Uppity Wisconsin

Water Panel Weak On Specifics

The Politics of Water. Thursday, May 21.

A panel ensconced by the Public Policy Forum in a Wauwatosa hotel, was strong on the language of cooperation, happy about the International Water Compact, and true believers in the new "work together" mood of our nation.

Michael Murphy,  Alderman from Milwaukee, spoke of the issues on which Milwaukee would like cooperation: affordable housing, transit, and economic development of distressed areas. What he might have added is some conceptual material - how all of these things work together in a healthy city. Unfortunately he did not bring to the table The Now Issue: why it is that Transit, today as they spoke, could be the most effective signal of cooperation from Waukesha (County and City). Nor did he suggest, and reasonably he could have, why Milwaukee officials are looking to a private, international water corporation for serious money after being rebuffed on many fronts in Madison over school funding, dedicated transit funding that brings federal dollars, and health care costs.

As previously posted by Dan Cody and Jason Haas, the Quality of Life Alliance, another group I have ties to, have released the following press release:

The Quality of Life Alliance, a group I’m a part of, released the following press release today asking for the Joint Finance Committee to include the voter approved 1% sales tax for Milwaukee County in the upcoming budget.

For the sake of our Park System, Transit, and Emergency Medical Systems, we are asking the Joint Finance Committee to include in the next State budget what the citizens of Milwaukee County have already approved: a one percent sales tax increase that will provide sustainable, dedicated funding for Parks, Transit and EMS.

“Please don?t continue to allow the voices of the 400,000 people who voted in November?s referendum to be ignored”, remarked Cheri Briscoe of Sierra Club-Great Waters Group and Quality of Life Alliance member. The referendum was advisory and requires action from the state to be enacted.

I have been begging County Transit to abandon Transit TV for years. It is a noisy intrusion on a quiet ride. It offers scams to unwitting citizens. It was a blight on the Milwaukee scene - as if we were too cheap to provide our passengers with a quality ride - we had to infuse the bus with the worst of television and AM radio ("operators are standing by...").  It appears to have died at the hands of the Market. Thank heavens for the hand of the market. (never thought I could ever say those words.)

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/39205597.html?c=y&commentSubmitted=y

No one at Transit wanted to step forward and say the truth: this noisy nuisance was deterring the efforts to get passengers who can choose to ride the bus.  Let peace reign. Death to scavengers is good. Mercy killing is not always wrong.

best

Bill Sell

 

 

BusStop. Vote Yourself $43 Million Tax Relief

The November 4 Referendum On Transit, Parks And Emergency Services.

Attention Milwaukee: This is a Yes. Vote Yes.

This is real tax relief.

If we approve the referendum, we empower State government to deliver real tax relief. In two ways we are asking the State:

1. Please take these three services off of the property tax. Off. Removed. Gone. Vamoose. Forever.

2. Please shift these services to a one percent sales tax. Dear Governor, with your support we can collect $43 million from visitors to help pay for our city's needs.

"With a 'yes' vote, residents can send the message that community deterioration - which ailing transit and suffering parks fuel - isn't an option."<http://www2.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=807309>

So, where does the $43 million come from?

KenoshaStreetcars reports the following rise in street car users.

Kenosha Transit boarded 8,000 weekday riders average, an increase of 25.59% on the quarter and 11.15% on the Year To Date.

The streetcars were up 26.86% on the quarter and 16.13% on the Year To Date.

 http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/KenoshaStreetcars/

submitted by Bill Sell

Governor James Doyle to announce the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Natural Resources agreement to clean the Kinnickinnic River. Today. 2000 S. 4th St, Milwaukee.

I need to grouse this morning. I have a complaint about the Democratic party (surprise, everyone). They do not like politics as usual.

If the purpose of today's event (August 20, 2008) were to get people, voters, environmental friends to the event, they could have done the usual and boring thing: invite them.

Getting It

Now, I'm not saying I'm a heavy contributor to river politics, but I've put my personhood into some public forums recently, and I am on a committee in Bay View that has the word "Environmental" [and Transportation] in it. I am easier to find than a bus. And I am beside the point. Just whom did the Party think would show up for this event? Press and political consultants? Why not voters?

This week I turn my blog over to a visitor.  There are a couple of conservatives who know how to conserve. Paul gets it right here.

Free Congress Foundation Commentary

Political Cards, Joker and Otherwise

http://www.freecongress.org/

By Paul M. Weyrich

August 7, 2008

This past week we have heard non-stop about the race card. This is one of the most long-running uses of it in the political process. I first heard the term used when President Lyndon B. Johnson tried to force a reluctant Congress to pass a Great Society-type program in 1964 by invoking the memory of his predecessor, President John F. Kennedy. "He is using the JFK card," we were told. Then there was President Richard M. Nixon's China card. And when President Ronald W. Reagan walked away from an arms deal with Mikhail Gorbachev, pundits said Reagan was playing the Star Wars card. And so on.

I began to think of what card I could play if I were running for or had been elected President. I am not into cards myself so this is a difficult assignment. If I were running against Congress I would invoke the joker card.

See Original Post

I found this survey by following Volume One online. If applicable, please take the time to fill it out. :)

Also, if you have not yet had a chance to, remember to fill out the Eau Claire County Budget Survey.

From the UEDA Summit

At the Urban Economic Development Association's 7th Annual Community Development Summit, a citizen asked: Should we consider changes in SEWRPC and RTA governance?

A panelist, sounding a bit like talk radio hosts lecturing that politically incorrect caller they so love to skewer, used the moment to respond to a question no one asked.

The other panel members sat in stoned (stunned?) silence after the Panelist's unfortunate personal attack on the citizen.

What a sight.

Well and good that "Cooperation" was the word of the day.

And Cooperation should at least mean taking a question at face value, or taking a clumsy citizen question (like they do on Wisconsin Public Radio) and making it a question that any panel member can understand. That is grace; that is cooperation.

So, what did this benighted citizen ask of the esteemed panel?

Mr. Citizen asked about governance – pointing out how our two transit-planning bodies do not have elected representation, he asked if they might.