It’s going to be a tough blogging week, due to work, lots going on today but I have to get up early and be in Oshkosh by 7:30 so not sure what I’ll have time to report and the Immigration Task Force hearing on Thursday, but I’m going to miss it because of the Social Justice Center 10th Anniversary and a board meeting. Last week was equally rough, so my round up is behind.
EDGEWATER DISSERVICE
Yeah, another reason why blogging this week sucks. Two meetings held at the same time. Verveer and Rummel have good comments about the moron decision by council “leadership”.
DUNN WILL TAKE BALL AND GO HOME WITHOUT TIF
Not really a surprise, right? Those exceptions are quite the side note.
EDGEWATER HURDLES
Dunn says “we’ve listened” and he comes back with a BIGGER project. The spin on this thing is so absurd. While the staff say “a case can be made”, I wonder if one will be made.
WHERE IS THE MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT?
So, why would be pay $16 for public space that would be closed on days like, say, 4th of July. Do we really need public access to the lake that much when we have James Madison Park and the Memorial Union Terrace just blocks away
SCHEDULING DISASTER
It’s so bad, they are scheduling a second meeting to talk about TIF since so many alders won’t be able to make it. This is just absurd. Wait, I think I already said that, I’ll let Mark Clear put it in his own words.
Dear Colleagues,
Given the complexity and importance of this decision, combined with the fact that not everyone is able to attend the BOE meeting this coming Monday, we will hold a Common Council Discussion on Monday, May 17th at 5:00. The agenda will be a staff briefing on the Edgewater TIF. (This is the only date before the council meeting that all required staff are available.)
The information presented should be substantively similar to Monday’s BOE, so you should not feel that you need to attend both if you don’t want to.
Council staff will send out an agenda and will post the meeting next week.
If you don’t want to? Yeah, not a big deal.
SPENCER BLACK RETIRING
Let the scramble for his seat begin!
DOWNTOWN STREET SWEEPING
It’s about freaking time. I say go for it, just don’t have the “no parking” times be first thing in the morning, do late morning or afternoon so people have a chance to wake up and move their cars. Sweeping the streets downtown once a year is clearly not enough and attempts to get it done in the fall have been unsuccessful.
MILWAUKEE LIBRARY HAS A GREEN ROOF
Will Madison? Will there be community gardens?
PASS THE EMERGENCY RULE!
Require corporations to disclose where they spend money on campaigns. It’s the least we can do. Being informed, even if sometimes its after the fact, is important. I want to know who’s buying our elected officials. Do you?
PILOT SAYS GEESE NOT A PROBLEM
Geese kill unnecessary. I’m not a HUGE fan of the geese, but I don’t know why we’d kill a bunch of animals when its unnecessary. I think we can do better than this.
HIGHLANDER
It seems like if they shut it down, they’re just moving the illegal problems around and ending a source of affordable housing. I’m not sure what problem is really going to be solved. I’m real curious what all those police calls are for.
HOLY CRAP
Our police aren’t so great after all. Too bad no news source except the Isthmus picked it up.
THAT’S ONE WAY TO HELP THE HOMELESS
Half Naked. (Complete with picture.)
ANOTHER WAY TO HELP THE HOMELESS
Move them into foreclosed on houses!
Operation Welcome Home Celebrates Moving Family into Vacant Foreclosed Home
Madison action is part of the national Take Back the Land effort to elevate housing to the level of a human right.
WHAT: On Monday, May 10 Operation Welcome Home (OWH) will hold a press conference on Madison’s Westside to celebrate having moved a family into a vacant foreclosed home. OWH is collaborating with the national Take Back the Land movement, and a coalition of local groups working in low-income communities to begin addressing the housing crisis by moving families into homes. We are taking action in this moment where thousands of homes remain vacant due to foreclosures and evictions while thousands of families with children remain homeless. At the press conference, OWH and partner groups will ask police and the sheriff to not take action on Desiree and her children and will provide solutions that the government and banks have been unable to offer.
WHEN: Monday, May 10 at 10:00 am
WHERE: 7201 Tempe Dr., Madison
WHO: Desiree Wilson, an after-school program assistant supervisor, and her two young children moved into their new home two weeks ago after spending a day cleaning the house which sat languishing for many months after foreclosure.
BACKGROUND:
Operation Welcome Home is a community of homeless people and their allies organizing around the root causes of homelessness. They are fighting for affordable housing, jobs, and an end to criminalization of poverty. For more information, see http://operationwelcomehome.wordpress.com/This effort is part of the national Take Back the Land Movement. Community groups across the U.S. are participating in the May 2010 Month of Action commemorating the 50th anniversary of the first civil rights era sit-ins in Greensboro, NC. For more information, see http://takebacktheland.org/
CELEBRATION BAR-B-QUE
Subject: Family BBQ Monday 5/10 6pm @ 7201 Tempe Dr.
Later on Monday after the press conference, we will be having a family BBQ!We’ll have hot dogs on the grill, a bouncy house for kids, and other great family activities. Also at 7201 Tempe Dr.
Please come on out and spread the word.
Housing is a Human Right!
I’ll have a few posts later today if all goes well, several partially done, waiting for something to happen before I can finish.
