I now have 12 posts I want to try to finish this weekend . . . unless I get distracted by something . . . which is easily done! 🙂
THIS. SEEMS. ODD.
This is one of the strangest articles and headlines I have read in quite some time. There is quite the long explanation of what did not happen. Seems like a smear campaign of some sort.
THIS SHOULD BE SHOUTED FROM EVERY ROOFTOP TIL PEOPLE LISTEN
Talk shows are NOT the news.
ODD TITLE
I get called a lot of things. Some good. Some bad. But I always laugh as people try to explain who I am. Here’s the latest title I was given: “Cieslewicz critic, lobbyist watchdog and former City Council member Brenda Konkel” It’s an interesting frame. [Oh, and one more person agrees with me.]
ROB’S LINKS
Two this week, to make up for the lack of link last week.
Glad to see Johnny Lydon and PIL are back on tour again.
WHAT ARE WE PAYING FOR?
MG&E just raised our electric rates 3.5% in January and now want another increase of 9.4%. Why? To help us find new sustainable ways to create energy? I might agree to that. But this is why they want it – for startup costs for the new coal-fired Oak Creek power plant, emission controls at the Columbia power plant near Portage and to convert the coal-fired Blount Street plant Downtown to natural gas. Does it seem like we’re moving more backwards than forwards.
MADISON SCHOOLS SCREWED
Ooops, there goes another $2M. Sigh.
DUMB AND DUMBER
Wow.
MEAN PLAN COMMISSION!
How’d you like to be on the plan commission that has to decide if they should take away the ham radio tower from a 10 year old boy with cerebral pulsy show had gotten awards for helping out during a tornado. Delay 60 days indeed.
MORE OF THE SAME
Wow. It’s the same song and dance. We know you want information, we (allegedly) want it too, but just be patient the Mayor has decided we shouldn’t get information yet. They do know that didn’t work last time, right?
F
rom: Clear, Mark
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 11:32 PM
To: ALL ALDERS
Cc: Mayor; Strauch-Nelson, Rachel; Brasser, Dean; Linda Baldwin; Piraino, Janet
Subject: Overture briefing postpondedDear Colleagues,
After consultation with the Mayor’s office and MCAD chair Linda Baldwin, the Overture status briefing that was scheduled for the Board of Estimates meeting this coming Monday is being postponed to the BOE meeting of May 24.
There are two reasons for this. First, council leadership has not had the opportunity to consult with the Mayor and Janet to develop a framework, agenda and process for the briefing. We were planning to do that this week, but obviously geological factors beyond our control interfered.
A second and more important reason is that MCAD feels the timing is off. Linda says there will be much more information that MCAD will be able to share with the council in open session if we wait a few more weeks, so she would prefer to brief us in May. (Note that the city attorney advises that BOE is not able to meet in closed session on this topic because it does not meet the criteria for closed session.)
Council leadership understands and shares your concern about Overture and the desire for information; we are as anxious as you to be informed on the financial status of its operation condition and its debt. We will continue to advocate on behalf of the council for thorough, accurate and timely information.
Mark and Lauren
The mayor’s apologist is hard at work. So much for showing some independence – council leadership that can’t act without consulting the Mayor is absurd. And there is nothing wrong with having two updates. I wonder what damage control they are working on now?
GROAN
What happens when people get elected to leadership?
From: Cnare, Lauren
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 11:17 PM
To: Cnare, Lauren
Cc: Murphy, Brad; ALL ALDERS; rethington@charter.net
Subject: Grocery UpdateGood evening, everyone:
The Plan Commission Meeting agenda for April 26 has been posted (it is attached here) and the grocery store proposal is number one on the agenda. Here are a few tips for the meeting:
The meeting is held at the City County Building at 210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. It is on the second floor. It starts at 5:30 pm, so best to arrive about 5:20 to register to speak. There is a simple form to complete that includes name, address, a box to check “in support” or “in opposition”, and a box to check whether you want to speak or not. You may register your opinion, and not speak. It will simply be recorded into the meeting minutes. The allotted time to speak is 3 minutes, so it’s helpful to rehearse a bit to make your most important point in that time, and it’s also useful for Plan Commissioners to hear unique comments. For example, if one person talks about traffic, and that was your point, but you also have a concern about noise, note ditto on the traffic and focus on the noise instead of what’s been said. It adds to the body of knowledge then, instead of just repeating points. Speakers get to speak once, but not engage in dialogue or debate, or question the presenters or plan commissioners. But, if you have a question, a good way to frame it is: “I would really like to know how the developer will determine the landscaping placement, or approach the front door design, or mitigate noise, etc.” As Plan Commissioners, we take the hint on reasonable questions and ask on behalf of speakers. Inflammatory things, like “how can the developer justify this atrocity” and the like are typically taken as rhetorical questions and left to stand on their own.
The meeting begins with a few housekeeping details and then presentation, which I do not know the length of, will begin after that. I would guess about 5:40. After the presentation, you all will speak, then the Plan Commission will will ask questions and make comments to the developer. Plan Commissioners may ask questions of the speakers, too.
If you can’t come to the meeting, please e-mail your comments to me and the Mr. Brad Murphy, (bmurphy@cityofmadison.com) and they will be distributed to Plan Commissioners. Try to get at them by Monday a.m. to assist staff in collecting and producing, and assure they are included. I have also asked (Ruth?) that this e-mail be forwarded to all the Plan Commissioners so that they are aware that we will have good interest in this agenda item.
I encourage everyone who has any interest in the project to attend this meeting for these reasons:
1 – get a peek at the current design proposal;
2 – hear directly from the developer and each other about ideas and concerns;
3 – take the opportunity to have some of your questions answered (again, it’s sort of indirect, but it works!); and
4 – get a glimpse of how Plan Commissioners think and inquire.On a final note for this e-mail:
In order to make sure all voices are heard, I have been asked to assist in alerting people to the formation of an “opposition to the opposition” group vis a vis the grocery store. I have heard dismay and frustration with the opposition group and some of the bold assertions about a grocery store, or this grocery store. These people are feeling offended by a group that wants to shut something down before it even gets to the formal city approval process and while they may not support a 62,000 sf store, they (like me) believe that a grocery store is a critical piece of this area and want to be sure the dialogue continues and we can work toward something with positive, reasoned comments, collect whatever data are needed and make a sound decision. Please give me a call or email and I will connect you.One of the things I am personally and aldermanically devoted to is making sure everyone is heard. Misinformation and statements made about dire consequences without substantiation tend to drive unfounded fear and destroy what should be a pretty simple discussion and issue. It is far too “tea party-ish” to have one side shouted down. Both sides have the right to shout! 🙂 I will be available to meet with both groups, and while the opposition group hasn’t taken me up on that yet, the door is open for everyone.
See you Monday!
It seems like she has already taken sides and made up her mind and judged those who disagree with her. I’m pretty disappointed.
So, stayed tuned over the weekend, expect to see posts as I catch up from this week and few items from before, perhaps in an abbreviated version . . .
