Media

I'm having a hard time reading between the lines here, did they seriously say the TIF Coordinator won't answer questions except from the developer and policy makers after his report is out? What's the mayor's role in here in the first points? Can you say Cieslevistan?

It ain't pretty. So many of them were waffling more than I have ever seen, most of them listed all the reasons why they should vote no (it won't make us safer), then they voted yes. Check out how your alder did here and then email them and let them know what you think . . .

Ya pretty much saw that one coming, right?!

MABA = Madison Area Builders Association. Usually MABA, the Realtors, Apartment Association, Chamber, Smart Growth Madison (developers) go for the same candidates. ...

Sigh . . . 3 within the 1st hour and a half of business Monday morning. 5 total today. About 20% of the meetings weren't out last Friday. They need to start calling it "About 75% of the Weekly Schedule".

Davin Pickell has been a busy man. He's filed ethics complaints against the Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, Mayor's Staff Paraino, Tom Carto, Dierdre Garton, Council President Mark Clear, Council Pro Tem Lauren Cnare and Council Office Staff Lisa Veldran. The Ethics Board hasn't seen this many complaints in at least 15 years, there's 15 of them!

On Tuesday the CCEC (Common Council Executive Committee) spent the last 12 minutes of their meeting hearing from and talking to the Public Safety Review Committee (PSRC) chair and members of the committee. Given all the policing issues members are wondering why their committee had been passed over and they are frustrated that they can't get the information they need, but they also admit their members are new and that they want more of a role in budget discussions before they are submitted to the mayor. See what else they talked about.

The deal has been sealed. The cat is out of the bag. The chickens are roosting. Choose whatever finale-themed cliche you wish. ...

Had a jam packed meeting yesterday (parking rates, affordable housing trust fund, E Washington Ave. property, Southwest Safety Initiative, two-way Johnson and Gorham, etc., here's some highlights:

At what point is a public employee so belligerent, so incompetent, so obstructionist that they should be fired? I spent 8 years as an elected official and I've seen staff be not cooperative because the mayor didn't want them to be or because they disagree. And I get it. It's part of the political system, but when has it gone too far? Last night I witnessed an amazing display of disregard for elected officials and the committee that is the lead on a very public project. Are our elected officials to just stand by while county staff run the show? If our elected officials can't get information and be part of the process, what chance does the public have?

How is it that our chief law enforcement officer, Police Chief Mike Koval doesn't have to follow the rules? First, he gets found guilty, but gets no punishment. (that never happens to you and me) And now, the good ol' boys want to grant him further privileges, and $22,000, for being found guilty? The council should be thanking Sharon Irwin and Shadyara Kilfoy-Flores for doing what they didn't have the guts to do, and they should pay their legal bills - and it would likely be far less than $22,000.

They are better Republicans than the Republicans in the Assembly . . . could the City be headed to court to challenge Local Control and Uniformity? I wish. I really don't know, but the mayor raises a really, really good issue (read why I love this mayor even tho we don't always agree!). Best quote: Ald. Lauren Cnare "this is about more than being mean to renters, its about ruining neighborhoods"!