Local Media Delivers More Than A Story For Kohl

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After the Janesville Gazette posted this short but potent article prior to Sen. Herb Kohl's lunch time engagement with the Rotary Club at the Rotary Gardens in Janesville, he obviously was treated to a little more than he planned for.

JG Excerpt:
Lorenz said some media outlets and other organizations mistakenly told people that the meeting would be open to the public, and that’s why people showed up expecting to get in.

Hmmm. What media outlet in Janesville would do something like that?

Although the Gazette’s article did not imply the meeting would be open to the general public, they also did not imply that it was closed. Even commenters on the article at the Gazette blog were confused and rightfully upset that the senator might hold a discussion on health care behind closed doors.

Regardless, Kohl caught on and became aware of the odd situation and quickly began taking questions from the audience. The Rotary Club was also gracious enough to grant some limited public access to the event. The Senator reminded folks that he is holding open meetings across the state where anyone can attend.

Clearly, the Janesville Gazette was partially responsible for the disinformation that played a role in helping enflame the passions of residents who rightfully thought for the wrong reasons, that they were being shut out of public discussions on health care reform with their Senator.

This was a classic example on a local scale of how the media played a controlling interest in shaping the tone and outcome of a rather insignificant event.

Sanford B2B Is Now Sanford J2M

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As reported in the Janesville Gazette, Sanford Corp., the company that owns Parker Pen and other writing-instrument brands, said today it will close its Janesville operation early next year and lay off about 153 workers.

JG Excerpt:
In order to improve efficiencies, Sanford said it will move its manufacturing and distribution operations from Janesville to Mexico. Administrative functions will be shifted to other facilities, but primarily the one in Oak Brook, Ill.

This is the same company that only a few months ago jumped on the Feingold-Ryan line-item veto legislation dubbed the "Janesville Veto" and designed special pens in hopes to gain attention for its lines of premier pens.

JG Excerpt:
April 4,2009 -- In a letter to Feingold and Ryan, Sanford President Bob Stoltz said he hopes the pens can cast some positive attention on Janesville. "As you know, Parker pens started in Janesville over 120 years ago," Stoltz said in the letter. "Under its current iteration as Sanford, we still decorate hundreds of thousands of Parker pens right here in town. "Most of our employees live in or immediately around Janesville, so our local roots run deep."

Not deep enough apparently.

In a broader perspective, Obama voted NO on the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in 2005 and wants to end tax breaks for companies that send jobs out af America. On the campaign trail, he spoke about revising our trade agreements. But then again, he wanted health care reform too.

Newspaper Mischaracterizes Kohl's Visit To Janesville

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Sen. Herb Kohl will be holding a closed meeting at the Botanical Rotary Gardens in Janesville today to discuss federal funding for Labor, Health and Human Services, and education appropriations for Blackhawk Technical College. He will also likely touch on health care reform issues with the group. The Gazette titles his visit Kohl to discuss health care reform in Janesville."

City Management Divided, But Gazette Is In Lockstep

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Wednesday's (Aug. 12, 2009) Janesville Gazette offered the newspaper's spin on the local process preceding a split Janesville city council decision to not pursue stimulus money for a second water tower. In an editorial titled "Refreshing change is percolating within City Hall," the newspaper sees these interactions within city management along with the council's decision as a new era of change and openness.

Never mind the fact that the city water utility director's series of health and safety claims made months ago against the city's ability to serve one-third of its customers had gone unchecked and was seemingly irrelevant in the council's decision on funding the project. The city government's eventual guarded response following the director's warnings along with the newspaper's seeming cooperative efforts to de-emphasize its implications portend a very strange relationship between the two entities almost bordering on collusion. The water tower funding decision had very little to do with change or openness and everything to do with money. Instead of digging deep and looking for the details, the newspaper looks the other way.

JG Editorial Excerpt:
That council members could hear opposite viewpoints from both employees is refreshing and a stark change from the previous administration, when the staff and administrator almost always marched in lockstep.

Comical.

The Gazette’s attempt to turn this controversial episode into an exercise of expediency doesn't surprise me at all. They seldom if ever rock the council's boat and have been and always will be fans of Janesville city government management policies so long as they can tilt the wind their own way.

For years the Gazette championed the city's management and council's lockstep march and unanimous decisions as a bountiful reward and model of a united and efficient government absent of political discord and run by caring elected residents and academic professionals. And much like previous councils, today's city council members defend management and their economic policies against most any public criticism. Little has changed.

The newspaper's editorial almost seems meant to fabricate change, just in case you ain't noticed it.

Note: Unfortunately, the Gazette editorial referenced here is not on the open Web.

Gov. Jim Doyle Won't Seek Third Term

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Politico Excerpt:
Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle has told associates he will announce this week that he won’t seek a third term in 2010, POLITICO has learned. By deciding against a run, Doyle, a Democrat, sets off what could be one of the most competitive gubernatorial races in the country next year.

Wisconsin 'rednecks?' Crash Their Clunkers

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"The idea was inspired last year by boredom and a strong desire to drive something off of a cliff."

USA Today Excerpt:
Instead of "Cash for Clunkers," you could call it "Crash for Clunkers." While it may not stimulate the economy, it sure stimulated his friends and neighbors.

Watch Wisconsin "Crash for Clunkers" video here.

Water Tower Funding A Matter Of Savings Over Safety

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On Monday night (Aug.10) in a close and controversial decision (4-3), the Janesville city council voted to stop the city administration from seeking stimulus money to seed the funding for a water tower in the NE quadrant of the city. The Janesville Gazette wrote about the council's decision in an article on Tuesday misleadingly titled Council nixes water tower, and subtitled 'Struggling economy cited as key reason."

First of all, this recent council decision did not "nix" or cancel the city's plan for a water tower. It merely directed the administration not to seek stimulus funding. Secondly, how could city council members vote with any confidence on this funding without first erasing any doubt about the danger risks implied by the water director's earlier claims? Regardless of the economy.

Not so fast you say? After all, ain't I the guy who raised a ruckus on this blog portraying the water tower as nothing more than a socialized gift to encourage development into the farmland? Well, yes and no.

Back in April, I was livid when the Janesville water utility director explained that since 2005, the city experienced eight episodes of inadequate water pressure that placed nearly 20,000 people at risk of either bacterial contamination or fire safety, but he never came forward during the time frame since to recommend the council deny new development in that area based on 'public endangerment.' Not once. What does the director have to say for that now? Well, at Monday's meeting he said he dealt with those water issues "concurrently" at the time of the new construction. But that's like sending off an under fueled airliner knowing full well it has no place to land at the planned destination. And then finally thinking about the danger and consequences while the jet is still in flight, only to keep your fingers crossed tightly. That explanation doesn't work for me.

Rather than rehashing all the twists and turns of the past about the city administration's portrayal of the need for the water tower, we're now better left to just consider the impact from water tower decisions the council will be facing over the next several months.

Excerpt:
Voting with Steeber were George Brunner and Frank Perrotto. The three said a tower would improve water service quality and safety.

Because there was no closure on the safety issue, all the council members are now painted into a corner regarding future development in the NE or the water tower. Whether they want to believe it or not. The three voting for the funding based on safety issues should have to explain those safety concerns the next time a developer or parcel owner in the NE quadrant requests a hook-up to city water. Unless of course, money trumps safety. And the four council members (including the city manager) who voted against funding will have a difficult time bringing up the safety issue in future water tower discussions, lest they be accused of trading public safety for budget savings at this stage in the game.

Although they all seem to be in agreement that future growth does not play a major part into the decision regarding the water tower, the utility director said the city will eventually have to stop growing once it reached a certain elevation without the tower. The director at another point even implied that such a claim (for growth) is a false portrayal of the need for the water tower.

Despite the Gazette's "Council nixes water tower" claim, it looks like the council will still be entertaining a land purchase agreement for the tower site over next few months. This will be the next important decision to watch for.

Gazette Editor Questions City Role On Curb Weed

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One of the editors at the Janesville Gazette posted a complaint editorial with a photo showing a singular three foot tall weed that appears to be growing out of the joints between the curb and the road surface, and questions whether or not it is the city’s responsibility. No kidding.

JG Blog Excerpt:
Don’t these weeds violate city ordinance?
Is this the city's responsibility, or is the owner of the adjacent parking lot responsible?

Don’t these weeds violate city ordinance? Why they sure do, but only if they are growing on private property.

Is this the city’s responsibility??

The city is not responsible for tall grass or noxious weeds growing anywhere because the city government has exempted itself from the same laws they impose on their own residents.

In a section titled site planning and maintenance standards under the Janesville Noxious Weeds Ordinance is this little statement.

Excerpt:
5. This section shall not apply to properties owned by governmental entities or where federal, state or local regulations provide otherwise.

So while you’re out there on your hands and knees pulling and bagging thousands of invasive garlic mustard sprouts from your yard and spraying dangerous herbicides and other poisons that eventually find their way into the Rock River and groundwater aquifers, the city’s own parks and right-of-ways of Garlic Mustard, Pigweed and Dandelions are packing their bags full of seed just waiting for the next windy ride into your yard. They have diplomatic immunity.

One has to wonder how backwards we've become as a society when government demands its citizens to adhere to restrictive ordinances and laws that are designed to hinder a natural growing landscape on private property. And we comply. Nature needs a permit to grow while we exhaust fossil fuels to comb a lawn or praise the cosmetic appearance of a chemically controlled garden. Good grief!

Sure, this all seems so trivial - to be analyzing a complaint about weeds when there are a multitude of economic challenges facing the city. But last year the city administration amended several ordinances with new language that not only exempts the city from following its own laws (that happened to include the noxious weed ordinance), it also allowed the city to trespass onto private property without a court order. The city council approved of such tactics. That was by far more obnoxious than some plant growing in a city parking stall. Where was the newspaper when it really mattered?

When it comes to most of its own ordinances, Janesville city government is simply above the law.