There is no way humanly possible to finish all the blogging I have planned for today. So, you might want to check back tomorrow, I may have some Saturday blogging to do . . .
Starting out with three county board issues . . .
RTA QUESTION ON BALLOT NEXT SPRING?
Last night at the County Board meeting, Eileen Bruskewitz was handing out a press release about the question she wants placed on the countywide ballot on April 6, 2010. The question she had is as follows:
Shall a Dane County Regional Transit Authority (RTA) levy a sales tax of 8.5% on all taxable sales within the jurisdiction of the RTA in Dane County to support transit service which could include commuter rail transportation?
The press release said nothing about it being binding, which surprised me when I read it. There are two other interesting things about the question.
– Why April when there is lower voter turn out? Why not in the fall? I suspect it has something to do with county board elections and the fact that as a conservative she is in the minority.
– Why is it countywide when the RTA will only govern and levy taxes in the MPO planning area?
Also, I don’t think its fair to focus on commuter rail, as I’m sure that the RTA will have to start with the more flexible and less costly bus system.
I didn’t see the resolution and she wouldn’t give me a copy of the press release, but that’s the news.
Oh, and here’s the brief item the Wis. State Journal managed to squeeze in! I guess there is also the little issue of not knowing what the plan is yet . . .
MY BUDGET IS WORSE THAN YOUR BUDGET
Wow, the County Controller and Treasurer gave the county board a briefing last night on the gruesome budget picture they were looking at. If the Mayor thinks the city has problems, its a far cry from the County! I was kinda of shocked by one thing in particular, the rainy day fund. I was kind of surprised to find that they only strove to have a $10.5M fund balance. It’s apparently 3% of a portion of their $451M operating budget.
The shocker to me is that the City has a policy of having a general fund balance of 15% of the total $238M Operating Budget. So, where the county has a goal of a $10M rainy day fund with a budget twice the size of the city, the city has a rainy day fund of $30 – $35M.
Another thing that struck me as I was mentally comparing the two budgets. The County has a $41M Capital Budget, while the City’s Capital Budget was $164M in 2009.
Finally, I was shocked to hear the argument from Brett Hulsey that they had to borrow money for the Ice Age Trail Project so that when they were reimbursed 2.2M next year from the Feds and the State, they could use that money, not to pay off the debt, but to put into the operating budget so that they could save 30 – 35 jobs.
Wow. They sure have a different way of doing things! I think they might deserve the WORST BUDGET EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE award!!!
GUN TO YOUR HEAD/RUN OVER BY A TRAIN
During the debate on the funding of the Ice Age trail, the representative from the Sheriff’s Association had a special little threat for the county board members. Here’s some of my notes from the meeting:
Jim Brigham – VP Dep Sheriff’s Assoc – in opposition – Dane Co is in financial difficulties, they were asked to take a 5% pay cut and they did. It’s hard to tell 400 members to take a pay cut when people will spend over 2 year period $7.2M, and yet they can’t figure out how to buy radios for the sheriff’s department. Why is it more important to buy land than radios for public safety. Some people will say that this is not costing us anything. Unless its free or someone is donating it, its not free. Someone called this “Priceless”, which is appropriate because this is credit card purchase. If he told his wife he was going to buy a corvette this year because it would be more expensive next year, that would never fly. If you never had a gun put to head, just got one. Someone needs to step up – employees are taking it out of their paychecks. Not against environment or purchasing land, now is not the time to do it. Can’t pay my bills but want to buy a Porsche. It’s coming out of his paycheck. Myself and my members protect you every day and this is how you come to us – you ask us to help and we do and that is how you treat us? Thank you, thank you very much. [Yes, that was said in a very sarcastic tone of voice.] Have the courage my 400 members have, stand up and do the right thing, don’t let someone hold a gun to your head, cuz we’re the people who will make sure that it didn’t happen to you. Department heads have to cut 6% from their budgets. Everyone in room up for re-election in April – hope someone calls a roll call vote – we’re going to keep track. There’s been alot of analogies about trains this year, so here’s one for you, you’re either on our train or in spring might be underneath it.
Ok, I wasn’t sure about the gun comment, cuz it could have been the union holding the gun to their head, or the seller of the land. Either way, it was odd to have a sheriff using that kind of language about guns so casually. But the train comment, was quite clear. Do those kinds of threats work on county board supervisors? If so, that’s not the way I want my local elected officials to act and I’m embarrassed by the union openly threatening them like that.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE UP
I got an email detailing how DAIS (Domestic Abuse Intervention Services) is dealing with the ripple effects of our economy, and it ain’t pretty! Look at the increases in services they dealt with in the first quarter of the year alone:
These number will indicate Quarter 1 2008, Quarter 1 2009, Percent Increase
Number of Persons Sheltered – Unduplicated Adults – 61, 80, 31%
Number of Persons Sheltered – Unduplicated Children – 51, 81, 59%
Total Persons* – 112, 161, 44%
Crisis Line Unduplicated Callers – 312, 369, 18%
Crisis Line callers requesting information about shelter – 42, 94, 124%
Crisis Response – Unduplicated Clients – 43, 75, 74%
Children’s program – Unduplicated Clients – 64, 98, 53%
Not a pretty picture.
WHERE THE HELL IS THE MEETING?
It used to be when you went to a meeting with the police department, you had to get into the building before it was locked and then to get to the meeting, you had to go to the window, ring the bell and wait for someone to let you in. So, what I’m about to describe, is actually, kind of an improvement.
I went to the PSRB meeting the other day. The clerk’s office has the meeting listed as:
| 5:00 PM | PUBLIC SAFETY REVIEW COMMITTEE | ROOM 525 CCB |
So, when I got to the building, I did go up to room 525. But, room 525 is not easy to find . . .
First of all, when you get to the 5th floor, this is what the sign says:
Hmm, 525 . . . not included in the signage. Luckily I knew you have to go all the way down to the other end of the hall and when you just about get to the room, you’ll find a sign hanging out of sight behind the beam going across the hallway that says that it is the IT department. Which would be very confusing to most people if they were going to a public safety meeting. Then, when you find the doorway you are greeted by this sign:
Actually, its posted twice, once on the opened door and a second time on the glass as you go through the doorway:
Being familiar with the fact that the room is found by entering the office, walking by about 8 private offices all the way to the back of the office suite and there is a meeting room slightly to the left, I walked in and asked one of the employees if I could go check to see if they had a meeting back there. The room was empty.
Luckily, I had actually looked at the agenda and the clerk’s schedule and I knew that the agenda had said:
210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Room 103A
Room 525 (City-County Building)
I had seen the conflict, but assumed the clerks office knew which room was correct. Anyways, I went down to 103 A, where you have to go through the now closed/mostly dark Clerk’s office to get to that meeting space.
They sure don’t make this easy. Luckily, I know how to weave my way through the system, but could you imagine if it had been someone who was there for the first time? Maybe that is why only Rosemary Lee, myself and a reporter were there . . . come to think about it, the reporter was late . . .perhaps he, too, was sent on a wild goose chase?
PAUL SKIDMORE TO THE RESCUE/WHY KONKEL HAS BEEN SO QUIET!
I’ve been to several city meetings since I lost election, but I haven’t spoken unless I was asked a question. That is very confusing to folks. The reason is this . . . the city has an ethics ordinance, that the Council Office Staff was sure to send to all of us after the new alders were elected, that says:
MGO 3.47(5)
(i) Post-Employment/Appointment Restrictions.
2. No former alderperson, for 12 months following the date on which she or he leaves office may appear, with or without compensation, on behalf of any person or entity, before any board, committee or commission or before the Common Council or negotiate with any incumbent on any matter which may reasonably be expected to come before such board, committee or commission or the Common Council for official action.5. No former incumbent, for 12 months following the termination of her or his incumbency, may appear, with or without compensation, on behalf of any person or entity, with regard to any matter which was under the former incumbent’s responsibility within 12 months prior to the termination of her or his incumbency or in which the former incumbent participated personally and substantially within 12 months of the termination of her or his incumbency before any City entity or negotiate with any incumbent in connection with any judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding, application, contract, claim, charge or matter which may give rise to a judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding.
6. Nothing in this subdivision shall prohibit a former incumbent from representing herself or himself before any City entity in relation to a non-commercial personal undertaking at any time.
(j) Inquiries Permitted.
This subsection does not prohibit an elected official from making inquiries for information on behalf of a person or organization if she or he receives no compensation therefore beyond the City salary and other compensation or reimbursement to which the elected official is entitled by law.
Because I’m identified as being involved with so many groups: Tenant Resource Center, Social Justice Center, Affordable Housing Action Alliance, FISH (Fighting Impoverishment and Stopping Homelessness), Progressive Dane and the Green Party, I’ve just kept my mouth shut. Because you know, even if I said I was representing myself . . . someone is going to question it. Plus, its kind of amusing to have people look at me funny and wonder what I’m up to! 🙂
Anyways, here’s where Alder Skidmore comes in. Since I lost, I’ve been more friendly with many of the council members that previously didn’t talk to me much. There are several reasons for this: they don’t like the mayor’s role in my race, they need information from me, they ask my advice and they like my blog! I’m the media now! Anyways, I digressed again. Skidmore is one that I tend to talk with more now. He happened to ask me the other day why I wasn’t speaking. I told him and he didn’t like that answer. So, he’s asking the city attorney for an opinion on this matter. He’s also concerned that other former alders aren’t following the same rules I’m following. Should be interesting to see what they say, since strict adherence to ethics and lobbying laws is long gone . . . I’m guessing he’ll say I can speak.
FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP
Why are we waiting til the last minute to fix the Section 8 issue risking people getting evicted and losing their housing and their rent assistance? The Mayor was writing letters in May. And yet did nothing to really solve the problem til Alder Schumacher stepped up and got creative. In fact, I believe the line from the Mayor’s office was “we can’t do anything” its a federal problem. Well, yes we can! Thank you Alder Schumacher stepping up, learning the issues, talking to community members and landlord representatives and filling the void in leadership!
Ok – that’s all I have this morning . . . I’m going to have to do more tomorrow . . . .
