There’s so many things going on, looks like I’m going to do a mid-week round up as I continue to try to catch up with last week and things going on this week.
SCHMACHER NAILS IT
Yes, I believe he’s getting a second compliment from me in two weeks – painful as it is! 😉 His post on the “Strong Mayor, Weak Council” or “Weak Mayor, Strong Council” form of government is exactly what I was thinking. I’ve expressed concerns about the Mayor’s office and Council Office resources in the past, even introduced budget amendments to cut the Mayor’s office staff, but the weak council was unwilling to intervene. Just look at the numbers Schumacher crunched:
– Mayor’s Office Budget – Mayor’s Salary = $517K
– Council Office Budget – 20 Council Member Salaries = $83K
– Mayor’s office increase in past 6 years = 35.5%
– Council’s office increase in past 6 years = 15%
And when you add in the department head issues Schumacher raises (including standing orders from the Mayor to block alders requests for information or to make their lives otherwise difficult), it gets even worse when considering the level of resources available to the elected officials. Basford also has some other good points about the dynamics between the council and Mayor. What they didn’t add was that the Mayor is a full time position, while the alders mostly have full time jobs in addition to their alder positions. This all makes for a severe imbalance, especially during budget time.
SPEAKING OF BUDGET TIME
Let the threats begin! It annual threat to not plow snow on the side streets until it gets to 4 inches of snow is baaaaaaaack. It’s so annoying how some departments pick the items likely to cause the most controversy for cuts so that the Mayor and Council won’t make those cuts, while other departments genuinely try to make meaningful cuts. Here’s last year’s attempts. The Community Services Commission will be struggling with this tonight, and CDBG tomorrow night and are doing so with little notice and on a tight timeline, but at least their process is transparent and accessible to the public. Meanwhile, some of the sacred cows go for the closed processes, well written press releases and ridiculous proposals. Most taxpayers don’t see what happens cuz the local media falls for it every year and doesn’t ask the hard/complicated questions and the weak council is well . . . weak.
BRUER TRIES TO NAIL HER?
Ok, I’m frustrated on this one. A couple weeks ago I heard about this and another questionable incident involving President Bruer and another questionable abuse of power issue with a different person who has worked in the clerks office, but was told it was confidential so I honored that. (I haven’t been able to watch the video clip, tried on three different computers, but it didn’t work – last time that happened, a server needed to be reset, so hopefully that is what is wrong this time.) I’m just glad that Joe Tarr at the Isthmus broke the story. However, I’m unhappy with the conclusion the guys in the City Attorney’s Office came up with. Especially given the comments about how it impacted the city employee. I can’t believe they only looked at if she was physically threatened and ignored other issues, so much for zero tolerance policy on sexual harassment.
I’m particularly concerned about what I’m told apparently happens a few minutes later in the video and even more concerning was the rumor I heard about the response from the employee and why she didn’t complain about that! JFC.
And even worse, for Bruer to try to misuse his power and to try to connect this to personnel issues in the City Council office is just awful. Completely freaking awful.
BACK TO THE COUNCIL OFFICE ISSUES
I was heartbroken to hear that Debbie Fields in the Council office took a temporary position in the Mayor’s office. IMHO, she’s the best damn staff person I’ve ever had. She’s a grammar queen and gentle in her criticisms, conscientious, proactively helpful, communicates clearly and timely and generally goes above and beyond to be thorough and thoughtful and helpful . . . well that, and so much more! A true public servant. And when you compare and contrast that to the other work done in the office, its just painful to watch as Ms. Fields and her much needed skills is being encouraged to leave the office. As many council members know (and probably a few others within earshot as I have yelled at Bruer about this on multiple occasions . . . and he responded to me with questionable threats of lawsuits), I worked hard to try to rectify this situation and keep the best damn staff person in the office, and I am greatly concerned that no one else will stand up to Bruer on this issue (Compton and Pham-Remmele have tried in the past, hope they continue) and that they will fall for his lies and tenuous legal threats as he continues in his one man crusade to save his preferred staff member. It just sucks and its so hard given that it involves personnel matters and confidentiality issues – because the public really should see this.
MADISON DOESN’T NEED NEW COPS . . . ENOUGH
Or so the Federal Government has determined. While Milwaukee got $10M for new cops with the stimulus money, Madison got the big goose egg. Why? Well here’s the punch line:
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the money was going to departments that needed it most, based on crime rates, financial need and community policing activities.
They told us this was how the decision would be made when they briefed the Board of Estimates, so this is not a huge surprise, but it does say something interesting about the Madison police staffing issues.
TIF SHOWDOWN
Wow. Just wow. The new Economic Development Director’s complete disregard for state law and the taxpayers wallet is just completely alarming. I have yet to see what his proposal is, because nothing is in writing or in the public eye, but WOW! It sounds like his proposal is to do away with the financial analysis of if the developers really need the money, and instead, just take their word for it – ignoring the legal requirement that when TIF funds are used, there has to be an objective standard to prove that “but for” the TIF money, the project would not go forward. Apparently, there was a pow-wow in the Mayor’s office last week, trying to figure out how to get around this for two upcoming TIF applications. Hmmmmm . . . where’s the lobbying reports on those TIF requests? Who’s trying to get the funds? Is it Edgewater and Danisco? Or someone else? I don’t see the registered lobbyists. And clearly, they’ve been lobbying the Mayor’s office and Alder Compton based on comments at the last Board of Estimates.
Equally stunning is Noel Radomski’s comments at the bottom of the story at madison.com.
It’s unfortunate that the TIF coordinator–Joe Gromacki–appears to be trying to set and/or interpret policy, which I believe is the role of the executive and legislative branches. And why is the President of the City Council–Alder Tim Bruer–dragging his heels against more industrial jobs, jobs, jobs, especially when our unemployment figures continues to directly impact our hard working families. TID for industrial jobs is not corporate welfare. I hope that the other alders stand up for jobs, jobs, jobs.
I wonder if Ald. Bruer’s two years of serving as Council President is one or two years too long; and I wonder if Tim’s buddy, Joe Gromacki, should run for city council and continue playing his game, which is more appropriate as an elected official not a city staff.
His comments show a fundamental misunderstanding of how the TIF staff team operates. If you ask me, While Mr. Gromacki crunches the numbers and makes recommendations in the best interest of the City and the taxpayer unless he’s told otherwise by the Mayor’s office, the most conservative ones are not Mr. Gromacki, but Comptroller Dean Brasser and Assistant City Attorney Anne Zellhoefer. They are the ones who keep their eyes on the financial/fiscal impacts and the legal issues and really push to make sure the taxpayers funds are being used in a judicious manner.
Attempts to personalize this and portray Gromacki as Bruer’s lapdog also neglects the other HUGE issue behind this. When we borrow all that money, we have to pay it back, with interest and that has to come out of our operating budget, and this year, part of our budget woes is paying back the $6M from all that borrowing. It hardly seems like now it the time to borrow more – especially if they are successful in getting rid of the financial analysis to determine if the funds are needed. I really hope the weak council does their homework on this one!
HOTEL MANIA – SHOW US THE MONEY
Ok – 1 out of 4 of the hotel folks seem to be appropriately registered/reporting as lobbyists. And I haven’t really looked into that one, but I don’t see Apex. Or Marcus Company. And I know Edgewater didn’t register their attorney who lobbyied for TIF funds. Fiore is registered. We’ll see who reports what come Friday, but its looking grim.
Don’t be surprised, if tomorrow’s blog post is just another round up, as the issues really piled up last week!
