Change DOZ To a ROZ - It'll Smell Better

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The State legislature’s budget writing committee, Joint Finance, voted to support the creation of a Development Opportunity Zone (DOZ) for Janesville. The DOZ legislation was heavily lobbied for by the local special interest group Forward Janesville. It is meant to grant businesses willing to enter the Janesville market up to an $8,000 per employee state tax credit from a pool capped at $5 million for the creation of sustainable jobs in the area. Not one Republican voted for it. In fact, after the budget rolled out of the finance committee, this is what some GOPers had to say.

Fitzgerald Excerpt:
Along with the bill’s tax and spending increases are a host of non-fiscal policy items that the Democrats slid into the budget to avoid public debate.

Vos, Montgomery, Darling, Olsen Excerpt:
Despite the fact a recession has already stretched thin Wisconsin middle class family budgets, Democrats followed Governor Doyle’s lead by loading up the state budget with billions of dollars of brand new expensive spending commitments.

Like the $5 million commitment to Janesville perhaps? I'm not trying to fool anyone here, if state GOPers stand for anything in the budget, they stand for corporate welfare in the form of any kind of a business tax break. The DOZ aptly fits that description. Yet it goes without saying that during a time of an excessively large state deficit, someone will have to compromise for the tax credit with a tax increase elsewhere. It could generally be perceived that the jobs created will produce some state tax revenue in return, but Republicans don't compromise - they take no prisoners in their private little war - and so far, they're still losing.

Leave it up to legislative Democrats to be the first to drop their ideological hang-ups during this time of crisis. For that there is reward. While State Republicans continue on with their partisan assault against solutions and ideas to our national crisis, Democrats are leading the way legislating “yes we will.”

However, with that said, the Development Opportunity Zone(DOZ) promoted by Forward Janesville (R) and sponsored by Mike Sheridan(D) and Judy Robson(D) is a trickle-down program – (and) referring to a large business tax credit as a “bootstrap” program is a poor way to democratize its inception. Robson's description should at minimum garner a chuckle or an eye-roll or two from those who know better.

On the surface, the DOZ looks good and is a timely piece of legislation that just might help turn things around for the xtra-depressed Janesville area – providing it has a functional targeting mechanism. Plus, the sponsoring legislators it seems, have pulled this off without earmarking the first $5 million of the effort towards a DOZ feasibility study. Those I would admit are the pluses.

Now that we got that out of the way and assuming the budget is passed by both state houses and signed by Gov. Doyle, the program will need to be strengthened with strict district boundaries to make sure it’s not misused by Janesville officials. By this I mean, not one penny from the DOZ fund should be spent to point business activity away from Janesville’s downtown or the city’s older business corridors. And the only way to accomplish this is to ban it from being used as a credit or down payment in and around Janesville where business never existed before in the first place. Green field locations and businesses that have negotiated large local hand-outs and sweetheart deals ($1 parcels, TIF's and forgivable loans) must not be allowed to double-dip into the DOZ thereby taking precious dollars and opportunity away from promising new entry start-ups. That may seem self-defeating, but it's the only way forward if the sponsors are serious about job creation. Legislators must take extra precautions to insure the tax credit meets specific goals and targets and because the program funds are finite, it's boundaries and rules should be spelled out in plain English.

Sheridan, Robson Excerpt:
“In a tough, transitional economy this benefit will attract new businesses and much-needed jobs to Janesville. We can’t afford to wait for this economy, or the manufacturing industry, to turn around while families struggle to put food on the table.”

This may all sound elementary, but it’s doubly important to keep in mind that the 12-plus percent and climbing unemployment rate is a direct reflection of businesses and factories vacating the inner city – not because the city doesn’t give enough away in tax incentives to induce sprawl. In case you hadn't noticed, there is zero unemployment out in the green fields and farmland hugging Janesville. If the policy writers and legislators are looking into the fringes to help decide where to draw the boundaries for the DOZ, I’d be the first to kindly ask them to please ‘turn around.’ Janesville planners have a long and successful history of displacing economic growth from the city's inner core and have abused every tax incentive tool they’ve been given for economic development. There is no reason to believe Janesville officials would implement the DOZ to recreate employment where it was lost. The city's historical growth pattern over the past thirty years firmly proves this point.

And don’t think because Janesville has a new city manager that things are any different than before. By the looks of things after six months, his administration is just a continuation of the old administration.

So for starters, it is my humble suggestion that the DOZ program for Janesville be relabeled as the (Re)development Opportunity Zone, or Re-DOZ or ROZ. This would send the right message to the local bureaucrats that the tax credit is meant for specific areas of the city that have physically lost large numbers of workers – not for city hall insiders or areas that happen to fit the city administration’s version of it. Secondly, Gov. Doyle should remember how the Janesville city council ignored his plea for the council to put more thought and time into the city's comprehensive growth plan before they voted to approve it. This may be the Governor's only opportunity to put more than just words behind his position to make sure this stimulus tool does not afford misguided local planners more fuel to accelerate inner-city blight. Other city's might be different, but if the DOZ boundaries and targets are left at the discretion of Janesville city planners - there is good reason to believe it will be abused.

Obviously, Sheridan and Robson are elected officials who no doubt believe they are looking out for Janesville with the implementation of the DOZ, for that they should be commended. But they must not forget that Forward Janesville is a private special interest group that does not have the same sense of selfless public duty. They have gone on record that they are looking out only for themselves.

City Council Throws Caution To The Wind

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Tuesday night’s Janesville city council meeting got off to rather slow start but slowly heated up to an interesting debate when council members discussed a request for a plat approval to subdivide 2.5 acres into six lots for residential development. The parcel in question, known as Willow Glade, happens to be north of I90 along the Milton Avenue corridor in an area that has come under fire from the city’s water utility director as having inadequate infrastructure to satisfy all the requirements necessary to deliver water for safe consumption or fire department usage.

It was only a month ago when the Janesville Utility Director, Dan Lynch, stood at the council podium and for the first time publicly revealed there have been eight episodes over the past several years where utility inefficiencies on the city’s NE side have raised public endangerment to a level that now requires urgent consideration of a new water tower. The utility director felt the danger incurred even one time under these circumstances was one time “too many.”

So the questions remain. Should the utility director’s statements be taken seriously? Or were his statements just the dishonest rant from a city employee using fear to exaggerate a minor if not common water utility problem just to help capture public support for a water tower? I don’t know what to believe at this point, but after Tuesday’s city council vote to add six new residential properties, I do know this – after the fact, four Janesville council members had no problem putting six more families potentially in harm’s way – that is true, whether a real danger exists or not, just to satisfy the wishes of a single developer.

By voting for the Willow Glade infill at this point in time, they don’t believe the dangers exist or a water tower is needed. And they don’t believe Lynch’s “one time is too many” alarm. “What’s another six more?” when over 20,000 people are already exposed to the potential dangers was an actual talking point in favor of approving the Willow Glade Plat. Their attitude towards the very people they are charged to represent and defend against all doubt was despicable. The city manager and administration along with the plan commission, despite the earlier warnings from one of their own (Lynch) regarding the water infrastructure inefficiencies, also recommended that the council approve the plat request.

Surprisingly, two council members, Tom McDonald and Frank Perrotto had the sense not to endanger even one more resident than necessary after Lynch's public disclosure. They made it known they will not vote for approval of the Willow Glade Plat until the water issue could be resolved. To their credit, both council members voted against the developer's request, although it still was approved by a majority of the council.

In addition, Councilman Russ Steeber countered statements made by Councilman McDonald over concern about the additional growth at the outer fringes of the city during a time when the city’s inner core was being abandoned. Steeber said that the city council should not deny land owners and developers the ability or opportunity to redevelop their property after annexation. His statement referring to the Willow Glade sub-division infill was verbally demonstrative of how inflexible both the Comprehensive Growth Plan AND city councils are.

During city discussions covering Janesville’s growth plan, several council members re-iterated how each parcel development and proposal brought forth to the council would be acted upon and voted independently on their own merit, that the plan was not laid in stone, but simply a guide that could be changed at anytime. Tuesday night’s meeting was another example that that’s simply not true. Once the Comprehensive Plan and its boundaries are approved by the city council, it becomes the written law that makes it nearly impossible to deny landowners and developers annexation. And once the land is annexed, it then becomes equally impossible to deny landowners zoning requests and building permits. Steeber’s comment even further demonstrated the power of the greed and profits driving the Janesville growth plan in the first place, that some council members were not going to allow a very credible concern for public safety get in the way of a developer’s passion to turn a buck.

From the genesis of the Comp Plan to the final nail driven into the last house on the plat - the Janesville city council's role in between is expected to be nothing more than a rubber stamp of approval. This has become evident.

The Willow Glade council action was another one of those key votes exposing city council members for what they really stand for and who they represent. Kathy Voskuil, Russ Steeber, Yuri Rashkin and George Brunner all ignored an unresolved warning from the city’s utility director and pressed on to put more people in harms way. Bill Truman was absent from most of the council proceedings and did not vote.

Janesville Patriotic Society Stiff-Armed By City Council

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The Janesville City Council was approached by two different special interest groups during Tuesday night’s meeting with very different proposals that were however, in nearly identical preliminary planning stages.

Basically both groups wanted to share their ideas and know whether or not to proceed beyond the initial stage. One group, the Janesville Patriotic Society requested the council’s approval and administrative cooperation for the group to further explore a project to move several military monuments from around Janesville and consolidate them in Traxler park. The representative of this proposal was left unceremoniously bewildered with only verbal remarks to come back later with more information. No motion was made to vote on whether the group should proceed or not with their plans.

The second group, represented by two local businessmen also wanted the council’s approval and administrative cooperation for the group to further explore a project to build a new indoor ice arena using taxpayer dollars. Despite a sketchy plan (actually just a letter) and many unanswered questions, they however were treated quite differently as one council member, Russ Steeber, made a motion for an up-or-down vote to assert their approval for the exploratory work and city cooperation. The council then voted unanimously in agreement for the ice arena group to proceed to the next phase of their plan.

It pays to have connections.

“Patient’s Choice” Health Care Plan Not Ryan’s Choice

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Last week, Congressman Paul Ryan and three other republican congressionals unveiled their talking points on a worker and patient health care rip-off scheme dubbed the Patient's Choice Act.

Real Clear Politics Excerpt:
Our bill creates voluntary state-based solutions - state health exchanges - that will offer health insurance benefits using the same standard used for Members of Congress.

First of all, let’s not pretend like $2,200 per individual or $5,700 per family can pay for the same kind of health care coverage federal employees including congressionals receive at today's prices – because it can’t.

Real Clear Politics Excerpt:
Specifically, we would shift health care tax benefits to individuals and families in the form of a "Medi-Choice" tax rebate worth about $2,200 for individuals and $5,700 for families.

But how does Ryan expect to pay for the annual federal hand-outs without raising taxes or creating new ones? Specifically, where does the shift come from?

Real Clear Politics Excerpt:
We do this by first ending the discrimination in the tax code that rewards corporations and employers for offering insurance…

Okay, so your employer will no longer receive a tax incentive to offer employees health care coverage – which means of course – you won’t have employer based group health insurance. We need to be clear on that aspect – Ryan’s health care tax rebate is not in addition to what you already have, it’s in place of what you have because your employer will no longer sponsor health insurance. Yet, Ryan double-backs on this by implying you can keep what you have AND still get the annual hand-out. He actually pulls this same stunt with Social Security (divert a third of your SS tax to a private account yet guarantees full SS benefits). Never mind the notion here that Ryan expects to pay for his brand of "universal health care" by eliminating a corporate tax credit. The plan is so old republican.

Excerpt:
Under our plan, if you like the health care you have, you can keep it - but you'll have more money in your pocket because you will still receive a tax rebate.

How disingenuous is that? No question about it, if the Patients Choice Act became law, the only folks who would keep the health care they have would be federal employees and that includes all members of Congress. These four GOPers are speaking strictly for themselves.

So, Ryan and his three republican cohorts need to show that their "Patient's Choice" brainchild is their choice. They need to step up to the plate and include the Federal Government among all employers no longer offering their employees health care benefits. Ryan in particular needs to show how he can provide the same health care coverage he now receives from the govenment for himself and his family on $5,700 a year - and he needs to show how shopping around can make it affordable on an annual income of less than $70,000 a year - not the $170,000+ he is getting.

But there is a sound solution to our health care crisis. It's called "single payer." It's not a tax shifting tool or an ideological tenet, nor is it a political gimmick designed to aid campaign donors like nearly all of Ryan's rehashed and retrofitted corporate drawing board solutions. The single payer system is about health care and it is the only way to significantly reduce per capita overall health care costs while simultaneously providing quality care for everyone.

You can read more about single payer at Paulette Garin's Blog. It's time for a reboot.

Rip Rap

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The private sector is not the solution to our problems, the private sector is the problem.

Tomah Journal Perspective:
It was the private sector, not the government, that got the bright idea to insure bundled mortgages.

It’s a private-sector bureaucrat, not a government bureaucrat, who’s more likely to stand between a patient and the health care he or she needs.

It’s the private sector, not the government, that can change your credit card interest rate on a whim.

It’s the private sector, not the government, that outsources call centers to India.

It’s a private-sector executive, not a government bureaucrat, who can leverage an eight-figure golden parachute for running a failed enterprise.

It’s a private-sector executive, not a government bureaucrat, who’s more likely to spend $1.2 million renovating an office.

It’s not often we hear a newspaper editorial writer tell it like it is.

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Did Man Create God?

Chicago Tribune Excerpt:
"In the Beginning, Man Created God."
This provocative twist on the Bible’s opening line was plastered on the side of 25 Chicago buses this week as part of an advertising crusade by the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign. "The intent of the campaign is to stimulate discussion of religion and its place in our society," said Charlie Sitzes, a spokesman for the Indiana group who with help from the American Humanist Association has collected more than $10,000 in private donations to buy the ad space in Indiana and Illinois.

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More Newspapers Losing Public Notice Income

USA Today Excerpt:
RALEIGH, N.C. — The tough economy means the growing suburb of Apex can't replace some computers and police vehicles. So the town's mayor is pleased to save $13,000 by posting public notices of rezoning requests and major land development plans on the town's website, rather than in the local newspaper.

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It's Pelosi, She's The One That Lied

Guardian Excerpt
(Oct. 11, 2007)
Former US president Jimmy Carter last night told CNN the US tortured prisoners in violation of international law, following an assertion last week from George Bush that the US "does not torture". The 2002 winner of the Nobel peace prize accused Mr Bush of making up his own definition of torture and the hawkish vice president, Dick Cheney, of being a “a militant who avoided any service of his own in the military."

Still relevant in May, 2009.

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GOP, Cheney Should Be Tried At The Hague

JG Excerpt:
On April 21, addressing congressional proposals for a bipartisan commission to study the interrogations, the president said: "I do worry about this getting so politicized that we cannot function effectively and it hampers our ability to carry out critical national security operations."

The AP writer somehow twisted that…into this.

JG Excerpt:
Barack Obama warned Democrats in Congress against making a partisan cause out of the Bush administration's harsh interrogation tactics.

No doubt about it, it is the Republicans who are politicizing the interrogations committee and dragging Nancy Pelosi down with them. At the same time, my friends on the Left refuse to make any concessions to wrong-headed politicians, Democrats included. I can’t blame them.

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Wal-Mart Epitomizes WMC Business Model

Wal-Mart Excerpt:
“We’re not just changing how we do things, we’re changing our entire culture to embrace sustainability, ranging from education of our employees, offering more sustainable products, and reducing the environmental impact of our operations,” Nelson said.

And what about paying wages and benefits good enough to sustain a family and a mortgage? Oh - off topic, sorry.

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Fox Bigots Calls Russ Feingold A "Jew"

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The New Anti-Union Global Economy

Last week's Time Magazine cover story was titled The Future of Work. It begins “Throw away the briefcase: you’re not going to the office. You can kiss your benefits goodbye too. And your new boss won't look much like your old one. There's no longer a ladder, and you may never get to retire, but there's a world of opportunity if you figure out a new path."

Wisconsin Republicans Wanted More Lay-Offs

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In a AP article titled "New Doyle Plan Could Lay Off 1,400," in Friday's Janesville Gazette, at least one republican, Rep. Robin Vos of Racine, said the lay-offs weren't enough.

WTMJ Radio Excerpt:
"He took the easy route out," Vos said, saying government should be cutting more.

Janesville GM Being Gutted And Stripped Of Valuables

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JS Online Excerpt (May 19, 2009)
Bargain hunters picked through the remains of General Motors' once-thriving Janesville assembly plant Tuesday, looking to pick up used lathes, grinders, boring mills and a factory-load of other machinery on the cheap.

JG Excerpt:
JANESVILLE — In what appears to be another indication that General Motors has no production plans for its idled Janesville plant, the automaker will take to the Internet today to auction off hundreds of pieces of equipment.

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Union Stands Up Against Outsourcing Jobs

JG Excerpt:
AFT-Wisconsin President Bryan Kennedy tells the Wisconsin State Journal that workers won't give up the raise as long as the state continues to outsource additional work to contractors.

Public Private Partnerships - A Matter Between Friends

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Well, you knew this was coming. After rumors circulated around Janesville for the past two weeks, it turns out another group of underfunded private special interest folks have approached the city with a plan to divest Janesville taxpayers of their ever more difficult-to-earn dollars. So far, one private business venture succeeded when the WHP captured an extremely soft lease contract and refreshment concessions deal with the city. The WHP will rent a property tax-free facility on the cheap with all routine maintenance and upkeep paid for by the city, while the group keeps 100% of admissions, concessions, sponsorship and advertising. Forgive me if I left something out.

The second group, led by city hall activist K. Andreah Briarmoon, laid down a somewhat awkward yet reasonable proposal for a community center to help economically distressed residents. She proposed a plan to save the old (historic) Case Feed Building near the city central by renovating it into a neighborhood/youth community center. The Case building proposal was not unlike the others as it involved a public/private scheme and the capturing of $450,000 in tax dollars. However, for the community center, the funding was requested from Federal Block Grant money, a source of revenue Briarmoon demonstrated as being diverted away from its original intentions and use by the Janesville City Administration. In the end, the city advised her to come back with a considerably reduced funding request.

JG Excerpt: (March 17,2009)
"I'm thrilled to be the real estate agent involved in a project that does so many things at once," Briarmoon said. "Preserving a historic landmark, restoring it, and on top of that, it will even provide space for service groups that will directly benefit the neighborhood."

There should have been some traction here. This was a very worthwhile and timely proposal, and besides, city officials have no problem finding revenue for leisurely amenities such as a hockey team/arena during a time most people believe will be a deep and long term recession. But things are quickly going south for the Case Feed Community center as the city gave the building owners a seven day notice to secure the structure by boarding it up.

Unfortunately, the community center idea was derailed at the most important time by folks you'd least expect.

JG Excerpt: (March 17,2009)
Council President Amy Loasching said she's not sure there's enough support to justify the project. "I would really question whether or not that is something that a large group of people would really utilize," she said. "I've heard from a handful of people that say that they want this," Loasching said. "If we're doing something with city money to please five people, I'm not in support of that."

These comments seemed very premature and dismissive coming from a city council member, yet very telling of the city’s initial reaction to the Case community center. Ironically, soon afterward and separate from the Briarmoon group, Loasching and Council member Kathy Voskuil formed a Janesville Poverty Coalition group under city auspice to serve low-income residents – I would guess - all five of them. Briarmoon must know by now the tables are heavily tilted against her initiatives, even by people she may have thought would have supported such a worthy cause.

But now we have a third private group proposing yet another public private partnership to confiscate tax dollars. This particular group proposes building a new ice arena facility south of the new baseball diamonds in the Youth Sports Complex – on the far, far east side of town.

JG Excerpt:
The group hasn't decided who would own the building. One option is for the committee to own the rink and lease it back to the city for a nominal fee, Squire said.

This is how Briarmoon should have approached the city for the community center. Ask the city for $2.5 million right at the start. Demand the city design, build, operate and maintain the property tax-free facility while you assume all the ownership benefits. And in the meantime, pull a nice income by renting the facility back to the city taxpayers! In Janesville, this one will fly!!

I would guess here on the ice arena that ownership all depends on whether the city signs a lifetime maintenance agreement and hands a green field over to the group for $1, draws a TIF District around it and then builds the facility. Another strike against the Case Feed building.

And to think, this one’s just getting started. I can't wait!

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Jesse the "body" and the mind



Hasselbeck more worried about Pelosi than torture.

Without Pay, Will Newspapers Politicize Notices?

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Monday’s Gazette editorial issued a ‘thumbs down” for a motion passed by the state legislature’s finance committee. The legislation is intended to end the requirement that state agencies and constitutional offices provide legal notices in the official state newspaper – the Wisconsin State Journal. Instead, the information will be posted on Web sites.

JG Editorial Excerpt:
It will include meetings to consider environmental impact, notices of proposed state constitutional amendments, requests for proposals and hearings on such things as airport standards, toll bridges and administrative rules.

But the legislation does not prohibit newspapers from publishing the notices.

JG Editorial Excerpt:
Why put the onus on the public with a change that suggests we trust government to put on Web sites information we need to know? That stomps on our state’s principle of open government.

Again, the legislation does not prohibit newspapers from publishing the notices. And newspapers want to know why people continue to look elsewhere for information? If the Gazette (and other newspapers) were just a little more honest in their approach, they wouldn’t try to mischaracterize this legislation as just more evidence the government can’t be trusted or pretend they (newspapers) publish notices out of a sense of public duty and informational access. It’s about the money.

The only minor drawback I can see to this legislation is how newspapers might scan over notices and only publish those that serve their own political agenda on an as-needed basis.

In an unrelated yet similar action taken by the City of Janesville, the city will no longer send residents mailed invitations to neighborhood listening sessions. The Gazette issued no editorial complaint against the city's decision.

City Council's Pro-Activity A Matter Of Business

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In what was a low priority issue facing the Janesville city council at last week's meeting, members decided against establishing tougher legal guidelines governing the display of so-called offensive materials and images at sexually oriented businesses. Afterwards however, the council was still able to squeeze out some favorable publicity courtesy of the Janesville Gazette.

The fact is, had the city applied the same legal jargon to Spencer's Gifts as they applied to private citizens with the city’s nuisance ordinance, they would have went after the mall owner to rectify a tenant's violation. After all, Spencer's Gifts is merely a renter, and Janesville’s nuisance law targets the landlord for restitution and abatement for their tenants behavior.

JG Excerpt:
“When governments (act) proactively, I get very nervous,” Rashkin said.

Where was this sentiment when city attorney’s scrambled the Constitution in the city’s nuisance ordinance or even the ordinance covering something as mundane as weeds growing in your yard?

To go even further on this, had the council placed Spencer's on the same playing field as a typical Janesville residential property owner, the council would have allowed the city to pro-actively take care of the problem — to enter Spencer’s without an injunction and physically remove all of the products and imagery deemed offensive by somebody’s discretionary mind — IF the business owner or manager doesn’t - and then bill the owner later for the “clean-up” enforcement. Unconstitutional you say? Probably, but that never stopped the Janesville city council before. Currently, the city has such an ordinance that covers grass cutting and snow removal, and has applied those same standards to it’s much ballyhooed “toxic weed” ordinance.

Janesville Weed Ordinance Excerpt:
E. In addition to and not necessarily in lieu of the forfeiture penalties and other relief set forth in this ordinance upon seven 7 days written notice to the property owner and or possessor in the event that the subject property is not brought into and or kept in conformity with the regulations and requirements set forth in this Chapter the City may go upon the property to bring it into conformity in which event the full cost of such remediation shall be charged by the City against the property as a special charge or assessment and if not timely paid shall be collected as a delinquent tax.

Remember, the passage above is about weeds!! (of all things) growing naturally on private property, an ordinance the city of parks has smartly and conveniently exempted itself from.

But this time around, the administration's proposed changes to update the current city ordinance on offensive material was very lightweight by comparison. It appears the only thing heavy-handed about it in the eyes of the council was that it would effect business. Had this same (supposedly) offensive material been publicly displayed by a private person or residence, this council would have been all over it. Instead it’s a business, and in Janesville, businesses have more rights than people.

Just consider this next comment from the Administration regarding the city's idea to strengthen existing residential city codes. They suggested if a landlord, renter or resident fails to comply with ordinances, city officials would like…….

Excerpt
”……to have the ability to go onto private property….without going through the court system. That’s our current practice…to get an injunction.” – Janesville City Staff (Dec. 19, 2007)

That remark should have raised alarm bells with anyone who genuinely has issues with an oppressive or over-reaching government. At that time, I don’t recall any council members being offended by that statement or taking it to task.

But Rashkin’s comment regarding Spencer's gave the impression that his position was governed by a much broader sense of civic duty and an awareness of intrusive government. I wish it were true, but I believe the main reason why Rashkin, Voskuil, Truman and Perrotto voted against this was because it happens to target commercial establishments and the last thing this group wants to fuel is a high profile debate with Spencer's publicizing Janesville as anti-business. The decision was about defending business - not that that's necessarily bad, its just that it wasn't about holding government in check or defending rights in the broad sense, as some would have us believe.

So let’s not fool ourselves here, a majority sitting on Janesville’s city council and previous councils share a common pattern. They are not exactly champions of residential property, privacy or individual rights, the Constitution or fair government. This is the same council that rubber stamps heavy-handed provisions and penalties against a defenseless citizenry on a regular basis. You’d be giving the Janesville city council far too much credit by thinking the Spencer's decision sprung from a higher ground in noble defense of constitutional rights.

Note: Ironically, recent changes in ordinance language permits the broad use of personal discretion (instead of written law) at the point of an alleged violation, allowing authorities to discriminately enforce laws and levy penalties. When asked who would make the judgement call to determine whether or not provisions were violated, the city attorney said it doesn't have to be one person, it could be a "team" of city employees. You can't make this stuff up.

Phantom City Growth Driving Up Janesville Water Bills

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DNR Excerpt:
Janesville is proposing extensive upgrading and renovations throughout the treatment plant to replace aging equipment or facilities, and to provide increased treatment capacity to accommodate future growth.

With the closing of the GM plant, Janesville's water utility lost 9% of it's water usage volume - a figure which should correspond favorably to the utility's newly found ability to accommodate future growth. Without GM, the Janesville water utility system is under-utilized. So under-utilized in fact, they are proposing a 15% increase in water rates charged to its' customers to make up for the lost volume.

DNR Excerpt:
The project has an estimated capital cost of $32,100,000. Assuming a Clean Water Fund loan is obtained, it’s anticipated that the typical residential user charge would increase from $51.50 per quarter to $66.80 per quarter.

Where did the DNR get those figures? In a very recent article from the Janesville Gazette, the city administration claimed the "average" water utility bill was $40 a quarter. That's an error of 21% assuming the DNR's figures are closer to reality. The newspaper published this same figure undisputed again in a follow-up article. Obviously, somebody was lying or deliberately misrepresented the "average" bill by leaving out the waste water numbers from the bill. The Gazette just plays right along and delivers the misinformation right up to their subscriber's doorsteps.

So as it stands, the Janesville administration requested a 15% hike in water rates to make up for the drop in demand from GM. Followed by the waste water upgrade request, a request partially built on the accommodation of future growth. That's another 30% increase in rates. In addition, the administration is proposing a water tower for the NE side (administration says not for growth) which will likely lead to another 15% increase on top.

Barring further adjustments for inflation and other unforeseen events, and depending on the sequence of the three rate increases (15-30-15) the city administration and council have planned for us, a $80 quarterly Janesville water bill will likely balloon to approximately $135. With no fault at all going to the current users or the system's ability to serve future sustainable growth.

As long as the Janesville city council continues to rubber stamp this series of increases along with the wrong-headed basis on which they are founded, there is little Janesville residents can do to reverse the direction.

Ryan and Sensenbrenner Abandon American Workers

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Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner like Paul Ryan, claimed to have the smarts and the upper hand when he was against using TARP funds to help the Big 3 automakers BECAUSE they both knew the money was being spent on subsidizing failing corporations. They knew that the 800 employees of Chrysler’s Kenosha Engine Plant would someday face “restructuring” (read: lose their jobs), that’s what companies do when they fail, AND they knew the autoworker's jobs would most likely be relocated to facilities outside the U.S. They knew...

Sensenbrenner Excerpt:
Now, outsourcing jobs in a terrible economic market is really bad governing; but then having those workers help pay for their jobs to be outsourced through taxpayer bailout funds is a slap in the face and absolutely appalling. This is not the economic recovery Wisconsinites hoped for and expected.

Yes Congressmen, outsourcing American jobs is bad business, but more so particularly that you knew when the day outsourcing comes to your home districts, if it were up to you, your displaced factory workers would be scrooged out of any possible help afterwards. How is that? Because you voted against the Trade and Globalization Assistance Act.

A few highlights of HR 3920:
-Allows service sector workers and public workers to be covered by trade adjustment assistance (TAA) (Sec. 101-102, 141).
-Increases the amounts that can be appropriated for training under TAA from $220.00 million to $440.00 million for the 2008 and 2009 fiscal years, and to $660.00 million for all subsequent fiscal years (Sec. 127).
-Increases the income tax credit a TAA recipient can claim on payments for health coverage from 65 percent of the amount paid by the individual to 85 percent of the amount paid by the individual (Sec. 141).

View more highlights of HR 3920 here.

View other details on HR 3920 here.

Sensenbrenner was the only Wisconsin delegate to vote against the Trade and Globalization Assistance Act of 2007. Among the bill's objectives was one to reauthorize trade adjustment assistance to workers whose employment had been adversely effected by globalization.

And what about Paul Ryan's vote? Well, he was absent from Congress later in the day and did not vote, but.....

Congressional record PERSONAL EXPLANATION:
Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin.
Madam Speaker, I was absent for legislative business conducted after 3 p.m. on October 31, 2007, due to a family matter that required my personal attention.
As a result, I missed rollcall votes 1025 and 1026. Had I been present, I would have voted‘‘nay’’ on rollcall vote 1025, final passage of H.R. 3920, the Trade Adjustment and Assistance Act of 2007.

Not only did both Ryan and Sensenbrenner carry the legislative torch that led to the outsourcing of millions of jobs over the past decade, they were almost nearly as successful in dragging down the American worker even further after they became displaced from their jobs. I don't think you can get any lower than that. Absolutely disgusting.

And now Ryan points blame at Obama and Democrats?

Loud and Clear - Janesville Taxpayers Lose In Shut-Out

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Monday night’s Janesville City council meeting was a meeting to remember. It's not like I expected the city council to deny the WHP group an alcohol license at the city's ice arena. One way or another, it was going to happen no matter if the council had to work into the morning hours. It's just the way the whole thing played out that was totally bizarre.

Now, to get a clear picture of the final vote tally for the alcohol license, you need to revisit the city council's decision on the ice arena lease contract. At the time, two council members were absent (Brunner and Loasching), so all the council members in attendance voted for the contract - beer sales and all - excluding Bill Truman. Perrotto was not a member of the council at the time, but he voiced his opposition to the beer sales during his campaign. Still, folks are entitled to change their minds over a period of a few weeks and I expected the license to go through anyways. Given that however, Truman opened the discussion with this statement.

Council Meeting
“You made it loud and clear you don’t want to share your revenues with us, so I think it should be loud and clear taxpayers shouldn’t pay for remodeling for you to sell your beer.” – Council Member Bill Truman

That was a very strong statement in defense of the working Janesville taxpayer and it reinforced his 'no' vote on the lease/beer sales contract from six weeks ago. So it would only seem more than logical that he would not have capitulated any more to an uncompromising party. But not only did Truman flip on the dime with that statement, the Janesville Gazette also shut out this important aspect of the discussion by not acknowledging Truman’s statement in their article covering the council’s decision. Yet, after having that statement completely ignored by the rest of the council and the WHP spokesman, Truman votes to okay the beer license! Truly bizarre.

In less than 30 minutes, he went from one end of the spectrum to the other. Whatever happened after he made the "loud and clear" statement could be left up to anyone’s imagination.

Truman’s flip-flopping on the hockey contract beer sales deal was enough to make John Kerry look like Old Ironsides. I've never seen anything quite like it.

Alliant Energy Seeks Large Rate Hike

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Excerpt:
MADISON – The Citizens Utility Board has grave concerns for the ratepayers of Alliant Energy, which today applied with the Public Service Commission to raise electricity rates for 2010 by 9.2 percent, or $85.5 million, and natural gas rates by 8.4 percent, or $6.2 million.

Why have concerns? The City of Janesville has proposed raising water rates by 15% mainly stemming from reduced demand expected by the closing of the GM plant - and hardly anyone protested. While the city continues to build out in its insatiable thirst to expand its tax base into perpetuity, this so-called progress never seems capable of generating even a modest 6% rate of return for the city's water utility. In fact, the city will increase its operational assets soon again with a new $7.1 million water tower, thus increasing the burden to maintain a reasonable rate of return, guaranteeing even further rate hikes. We can expect a series of water rate hikes over the coming years. But folks in Janesville can easily afford it - although our economy says no - our silence says so.

But the Alliant request is simply a follow-up on an earlier rate hike request by Wisconsin Power & Light, a utility subsidiary of Alliant. In February, the power company relented and announced it will "share the pain" during this period of economic decline and decided against filing for the emergency rate increase.

Three months later, the painful sharing is over.

Obama Jokes At Correspondents Dinner

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Watch Part 2 here

Janesville’s Water Warning Lifted

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The water is safe to drink.

May 9, 2009 at 1:45PM: Precautionary Water Boil Lifted

Additional testing following the recent Coliform/E. Coli bacteria detection has come back normal and the precautionary water boil order for Janesville has been lifted. This means ALL city residents may use water as normal and no boiling is necessary.

Excerpt:
Residents of much of the city's east side had been under a state-ordered boil-water notice since Friday afternoon.

Plenty of questions remain never being asked or volunteered to answer. Why were the eight previous potentially dangerous events to the city's drinking water left publicly unreported until years later? What's different about this episode that a warning notice was issued compared to the eight previous? Is it because of state involvement? Was it because the previous eight events did not pose a danger to Janesville residents? If the previous eight episodes (without warnings) are not of the same urgency as #9, why will it cost the city over $7 million to cure? Was the water tower presentation at the last city council meeting merely a ploy to exploit fears? In light of that, what will this episode cost the city? Who's looking out for us?

Let’s hope that when our Water Utility Director notices something awry within the scope of his job that may negatively impact the health and safety of over 60,000 people, it doesn’t take a state order to issue a warning. One out of nine is a poor average. We don’t need to be kept in the dark.

Warning #9 Issued For Janesville Water

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During routine water supply testing, the City of Janesville detected Fecal Coliform/E. Coli bacteria in the north pressure zone east of the Rock River that supplies water to the area east of Randall Avenue; and north of Mt. Zion Avenue and Black Bridge Road.

View city map of area effected by water tower possible water comtamination here. PDF

JG Excerpt: (April 28, 2009)
Eight times in the last five or six years water pressure has dropped to problem levels in the north zone, Lynch said. "That's eight times too many."

The north zone serves about 30,000 people, he said. When the pressure drops, bacteria could get in the system. It also could leave fire crews unable to pump water to fight a fire.

Kenosha Restructured Out Of Chrysler Viability Plan

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Was Congressman Paul Ryan really surprised by Chrysler's decision to close the Kenosha plant?

Ryan Press Release
I learned about this troubling development from news reports today and not from either Chrysler or officials at the White House that negotiated this bankruptcy restructuring.

But just last year, Ryan seemingly lamented the results he expected regardless of the level of taxpayer help for the American auto industry.

JS Online Excerpt:
(Dec. 4, 2008)
In addition, there is no guarantee that even huge injections of federal funds would prevent massive layoffs in the auto industry, he said. If GM and Chrysler were to merge, for instance, "you could see tens of thousands of job losses," Ryan said.

In the same article, even the Chrysler VP sounded a dire warning about expectations.

JS Online Excerpt:
(Dec. 4, 2008)
"We're on the brink with the U.S. auto manufacturing industry. We're down to months left," Chrysler's vice chairman, Jim Press, told the AP.

But Ryan wasn't finished as he defends the tough decisions as the means to save the American auto industry.

JS Online Excerpt:
(Dec. 4, 2008)
In Janesville, until a few months ago politicians were clinging to hope that GM might retool the SUV plant for a new line of cars. But with the company now fighting for its very survival, it's clear "the odds are against us," Ryan said.

What changed now that it’s Obama’s fault?

Still, no matter how long President Obama might hold Chrysler's feet to fire, he will not be able to overcome the union busting extreme globalist legislation passed by the last 30 years of Congress. In fact, the more he intervenes, the more socialism he is accused of by the likes of Paul Ryan.



May 6, 2009 - Chrysler Responds to criticism.

Special Interests Behind Every Public Problem

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Mike McCabe of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign has done plenty of good over the years rattling some cages, only for some politicians and officials to dig in their heels even further. In a post-Earth Day op-ed published in various papers throughout Wisconsin, McCabe paints a bleak picture describing his view of our polluted political environment.

Capital Times Excerpt:
The crooked game that is the problem behind every problem plaguing our state and our nation will end when ordinary folks take government and politics as seriously as do the richest and most privileged in our society, who have tirelessly gamed the system and warped government decisions in their favor.

Of the problems behind every problem, the biggest one of all is how so many of us have backed away from democracy. I suspect one culprit is how we've all been taught -- brainwashed, really -- from a very early age to be consumers first and foremost, not citizens.

When all of us become more than the sum of what we buy, we'll have our democracy and our country back.

But in all well-deserved respect due to McCabe and his sharply tuned perspective, its not enough for us to put only state and federal officials under the microscope or to follow the money. If I may add here, residents must stand up and shout out against misguided policies and decisions made at the local levels and look for, and uncover the links of influence just as well.

Sometimes, a money exchange may never happen or be recorded. Oftentimes personal friendships and a feckless and defanged media accomplice are all that is necessary to tilt the tables against justice or cover up the truth. More often then not, many decisions in our local political environment are arrived at to advance friends, business clients and associates, or private special interests flying under the "community" banner. All the signs of a corrupted local government can be exposed by following these connections of influence.

Other officials involved in making the connection just go along to get along, never understanding the scope of the damage done by their complacency. Understandably, for still others, opposing misguided local officials is too close for comfort in a small community and they don't want to be maligned in a campaign by the supporting media partner.

We must stop kidding ourselves. The political environment in Janesville is tilted as anywhere else in America. We just don't read or hear about it because its been "cleaned up" by the compliant monopolized local media. We have been brainwashed.

Read McCabe's timeless Earth Day Speech delivered on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus April 22, 2003 here.

Keeping in tradition, the Janesville Gazette posted McCabe's op-ed on Tuesday (May 5) under the heading "State Views."

Insurance Racketeers Shape Health Care Reform

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A series of protesters demanding single-payer health care coverage objected to a Senate Finance Committee roundtable on health care reform Tuesday morning. At the beginning of the hearing, a man stood and asked, "So let me get this straight -- you have 15 seats at the table and not one for single payer? Why is that?

Healthcare Now Excerpt:
“It’s a pretty spectacular display of raw political power,” said Russell Mokhiber of Single Payer Action. “The health insurance industry demands that not one of the fifteen people who testified today shall be a single payer advocate. And the industry gets what it wants. It’s time for the American people to storm the gates and demand – put single payer on the table.”

While Sen. Baucus insisted that many of his constituents at home share the same view, and one he respects because he personally and deeply cares about their views, yada - yada - yada, he nevertheless got a good laugh from it all and still had the protesters arrested.

Sen. Grassley can be heard in the background, "Isn't there some place they can watch it on television?"

They just don't get it. Congressionals like Grassley must think people can be pacified by just sitting around spectating and reporting on a bunch of stuffed shirts jabber on with insurance racketeers. Anyone can do that and call it reform.

In time, the Congressional finance committee eventually proceeded to hold the phony health care reform hearing seating fifteen operatives from the pay-to-play health care insurance racket.

Video Of Objections To Racket Hearings



Visit Healthcare Now! Organizing for a nation single-payer Health Care system - HR676, One plan - One nation.

Sign petition here.

Also, May 30th: National Day of Action.
Nationwide Rallies for Improved Medicare for All

Read more on HR676 here. Leadership conference for guaranteed health care.

Palin's Grandstand Baby As Consequence Of Failure

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The Swamp Excerpt:
Bristol Palin, daughter of the Alaska governor who ran for vice president and mother of a boy named Tripp, will take part in a national campaign to raise awareness for the prevention of teen pregnancy.

Just great! How does a teenage girl stand there and say, "if you do things right, you won't be stuck with one of these."

Excerpt:
Explaining that she can serve as a living example of the consequences of teen pregnancy, she said in an issued statement that she will consider preventing even one girl from getting pregnant a success.

Normally, I don’t partake in blogging about this type of news, but that poor kid Tripp will have to go on living knowing that had his mom and pop been more aware (birth control, morning after pill, condoms, abortion, abstinence, etc.), he would have been prevented. At least they think so.

What demented logic and a sad message the Palin’s will do to advance themselves at the expense of one of their own. Instead of celebrating the life of this precious little baby they refused to prevent, the Palin’s grandstand his life as an example of failure.

To think these folks were a heartbeat from the presidency. Good grief!

Health Care: The Next Bubble to Burst

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Gerson Lehrman Group Excerpt:
We have the world's most expensive healthcare system costing $2.4 trillion per Year 4.3 times more than we spend on national defense, 20% of GDP. It is also one of the world's worst systems ranked 37th by the World Health Organization. Costs are escalating at 7%, at least twice the rate of inflation. Our Healthcare System is the most inefficient and wasteful among leading industrial countries.

Health Care Colorado Excerpt:
Dr. Wes writes about how our health care system is facing a bubble similar to the one the housing market experienced a few years ago: health care expenses are rising far faster than inflation, and increasing numbers of people are finding themselves unable to pay for health care - which is just as basic a necessity as housing.

True Cost blog Excerpt:
It’s unlikely that the US can devote 1/3rd of all productive capacity to healthcare without crippling other sectors of the economy and reducing overall economic growth. The healthcare bubble thus dwarfs all previous bubbles in size, since the technology, real estate, and energy sectors are all so much smaller.

DrRich Presents Excerpt:
So when this bubble bursts, just as Mr. Baron hints, things will get very nasty very quickly, and the results will make our current economic crisis seem quite trivial. That any bursting of the healthcare bubble will threaten - and likely wreck - the underlying integrity of our social structure should not come as a surprise, considering that even our current, minor crisis is causing us to fundamentally revisit the foundational principles of the American compact.

Read an additional perspective on current political activity regarding health care reform at Democurmudgeon

Here's a nifty Webpage where you can find prescription drugs available at discounted generic programs and prices in your area. Search by zip code. Thanks to Uninsured Granny for the "tip."

Janesville Power Brokers Continue To Clique

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Among the pages archived here at Rock Netroots Commentary, you can find several dozen ethically questionable incidents carried out by Janesville city government over the past several years that have been literally swept under the carpet by its revisionist compliant media associate. Some of the most egregious examples of recent include a run-up to socialize the business expenses of a politically connected local investment group with a property tax-free facility and a fishy city contract. A non-partisan city council endorsing the legislative agenda of a politically active special interest group, and a deceptive if not outright dishonest presentation from the city administration during a council meeting on a decision to build a water tower on the city’s NE side.

Had these shenanigans occurred in any other town, they would have been scandalous high publicity events. On a few very rare occasions when Janesville media or city officials seemingly addressed obvious grievances, they simply apply straw man tactics to undermine civic reformers or demonize the messenger as a negative malcontent with an axe to grind. Yet strangely enough, the Janesville Gazette oftentimes has no problem pointing blame and running up criticism at officials of government outside of the local power-broking clique. On most occasions, the Janesville scandal is just simply ignored.

But the Gazette has the scoop on the donut eating contest in Walworth County!

King Daley of Chicago only wishes he had it this easy.

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The First 100 Days Of Inheritance

Notable Quotes Excerpt:
"When the Obama administration crashes and burns, with approval ratings that fall through the floor, political scientists can trace its demise to its first hundred days." — Dick Morris, Fox Political Commentator explaining why the obstacles and problems left by Bush are plenty enough to take down even the best of presidents.

Public Private Partnerships Cover Corporate Socialist Agenda

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After viewing some of the comments made at the Gazette blog on the article titled Managing a major meltdown, it becomes clear at least a few posters have a good handle on the public private partnership smokescreen foisted upon Janesville taxpayers regarding the ice arena. The debate evolved into a deeper discussion about the pros and cons of local privatization, and helped confirm how many voters and concerned taxpayers have their loyalties all screwed up when it comes to defining their own econo-political philosophy.

Of course, I’m totally against the privatization of government, government facilities, properties and programs, particularly those that help level the socio-economic playing field. But let’s be clear first about local government’s obligations to its citizens in the first place. I believe both local and Federal government must do all it can for the health and safety of its citizens. That means snow plowing, disease prevention, an equitable good health care system for all, garbage pick up (more health), education, police and fire safety should be top priority. I can’t imagine someone calling the fire department and being asked for their credit card or how they intend to pay for the service while their house is burning.

The next tier of responsibility should be to defend private property rights and the weak. That includes economically disadvantaged children and seniors. That means Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. It’s not the time to play the blame game when a child or senior is left living in poverty or squalor. America is better than that – or are we?

But a sports facility or an ice rink primarily used for entertainment purposes? Isn’t that a business? Shouldn’t businesses be private? Isn’t that the whole foundation of American capitalism? Plenty of folks in Janesville think otherwise.

Perhaps the best part here is, the group and most of the folks looking to confiscate capital from the collectivist system of government (taxation) for private venture enterprise are Republicans!! Yep. The WHP is a group of local GOP operatives and businessmen. And let’s face it, hockey is generally socially perceived as a Republican identification marker much like NASCAR, if such a stereo-category exists. And in case you haven’t heard lately, folks who have been practicing that form of wealth redistribution and government intervention into private enterprise have been called……… socialists!!

To be fair to socialism, let’s also acknowledge what Republicans call socialism when they practice it – they call it a "public private partnership." Isn’t that convenient?

Lately, I think of this confused and angry Wisconsin voter often when I think about Republicans taking over our country. We've got to have our heads examined.