Monster (Effort) Monday Morning Round Up

Some of this might have gotten a little old (last two weeks), but I've cleared out all my blog topics, google alerts and google reader info since the beginning of the month . . . so . . . here it is! From now on I should be back up to date and be doing this daily again . . .

SHOULD THE CITY OF MADISON LET ITS ALCOHOL DENSITY PLAN EXPIRE?
Yes. But, um, how does the Wisconsin State Journal pick the issues that it urges people to contact their alders and Mayor about. I know we're in the world of anything goes with journalism, but does this newer series seem odd to you?

THE SCHOOL BOARD WEEK AHEAD AND ROUND UP
TJ did it again, third week in a row! Thanks TJ! He also does a good job rounding up how budgets are faring around the rest of Wisconsin, I'll give you a hint. Not. Good. Especially given that we have overcrowding in some elementary schools here in Madison.

WOW, MONONA MUST HAVE MONEY TO BURN?
They cops went door to door delivering the news about the school board budget and closing Maywood Elementary School and telling people to attend the meeting. The letter was signed by the Mayor. I don't think Madison voters would have found that acceptable.

RESPONSE TO MY CHARACTERIZATION OF A COMMENT
Nan Fey had this to say in response to my blog about Edgewater at the plan commission. Here's what she had to say . . . fwiw

I believe your blog has mischaracterized my tie-breaking comments on Monday night.....

This is what I actually said:

"The chair is going to vote Aye, so that we can move this along to the next level. I am sympathetic with the need for these other commissions to hear from us on a policy matter that, I agree as Mr. Sundquist said, really is in our bailywick. And the council will obviously have the opportunity to look at this when it comes before them -- if they want to tweak it in some way that's their prerogative to do. But at least we've let them go ahead."

More focused than I expected, given how awful I felt.

I did think I cut her some slack . . . cuz she clearly was sick but hanging in there.

ARE YOU GETTING TIRED OF PEOPLE IN LINE TO GET STIMULUS MONEY YET?
Really, the railroad hasn't upgraded their rail lines and can only got 10 mph in some spots, so now we should pay for it?

PEDESTRIAN CHARGED FOR BEING HIT BY CAR?
If this hadn't been a student and happened on campus, would she have been ticketed? Even the police thought that maybe a construction truck has obscured her view. So why was she ticketed? Seems like there is more to the story.

WHAT A KNOB!
Apparently, only Wolf Appliances can make stoves with red knobs. Who knew? Ok, who cares? :)

RAISE REAL ESTATE TRANSFER FEES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING
It's not just Milwaukee that has thought about it, but its still a great idea! Other states do it, we should too. Madison, well some of us, tried to do it back in 2001.

TAKING ON THE HERALD
This is an interesting take on their double standard in their concerns about their comment policy. And its not pretty.

HOMES SALES
This doesn't sound so bad. Or this. Especially since I'm not sure its realistic to think that we'll ever be back at those peak 2004 numbers. I guess with the low prices it is good WHEDA is back in the game. Median house sales at $190,000 in Dane county, now is the time to buy, if you can get the credit!

NEWSPAPER DECLARES VIBRANT NEWSPAPERS HERE TO STAY
Sounds kind of naive to me and disingenuous. When they start sending reporters to more city meetings, maybe I'll believe them. This whole reporting on meetings they didn't attend based on a couple phone calls after the meeting and not even covering many issues going on does not a vibrant newspaper make.

THE OTHER EMINENT DOMAIN ISSUE
Not the one where the CDA is taking land from the African American landlords, but the one where the Board of Regents is taking land from Brother's Bar.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE COUNTY BOARD ENDORSEMENTS
The County Board Chair turn down the endorsement and they only endorse in 19 of the 37 seats, with some incumbents not even having races. Looks like their endorsement might not mean too much in the county board races?

I WONDER . . .
Was golf playing the same accounting games as the pool (second story down)?

THREE STORIES TOO BIG?
Wow. When is the last time downtown got a three story building, these folks don't know how lucky they are!

I WONDER IF THIS GOT FIXED FOR BOARD OF ESTIMATES TONIGHT?
My guess is if you are interested in watching from home, the sooner, the better, to be safe.

HYPOCRITE
I hope that committee does better than they did with public financing of campaign and look at more than how it affects the Mayor.

THAT'S ALL WELL AND GOOD BUT . . .
It doesn't pay for the on-going costs to maintain the police, fire, garbage and snow plowing type activities necessary once the builders move on.

OOOOPS
Something isn't right here . . . .

The Mayor is elected to a four-year term and the 20 members of the Common Council to a two-year term. These non-partisan officers are elected in the spring of even numbered years and their terms of office commence on the third Tuesday of April in the year they are elected. The Common Council President serves a one-year term and is elected by the other members of the Council.

More sloppy work out of the council office. Alders are elected in odd years, not even.

COMMUNITY TRIBUTE TO HOWARD ZINN

SPECIAL EVENT !! You are invited to....

A Tribute to the Life and Legacy of Radical Historian Howard Zinn.

Thursday February 18th - 7:00-9:00pm
at Tripp Commons, UW Memorial Union, 800 Langdon Street - Madison, WI

Featuring guest speakers:

Mike Konopacki - labor cartoonist and illustrator of “A People’s History of American Empire”

Matt Rothschild - editor of The Progressive magazine, where Howard Zinn was a columnist for the last 12 years.

Paul Buhle - Editor of A PEOPLES HISTORY OF AMERICAN EMPIRE, the adaptation of Howard Zinn’s PEOPLES HISTORY.

Nan Enstad - Associate Professor of History at the UW-Madison. Author of "Ladies of Labor, Girls of Adventure: Working Women, Popular Culture and Labor Politics at the Turn of the Twentieth Century."

Mary Layoun - Professor of Compartive Literature at the UW-Madison and Expert on comparative study of modern cultures, literature and politics of eastern Mediterranean, Middle East, Japan, U.S.

Mark Anthony Rolo - Lecturer at the UW-Madison, as well as journalist, playwright, and novelist. He is an enrolled member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe.

And some short video of Howard Zinn, speaking in Madison.

Sponsored by: WORT-FM Community Radio, the Progressive Magazine, Rainbow Bookstore Cooperative, and the A.E. Havens Center.

LOCAL PUBLIC FINANCING OF CAMPAIGNS

PUBLIC HEARING
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
1:00 PM
North Hearing Room (2nd Floor North)
State Capitol

The Committee on Elections and Campaign Reform will hold a public hear on Assembly Bill 619 relating to: county, city, town, and village authority to create local elections boards and to regulate the financing of campaigns for county, city, town, and village offices; duties of municipal and county boards of election commissioners; and granting rule-making authority.

This enabling legislation is key; without it we would not have the authority to realize these benefits:
- An increase in qualified candidates to run, especially people of low or moderate income.
- Allow voters and candidate’s time to talk to one another about issues they care about rather than scrambling for money.
- Make it less likely that a few large donors could influence a key local election.

If you can't attend, take some time to contact your representative to show your support for this bill.

WORT NEEDS YOU - OR AT LEAST YOUR REFRIGERATOR

Our main refrigerator at the station died on Wednesday. We are looking to replace it for free if possible (before the pledge drive starts on February 25th), so -

If you, or anyone you know, has a medium to large, fairly recent vintage, relatively energy efficient refrigerator that you are not using and would like to donate to WORT (it is a tax deductible gift) -

Please call Norm at the station at (608)256-2001.

Thanks much!