Overture, Library and High Speed Rail meetings last night . . . and Radomski and Brandon announce for Mayor and County Exec . . . not much going on . . .
OVERTURE
I’m unclear how much the new version, version 4 has from council members. We will find out when they discuss this on Thursday. They have been meeting every day to get this done, and now there will be a delay as they wait for an Overture response . . . they moved their meeting from today until Friday and may not have a formal response until later, as they need time to discuss. Looks like the Overture folks will run the time down to the last minute and then force a last-minute response from the council giving them little time to respond as they force this timeline of their own doing.
Meanwhile, here’s the media recaps, mine here.
– State Journal
– Daily Cardinal
LIBRARY
It’s not cloning the past . . . but the Overture. I went to the first presentation last night and the folks I talked to after the meeting said they thought the design went backwards and they were unimpressed with the glass box that looks like the Overture. I left and had a beer because I was mostly interested in the Media Production area and how it would be or not be duplicating WYOU Community Television. I’m surprised that the public approves of the new design, as reported by the Badger Herald. As one member of the Library Board asked, what makes this special? How is this a Madison library? The Badger Herald also raises the issues of community garden and the homeless. Here’s the Cardinal. And State Journal.
HIGH SPEED RAIL
Hundreds showed up . . . mostly supporters. I’m guessing the opponents didn’t need to show up since Walker is fighting their fight for them . . . and taking all those jobs. And, well, its just more unanswered questions.
– Badger Herald
– Daily Cardinal
RADOMSKI
Finally, he announces. It’s been rumored he was running for months. I agree we need to refocus our economic development dollars, but he kind of sounds like he’s running for school board with his other focus on education. Thanks for the video Sconzie . . . not as easy as it looks, eh? It sure tells an interesting story tho. Better invest in more than a flip cam. You know, you could take a class at WYOU and check-out their cameras . . . and tripods.
– State Journal
– Badger Herald
– Mike Barrett’s opinion. An optimist? What did they do with the real Mike Barrett? 🙂
A ROBUST MAYORAL RACE
I doubt it, despite its editorial, the State Journal will be one of the main culprits in making sure that about all they do it print a bio and then frame the debate as whining malcontents from the left that don’t like the Edgewater/Library/Overture and the Mayor’s leadership style, as they already did in this editorial. I’d love to see them profile one issue every week, and interview the candidates about that issue. And I’d love to see them ask the public what they think those issues might be. They won’t do it, so if I don’t run, that is what I plan to do myself, to the best of my unpaid, time crunched ability. Unless they’d like to steal my idea and do it for me. I really don’t expect a lively debate. After all the candidates are in, there is only 7 weeks before the primary, then most of the candidates go away and there is only only one . . . the race to figure out who that will be will be far more interesting than the rest of the race, but it will go by quickly and will get only sound bite, headline coverage. So, its up to you to get informed, go to the debate, check out the websites and make your vote an informed one.
BRANDON
It’s all about the jobs. . . . what about everything else, like the half of the budget that deals with Human Services that support people in their jobs and the other major portion that deals with public safety, including the jail, sheriff department, 911 center and juvenile detention. Jobs are important . . . will he work to support the Dane County Job Center? What will his position on W-2 be? What does he know about county government? Get your tax caps out! Expect cuts, cuts, cuts.
– State Journal.
– Badger Herald
– Daily Cardinal He says he’s not a johnny-come-lately to the jobs issue . . . but, as noted above, he is to county government.
– The Sconz ponders if Brandon is a progressive or David Blaska Democrat. He’s not a progressive on any issue I can think of, and his council record proves it. Do some research and find out, if you were paying attention when he was on the council, this wouldn’t even be a question. Progressives disagreed with him on nearly every issue of substance.
MANSKI, ON RECENT PARTY ELECTION
On third party struggles with a ballot that has straight ticket voting. Do you vote for individuals, or a party? Do you vote for a party because, well, there’s only two most of the time and it just makes it easier or works out those are the candidates you support? Would you vote third party? Or would you vote for an individual who is not a Democrat or Republican? He raises some interesting points to think about.
AWWWW . . . ER, OOH, AAH
Proud band girlfriend can’t not put this in the round up . . . last chance to see Baghdad Scuba Review for a while . . . Harmony, Friday.
A FIX FOR THE BUS DRIVER OVERTIME
We’ll see . . . .
SURVEY SEZ . . .
Good news from business. Things are looking up. Even the Chambers of Commerce are optimistic. 15% in Madison area plan on hiring. I wonder if they did these surveys before or after the election. They got their money’s worth with Walker, it appears.
4 YEAR OLD KINDERGARDEN
Info sessions start Dec. 16th.
