Showing posts sorted by relevance for query city council political party independent. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query city council political party independent. Sort by date Show all posts
Tuesday, April 03, 2018
With Screnock Endorsement, The Janesville Gazette Is Finally True To Their Partisan Hack Publishing
After years of shredding any candidate or incumbent that dare invoke party support in their campaign for local non-partisan office, the Janesville Gazette, famous locally for their republican publishing and blackhole journalism, finally dropped their phony anti-partisan crusade and fully endorsed Michael Screnock for State Supreme Court judge.
The NRA-endorsed Screnock as you know, has taken more than $345,000 from the state Republican Party while his opponent, Rebecca Dallet, received zero dollars from either political party. Keep in mind, the Wisconsin State Supreme Court is a non-partisan election and office. Screnock has received five times more money from the GOP than any other Supreme Court candidate.
Is that important?
In Janesville, it used to be important. So much that it was game-changing very important.
In fact in Janesville, any candidate running for non-partisan office (city council, school district or county supervisor) even carrying a hint of organized support, let alone an actual political party, would be researched and personally destroyed by the Janesville Gazette.
When not scorched by the Gazette editors themselves, the newspaper would post vicious partisan attacks and lies in their anonymous "Sound off" column week-after-week just prior to election day against any candidate receiving endorsements from known local democrats or union members. In between the newspaper's phony anti-partisan rage, they would also publish a locally known letter writer's wild, hateful attacks on local organized groups and their influence in non-partisan elections as their cause celebre for the month.
The Gazette's editors would always say there is no room for partisan politics in non-partisan elective offices and political parties should keep their distance from trying to influence these elections. Well, until Michael Screnock came along.
But you might say, "Well, maybe they were right. Maybe the local democratic party is involved in local non-partisan elections." First of all, let's not mix political parties with other private politically motivated groups. There are the political parties and then there are others. Sure.
But as an independent observer of the political environment in Janesville and Rock County, I can say with much confidence that the local Democratic Party, to their credit, has been hands off in campaigns of candidates for non-partisan office. That notion is also supported by the fact when a school board member filed a FOIA open records request on another school board member after suspecting party influence in her campaign. They came up empty-handed.
So it is now that after years of calling the Janesville Gazette, "phony non-partisans" for their obviously hypocritical attacks and fake news about local candidates tying their non-partisan campaigns to a political party or group, when it never happened ...I can now say with their Screnock endorsement the Gazette is finally true to their partisan hack cause.
Keep in mind the one-time self-described democrat-leaning "fiscally conservative" liberal progressives staffing the Janesville Gazette endorsed chokemeister David Prosser in 2011, Scott Walker three times and Michael Gableman. So their endorsement of Michael Screnock was not unexpected. It merely proved all of my previous descriptions of the newspaper to be super accurate.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Local Media Circus Goes Nuclear Defending Legislator's Residency
Like running a thread through a needle, the Janesville Gazette knew exactly what to publish when the City of Janesville issued their results of a city code inspection on a city council candidate's remodeled basement. The basement in question is where State Rep. Joe Knilans claimed he was domiciled since June of last year. On the city's property website, it was listed as unfinished square footage.
Unfortunately, the city and the Gazette both have a history of heavy media filtration and playing cat-n-mouse games when it comes to informing the public. In this case, it's hard to figure which party is at fault for the incomplete information, but history dictates it is the Janesville Gazette and their selective lack of curiosity and partisan journalism that is to blame for the perpetual spread of missing information. Simply put, it was the newspaper's job to ask the questions and publish the city's response, not the city's to offer unsolicited.
Speaking of partisan journalism, the Gazette and their supporting cast of political operatives have gone nuclear in their attack on the democratic party for daring to keep Joe Knilans' accountable or to question statements he made during his campaign about his residency.
The democratic party got slammed for being upfront and open about their partisanship and concerns, while their complaint is raked over the coals instead of being allowed the right to the due process it deserves. Nobody has to agree with the democratic party or their intentions, that is not the issue here. But partisanship should not be allowed to diminish the validity of the complaint or impair the ability to achieve due justice, at least not until all the facts are in.
Instead of addressing the questions about his residency and statements he made during his campaign directly and with substance, Knilans, including the editorial staff at the Gazette have decided to attack the complainant and deflect the issue any which way they can. Their goal appears to not allow Knilans to stand alone on his own merit against the complaint.
While the Gazette slams the complaint for it's partisan undercurrents, the newspaper itself answers back for Knilans with nothing but partisanship, hypocrisy and deflection. Stan Milam for instance, in a column published in the hard copy Gazette, claims to be irritated by partisans who criticize the other side for doing the same thing they supposedly were guilty of in the past. Yet Milam's then justifies whatever wrongdoing Knilans has been accused of by rerunning Mike Sheridan's, John Gard's and Martin Schneider's residency problems, as if they have anything to do with Knilans current predicament or the complaint. Deflect, deflect, deflect.
The Gazette editorial on the other hand, implied that because the Governor, state houses and attorney general are all republicans, justice will not likely prevail for the democratic party's complaint. Who's the partisan?
State Sen. Tim Cullen (D) perhaps offers the most backward yet comical defense for Knilans that I’ve heard yet. He suggests that the problem was created because Knilans home unluckily happens to be outside the district. Hello, hello? But that – it’s a border districting problem created by Janesville’s growing population - not necessarily a problem Knilans himself had contributed to. Hello? It’s worth a chuckle.
The other popular narrative used in the legislator’s defense is that everyone knew he was living outside the district. That’s not entirely true. Plenty of folks heard that Knilans was domiciled in his brother’s basement (inside the district) almost three months before the primary. Just ask radio talker Dan Conry, he knows this for a fact. Or how about the defense that everyone in Janesville knows how hard it is to sell their house. It's true, everyone knows. Everyone but Joe Knilans. He thought his home would sell in just a few short months. He had to think that to believe he would be living in the district he ran in by the time he was sworn in.
Oh well look, I realize everything I’m bringing up here sounds extremely petty if not juvenile. That's because it is! These aren’t my defenses or opinions on his residency situation. These are statements from newspaper professionals and their political operatives whose sole purpose is to destroy the due process the complaint deserves and turn the simple complaint into a personal attack mudfest. This is their baby.
A side story to the Gazette's intentionally fabricated political mudfest and perhaps driving the newspaper's animosity is the fact that an outside media source entered the Gazette's turf when an ungazetted reporter challenged the legislator's basement living arrangement with the city. The Gazette was clearly upstaged while at the same time having their selectively partisan journalism exposed to the world.
As a bystander trying to sort through the spitballs repeatedly thrown by the Gazette, justice will likely never be served for Knilans or the democratic party so long as third parties like the Gazette are allowed to poison the discourse and damage the process. Their purpose is not to publish the news, but to change it.
We're used to it in Janesville.
JG Excerpt:Why bother? Once the city chose to issue their inspection determination through the media, what is there left to outline? Let's not kid ourselves here, there's more. It should be obvious to those following the basement residency story about legislator Joe Knilans that the Gazette published only part of the city's judgment. Would it have been too much for the newspaper to ask whether the work was done with the necessary permits? Nah ...it's nobody's business.
While the drywall walls were not taped and mudded, that is not a code requirement, he said. Price inspected the property Tuesday and will mail a letter to the home's owner, Michael Knilans, outlining his determination.
Unfortunately, the city and the Gazette both have a history of heavy media filtration and playing cat-n-mouse games when it comes to informing the public. In this case, it's hard to figure which party is at fault for the incomplete information, but history dictates it is the Janesville Gazette and their selective lack of curiosity and partisan journalism that is to blame for the perpetual spread of missing information. Simply put, it was the newspaper's job to ask the questions and publish the city's response, not the city's to offer unsolicited.
Speaking of partisan journalism, the Gazette and their supporting cast of political operatives have gone nuclear in their attack on the democratic party for daring to keep Joe Knilans' accountable or to question statements he made during his campaign about his residency.
The democratic party got slammed for being upfront and open about their partisanship and concerns, while their complaint is raked over the coals instead of being allowed the right to the due process it deserves. Nobody has to agree with the democratic party or their intentions, that is not the issue here. But partisanship should not be allowed to diminish the validity of the complaint or impair the ability to achieve due justice, at least not until all the facts are in.
Instead of addressing the questions about his residency and statements he made during his campaign directly and with substance, Knilans, including the editorial staff at the Gazette have decided to attack the complainant and deflect the issue any which way they can. Their goal appears to not allow Knilans to stand alone on his own merit against the complaint.
While the Gazette slams the complaint for it's partisan undercurrents, the newspaper itself answers back for Knilans with nothing but partisanship, hypocrisy and deflection. Stan Milam for instance, in a column published in the hard copy Gazette, claims to be irritated by partisans who criticize the other side for doing the same thing they supposedly were guilty of in the past. Yet Milam's then justifies whatever wrongdoing Knilans has been accused of by rerunning Mike Sheridan's, John Gard's and Martin Schneider's residency problems, as if they have anything to do with Knilans current predicament or the complaint. Deflect, deflect, deflect.
The Gazette editorial on the other hand, implied that because the Governor, state houses and attorney general are all republicans, justice will not likely prevail for the democratic party's complaint. Who's the partisan?
State Sen. Tim Cullen (D) perhaps offers the most backward yet comical defense for Knilans that I’ve heard yet. He suggests that the problem was created because Knilans home unluckily happens to be outside the district. Hello, hello? But that – it’s a border districting problem created by Janesville’s growing population - not necessarily a problem Knilans himself had contributed to. Hello? It’s worth a chuckle.
The other popular narrative used in the legislator’s defense is that everyone knew he was living outside the district. That’s not entirely true. Plenty of folks heard that Knilans was domiciled in his brother’s basement (inside the district) almost three months before the primary. Just ask radio talker Dan Conry, he knows this for a fact. Or how about the defense that everyone in Janesville knows how hard it is to sell their house. It's true, everyone knows. Everyone but Joe Knilans. He thought his home would sell in just a few short months. He had to think that to believe he would be living in the district he ran in by the time he was sworn in.
Oh well look, I realize everything I’m bringing up here sounds extremely petty if not juvenile. That's because it is! These aren’t my defenses or opinions on his residency situation. These are statements from newspaper professionals and their political operatives whose sole purpose is to destroy the due process the complaint deserves and turn the simple complaint into a personal attack mudfest. This is their baby.
A side story to the Gazette's intentionally fabricated political mudfest and perhaps driving the newspaper's animosity is the fact that an outside media source entered the Gazette's turf when an ungazetted reporter challenged the legislator's basement living arrangement with the city. The Gazette was clearly upstaged while at the same time having their selectively partisan journalism exposed to the world.
As a bystander trying to sort through the spitballs repeatedly thrown by the Gazette, justice will likely never be served for Knilans or the democratic party so long as third parties like the Gazette are allowed to poison the discourse and damage the process. Their purpose is not to publish the news, but to change it.
We're used to it in Janesville.
Question For The WeekNote: This posting is the independent perspective and opinion of its author and is NOT affiliated with any political party, political candidate or media source.
Why does it seem like the same group of partisans pushing for voter ID have no problem when a legislator can’t produce a valid ID to vote in the district that he represents?
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Non-Partisan Elections Like Throwing Darts
Although I am still researching this, I have come to a conclusion of sorts about why things are the way they are regarding the strict adherence to the seemingly non-partisan form of city government in many towns throughout Wisconsin.
THE UPCOMING April election is a case in point. Voters often hear about the community service, education, general background, family and even religious orientation of the candidates, but when you ask them about their politics, they either say they’re neutral, in the center or an Independent. It’s funny how only 8-12% of the population is something other than a Democrat or a Republican, but they all seem to be running for City Council. And although Janesville city council candidates run non-partisan campaigns, that doesn’t mean candidates are obligated to keep their political philosophy a secret.
Private organizations like chambers of commerce and newspapers operate outside of legitimate political organizations such as the Republican or Democratic Party, so they have set themselves up pushing a political platform while maintaining party label immunity. This strong undercurrent of partisan folks have established themselves as the driving force in city leadership not because of politics - but because of the visible lack of politics. This of course allows them have full public opinion steering control.
THEY CAN SHAPE the talk of anyone trying to introduce an organized peoples platform into an absurd power grabbing goal of a ranting partisan, and who wants to support that? But the dominant press has to do this to protect their own interests and the interests of the dominant quasi-partisan power base they are connected to. So, talk of introducing partisanship, a mayoral city government, or district representation with alderman and precinct captains is a direct threat to their power.
TO PUT IT another way, when most of the owners, directors and editors of the media are tied into various quasi-nonpartisan organizations and businesses, you get a complicit press greasing the skids for their own agenda while enabling a crusade against critics and those who do not share the same goals. All the while maintaining they are beholden to no one, even the public they are entrusted to serve.
SO WHY have a non-partisan at-large city council? Simply because it is the very best way for a wealthy and influential minority to hold onto power. That is not democracy.
THE UPCOMING April election is a case in point. Voters often hear about the community service, education, general background, family and even religious orientation of the candidates, but when you ask them about their politics, they either say they’re neutral, in the center or an Independent. It’s funny how only 8-12% of the population is something other than a Democrat or a Republican, but they all seem to be running for City Council. And although Janesville city council candidates run non-partisan campaigns, that doesn’t mean candidates are obligated to keep their political philosophy a secret.
Private organizations like chambers of commerce and newspapers operate outside of legitimate political organizations such as the Republican or Democratic Party, so they have set themselves up pushing a political platform while maintaining party label immunity. This strong undercurrent of partisan folks have established themselves as the driving force in city leadership not because of politics - but because of the visible lack of politics. This of course allows them have full public opinion steering control.
THEY CAN SHAPE the talk of anyone trying to introduce an organized peoples platform into an absurd power grabbing goal of a ranting partisan, and who wants to support that? But the dominant press has to do this to protect their own interests and the interests of the dominant quasi-partisan power base they are connected to. So, talk of introducing partisanship, a mayoral city government, or district representation with alderman and precinct captains is a direct threat to their power.
TO PUT IT another way, when most of the owners, directors and editors of the media are tied into various quasi-nonpartisan organizations and businesses, you get a complicit press greasing the skids for their own agenda while enabling a crusade against critics and those who do not share the same goals. All the while maintaining they are beholden to no one, even the public they are entrusted to serve.
SO WHY have a non-partisan at-large city council? Simply because it is the very best way for a wealthy and influential minority to hold onto power. That is not democracy.
Friday, August 15, 2014
Just In Case You're New To Janesville
If you're a steady reader here you probably know that I need to update some of my featured stories about local politics, the Janesville Gazette media conglomerate and local economic development. Although those subjects are intricately weaved together in Janesville and deserve book form, I'll try to stay on just one subject for the purpose of this post - The Janesville Gazette.
To begin, people should understand that the Janesville Gazette IS the story in Janesville and outside of this blog, you rarely read stories about them. With the Gazette, the story is always about you ...and what's YOUR story?
The newspaper also tells a variety of stories about Janesville and certain groups, but only through carefully adjusted and filtered lenses that for the most part are designed to prompt action or change public opinion or solidify the status quo. Of course it's important to realize they probably couldn't tell the whole truth about themselves either without it being constructed as propaganda or a commercial ad.
So over the years I've tried to tell their story, for all it's worth.
For starters, the Gazette generally does not like citizen activism. Particularly citizen activism that is independent from the establishment system. They view those folks as malcontents, rabble-rousers, rogues or just simply delusional. Much like they view me. Heh, heh ...heh.
Enter K. Andreah Briarmoon.
I generally keep my opposition quiet about citizen activism in Janesville mainly because true independent citizen activism (without grants or big $$$ backers) is, in this day and age of civic disconnect, disgruntlement and dysfunction, something to behold and defend regardless of the issue. That doesn't mean I support every local activist's cause.
But what I do respect and value is their direct participation and their passion, even if I vehemently disagree with their position or their tactics. That includes genuine tea party activism, providing it's not the big $$$ astro-turf variety that has co-opted the movement. Some of my friends might disagree with me, but I think genuine ...and I mean genuine, tea party advocates deserve a chair at the table.
That's one of the reasons why I don't mix it up or get in the way of local folks like Briarmoon, Bill McCoy or others who are doing it their way to instill change, for good or bad. Unless I became a target of an attack, then I would certainly not hesitate to defend myself. But that's not the case at all. I do confess however, outside of her relentless city hall activism which I respect, and the fact that I agree with her about reconstituting alderman wards and mayoral leadership AND opening local government, there is very little common ground on other issues between us. That includes her unorthodox style and peculiar way of reaching out, and besides, who am I to judge? Personal attacks are also something I avoid in my blogging.
But what I believe is most important is that a citizen's activism, no matter how small the cause or zany it may appear to some folks, should be allowed to rise or fall by its own volition - and not have a local heavyweight force such as the Janesville Gazette take control of the message to deliberately steer it into the ground.
That is precisely what the Gazette attempted to do in their latest article and most recent editorial on Briarmoon. It's one thing to inform the public and offer an opinion. It's an entirely different thing to take up arms (ink) not only to destabilize a campaign, but in direct opposition to the activism. You become worse than the activist you're wrongly trying to stop.
But that's nothing new from the Gazette. Because after trashing Briarmoon in their editorial "history lesson" for Janesville newbies, the Gazette tells Briarmoon's supporters that rather than supporting her efforts, why not support candidates for office who have the same objections ...or run for office yourself? But if you did that and won a seat on the council, this is what you should expect from the newspaper if you raise that objection.
But gee whiz. When it comes to politics or citizen activism then, why organize at all - ever? Why does Forward Janesville exist? Rock county 5.0? The UAW? Or neighborhood and block watch groups? The list can go on and on.
Of course there's a lot more wrong with the Gazette than this particular cheap-shot editorial against a citizen activist. Just consider some of the newspaper's own history beginning with what they did to former Rock County Coroner Jenifer Keach.
⚥ You might recall it was a campaign of truly pathetic attacks that included sharply pointed criticism from county board members and bizarre stories from the newspaper's "we the people" blogger attacking the coroner because she dared to challenge signatures on her opponent's candidacy petition - an opponent who can best be described as a fake candidate.
⚥ This newspaper nearly destroyed Keach with the publishing of personal destruction and hate over petty if not unfounded allegations of political campaign violations. While today they completely ignore far worse allegations including documented proof detailing Scott Walker's full-fledged political campaign "war room" on the taxpayers dime when he was MKE county executive, and installing secret routers to circumvent open records laws.
⚥ This newspaper and their minions went on a vein-popping rampage, even suggesting Wisconsin's open primary system should be completely dismantled, honest to God ... after their endorsed fake candidate for coroner lost in the primary election to the incumbent Keach.
⚥ And, how the Gazette's editors went into the gutter to smear Keach's father by denigrating his honorable military service because his only fault was to defend his daughter from the newspaper's onslaught of cheap shots.
⚥ How they kept Janesville taxpayers in the dark on school enrollment figures and other issues that could have effected voter's perception of the $70.8 million school expansion referendum.
⚥ This newspaper targeted two candidates for Janesville city council simply because they had support from a local labor union. So much for encouraging citizens to participate in local government.
⚥ This newspaper censored local letter writers statements with politifact editorials, yet willingly publishes completely false and malicious statements anonymously in their Sound Off columns.
⚥ This newspaper and their supporting cast of political operatives went nuclear in their attack on the democratic party for daring to question Joe Knilans' and keep him accountable to statements he made about his residency during his campaign.
⚥ And, how they "correct" letter writer's criticism and view points on Rep. Paul Ryan with propaganda statements taken directly from his congressional Webpage.
⚥ Or, how they attacked an area videographer simply because he had the gumption to produce a documentary that by chance exposed the duplicity of local economic development groups and area legislators. The Gazette claimed he owed them the favor of burying the information because they granted him access.
⚥ How they rejected Sen. Russ Feingold because they claimed he lacked visibility when General Motors was rolling out of Janesville - but endorse homeboy Paul Ryan who not only is the district's in-absentia congressman, but whose positions and votes have indirectly dealt the final blows to the once robust automotive manufacturing sector of our district.
⚥ How the Gazette went ballistic when they thought the Janesville school board was operating in secrecy, but make no mention today of Gov. Scott Walker's refusal to answer a mountain of questions, the nameless donors paying his legal defense bills, his hidden travel (past) records, or covering up transactions and names of businesses collecting taxpayer awards through his WEDC agency. But just try to redact a citizens' name from a parking ticket and the newspaper will go all bazooka on you.
⚥ How the Gazette issues heavy-handed editorials and articles against skate boarders seeking a location in Palmer Park or against a small pocket of home owners trying to keep an alcohol-serving business with an outdoor sport's activity out of their neighborhood.
⚥ How they in the past, sold out their opinion page to Hobby Lobby full page ads.
⚥ This newspaper attempted to divide and conquer residents and isolate a Janesville city council member when he suggested it might be in the city's best interests changing to an alderman form of government. The paper responded by insulting the intelligence of those who felt underserved by the city's at-large system of council government and attempted to fuel deeper community animosity by stating current and past city leaders should be offended by anyone who suggests they don't care about all of Janesville's neighborhoods.
⚥ Or, when they employed a right-wing radio clown who repeatedly referred to users of Janesville's bike paths as communists when he was being polite.
⚥ And, how they fail to take their own advice they so authoritatively dish out to others.
I would think that media observers and concerned locals who have been following this page know that I'm barely scratching the surface here on the Janesville Gazette. This blog, just so you know, has a fairly extensive record of their shenanigans dating back to 2006, so feel free to use the search box in the upper left-hand corner. There's a ton of stuff here.
But don't get me wrong, folks. The people running the Janesville Gazette have the right to do as they darn well please - afterall it's their product and they own it. They're also fully entitled to take any position or offer any opinion, just like everyone else. I'd be among the first to defend their right to do so.
But keep this in mind if you're new to Janesville. The Gazette's opinions are really not opinions, it's a campaign.
ADDITIONAL:
RNR - After 160 Years Of Republican Publishing, Isn't It Time For a Change?
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Where Are All The Proud Self-Made Business Entrepreneurs?
Here we go again. Another local business is requesting government assistance, this time to help pay the rent ...and oh, we can't forget the 30 jobs it will create.
Like in any and all of these government freebie deals, whether it involves a single individual or idea, but even more so particularly a hand-out to for-profit free enterprise business, I would want to ask for documented proof of hardship. In today's Orwellian political and social environment, I know many would call me a Socialist or worse for asking such a hurtful question, but there should be no good reason for government to distribute taxpayer dollars to private-for-profit entities just for the asking without a viable system of means testing.
$50,000 might sound like a cheap good deal to create 30 jobs, but that is not the point here. The point is why an established business can't seem to expand or create jobs without some sort of a tax perk or cash hand-out. Now, some might argue that if the government assistance is available, they would be foolish not to take it. I guess. Others could say I'm targeting the wrong party here, that its' the government's fault for making the assistance available. Yeah, I suppose.
Given our completely upside-down world of growth economics, this will probably sound either a bit old-fashioned or eccentric, but where are all the proud Americans, you know, the kind of people and business folks who would find it beneath them to take a government hand-out unless only as the very last resort for survival and existence. I know they're out there, I just never hear about them. But I hear and read about the businesses that request and capture tax payer's dollars all the time as if we're supposed to be all jolly and giddy over it. They get all the exposure.
So, I'm taking a different turn on this one and request to hear from anybody who started an independent business (unaffiliated, non-franchise) or business expansion in Janesville or anywhere in Rock County (10 employees or more) AND did not apply for or receive ANY type of government assistance such as a low interest government loan, TIF District advantages or funding, federal grants, contracts, a rail spur, or any other assistance or special exemptions paid for with tax dollars - when it was available to you. You know, NO federal, state, or local government assistance whatsoever - just pulled up by your own sweat and bootstraps.
You are the people the government and everyone else needs to hear from. We need to know what drove you away from government assistance and into the arms of private venture capital, private lenders or your own pockets. We need to know from where you learned these bizarre self-respecting and patriotic free market values. What schools did you attend? How you came to possess these virtues and how these valued traits could be passed on to others. In addition, you are the local businesses area residents need to become aware of and support with their spending dollars. You are my heroes.
I can't say for certain our local media would care to publish your self-made success story framed as I'd like to tell it. But if you're out there, I'd sure be willing to post your story here - with all the bells and whistles I could offer.
Note: There seems to be a controversy brewing in the Gazette's comment section involving the company requesting the TIF funding. It appears a former employee has accused the company of unethical business practices involving the disposal of contracted goods. I'll keep note on whether the Gazette follows up on the allegations and how the Janesville City Council handles the request for tax payer dollars.
JG Excerpt:The names of the players really don't concern me (they do, but for sake of web crawlers I replaced them with initials), but what does concern me is the monotony of these requests, their automatic approval by our city council and the steady lack of journalistic curiosity from our monopolized media.
With Janesville City Council approval Monday, URT would receive a $50,000 forgivable TIF loan. The company would use the loan to lease a 40,000-square-foot facility from HCP ...and create 30 jobs.
Like in any and all of these government freebie deals, whether it involves a single individual or idea, but even more so particularly a hand-out to for-profit free enterprise business, I would want to ask for documented proof of hardship. In today's Orwellian political and social environment, I know many would call me a Socialist or worse for asking such a hurtful question, but there should be no good reason for government to distribute taxpayer dollars to private-for-profit entities just for the asking without a viable system of means testing.
$50,000 might sound like a cheap good deal to create 30 jobs, but that is not the point here. The point is why an established business can't seem to expand or create jobs without some sort of a tax perk or cash hand-out. Now, some might argue that if the government assistance is available, they would be foolish not to take it. I guess. Others could say I'm targeting the wrong party here, that its' the government's fault for making the assistance available. Yeah, I suppose.
Given our completely upside-down world of growth economics, this will probably sound either a bit old-fashioned or eccentric, but where are all the proud Americans, you know, the kind of people and business folks who would find it beneath them to take a government hand-out unless only as the very last resort for survival and existence. I know they're out there, I just never hear about them. But I hear and read about the businesses that request and capture tax payer's dollars all the time as if we're supposed to be all jolly and giddy over it. They get all the exposure.
So, I'm taking a different turn on this one and request to hear from anybody who started an independent business (unaffiliated, non-franchise) or business expansion in Janesville or anywhere in Rock County (10 employees or more) AND did not apply for or receive ANY type of government assistance such as a low interest government loan, TIF District advantages or funding, federal grants, contracts, a rail spur, or any other assistance or special exemptions paid for with tax dollars - when it was available to you. You know, NO federal, state, or local government assistance whatsoever - just pulled up by your own sweat and bootstraps.
You are the people the government and everyone else needs to hear from. We need to know what drove you away from government assistance and into the arms of private venture capital, private lenders or your own pockets. We need to know from where you learned these bizarre self-respecting and patriotic free market values. What schools did you attend? How you came to possess these virtues and how these valued traits could be passed on to others. In addition, you are the local businesses area residents need to become aware of and support with their spending dollars. You are my heroes.
I can't say for certain our local media would care to publish your self-made success story framed as I'd like to tell it. But if you're out there, I'd sure be willing to post your story here - with all the bells and whistles I could offer.
Note: There seems to be a controversy brewing in the Gazette's comment section involving the company requesting the TIF funding. It appears a former employee has accused the company of unethical business practices involving the disposal of contracted goods. I'll keep note on whether the Gazette follows up on the allegations and how the Janesville City Council handles the request for tax payer dollars.
Thursday, October 03, 2013
New Anonymous Feature "Community Quotes"
For many years, the local Janesville newspaper has been running a completely anonymous comment column twice a week and while I do recall others with local Web blogs and Facebook pages having suggested or considered starting an anonymous feature similar to, or in response to the Gazette's column, I don't recall anyone moving forward with it. So I figured, why not me?
What I aim to do is compile and categorize about a dozen comments or so pulled from area blogs, Facebook, Twitter, newspaper comment sections and other social media sources (the netroots) on local, county and statewide issues for the core and supplement them with comments sent to my email address or through the "contact" link above. Contributing comments in response to anonymous comments posted in the Gazette are obviously desirable for this little project. Remember, all comments will be posted anonymously. If you called the Gazette to post something in their "Sound Off" column and they refused to publish, send it my way. No promises but I'll give it serious consideration.
I also understand Web-connected Rock County/Janesville area residents have the entire social media complex at their disposal. That means everyone with a pseudo-name or anonymous account can post anonymously anywhere anyways. So why bother contributing or posting here? Well, I am hoping visitors will see the convenience and value of reading anonymously posted comments on local issues that are independent from the establishment media filter. Plus the free access.
Just like the Gazette, I'll make sure the comments are clean, coherent and accurately reflect the social/political majority and values of the area and/or provide interest for further discussion. That's important. For now, the next "Community Quotes" will be posted as soon as I gather enough comments together with a goal to post about once every two weeks depending on popularity and contributing comments.
This is Community Quotes #1:
On Gov. Walker's United Sportsmen Scandal:
◘ Every person that took heat covering for Scott Walker's corruption since becoming governor have either been jailed or offered a cushy patronage job. We can now expect the latest scapegoat, the fallen director of United Sportsmen, Andy Pantzlaff, to find himself working somewhere in Walker's administration within the year. Suder got his.
◘ Where a governor rigs a $500K grant with state money for party bosses becomes saving $28M, you're in ScottWalkerstan.
◘ Everyone thought Scott Suder was solely responsible for the rigged Sportsmen grant. But now we find the entire Wisconsin GOP caucus including Gov. Walker was in the know about the grant details. It's very telling how Suder became so expendable early in the scandal timeline because they wanted it to look that way.
On Forbes Billionaires List:
◘ So rich people think giving to charity somehow absolves them for all the lives they've stepped on and ruined. Keep your charity and instead share greater profits with those who actually generated them - laborers, production workers and middle-management employees. This way they'll have enough excess cash left-over to give to charity and relieve you of your burnt offerings for the poor.
◘ Just last week, a major economic study concluded the income gap between the richest 1% and all the rest of us in this country is now larger than it has been since 1928, the year before the stock market crash led to the Great Depression.
◘ With all this "uncertainty" from Obama and the recalls, Diane Hendricks struggled to almost double her wealth over the past year. While most of us lost property value, income or benefits, she obviously works much harder than the rest of us.
◘ You people.
On Local Bids:
◘ Regarding the local business that lost a bid on a supply contract with Janesville to a Madison firm by only $1,500. The city, all cities, could develop a "matching" provision for hometown businesses. If a local business is within 3% of a winning bid from an outside business, the local business should be allowed the opportunity to match the lowest bid including all specs to win the contract. If unable to match within a specified time period, say three days, the contract is cleared to go to the lowest bidder.
On The Giant Crucifix In Janesville:
◘ My youngest son (6 years old) noticed the cross for the first time from a distance and asked me if it marks a haunted cemetery. Without thinking I said "no, it's Janesville."
On Local Public Campaign Financing:
◘ Some of these "activist" council members crack me up. The ones opposed to Citizens United are the same ones that hand out lucrative forgivable loans and other free stuff to local area elites. It's like they're against corporate welfare and influence everywhere else except in their own hometown. None for thee but more for meeeeee.
◘ No way. If you want to run pay for it yourself. It seems the only people spending lots is the one who wants the plan. Nobody else spent nearly as much as Liebert.
◘ I agree. Candidates should pay for it themselves or rely on rich people like Diane Hendricks who are willing to give plenty to candidates to legislate their will on the people. Keep the taxpaying public out of it, it's not like elected officials work for us anyways.
◘ Why does it seem Janesville residents are silent when council members hand out millions of dollars to wealthy special interests but scream bloody murder if someone suggests paying council members a meager stipend for their time? It's like, money is an incentive for everyone except for the poor, government people or school teachers. The poor must live in a vacuum.
On Government Shutdown:
◘ Everything is pointing to local boy Paul Ryan as the leading pawn in the GOP House for the Koch Brothers on the government shutdown hostage crisis. Although Ryan is quiet about Obamacare simply because his budget relies on the #ACA remaining law, he is ideologically attached at the hip with Koch and Grover Norquist on the debt ceiling. They want repeated budget crisis after budget crisis, all resolvable and unnecessary, until they get what they want. As the GOP's go-to numbers guy on the national budget, Ryan is a complete failure.
◘ Paul Ryan isn't being quiet - he's working a long con job called the debt ceiling.
◘ Republicans have shut down the government over an ideological crusade to deny affordable health care to millions of Americans.
◘ Congressional Republicans don't give a shit about American's health care or the nuts and bolts to the Affordable Care Act. The only thing they worry about is that it will work once the bugs are worked out and that will pound the final nails in the GOP coffin because they've been all-in against it. It's purely political.
On Food Stamps:
◘ While you were bitching about the guy buying a snickers with food stamps, Exxon just pocketed $9000 of your tax dollars.
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