Due to the short week, lots of topics left to cover, so little time, so here’s a recap of some important, some snarky, items I haven’t had time to get to.
TASERS
In the important category. Anyone surprised that minorities, especially blacks, get tasered twice as much as whites compared to their arrest? Anyone? This article makes me sick to my stomach. I’d say its “worthy of closer study”!
CLEAN ELECTIONS
Also important, there was a first of its kind public hearing on overhauling Supreme Court races and election disclosure laws. Here’s an update from the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.
At a rare joint public hearing held by Senate and Assembly committees in Eau Claire and Madison, citizens and advocacy groups were given a chance to put in their two cents on the Impartial Justice bill overhauling state Supreme Court elections and the Electioneering Disclosure bill closing the “issue ad” loophole in state law. To read the Democracy Campaign’s testimony, go here.
The hearing made history as it marked the first time a legislative public hearing was held simultaneously at the State Capitol and a satellite site via teleconferencing.
USELESS LOBBYING ORDINANCE
In response to my blog post about the non-public meeting held by Alder Schumacher, I got this list of questions among many:
I’d like to know too who hired Organizational Skills Associates, and how much that contract is worth. Was it large enough to trigger competitive bidding? If not, did anyone at least shop around? Who’s even paying for the facilitator, and why was a facilitator needed, particularly if this was a meeting of a city committee which after all, does have a chair?
Sadly, those questions should be answered in lobbying reports if the facilitator was paid for by the lobbyists. But I think we sufficiently gutted our lobbyist law so that we will never know because they generally don’t have to report on lobbying on a piece of legislation. And only having reports every six months makes the information so much less accessible in a timely manner.
“A BIT OF A DICK”
On the snarkier end of things, who’s a bit of a dick? Last time I posted something unflattering (but true) about the dick in question, he posted this up at his house so that while sitting on my porch you can’t help but see it – he happens to live kitty corner from me.
(Sorry, bad picture, but its a Maniaci sign that “the dick” made sure faced my house instead of the street during the election and reappeared in a more obvious taunt to me when he got mad at me, I think over something that I posted in my blog, but what exactly his anger towards me was about was unclear since I’m no longer his alder. He pretty much can’t say anything civil to me.) I gotta say, I’m glad he didn’t support me, I wouldn’t want to win with supporters like that.
BUDGET GLOOM AND DOOM
I haven’t forgotten or ignored the Mayor’s latest budget gloom and doom reports over the past week or so, just haven’t gotten to it yet. I’m a little reluctant to help spread “the fear” (best read while imagining a loud deep booming voice) without having more time to analyze what is being said and especially when we keep getting relatively good news.
WHO’S THE MEANY?
I had wondered why, for the first time in years, the forensics team didn’t perform in front of the council. A blog reader explained:
At the CC meeting on Tuesday, I was sitting with the Memorial Forensics team and Mark Clear came over just before the start and told them there wouldn’t be time to give a presentation since the meeting was going to be so long. You want to talk about disappointed and ticked off! They had two people scheduled to do a joint presentation which was supposed to be very good. Oh well.
Seriously? I wonder if this was his decision, or for whom (ok, I’m pretty sure I know) was he carrying water?
That’s as much snark as I should probably share for a Friday . . .enjoy the weekend!!
