In case you missed it, the Janesville Gazette posted an awful if not disturbing editorial, titled, "Other Cities Playing Janesville As Fool In Scheme" on Sunday attacking the cities of Beloit, La Crosse and Appleton, and Wisconsin communities in general for what the newspaper claims has been a conspiracy to cheat Janesville out of state shared revenue.
The Gazette's allegations are drawn from charts slapped together by the Wisconsin Policy Forum showing Janesville near the bottom in state aid and road maintenance spending compared to peer cities since the early 2000's. Because of that the newspaper states matter of factly those cities have been conspiring against Janesville and playing us for a fool. Their editorial ends with, "Cities such as Appleton can no longer rely on people's ignorance to perpetuate this shared-revenue scheme. We're wise to it, now."
Shockingly, the Janesville newspaper is not alone in their conspiracy theory. During the state's Joint Finance Committee hearing held in April, Janesville city manager and the police chief alluded to a deep resentment they apparently hold against Wisconsin communities. City manager Mark Freitag asked and I quote, "How long must Janesville residents subsidize state shared revenue distributions to winning communities?" JPD Chief Moore later said he supports the 2% increase in state shared revenue but asked that not all Wisconsin communities should receive additional distribution because he feels Janesville has been cheated.
Wow. Very bizarre.
I totally get the request and support for more state aid, but to literally ask that others should not share in the same award?
Financially, there's no reason why many cities in Wisconsin should lobby for a change in the state aid formula as there are just as many satisfied with it to those that aren't. But to turn it into an active conspiracy and feel intentionally cheated?
The Gazette's, City Manager's and Police Chief's talking points are so similar it is hard not to believe they are reciting from a deeply partisan playbook of divide and conquer victimhood politics spread by city hall operatives.
On the other hand, the Janesville Gazette and those running city hall endorsed Forward Janesville's lobby efforts to shift hundreds of millions in state aid away from local roads to enumerate funding for the I39/90 expansion. So, if anyone should be upset and hold resentments, it should be those communities from all over the state, including Janesville residents, that lost local road funding over the last ten years due to the endorsed legislative agenda and lobby efforts of Forward Janesville. It was Forward Janesville and their I39/90 coalition spearheaded by TDA lobbyist Craig Thompson, now the director of wisDOT (I want to scream) for his reward, who tilted the tables against local road funding.
Thompson's connection to Forward Janesville also helps explain why his department tied any extra state money for local roads in Evers budget to economic development. It's payback time!!
When Forward Janesville is involved, you can bet higher taxes are on the way for everyone else. Janesville now has a municipal vehicle tax thanks to Forward Janesville.
What a web they weave.
You can read about Forward Janesville's statement against state aid for local road funding here and here. Keep in mind that the Janesville city council ENDORSED a group whose mission was to cut off state funding for local city streets.
Note: I'm not a Janesville official or elected representative, but I strongly disagree with the Gazette's and city official's allegations, resentment and characterization of Wisconsin communities. That is not who we are in Janesville. I hope.
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