starting the evening with a training, you’ll be provided with a script, and Amy and others will be on hand to answer any questions you may have! Please give Amy a call 441-0085 or email amy@grassrootsleadershipcollege.org. Timebank hours available for this volunteer opportunity. Teens looking for community service hours are also welcome.

Fundraising Committee Looking for a Few Good Leaders!
The Fundraising committee is drafting its plan for 2009 and would love your help! This is not only a great way to support the good work of the Grassroots Leadership College it is also a super way to build your own skills in the many different aspects of fundraising. We’re looking for writers, designers, big picture people, folks who like to ask for money, and folks who like to work behind the scenes. In short we are looking for you!

Asking for the Big Gifts—Learn to Solicit Major Donations
We’ve got space for 2 or 3 more people on our Major Donor team. Major Donor team members will work directly with GLC chairperson Joe Sensenbrenner soliciting funds from potential major donors (people who give gifts of more than $500). Joe will work with team members to develop a solicitation plan for each visit, do the ask, and evaluate the process.

To get involved in any of these on the job fundraising training efforts contact Amy 441-0085 or amy@grassrootsleadershipcollege.org

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Fuel costs are . . . down?

This fuel cost argument isn't exactly panning out. The WSJ did a story that started to explain that the WORST BUDGET EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE FOR THE FIFTH YEAR IN A ROW!!!!! isn't quite so bad. We're in the middle of our first round of questions for the budget and here's a few things that I find fascinating from that night.

The Mayor, in his budget statement says:
Fuel costs are up over 40% from $5.9M to $8.4M.

However, the Metro Transit budget says that we are projected to spend $4,650,600 on diesel in 2008 and yet only are budgeting $4,529,616. Which is LESS than last year. Their gas is estimated to cost $37,300 in 2008 and we budgeted $42,000 for 2009.

The rest of the fuel costs are in Fleet and they are as follows. We are projected to spend $1,800,000 for gas this year. And next year we are budgeting $1,780,301. So again, there is no 40% increase, but in fact, a decrease. For diesel, we are projected to spend $2,530,000 and are budgeting a half million less for next year. The budget number is $2,065,343.

So, there is no 40% increase. If fact, there is a decrease. We're spending $9M this year, and we'll only spend $8.4 next year.

In relation to this, here's some good news they sent us yesterday.

Fleet fuel contract. On Wednesday, October 8 the City accepted a contract to lock in fuel prices for Fleet Services for 2009. The lowest bid came in $602,763 less than what is included in the 2009 executive budget for diesel and gasoline at Fleet Services. This adjustment reduces the necessary increase for Fleet fuel expenditures in 2009 from $1,200,000 to $597,237. Of course this amount may change during 2009 due to unanticipated fuel consumption (e.g. snow).

Recognizing our continuing challenges with the budget, after consulting with the Mayor, Council Leadership will propose a Board of Estimates amendment that will accomplish the following:

* Reduce fund balance applied from $3.3 million to $3.0 million. This will help us work toward our stated policy goal of maintaining a fund balance equal to 15% of our total operating budget.

* Increase the contribution to contingent reserve from $1.0 million to $1.2 million. This brings us into conformance with our stated policy of appropriating 0.5% of budgeted expenditures to the contingent reserve. Further, there is an existing relationship between fuel costs and the contingent reserve. Last year the contingent reserve provided Fleet Services with an increase of $101,000 for fuel. In 2008, a mid-year adjustment provided an additional $530,710 for Fleet fuel. Given the likelihood of additional fuel costs in 2008 we may want to project additional expenditures up to a $1 million for this year. This proposal restores part of those funds that were derived from our limited contingent reserve.

* Given the downturn in the economy and the increasing service demands, an increase to the total allocation to OCS by applying the remaining $72,763 in fuel cost savings. This amount would be added to the lump sum that is proposed to being allocated to the CSC following adoption of the budget. The following action, if approved by the Common Council, would meet our fund balance policy goal, protect the contingent reserve and working towards fulfilling Council members’ concerns regarding OCS’ ability to preserve their commitment to provide critical services to our community.

Stay tuned as I continue to figure out what this all means. And if we really need to increase those bus fares . . . .
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The Wednesday Scheduling Hell Week Ahead

I thought last Tuesday was bad having 4 meetings scheduled in 2 hours. This Wednesday, I am on two committees that meet at the same time, need to be at a third and fourth and fifth and would like to be at a sixth and seventh meeting. All of which start between 4:45 and 6:30!

This is work in progress. It should be done by 10:30 am. (Heh, should.)

Monday, October 13, 2008
12:00 PM EMERGING NEIGHBORHOODS FUND COMMITTEE CCB, ROOM 523-DEPT OF CIVIL RIGHTS CONFERENCE ROOM
- This may be one of the last times they have to meet! The Mayor cut $150,000 of their $200,000 budget and I don't think any one thinks the remaining $50,000 should remain.

4:30 PM BOARD OF ESTIMATES MMB, ROOM 260
- They have 10 items on the agenda before we get to the main event, which is our first crack at asking department heads about their budgets for 2009. This is the only time that they get to do their dog and pony shows. Here's the detailed schedule of which departments will present each night.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008
4:45 PM BOARD OF ESTIMATES SPECIAL MEETING: CONTINUATION OF OPERATING BUDGET DISCUSSION MMB, ROOM 260
- Asking questions of the rest of the department heads. Here's the detailed schedule of which departments will present each night.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008
There really is something wrong when you have Board of Public Works, Urban Design, Landmarks, Housing, Economic Development, Community Services, Parks Commission and the Board of Education City Liaison Committee meeting all at essentially the same time!

(This just in: Please note that due to other conflicts, the meeting scheduled for Wednesday, October 15, (of the Board of Education City Liaison Committee) has been cancelled. The committee is scheduled to meet next on Wednesday, November 19, at 5:30 p.m., here at Doyle in Room 103.)

4:30 PM BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS CCB, ROOM 108
- Marsten Ave. schedule of assessments. (#7 & 28 No links.)

4:30 PM CDA HOUSING OPERATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE MMB, SUITE 120 CONFERENCE ROOM (FIRST FLOOR)
- They'll be discussing the committee to merger the county and city housing authorities that the mayor wants to put together.

4:30 PM URBAN DESIGN COMMISSION MMB, ROOM LL-110
- The mega movie entertainment center.
- The mall on N. Sherman Ave.
- Meriter Campus Master Plan

4:45 PM LANDMARKS COMMISSION MMB, ROOM LL-130
- Landmark designation for the glass bank.
- Certificate of appropriateness for Tenney Park Ice Skating Shelter.

5:00 PM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION MMB, ROOM 260
- TIF Policy
- Prioritization of 3 - 5 year plan
- Plus, I'm sure their discussion of the 2009 budgets will be of interest.

5:00 PM HOUSING COMMITTEE MMB, ROOM 300
- Reviewing the staff's IZ report.
- Will we ever have a housing plan for the City of Madison?
- Committee on CDA and CDHA merger?
- Update from CDA/Mark Olinger on their activities. This is at least the third time this has been on the agenda, I wonder if it will happen this time?
- Affordable Housing Trust Fund

5:35 PM COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION GOODMAN COMMUNITY CENTER, 149 WAUBESA ST, EVJUE ROOM,
- Um . . . this is the "wtf just happened?" meeting. The budget discussion is likely to take up most of the meeting. The loss of staff and the lack of cola increases that the Mayor promised are likely to be quite the topic of discussion. I think this is one of the agencies that got hit the worst in this year's budget . . . despite the call from police for more services.

6:30 PM BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS WARNER PARK COMMUNITY RECREATION CENTER, 1625 NORTHPORT DR
- Alcohol in the parks report. (No link.)
- The trees! Stump grubbing, emerald ash borer and pruning schedules.
- Property of the homeless left in parks.

Thursday, October 16, 2008
4:30 PM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY THE VILLAGER STUDIO, 2234C SOUTH PARK STREET
5:00 PM EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES COMMISSION MMB, ROOM LL-120
5:30 PM DOWNTOWN COORDINATING COMMITTEE CCB, ROOM 108
5:30 PM LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING COMMISSION MMB, ROOM LL-110
6:00 PM PUBLIC MEETING FOCUSING ON ZONING FOR CO-OP HOUSING ROOM LL-130 MMB

Friday, October 17, 2008
11:30 AM COMMON COUNCIL BROWN BAG LUNCHEON CENTRAL CITY ISSUES DISCUSSION

I still have no clue how Wednesday is going to work!
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Budget - Who's in? Who's out?

Here's a summary of the jobs lost and gained in the 2009 budget. Despite the fact that it is the (cue the thunder and evil laughter) WORST BUDGET YEAR EVER, we're adding 2.7 positions. Here's the winners and losers!

Fire - 9 new positions
Firefighter 6.00
Elevator Inspector 1.00
Elevator Inspector--Lead 1.00
Administrative Clerk 1.00

Police - 7 new positions
Police Officer -4.00 (Upgraded to sergeants)
Sergeant 4.00
Records Manager 1.00
Clerk-Typist 1.00
Police Report Typist 1.00
Parking Enforcement Officer 2.00
Parking Leadworker 1.00
Administrative Clerk 1.00

Public Health - lost two half-time positions
Clerk Typist -0.50 Vacant
Fit City Coordinator -0.50 Filled Position

Mayor - no changes.

Municipal Court - loss of 1.5 positions
Judicial Support Clerk -1.00 Vacant
Admin. Clerk 1 -0.50 Vacant

Dep't. of Civil Rights - no changes.

Attorney - plus .50 position.
Admin Clerk (LTE), 0.50 LTE, per MOU

Clerk - no changes.

Comptroller - no changes.

Human Resources - no changes.

Engineering - two new positions.
Street Machine Operator 1.00 Billed to Utilities
Engineer 2 1.00 Billed to Utilities

Parks Division - loss of two positions.
Public Works Maintenance Wkrs -2.00 Both Vacant

Streets Division - loss of four positions.
Street Machine Operator 1s -4.00 Filled Positions

Water Utility - loss of three positions.
Waterworks Maint. Worker -3.00
Waterworks Operator 1 3.00
WU Oper. Leadworker -1.00 Vacant
Equipment Operator 3 -1.00 Vacant
Water Meter Mechanic -1.00 Vacant

Metro Transit - gain of three positions.
Transit Marketing Specialist 2 1.00
Transit Motor Coach Operators 2.00

Traffic Engineering - loss of 1.10 positions.
Bike Registration Coordinator -0.10
Facility Maintenance Worker -1.00 Filled Position

Office of Director of PCED - adding .5 position.
Planning Systems Analyst .5 moved from Inspection Unit

Planning Unit - loss of a position.
Planner 3: Ofc. Of Neigh. Support -1.00 Vacant

Inspection Unit - loss of 1.5 positions.
Property Code Inspector 1 -0.50 Vacant
Planning Systems Analyst -1.00 Vacant: .5 FTE moved to Dir.

Economic Development Division - gains one position.
CDA Redevelopment Project Mgr. 1.00 Effective July 1, 2009

Housing Operations - loss of two positions.
Housing Maintenance Worker -1.00 Vacant
Construction Project Coord. -1.00 Vacant
Custodial Worker -1.00 Vacant
Modernization Grants Manager 1.00

CDBG - loss of one position.
Grants Supervisor -1.00 Vacant

Office of Community Services - loss of two positions.
Community Services Supervisor -1.00
Weed and Seed Coordinator -1.00 Filled position: Grant Funded

Library - loss of .20 position
Librarian -0.20

In summary, raise the bus fares for 3 new positions, police and fire get 16 new positions, Mark Olinger cuts positions in units under him (CDBG, Office of Community Services, Building Inspection, Planning & Housing Operations), but adds staff for CDA (which he is in charge of) and his own office. Larry Nelson cuts positions in departments under him (Parks, Streets & Traffic Engineering), but gets new positions in the Engineering Department paid for by utilities. Few departments are not impacted and the majority are negatively impacted despite the fact that we are overall adding positions.
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AAA Bond Rating - One of the Nation's Strongest Economies

Here's what Moody's has to say about the City's AAA Bond rating, including that we have "one of the nation's strongest economies".

MOODY'S ASSIGNS Aaa RATING TO THE CITY OF MADISON'S (WI) $58.0 MILLION GO PROMISSORY NOTES, SERIES 2008-A

Aaa RATING APPLIES TO $254.7 MILLION OF POST-SALE GOULT DEBT

General Obligation Promissory Notes, Series 2008-A Aaa
Sale Amount $58,000,000
Expected Sale Date 10/07/08
Rating Description General Obligation Unlimited Tax

NEW YORK, October 3, 2008 -- Moody's Investors Service has assigned a Aaa rating and stable outlook to the City of Madison's (WI) $58.0 million General Obligation Promissory Notes, Series 2008-A. Concurrently, Moody's has affirmed the Aaa rating on the city's $254.7 million of outstanding general obligation unlimited tax backed debt. The notes, which are secured by the city's general obligation unlimited tax pledge, will finance various infrastructure projects throughout the city. Moody's highest quality rating is based on the city's strong and diverse economy; sound financial operations that benefit from favorable reserve levels as well as the stability of the city's primary revenue sources; and a favorable debt profile.

LARGE AND DIVERSE TAX BASE SUPPORTED BY ONE OF THE NATION'S STRONGEST ECONOMIES

Moody's expects continued growth in the city's substantial and diverse $23.1 billion tax base due to the availability of land for development, appreciation of existing property, and the area's strong employment base. Over the last five years, the city's tax base has increased by a sound 7.3% average annual rate., though this slowed notably in 2008 which posted a 3.6% change over the prior year. While economic growth over the near-term will likely remain slow, employment within the Madison MSA is expected stable. The most recent monthly unemployment figure, 3.6% in July 2008, reflects the availability of employment opportunities in the region and compares favorably to both state and national rates for the same period (4.8% and 6.0%, respectively). City officials report that although the foreclosure rate has risen, this index is still very low when compared nationally.

The University of Wisconsin - Madison campus remains the state university system's flagship campus with a significant student enrollment of over 42,000, or over 19% of the city's total population. Anchored by the presence of the state capital and county seat, the city also enjoys a highly diverse economic base. High technology, software development, and bio-medical research have become a larger component of the city's economy and continue to expand, drawn in part by the highly educated labor force of this university community. Resident income indices are above average, despite the high student population, indicating above average resident wealth levels and the quality of available jobs in the region.

SOLID FINANCIAL OPERATIONS BENEFIT FROM STRONG BUDGETARY CONTROL AND FAVORABLE RESERVE LEVELS

Moody's anticipates that the city's financial operations will remain sound given the stability of the local economy and management's strong fiscal oversight. The city annually budgets for the use of designated reserves, but routinely exceeds budgeted revenue projections while coming in under budget on expenditures. The conservative nature of management's projections is reflected in the history of annual General Fund surpluses, with the exceptions of fiscals 2004 and 2005 due to special circumstances. The fiscal 2004 General Fund deficit of $6.2 million was a result of a $5 million use of reserves to pay down the city's unfunded pension liability and a $2 million increase in the city's worker compensation fund reserve, based on an updated actuarial analysis. Fiscal 2005 resulted in a moderate operating deficit of $2.1 million, due in part to unplanned one-time expenditures as well as a temporary advance of $4.7 million to the water enterprise that was subsequently repaid with bond proceeds. Further, the General Fund balance was restated with a $2.7 million increase, due to a removal of an accrued liability for expensed vacation and sick leave, per the recommendation of the city's independent auditors.

In fiscal 2005, the city's Unreserved/Undesignated General Fund balance had dropped to 12% of General Fund revenues, which is short of the city's stated goal to maintain undesignated reserves equal to 15% of the budgeted expenditures. Despite a plan to apply another $3.5 million of designated reserves in fiscal 2006, the city closed the year with a $6.8 million surplus resulting from favorable revenue variances in investment income and other sources. The strong surplus in 2006 along with the repayment of $3.0 million from the water utility brought undesignated eeserves to $32.5 million, or a healthy 16.6% of General Fund revenues. The city applied $2.5 million of fund balance to its fiscal 2007 budget but again actual results reflected a $1.4 million surplus, primarily due to better than budgeted interest earnings. In fiscal 2008, the city planned the use of $2.0 million in fund balance and officials report the city is thus far on track with the budget. Management notes that heavy snow fall and high fuel prices, along with slow interest earnings and building permit revenues, are the key budget items that will likely
result in realizing the planned draw this year.

The city derives the bulk of its revenues from property taxes,comprising 66.1% of core receipts (fiscal 2007). Public safety and public works are the city's two largest expenditures, representing 45.3% and 22.0% of operating expenses, respectively. Favorably, the city does not face a sizeable actuarial liability under GASB 45 reporting requirements as post-retirement health benefits are very limited.

MODEST DEBT BURDEN WITH DIRECT DEBT SUBJECT TO AGGRESSIVE RETIREMENT

Moody's believes the city's debt profile will remain favorable as outstanding debt is rapidly retired and taxable resources will continue to expand moderating the impact of the city's future borrowing plans. The city's overall debt burden is modest at 2.2%, with direct debt below average at 1.3% of full valuation. In terms of additional borrowing, the city may issue sewer utility revenue bonds later this year. According to the city's capital improvement plan it will issue approximately $58 million in 2009. Such borrowing is expected to remain manageable as the rate of principal amortization on general obligation debt is extremely rapid with 94.0% retired in ten years.

KEY STATISTICS:

2000 Census Population: 208,054 (8.4% increase from 1990)

2008 Full valuation: $23.1 billion

Estimated full value per capita: $102,778

Unemployment (07/08): 3.6%

1999 per capita income as % of state: 111%

1999 median family income as a % of state: 113%

Debt burden: 2.2% (1.3% direct)

Payout of principal (10 years): 94.0%

FY2007 undesignated General Fund balance: $30.9 million (15.1% of General Fund
revenues)

Post-sale rated GOULT debt outstanding: $254.7 million


ANALYSTS:
Beth A. Dougherty, Analyst, Public Finance Group, Moody's Investors
Service John Humphrey, Backup Analyst, Public Finance Group, Moody's
Investors Service

Edward Damutz, Senior Credit Officer, Public Finance Group, Moody's
Investors Service

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Do we need a new Downtown Library? What should it look like?

Here's a public forum to learn more discuss your thoughts!

Wed. Oct 29 7:00 PM in the Grand Hall at Capitol Lakes 333 W. Main

The intent of the forum was to engage a community discussion on the role of a central library in Madison. The City has issued a RFP to solicit proposals for placing the central library within a larger mixed use building. (http://www.cityofmadison.com/business/pw/documents/centrallibraryRFP.pdf )

We felt it would be useful to discuss the library in the context of a stand alone building and within a mixed use building and how this reflects on a community's values and use of their library.

Our panel will include Barb Dimick the Library Director and Jeffery Scherer an architect with Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle in Minneapolis. (http://www.msrltd.com/ ) Jeff has worked with libraries for 25+ years and is currently consulting with several communities in this regard. He is also the current chair of Libraries for the Future ( http://www.lff.org/ )

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Parks Watch Program Training

This is from Kevin Briski from the Parks Department. No one interested downtown? Brittingham? James Madison? Period Garden?

Dear Mayor & Common Council Members: As many of you know, the Madison Parks Division and the Madison Police Department are working in collaboration to start a new Parks Watch program. This program is modelled on the Neighborhood Watch Program, but will focus on parks. After launching the program a month ago, we've received several inquiries from residents in wishing to join the Parks Watch.

One collective training session will be held this fall. In the spring, we will resume the publicity of the program and the training.

Fall Training Session: Wednesday, October 29, 7:00p.m. - East Police District Station, 809 S. Thompson Drive

I encourage you all to invite your residents to this training session, and to even attend yourself!

For your reference, the following is a list of parks that had a resident call and sign up for this first training: Kennedy Park, Heritage Heights Park, BB Clarke Beach, Lake Edge Park, Yahara Place Park, Heistand & Elver Parks, Lerdahl Park, High Point Park, Carpenter-Ridgeway Park.

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School Referendum Info

Are you ready to vote on this on November 4th? Thanks to Beth Moss for passing this information along and please contact her if you'd like someone to come talk to your group.

On Nov 4 we will not only be electing a new president and vice-president, but we will also be voting on a referendum to help our schools continue to provide the high quality education and services that our families and community expect. If passed, the referendum will give relief to the district from the state imposed revenue cap, which forces the Board of Education to make cuts in programs, staff, and services each year. Our community needs your help to get the word out that this referendum is vitally important to our schools and our children. Community and Schools Together is taking literature door to door to let people know that at the bottom of their ballot, there is a referendum question, and to please vote Yes! CAST needs volunteers to take literature and place it under a door mat or in a door handle so that we can educate our neighbors. If you can help, please reply to me, and I’ll give you more information.

Referendum information

(for more complete info, please go to www.madison.k12.wi.us/ and click on Referendum or www.madcitygrumps )

This referendum is more complicated than usual because the Board has enacted several tax mitigating measures to provide relief to property owners.

The Superintendent is framing the request as a partnership with the community. The budget gap for 2009-10 is $8.2 million. The Board is asking the community for $5 million. The remaining $3 million will be made up by using $2 million from the leftover fund balance (will not affect the district’s bond rating), $600,000 from unallocated elementary positions (will not affect staffing levels), and $400,000 from efficiencies yet to be determined.

For the following year the request is for $4 million; the actual gap is predicted to be $6 million, but the BOE has voted to implement a Capital Expansion Fund (Fund 41) to pay for maintenance projects. All maintenance funds will be put into the fund, and the district will be able to spread out the use of that money over several years. The other advantage of this fund is that it allows the district to pay less money in negative aid back to the state, thus lowering the school tax levy. Negative aid is the money that property rich districts such as Madison pay to the state to subsidize districts with less property wealth and less ability to raise money. The Board has also voted to move $2 million from the fund 80 fund balance, which will also lower the tax levy for 1 year only. Thus, these 2 tax mitigating actions will actually lower the tax levy rate for a Madison homeowner. Home owners in Madison are already paying less in school tax than they were in 1997.

- What does recurring mean, and why is it needed?

The referendum is for 3 years, and it is recurring. That means the Board is asking for $5 million, $4 million, and $4 million, and in subsequent years the base of $13 million will not increase. If the district does not continue to receive the resources after 3 years, then it will face a $17 million shortfall and will have to make devastating cuts to programs. If given the jurisdiction to raise the tax levy for 3 years and then hold steady after that, MMSD will be in a much stronger position financially until state finance reform occurs. Even when that does happen, Madison will not be positively affected for some time. If it does not happen in the near future, the BOE will still be forced to make cuts but they will not be as deep. The Board is trying to look forward to improving the schools, and must have the resources and the promise of resources to do so. If the community wants a 4 year old kindergarten program, MMSD must have the resources to plan ahead and not just continue to cut programs year after year. If the community wants to redesign our high schools to address the needs of our ever changing student population, and send the students out to be productive global citizens, the schools need the resources. We are beyond the point of not affecting kids and of not affecting programs with the annual cuts.

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Absentee Voting & Voter Registration Info

Absentee Voting and Registration for November 4 Election.

Absentee ballots are now available in the Madison City Clerk's Office.

Eligible voters may register and vote absentee in the Clerk's Office from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. this week. The Clerk's Office will extend its hours for absentee voting beginning Monday, October 13, and will be open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fridays, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Absentee voting in the Clerk's Office ends at 5 p.m. on Monday, November 3.

Absentee voters who would like to participate in the Election Day Food Drive for Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin may bring their non-perishable food items to the Clerk's Office.

Absentee ballots will be mailed to registered voters who have submitted a request that contains their name, Madison address, address to which the ballot should be mailed, and signature. The deadline for requesting that an absentee ballot be sent to you by mail is Thursday, October 30. Requests can be sent to City Clerk, City-County Building Room 103, 210 Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd., Madison, WI 53703.

Madison residents who have not registered to vote at their current address may pre-register in person at the City Clerk's Office, any Madison Fire Station, or any Madison Public Library.

Pre-registration for the November 4 General Election closes on Wednesday, October 15, at 5 p.m. The only place you can register to vote from October 16 through November 3 is in the City Clerk's Office. The only place you can register to vote on Election Day is at your polling place.

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Common Council Recap - Uh . . .

All I can say is I have no idea how the meeting took two hours. No. freaking. clue.

- We heard a few people speak to us about the capital budget and how we are spending way too much money we don't have on roads we don't need.
- We sent back an appointment (Curt Brink), to CARPC - well, kind of, but not a word was said about it.
- We placed the light bulb ordinance on file (it's dead), without any discussion at all. But, the city attorney basically said we couldn't do it in a memo to us.
- There were two neighborhood issues. One took 45 minutes over something we didn't have any authority to do anything about anyways. (The Parks Commission had the authority.)
- We borrowed $58M for our $94M 2008 Capital Budget. This was the most significant action, but again, not a word except a request by me to have the comptroller explain even tho I had just heard the explanation 10 minutes before the council meeting with 4 o my colleagues. The good news is that we kept our AAA bond rating and the notes were at a 3.8% interest rate, which is just a little more than last year's 3.71% interest rate.
- The ordinance to double the parking tickets and tow cars was referred. Without discussion.

That's it. Really, I don't know how this took us two hours. There was much babbling with no apparent purpose.

Afterwards Rummel, Clear, Gruber, Bruer, Schumacher and me went to the Great Dane.
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One Huge Item Missing!

Dean Mosiman called me about the budget story he wrote. It's hard to react to something you haven't seen, but one thing is clear. The Mayor totally misled me and several others when he said he would hold Community Services agencies harmless like the police department. Not true.

No cost of living increases for the Community Services and CDBG groups. I was mad enough when he told us that even though we requested 4%, he was giving us 3%. (And he didn't even know that he didn't give us what we had requested.) When I say "us", I mean as part of the Early Childhood Education and Childcare Board. I seriously, don't want to go to another heartbreaking meeting where we agonize over which after school program to cut.

This is absurd on so many levels. Nothing for kids to do after school will just mean we need more police services. Which means there will be less money for community services and then Capt. Lengfeld can complain that the community services agencies just can't keep up. It makes sense, he's right, if there are no cost of living increases and the city is growing, and health care and fuel costs and everything else goes up, how are agencies supposed to keep up. Duh.

This makes no sense. We better just add 100 more police officers and get them some human services training, because there won't be community services to work with them to prevent troubles in the community. Or, we better just start accepting that lower quality of life that some neighborhoods are concerned about
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Tell me again . . . .

When we did that "reorganization" of the Planning and Development Department, we know we got a new Economic Development Unit with elevated profile, what did the neighborhoods get?

- The "Neighborhood Preservation" Unit, formerly known as Building Inspection, will once again be called Building Inspection. No real changes, just lipstick.

- The Committee to study of the Office of Neighborhood Support - even tho it has been in two budgets now, hasn't met yet.

- The position of the people who headed the CDBG Office and the Office of Community Services are being eliminated.

So, what did neighborhoods and the community get out of the reorganization?
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$2 Bus Fares for What?

Gas prices, right? Wrong! Here's what increased bus fares would pay for:

1. Fifty thousand dollars for reestablishment of the popular “Route 10” service from the near East Side to the UW and an additional $100,000 for additional service expansion, as determined by the Transit and Parking Commission.

2. The addition of a Transit Marketing Specialist to enhance Metro's marketing resources, in particular to help market pass programs for large and small businesses.

3. One hundred thousand dollars to provide additional security at transfer points. While the Madison Police Department maintains a regular presence at the transfer stations, some additional security is needed to help ensure safety during certain times at the transfer stations. A plan for security improvements will be developed by a work group consisting of staff from the Mayor's Office, Madison Police Department, Metro Transit, and the Madison Metropolitan School District.

4. A doubling of funding for Transit for Jobs or similar programs from the current $40,000 to $80,000 to help provide access to Metro for low-income riders.

5. The creation of a reserve fund, budgeted at $235,000, to help Metro rebuild its now exhausted reserves and to help cushion its budget against future fuel price fluctuations.

6. The remaining revenues will go to defray fuel and other costs.

Hmmmmm . . . I feel like this was a bait and switch. People understand fuel prices going up, but the fact of the matter is that we locked in with diesel prices under $3.50. But the Mayor is saying that they are going to be over $4. If you were thinking raising fares made sense, stop and think about it, the reasons for doing so don't quite add up.
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The Tuesday-Is-A-Two-Hour-Trainwreck Week Ahead

After the Jewish Holidays and budget adjustments, the meetings are all jumbled up - you need to pay attention this month, since the meetings are not at their regular times!

Monday, October 6, 2008
3:30 PM DOWNTOWN HOTEL FEASIBILITY STUDY COMMITTEE MONONA TERRACE, MEETING ROOM 4 (LEVEL 4)
- Wow, wouldn't it be cool if you could get information for this meeting on line? I hate agendas like this. You either have to show up to get the info or hope they actually do their minutes in a timely manner and remember to go back and review them.

5:00 PM PUBLIC SAFETY REVIEW BOARD ROOM LL-110 MMB
- Update on 911 committee (No link.)
- Discussion on how MPD puts incidents on their website. Given the Isthmus article, this might be interesting. (No link.)

5:30 PM PLAN COMMISSION ROOM 201 CCB
- Solar/wind systems ordinance.

6:00 PM BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS 3330 ATWOOD AVE
- Only one item, Olbrich Master Plan. (No links!!!)

Tuesday, October 7, 2008
4:30 PM COMMON COUNCIL ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITTEE ROOM 103A CCB
- Only one item, which is the personnel issues in our office. We'll FINALLY go into closed session, which if you ask me we should have done a long, long time ago, but we only have an hour before the Mayor's spin session on the budget. I think this is council leaderships way of making sure we don't get involved. But, we are and they can't avoid that.

5:30 PM COMMON COUNCIL - DISCUSSION ROOM 201 CCB
- I don't know why we are meeting on the budget when we've only had it for a few hours, if that. Sadly, I'm guessing it's the Mayor's plan to spin everything before we can really get any information and council leadership's way of getting themselves out of answering questions about what is going on in our office. And this meeting is only 45 minutes before leadership and the Board of Estimates members, including the Mayor, have to leave.

6:15 PM BOARD OF ESTIMATES ROOM 103A CCB
- This is the special meeting the Board of Estimates has to approve the borrowing rate for the year. Although I am confused, since usually this is done the day that this is on the Council agenda, I suspect, there will be an addendum to the agenda.

6:30 PM COMMON COUNCIL ROOM 201 CCB
There are lots of items, but only two of interest.
- What do we amend the police budget every year for Halloween, its not like its a surprise that it's going to be a cost.
- Doubling the fines for not moving your car on snow emergency days, citywide (from $30 to $60) plus approving towing cars throughout the city (add $50). That's going to be a very expensive mistake.

Council leadership (Bruer and Clear) and the Mayor should have their freaking heads examined for scheduling four meetings in 2 hours. Methinks perhaps they don't really want our full attention or hope that we all just rush through the meetings and won't ask too many questions, lest they have to answer them!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008
10:30 AM MINORITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE (MAC) ROOM LL-130 MMB
- Discussion of hiring practices and how it impacts people of color.

12:00 PM PERSONNEL BOARD ROOM 108 CCB
- The discussion here looking interesting, I wish materials were available.

Thursday, October 9, 2008
4:30 PM ALCOHOL LICENSE ESTABLISHMENT RESPONSE TEAM (ALERT) ROOM 401 CCB
- Another useless agenda . . . I have no idea what they will be talking about.

As usual, I suspect there were some meetings missing when I looked, so check the weekly schedule. I'm pretty sure that IZ meets on Friday, but its not on the agenda yet. I've also been told that Community Services Commission should be meeting this week, and hopefully they will be talking about the fact that the Community Services and CDBG offices are each losing a position in this year's budget. It's all part of the Planning & Community & Economic Development reorganization gone bad.

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Important Metro Facts. Fares = 2.6% of Budget

Before you buy that the bus fares need to raised to $2, think about the facts below. And, I find it particularly ironic in that this morning's news is telling us that gas could be down to $3 per gallon by the end of the fall.

Here's the facts from the 2008 budget:
Total Madison Metro Bus Budget: Fixed Route Service $40,424,795 plus 8,360,152 for paratransit service for a total of $48,784,947
City's Contribution: $9,766,712 ($1 ,568,965 goes to paratransit, the rest to the fixed route services)(20%)
Amount raised by bus fares: $1,268,950 (2.6%)

Are the fares really really the answer? They only are 2.6% of the entire Madison Metro budget. Could raising fares end up doing more harm than good?

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Amused by the power of the blog.

I am always amused when my blog makes "news" - and the reporters don't even bother to call me but just quote the blog itself. But I was a bit surprised that Pat Simms got wrath out of yesterday's blog post.

I kind of got stuck on the alleged "wrath", which according to dictionary.com is

1. strong, stern, or fierce anger; deeply resentful indignation; ire.
2. vengeance or punishment as the consequence of anger.

Since she never talked to me, I'm not sure how she got that. Did you read that in the blog post? Concern, amusement, interest, and a bit of snark, maybe, but wrath? It takes a little more than an email with some uniformed comments in it to spark my wrath. And sadly, the post had more to do with correcting some misinformation and questioning if we needed more money for community services. But none of that made the press.

WIBA got it a little more accurate. It's more of a "concern" but with them it always amuses me that they talk about me, but rarely to me. I'll be curious to see how many of their listeners actually click the link and read my blog.

I am even more amused that story then makes it to the "right's answer to the Southern Poverty Law Center". Now that's just scary. Who do you think fed it to them?
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Police: Get Tough on Landlords and Limit Subsidized Housing

At Alder Pham-Remmele's request the Common Council members were recently forwarded an email between Alder Thuy Pham-Remmele and Captain Jay Lengfeld that I find of great interest for several reasons. Read it for yourself.

Thuy,

It is my opinion that the police department has fulfilled the commitments we stated in the response meeting we had over a year and we continue to work on them. I have attached the PowerPoint presentation and would be interested in what you feel we have not done. It is important that you take some responsibility and ownership for the problems we are having in the neighborhoods. You are one of twenty policy makers for the city. Many of these neighborhood problems could have been prevented with better City Policies. It is much easier to prevent a problem than trying to solve it. Last week alone West District Staff meet with three landlords, had four different problem units be served with 5 to 14 day eviction notices, executed a drug search warrant with a follow-up drug abatement letter, ran a prostitution reversal operation, which netted seven arrests, plus handled all the calls for service and secondary investigation. You must also understand that the West District provides services to six other aldermanic districts. Here are a few suggests on what you can do to help citizens like Mary and other City's neighborhoods:

1. The City needs to reduce or freeze the number of subsidized housing units in the city. The at risk population in Madison has exceeded the ability of service provides to service them.

2. The City needs to license landlords, so we have citywide standards and can weed out the bad ones.

3. Landlords need more protection to deny applicants with a history of bad behavior. The Russett Rd shooting is a prefect example: a family was evicted from an address on the Southside for behavior reasons and within weeks they had the same bad behavior in the Russett Rd area. We are now evicting them from Russett, but I am sure they will find housing somewhere else in the city and bring the same problems to that neighborhood.

We will be working on the Mayhill problem, but it would be nice to try in preventing these types of problems in the future.

Jay

So, I'm not quite sure where to start . . . perhaps some training for the police department about current tenant and landlord laws in Madison, and Wisconsin. One thing I did do, was ask the City Attorney to dust off the landlord registration ordinance that Alders Jeanne MacCubbin and Matt Sloan worked on and I plan to re-introduce it. That ought to be fun to watch.

Now, a few, um, facts to share with you.

1. The City hasn't increased its subsidized housing stock in, um, years. CDA hasn't built any new public housing units since the 1970's and the section 8 program hasn't added any Section 8 vouchers since the 1990s. [NOTE: I was a bit off, the last time we got new Section 8 vouchers was 2000/2001.]

2. Landlords have all the ability in the world to deny tenants for bad behavior and eviction records. They simply have to do landlord reference checks and check CCAP.

3. There is no money in the City budget for increased community services to help service providers because we gave it all to the police department last year for their 30 new officers to deal with these problems. You can't have it both ways, do we need police to solve these problems or services?

My bigger concern is that we have leadership in the police department that are uninformed about what the laws already allow landlords to do and have bought into the stereotype that poor people cause crime. Poor people are poor. Criminals cause crime. Some poor people are criminals. Not all poor people cause crime. Limiting places for poor people to live will not prevent crime. Good landlord screening allowed under the current laws will help make sure that people who create problems in a neighborhood are screened out, regardless of their financial status.

Also, someone, get the police department some freaking training! Please. Oh, wait, I guess that someone is possibly me. But we all know how the police department feels about being told what to do.

Finally, I find this statement very, very interesting.

The at risk population in Madison has exceeded the ability of service provides [sic] to service them.

Does this mean we will see the police advocating for more community services during budget? Is that their professional opinion about what we really need? Because I couldn't agree more. The COLA increases that the non-profits have been given for the past many years are not covering the costs of healthcare, living wage and other expenses and certainly do not cover the needs of a growing city. And, could you imagine what $2M in community services instead of police services might have done?
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I Wish I Didn't Have to Believe This

Sexual harrassment in the City of Madison (Big "C") tolerated. This. Looks. Bad.

This just made me sick. Let me get this straight. Woman gets sexually harrassed. Woman gets fired. City Attorney finds "sufficient evidence of sexual harassment" and settles case. Man keeps job. Woman not re-hired. In fact, barred from employment with the city?? Mayor supports settlement.

What am I missing? This doesn't look like a "zero tolerance" policy! Why didn't she get her job back? Why did he keep his job?
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Lies! Don't Believe Everything You Read!

Ok - there must be some sort of glitch in the universe, where facts can now just be made up. Put down the newspaper or close the web browser and walk away.

I had planned on writing something about the smears against me and lies by Critical Badger and the comments at the end of a Badger Herald Article, but the Cap Times and the Daily Cardinal had even worse errors. So, here are a errors I'd like to see them correct, but I won't hold my breath.

CAP TIMES - MAYOR PLAYED ROLE IN CREATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND?!
The Affordable Housing Trust Fund was created in 2001. Ald Todd Jarrell, Ald Tom Powell, CDBG member and Affordability Subcomittee member Patrick Depula and Housing Committee member Tom Hirsch along with myself played major roles in passing the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and put an amendment in the budget for $400,000 that passed. The Mayor at the time was Sue Bauman and most people had no clue who current Mayor Dave Cieslewicz was.

So, when the Cap Times threw this little gem in their article today about Inclusionary Zoning:

The mayor played a role in establishing the city's affordable housing trust fund and backs other housing programs, but he said the potential to create economically diverse neighborhoods is one that has been unique to inclusionary zoning.

I nearly dropped my laptop. That is some crazy revisionist history being spun out there.

This mayor has not only had nothing to do with the creation of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, he has actively reduced funding or failed to fund it every year since elected and has tried to raid it (see Amendment 14) or give it away on more than one occasion.

DAILY CARDINAL - MY HOMELESS ORDINANCES PASSED!!
Cool. That was easy.

Reading this opinion piece in the Daily Cardinal was just painful. I've often said that the three years I spent in law school reading nothing but the campus papers must be the most misinformed years of my life. The Daily Cardinal today drives that point home times ten. Here's my favorite gem from their opinion piece:

Konkel then passed a proposal to allow homeless people to urinate and sleep in public places.

They must have adopted the Wisconsin State Journal policy that fact-don't-matter-in-opinion-pieces.

Sadly, the proposals aren't even drafted yet. There aren't even copies for people to review. The one ordinance that got drafted for introduction at the next council meeting is the one where the police, parks department and others can't just throw away the belongings of the homeless that are left on public property.

CRITICAL BADGER/DAILY CARDINAL - BRENDA IS ALL POWERFUL HA HA HA HA HA!!!! (Cue thunder and lightening!)
According to the Critical Badger, I apparently wrote this, because no one is capable of talking about homelessness and having an opinion without me writing it for them, apparently.

Let me just say this. Samir called me on Sunday, I didn't return the call. He wrote this on his own. I don't think I've even ever met the guy or talked to him. Seriously. Wow. Get out the tin foil hats and dust off the conspiracy theory books. In case it isn't obvious, I don't exactly hang out on campus with student groups.

I know, you're not supposed to pick fights with those who buy ink by the barrel . . . but that ink is becoming a thing of the past, the ethics and the time reporters are given to work on something are eroding and I know I'm naive, but I believe that the truth matters. (Yes, in blogs too CB.)
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