Some Bayfield Photos

Here is a sampling of photographs I took this past April 2010 in Bayfield, Wisconsin and envrions.

Sea Caves at Big Bay State Park on Madeline Island

Big Bay State Park

Bayfield from the Madeline Island Ferry

Madeline Island from the golf course above Bayfield

Madeline Island from the golf course above Bayfield



Long Island



Maggie's

Iron Bridge

Bayfield Carnegie Public Library

National Lakeshore HQ

On the Iron Bridge

View from the Iron Bridge

Wrought Iron Fence at the Rice House

Rice House

Grace Episcopal

April 25, 2010

That Other Referendum Question

While the train haters are busy getting their freak on next Tuesday over a question that nobody could love, there is a real referendum question on the ballot that really will impact your taxes and the quality of life in Dane County: The MATC, err, Madison College referendum.

Madison.com ran a story this week giving the essentials. Madison College has its own bloggish website that it calls its Smart Community Plan. Holy cats! Their last referendum was in 1974.

According to madison.com:

"Madison Area Technical College will be asking voters on Nov. 2 for the green light to borrow up to $133.8 million for new construction. The bonds would take 20 years to pay off. If the referendum passes, taxes on the average home in Madison, valued at $245,424, would increase by $33.10."

Yes, it's a bad time to ask voters to raise their taxes, but it is also a very smart time to borrow money for needed capital projects.

Gadzooks, even the Herald Independent - amidst their endorsement of every Republican and conservative talking point in sight - supports this referendum. And don't blame - or credit - Adam and the gang at the Herald for these endorsements; they come from the publisher.


What do you think?

This came in the mail today:

Barkley's New Diet

Charles Barkley, once known as The Round Mound of Rebound, was on PTI today looking noticably slimmer. Kornheiser asks him what his secret diet is. To which Barkley replies, "If it tastes good, I spit it out!"

Now if he can just fix that golf swing.

Monona Council Report - October 19, 2010 Meeting

The Monona city council continued its review of the city budget last evening. The council has now completed the Committee of the Whole work sessions on the budget. The budget will be on the council's November 1 agenda.

For links to the budget docs you can go to my previous post or visit the city's website.

Before reviewing the budget the council also a 'regular' meeting. The council approved participation in DaneCom II (or Little DaneCom) Alternative Emergency Radio System Proposal. The appproval is subject to the council's review of the final cost-sharing. Monona's share is projected to be $9,000 to about $10,000. And before you ask, no this system will not displace, change, eliminate or mess up our current local dispatch.


The council discussed, but deferred a decision to consolidate Election Polling Locations Into One Location (City Clerk). My feeling is that the current two-poll system works well with little waiting even in Presidential years. It's not broke.

CDA Member Responds

A few weeks ago I took the Monona CDA to task for excluding city council members from the CDA's closed sessions. Last week I received a thoughtful response from CDA member John Surdyk and am posting it below:

Hi Doug,

My apologies for the lagged reply! I've tried to map out some of the salient issues below, and your welcome to share this on your blog if helpful.

Our decision on the participants in closed sessions was made after a significant amount of discussion: we wanted to be respectful of people's interests and well as legal and other obligations for CDAs.

As a group, we felt the presence of alders not already on the CDA who seek to collect information ahead of a vote, while valuable, is insufficient in and of itself to invite them in to closed meetings. It may improve the efficiency of the City Council's review and voting procedure because they are better informed ahead of time, but it could undermine the process by:

1. Reducing the quality and duration of City Council discussion and debate on projects which the public should hear at their meetings.

2. Not explicitly adding value to the CDA deliberations on developer agreements, compromising the precedents established in law and in practice where only people -- and it could be anyone -- who has valuable knowledge on a project may participate in a closed session by invitation or petition.

The Mayor was invited to participate in the meeting you were excluded from because of his ability to provide critical information on prior developments efforts and because he had personal history with the parties involved in the Meriter Clinic proposal. The CDA felt that history was important for its decision-making and a very good use of outside participation in a closed session because his knowledge was necessary for deliberations.

It's important to note that the frequent closed sessions held in the past year are actually an indicator of the CDA's success: those meetings are closed because developments projects are on the table. The fact that many of the meetings have been closed reflects that they are, largely, about significant projects that because of their size and the amount of investment capital involved could place the companies at a competitive disadvantage if their interest in Monona is widely known before agreements are finalized and presented to the City Council. Projects like UW Health, the Princeton Club Express, and Meriter are well beyond the scope of dealing with national franchisors for typically smaller-scale projects.

It would be wonderful if you could remind your readers that the participation of the two current alders is a critical reason for the group's recent success, and that the design of the CDA with their inclusion is another institutional mechanism by which alders with deep knowledge on a project may convey important details on deal history and structure to other members without inviting all of them to take an active role in the CDA. The CDA also includes members of the Monona community, and we'd welcome your readership to please consider serving on the committee as their role is also valuable!

My very best wishes,

John

Monona Budget Summary

CORRECTION:  One quick correction regarding the Library's info I posted - the library health insurance costs are up a little over $22,600, not $43,000.

[BEGIN ORIGINAL POST]

From the city's website, here is the summary of the Mayor's propsoed budget.

City of Monona


Significant changes to the 2011 Budget

Property Tax levy did not increase

Unused amount $154,597

Mill Rate 5.18 per thousand

Impact on average house ($22.00 decrease)

General Fund – Revenues

Increases

•

$30,000 increase in taxes from the water utility

•

$80,000 increase in transportation aid

•

$110,000 increase in exempt computer aid

•

$24,000 increase for rent of city property

•

Total increases $244,000

Decreases

•

None of note

General Fund – Expenditures

•

Legislative – No changes

•

Judicial – No changes

•

Legal – no changes

•

Executive – Increase for Newsletter Expense

•

Finance – Minor changes

•

Clerk – Minor changes

•

Personnel

Minor changes

•

Election, IT, Insurance & Inspections– No change

•

Assessment- Minor changes

•

General Building – Minor changes

•

Law Enforcement

Expenditures increased from 2010 budget by $63,000.

Cut OT by $15,000

Vehicle maintenance increased by $8,000

•

Fire –

Expenditures increased from 2010 budget by $42,000.

Intern Program $7,200

Hiring process for future retirements $5,000

Vehicle maintenance increased by $3,100

•

Dispatch –

Expenditures increased from 2010 budget by $30,000.

Overtime and Part-time wages in total increased by $10,000.

Service contracts increased by $11,000

•

Public Works

$4,000 decrease to tree removal

$14,000 increase to street outside services

New public works employees helped reduce the budget. (Retired in 10)

•

Planning – Cut payment to Chamber ($3,000)

All other Funds

CDA – No changes

Cable TV had no significant changes – uses $13,000 in fund balance

Library Fund

•

$30,700 in applied fund Balance

•

Health Ins increase of $43,000 from 2010 Budget

•

Gas & Electric decreased by $6,000

•

Total expenses increased $35,000

Community Center

•

Increase in property taxes by $4,000

•

Made the Part-time assistant Full-time

•

Expenses increased by $3,500 or 2%.

Recreation

•

Increase program revenues by $37,000

•

decrease levy by $4,000

•

Made the Part-time assistant Full-time

•

Decreased amount to the youth center from $6,000 to $0

•

Expenditure increase by 35%.

Senior Center –

•

Increase in property taxes by $15,000.

•

Expenditure increased by 11%

•

Additional part-time employee

Pool –

•

Increase in property taxes by $10,000

•

Made the Part-time assistant Full-time

•

Expenses increased by $19,500 or 9%.

Ambulance

•

$42,000 increase for revenues.

•

$35,500 of applied fund balance.

•

Property taxes decrease by $22,000

•

Intern Program

Debt Service

•

$120,000 of applied fund balance

Solid Waste – levy increased by $32,000 per contract with Green Valley

Stormwater – No rate increase

Water

– No rate increase.

Sewer

Rate increase done in 2009.

Transit

Levy increased by $2,000. Per Contract

Monona City Council Report - Reader's Digest Version

A Reader's Digest Condensed version of the Monona city council meeting from last night (October 18, 2010).

The council extended the Winnequah Road stop signs for six months to collect more data and to develop a plan to address the speeding and pedestrian safety issues.I supported the extension. The road needs a sidewalk. There seems to be growing acceptance on the the council of that concept, but whether that translates to action or not, I don't know.

H. Council Action Items.


1. Unfinished Business (Approval Requested Unless Otherwise Noted).

a. Consideration of Ordinance 9-10-618 Amending Title 10, Chapter 2 Regarding Bicycles (Police Chief) (Tabled 10/4/10). Approved 6-0.

2. New Business.

* a. Consideration of Effectiveness of Stop Signs on Winnequah Road (Public Safety Commission, Public Works Committee). Extended six months 6-0.

* b. Consideration of Resolution 10-10-1734 Requesting Exemption from County Library Tax (Interim Library Director). Approved 6-0.


* c. Consideration of Resolution 10-10-1729 Award of Contract for Monona Drive Entry Feature Construction (Plan Commission). Approved 5-1 (Veserat opposed). Details, details, details.
* d. Consideration of Resolution 10-10-1728 Purchase of Playground Equipment for Winnequah “Blue” Park (Park & Recreation Board). Approved 6-0. By the way, the original equipment at The Blue Park was paid for by then-city attorney Lee Boushea. His gift was made anonymously at the time, but since that fact was mentioned last night and that happened 19 years ago, I figure it's OK to give the old boy some credit.
e. Consideration of Resolution 10-10-1735 Endorsing an Alternative Emergency Radio System Proposal (Public Safety Commission). Discussion deferred.

f. Consideration of Ordinance 10-10-620 Consolidating Election Polling Locations Into One Location (City Clerk). Discussion deferred.
 
Entire packet.
 
The council also began its budget deliberations. I have to admit that I have found very little to dispute in the Mayor's budget. I may offer an amendment to increase the IT budget, but that's about it -  so far anyway. The moderate increase in spending is funded by increased transportation aids, exempt computer aid, and use of fund balances (quite reasonable use of the fund balances; we would maintain a 19% reserve fund).
 
Te Mayor added half-time positions in Parks/Rec/Community Center and  Senior Center and also increased the budget for senior contracted services.

The Mayor's budget eliminates any funding for the now-defunct Youth Center. I think the proposal is reasonable, but I do worry about where these kids are going and what they are doing. When the middle school was at Winnequah, there was significant use of the Youth Center. I assume the need still exists, but as far as I know there is no place serving this need.
 
The budget is on the city council page (scroll down). And here's the summary.
 
The festivities continue tonight.

Monona's 2011 Operating Budget

Monona Mayor RobbKahl issued this statement about his proposed 2011 operating budget. The council is scheduled to start the budget review tonight after the regular council meeting. The budget review will continue tomorrow, October 19 at 6:30 PM.

[BEGIN PRESS RELEASE]

SUBJECT: 2011 Executive Budget

DATE: Monday, October 18, 2010

CONTACT PERSON: Robb Kahl, Mayor

Patrick Marsh, City Administrator

608-222-2525


Mayor Kahl will be presenting his 2011 Executive Budget to the City Council this evening with a total City property tax levy of $ 5,390,409, representing a 0% increase over the 2010 budget. The average home in Monona assessed at $263,000 would see a decrease of $21.13 on the City portion of their tax bill.

Over the coming weeks the City Council will be reviewing the budget prior to final approval in late November or early December.

“We are very proud of what we have achieved with our 2011 operating budget. In a time of economic instability, staff and I strived to keep the tax burden as low as possible while balancing the need to maintain quality core services and prepare for future budget uncertainty. At this point, all of those objectives have been achieved. We also added two new staff in the Parks and Recreation Department and Senior Center, due to the increased programs and participation,” said Mayor Kahl.

Mayor Kahl’s budget also does not tap into the city’s undesignated fund balance or “rainy day fund” which Mayor Kahl and the City Council have built up from $274,398 or 8.05% of the General Fund in 2003 when Mayor Kahl was first elected to $906,415 or 19.86% of the General Fund today. “These healthy reserves are essential to ensuring Monona maintain its’ excellent credit rating of AA ( S&P Rating), which in turn ensures we receive favorable rates when borrowing for important capital projects,” concluded Kahl.

Monona City Council Preview - October 18, 2010

The Monona City Council meets at 7 PM on Monday, October 18, 2010. This agenda has a little more meat on it than the October 4 meeting. Note the early starting time.

* a. Consideration of Effectiveness of Stop Signs on Winnequah Road (Public Safety Commission, Public Works Committee). You may recall that the Winnequah Road stop signs are scheduled to come down on November 1. This item is back on the agenda, but it is unclear at whose request or exactly what is being proposed. The item is starred, so we are being asked to vote on it tomorrow night. My guess is the Maywood stop sign will stay and the Frostwoods stop sign will go.

Ordinance 4-10-614: Emplacing Stop Signs on Winnequah Rd.


Fire Chief Memo: Winnequah Rd. Stop Signs

Police Chief Memo: Winnequah Rd. Stop Signs

City Engineer Memo: Winnequah Rd. Stop Signs

* c. Consideration of Resolution 10-10-1729 Award of Contract for Monona Drive Entry Feature Construction (Plan Commission). The entryway feature is back for the award of contract. Here are the bids.

Here's what the key part of the resolution says:

WHEREAS, the project was bid out, and on September 16, 2010, the bids received were much higher than the budget, and the project was scaled back and re-bid, bidding the aluminum sails panels separately from the rest of the project; and...


NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Common Council of the City of Monona, Dane County, Wisconsin, that the bid of $106,747 and Alternate 3 of $4,460 from Homburg Contractors, Inc., and the proposal received from Bachmann Construction on 9/16/10 to manufacture and install the aluminum mesh sails panels for $25,417 is hereby approved.

The scaling back and rebidding is news to me. It is unclear what was scaled back and how the bids differ from what we previously approved.

* d. Consideration of Resolution 10-10-1728 Purchase of Playground Equipment for Winnequah “Blue” Park (Park & Recreation Board).

e. Consideration of Resolution 10-10-1735 Endorsing an Alternative Emergency Radio System Proposal (Public Safety Commission). I get a headached just thinking about this again.

f. Consideration of Ordinance 10-10-620 Consolidating Election Polling Locations Into One Location (City Clerk). 
 

"Toward Self-Sufficiency" at Green Tuesdays

FREE - MONONA PUBLIC LIBRARY - 6:30 P.M. TO 8:00 P.M.

Tuesday, October 12: The Jindrich Family's journey toward a more self-sufficient future

The Jindrich Family of Monona is becoming more self-reliant by using fewer resources. Learn about their passive solar methods and their new geothermal system. Hear how they came up with an elegant solution to the age old too-much-rain-in-the-spring-but-not-enough-in-the-fall issue. Follow the design process of their waterworks, a series of pocket ponds, rain gardens, swales and berms that retain water for plants, people, and other animals to use.

Green Tuesdays Films & Lectures: Creating awareness, sparking conversation, empowering change.

A free series of films, presentations, and conversations on sustainability, Monona's Green Tuesdays start at 6:30 and run until 8:00, with engaging and fun conversations often pushing the conclusion a bit past that hour. Sessions are on the second and fifth Tuesdays of the month, from September through May. They are open to the public: all are welcome.

Green Tuesdays, a project of The Natural Step Monona and the Monona Public Library, now reaches four additional communities: Mt. Horeb, Middleton, Cross Plains, and Oregon. To see the calendar for all Green Tuesday and Thursday dates, go to www.tnsmonona.org/green-tuesdays-green-thursdays.

Whole Foods serves treats, so please come early for delightful food and drink.

Green Tuesdays is sponsored by The Natural Step Monona in collaboration with Oregon Working to Live Sustainably (OWLS), Mount Horeb Area Sustainability Network, RGPL Green Tuesdays (Cross Plains), the City of Middleton Sustainability Committee, Cottage Grove Green Tuesdays, and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, and is supported by the Dane County Environmental Council.

Monona City Council Report - October 4, 2010

The Monona City Council met Monday, October 4, 2010.

a. Consideration of Resolution 10-09-1721 Monona Drive Reconstruction Phase III Design Engineering Services (City Engineer). Council action:Approved hiring Strand Associates. 

b. Consideration of Resolution 10-09-1724 Directing the Mass Transit Commission to Outline its Vision for Mass Transit in the City of Monona (Alderman Munson, Alderman Veserat). Council action: Approved with the requirement that the document be reviewed and approved by the city council before being sent to the RTA. 

c. Consideration of Ordinance 9-10-617 Amending Sections 7-2-5 and 7-15-1 of the Code of Ordinances to Include a Late Fee for Liquor License Renewal Applications (License Review Committee). Council action: Approved a $100 late fee.

d. Consideration of Ordinance 9-10-618 Amending Title 10, Chapter 2 Regarding Bicycles (Police Chief).Council action: Tabled on my motion. I wanted to check with the city attorney whether the penalties complied with state statutes. Chief Ostrenga thought that the city attorney had already made those changes. Turns out he was right, I was wrong. A lovely dish of steaming crow, coming right up.

Get your crow recipes:  http://www.crowbusters.com/recipes.htm or try these

http://www.bertc.com/subfive/recipes/threecrows.htm

Or try the Jamaican crow.
New Business.

a. Consideration of Ordinance 9-10-619 Establishing a No Parking Area on East Coldspring Avenue and Amending the Official Traffic Map (Public Safety Commission). Council action: Council suspended the rules and approved the no parking area on the first reading.

b. Consideration of Resolution 10-10-1732 Design and Construction Engineering Services for 2011 Street and Utility Improvements (Public Works Committee).Council action: Council suspended the rules and approved the contract with BT Squared on the first reading.

c. Consideration of Resolution 10-10-1733 Amending the Personnel Policy Manual to Add a Section Regarding the Police Canine Team (Police Chief). Council action: Council suspended the rules and approved the policy on the first reading.


1. Consideration of Dates for Budget Meetings/Work Sessions:

a. Wednesday, Oct. 20, 5:30 pm
b. Thursday, Oct. 21, 5:30 pm
a. Monday, October 18

b. Tuesday, Ocotber 19, 6 PM
c. Wednesday, Nov. 3, 5:30 pm
d. Thursday, Nov. 4, 5:30 pm.

The dates in bold were substituted for dates that are lined out.

Monona common council agenda for October 4, 2010.

Read the entire city council packet for October 4, 2010.

Historic Blooming Grove Historical Society Sleigh Dedication Sunday, October 10, 2010

Historic Blooming Grove Historical Society Sleigh Dedication

Sunday, October 10, 2010

2 - 4 PM


Dean House Back Porch


4718 Monona Drive

Program at 2:30 to thank Dick Peterson for donating the Albany Cutter and Gary Hess for restoring the cutter.

Refreshments and Displays

Historic Blooming Grove Historical Society P.O. Box 6704 Monona, WI 53716

www.bloominggrovehistory.org

hbghs@tds.net

Monona “Global Work Party” Joins Thousands of Events across the Planet

10/10/10: World’s Largest Day of Practical Action to Fight Climate Change
On Sunday, October 10, people across the planet will pick up hammers, shovels, and caulking-guns and join the 10/10/10 Global Work Party, the world’s largest day of practical action to fight the climate crisis. In Monona, people will pick up pens and laptops.

Organizers from The Natural Step Monona and Project Home are hosting a letter-writing campaign, “Pressing Our Leaders for Action, Now,” at the Monona Public Library, 1000 Nichols Road, from 1:30 to 3:30. Because leaders at all levels have failed to take the necessary bold actions that our climate crisis demands, this Global Work Party will make it easy for people to tell those leaders what they think. Organizers expect citizens to create over 350 letters by helping with whatever obstacle is in their way – assistance putting their ideas into words, lists of facts about climate change, leaders’ addresses, a computer to type on, or someone to type for them. This Global Work Party will make letter-writing a fun, community activity.

The Natural Step Monona and Project Home are mobilizing, armed with their laptops. Please join them in holding our leaders accountable because citizens need to motivate their leaders to the urgent action that is essential. Drop by any time between 1:30 and 3:30 on Sunday, October 10 and write one letter or twenty.

The 10/10/10 Global Work Party is being coordinated by the international climate campaign 350.org and 10:10 Global.

The Natural Step Monona is a grassroots charity that fosters the creation of a more sustainable community and world through effective education, community action, and collaboration.

Project Home's mission is to improve the quality and affordability of housing for low-to-moderate income residents in Dane and Green counties. They provide services that improve comfort and safety, and reduce energy bills.

For more information on this particular 10/10/10 Global Work Party, please visit www.350.org/monona.

Banned in China

Word comes from Monona residents Linda and Jim Hoelzel that they were not able to access Monona Doug during the travels in China because it is blocked by the Chinese government. Wow, I always figured my blog probably annoyed some people, but apparently I'm able to annoy oin multiple languages.

I know there is probably some explanation for this, but I really don't want to hear it, I prefer this story.

Monona City Web Site Suggestions

I am working with city staff to improve the Monona city of 's web site.

Two specific improvements: Create one central document page where users could access all city agendas, minutes, plans, reports, forms. Any document available on the city's web site would be accessible through this one page. The city of De Pere has an excellent web site, including a Document Center:

http://www.de-pere.org/egov/apps/document/center.egov


Create email lists so that interested persons could sign up to automatically receive various city-related emails. For example, again from the city of De Pere:

http://www.de-pere.org/egov/apps/services/index.egov?path=details&action=i&id=29&fDD=1-1


Do you have any suggestions? Specific or general.
Anything you would like to see added?
Is there information you would like to see added?
Do you have any suggestions about how the web site is organized?
Do you have any web sites to recommend?

Monona City Council Preview - October 4, 2010

[Reposting]
An evening of ceaseless excitement is on tap for the Monona City Council this coming Monday, October 4, 2010. You doubt? Just treat your eyes to a view of the actual text of official agenda:

Unfinished Business (Approval Requested Unless Otherwise Noted).


a. Consideration of Resolution 10-09-1721 Monona Drive Reconstruction Phase III Design Engineering Services (City Engineer).

b. Consideration of Resolution 10-09-1724 Directing the Mass Transit Commission to Outline its Vision for Mass Transit in the City of Monona (Alderman Munson, Alderman Veserat). Covers the Vision Thing.

c. Consideration of Ordinance 9-10-617 Amending Sections 7-2-5 and 7-15-1 of the Code of Ordinances to Include a Late Fee for Liquor License Renewal Applications (License Review Committee).

d. Consideration of Ordinance 9-10-618 Amending Title 10, Chapter 2 Regarding Bicycles (Police Chief).
 
But WAIT! That's not all, there's more (like the old Ronco ads):
 
New Business.


a. Consideration of Ordinance 9-10-619 Establishing a No Parking Area on East Coldspring Avenue and Amending the Official Traffic Map (Public Safety Commission). (Hey, that might actually be kind of interesting.)

b. Consideration of Resolution 10-10-1732 Design and Construction Engineering Services for 2011 Street and Utility Improvements (Public Works Committee).

c. Consideration of Resolution 10-10-1733 Amending the Personnel Policy Manual to Add a Section Regarding the Police Canine Team (Police Chief).


And then we get to the Stick it to Alder Wood portion of the entertainment (I jest - I think):

1. Consideration of Dates for Budget Meetings/Work Sessions:

a. Wednesday, Oct. 20, 5:30 pm

b. Thursday, Oct. 21, 5:30 pm

c. Wednesday, Nov. 3, 5:30 pm

d. Thursday, Nov. 4, 5:30 pm.
 
How does that give me the wrong end of the stick? As I told the Mayor a week or so ago, I am out of town (on Wisconsin's lovely North Coast) for work on October 20 and 21. And November 4 is the WLA Awards banquet where the Monona Public Library will receive the Library of the Year Award, which I absolutely plan to attend.
 
I think it is in the works to change the November 4 date. Hopefully, I can get some accommodation on the October 20-21 budget dates. To ruin the fun of conspiracy theorists, my understanding is that the Mayor is unavailable the previous week and also the subsequent week (or maybe this just shows what a clever conspiracy it is.).
 
Monona common council agenda.

Read the entire city council packet for October 4, 2010.

***

Conspiracy, anyone?


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And, included here for no particular reason, do NOT miss 15 Hilarious Redneck Inventions

Less Pie

Give the tea baggers one thing: they are angry. Reading this week's economic news makes me wonder why everyone isn't madder than hell and refusing to take it anymore (Well, everyone except the top 1% or so of the wealthiest Americans). The State Journal reported:

Median household income in Dane County dropped more than 6 percent from 2008 to 2009, falling at a faster rate than the 2.9 percent decrease for the nation, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday. The decrease was even greater in Madison.

That is staggering. In Madison one in five people - 20% - live in poverty. Median household income in Madison dropped more than $4000 - in one year. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee JS reported that Milwaukee now has the 4th worst poverty rate in the US at 27%. The state of Mississippi's poverty rate was 21.6% (according to the same US Census report).

In some ways, the news represents a significant acceleration of a long-term trend. The rich are taking an ever larger share of the wealth and income and the poor and middle class are getting less. The difference however is no longer merely relative. The income loss is absolute.

Not only have the rich and wealthy continued to gobble up hugely increased portions of the pie, but everyone else (basically, everyone you know) is making less in actual dollars and not just a relatively smaller piece of an expanding pie, but less pie period.

The two charts from the always excellent Left Business Observer.

More data: http://www.leftbusinessobserver.com/IncPov98.html

http://www.leftbusinessobserver.com/IncomePoverty2004.html

Reading Sunny

I commend to your reading interest this week's HI column by Sunny Schubert, Sunny

Playtime Productions founder passes away wherein she reports the passing of Teddy Studt and relates the history of Playtime Productions, "the acclaimed traveling troupe of amateur actors, most of whom are under the age of 14", which Studt founded in 1979 and handed over to her successor Renaye Leach in 2000. 

***

 
Sunny also related her conversation about last weekend's Monona Drive event with former alder and mutual friend Bob Miller. Without coming right out and saying it, Sunny seemed to agree with folks I've talked to that the event was less than a smashing success. Someone posted a comment here that the event sponsored by the Monona Chamber and the Monona Drive's Alive group was 'lame', which I don't quite buy. 
 
There was a lot going on, but what the event really lacked was people and that seemed to be a result of inadequate marketing. For example, the event's poster didn't list the times for the event. There just didn't seem to be much advance buzz. That kind of event is a challenge anyway being stretched out along one mile and twelve hours.
 

***

 
Sunny also reported on the Great Bacon Debate: Ken's Deli or Nueske's. We are talking premium bacon here. According to Sunny, Ken's goes for $3.99 a pound while Nueske's is $6.99 for twelve ounces - that's $9.32/pound! You can buy both at Ken's and try it yourself. By the way, they also Nueske's at Knoches on Old Middleton Road.
 
Or you could visit the Nueske's retail store in Wittenberg. If you go, however, don't follow Sunny's notion that Wittenberg is "up near Green Bay". It is near Green Bay in that sort of vague Up North sense, I suppose, but it's 65 miles from Titletown on STH 29 and about 30 miles east of Wausau. (Of course, I only knew that because my boss, Railroad Commissioner Roger Breske, is from Eland, which really is near Wittenberg.)
Still, her sense of geography isn't as bad as another friend of mine who once drove from Madison to Superior - by way of Green Bay! (Hey, that route only adds about 140 miles to a 325 mile trip and you get to see so much of the UP.)

*** 

 
I'm sure it was as much of relief to Sunny as it was o me that this week's column went to press without stating her agreement with me on some topic of controversy! I was beginning to think she was coming out of the closet - the political closet that is. Think pink(o) Sunny!
 
And anyway, I meant to offer a slight correction or clarification about her agreement with me in her RTA column. Sunny wrote [link added by me]:
 

But I must agree with Ald. Doug Wood (again!) who said on his blog that Melanie Stebbins made the best comment of the evening.


Stebbins said the people should be allowed to vote now because denying them that opportunity would foster more distrust of government.

Putting it that way makes it seem that I agreed with Melanie Stebbins' position on the RTA referendum. Not so. I agreed with Stebbins' analysis that distrust is behind much of the support for this referendum being placed on the ballot. Here's what I wrote:

Melanie Stebbins, one of the residents who supported the referendum, made the most astute observation of the evening: The driving force behind this anti-train referendum is that a lot of people just do not have any trust that they will get a fair chance to vote on any future RTA-proposed sales tax increase. She nailed it exactly.

As I also wrote in that post, this referendum question is a set-up rigged to yield a No vote. It is an attempt to dupe voters into thinking they are taking a stance against commuter trains when it actually asks whether trains are the only thing that the RTA should fund. That kind of political gamesmanship has contributed to the people's distrust.

Blue Sky in the Water

I took advantage of very calm conditions early Friday morning, October 1, 2010 to take a few photos at the Winnequah Park lagoon.

A little cropping and flipping.

Winnequah Park Lagoon, Monona, Wisconsin

28th Annual Chili Cook-off is TODAY - Saturday, October 2

The  MGBMA Annual Chili Cook-off takes place today - Saturday, October 2 - on the grounds of the Americinn in Monona at the corner of Broadway and Monona Drive.

Chili day is a fun day for the chefs, their helpers and the general public.  The chefs take their chili seriously, and no two chilis are the same...some are just a little hotter than others.  Many participants set up signs and displays and wear crazy costumes.  Cooking starts at 7:30 am.  Judging starts at noon.  Chili samples may be purchased for 50 cents each (after noon).

And there's more than just chili...



•Lioness Raffle and Bake Sale

•Classic Car Show

•Pony and Horse Rides

•Face Painting

•Live Music by Chameleon (Classic Rock)

•Food (Chili, Chili Dogs, Hotdogs, Brats and Snacks)

•Beer, Soft Drinks, Bottled Water

•Babcock Hall Ice Cream

Post a Question

It's been awhile, so here's your chance to ask a question. Go ahead. Somebody out there may even have an answer - oh, wait that's my job. Questions related to Monona are likely to get more accurate answers than most other stuff.

Monona CDA Closes Its Doors - To the City Council

The Monona Community Development Authority adopted a policy this week that generally excludes Monona city council members from attending its closed sessions. I previously blogged this subject during the debate over the Meriter Clinic developers agreement after I was prohibited from sitting in on the CDA's closed session.

The city administrator relayed the decision in an email that first set forth the policy:

“Attendance at a closed session is limited to the body, necessary staff and other officers, such as clerk and attorney, and other persons whose presence is necessary for the business at hand.”


The email continued with this explanation:

The parent body (City Council) must be admitted to closed session only if meeting is a subunit of a larger body (like the finance committee). The League of Wisconsin Municipalities handbook says that statutory boards and commissions (like the Library Board, CDA, Police and Fire Commission) are “probably not” subunits of the Council. Exclusion of members is covered by 19.89 of state statutes.

The CDA statutes (66.1335 (1)) state that the CDA is “a separate body politic” which clearly distinguishes it from a simple subunit of the Council, and therefore means that Council members should be excluded from closed CDA sessions.

 
I replied as follows:
 

I agree that excluding council members from closed sessions is within the power of the CDA.


One question: Does the policy apply to the Mayor also?

I disagree with your statement that because CDA is a separate body politic that therefore "Council members should be excluded from closed CDA sessions."

The word 'should' expresses a policy choice and I think excluding council members is a very bad choice. For many years the CDA struggled with very little funding. The council finally set up mechanisms to fund the CDA so it could achieve its goals. Now the CDA expresses its independence by choosing to keep council members in the dark about its deliberations and negotiating strategies.

This policy will cause delays in council approval of CDA proposals since we will need time to get up to speed.

I would also note that the CDA has made very extensive use of closed sessions in the past. The Milton case placed stringent limits on the use of closed sessions. I would ask that the CDA use closed sessions as sparingly as possible and take caution that closed session discussions do not stray into other topics that should be discussed in open session.

Basically, I agree the CDA has the power to adopt this exclusionary policy, but that begs the question whether it is a wise policy that furthers the interests of the CDA or the city as a whole. Sometimes the wisest use of power is knowing when not to exercise it.
 
To be clear, I do not propose that council members should take an active role in the CDA's closed sessions, but if an alder wants to sit in for the purpose of gathering information, then they should generally be allowed to do so. Excluding the council could lead to delays and increase costs by making the CDA's consultant attend more meetings.
 
When a TIF development is on the table, the city council is going to have to approve or reject a developers agreement that the CDA has negotiated. It would be useful for the alders not on the CDA (two alders are on the CDA) to understand not just the end point of negotiations, but how the two sides got there.
 
 
Closed sessions are especially important with regard to the CDA because it is a rare meeting that does not include a closed session.
 
As noted above, the CDA has made extensive use of closed sessions. You can see archived CDA agendas here. Unfortunately, the CDA does not conform to the city's policies to post not only agendas and minutes, but also meeting packets.
 
The Open Meetings Law strictly limits the use of closed sessions to the specifically enumerated purposes in s. 19.85 Stats. The degree of this limitation was spelled out by the Milton case. Closed sessions for the purpose of negotiating, particularly negotiating developers agreements, may only be used they are "required". The Milton case states that only having "...a valid reason for desiring to close its meetings that nevertheless fails to establish closed meetings are required." (My emphasis).


State of Wisconsin ex rel. Citizens for Responsible Development v. City of Milton, 2007 WI App 114, 731 N.W.2d 640, 2007 WI App 114.

An article by attorney Christa Westerburg from the State Bar's Wisconsin Lawyer magazine argues that, "With a little care, open government and economic development can coexist, with the public reaping the rewards of both. "

Open Meetings Law resources from the Wisconsin State Law Library. The state DOJ's 2010 Open Meetings Law Compliance Guide.


CDA Meetings with closed sessions in 2010:
 
August 16 http://www.mymonona.com/pages/city_government/committees/doc_includes/export_file.php?id=507
 
August 5 http://www.mymonona.com/pages/city_government/committees/doc_includes/export_file.php?id=516
 
July 27 http://www.mymonona.com/pages/city_government/committees/doc_includes/export_file.php?id=480
 
July 20   http://www.mymonona.com/pages/city_government/committees/doc_includes/export_file.php?id=481 (These are the minutes, which have the year stated incorrectly)
 
June 30 http://www.mymonona.com/pages/city_government/committees/doc_includes/export_file.php?id=471
 
May 25 http://www.mymonona.com/pages/city_government/committees/doc_includes/export_file.php?id=436
 
May 3 http://www.mymonona.com/pages/city_government/committees/doc_includes/export_file.php?id=440
 
April 27 http://www.mymonona.com/pages/city_government/committees/doc_includes/export_file.php?id=385
 
March 23 http://www.mymonona.com/pages/city_government/committees/doc_includes/export_file.php?id=358 (A closed session was on the agenda, but it appears that no closed session was held.)
 
March 18 http://www.mymonona.com/pages/city_government/committees/doc_includes/export_file.php?id=354 This agenda identifies the subject of the closed session as "Consideration of TIF request", which may very well not provide adequate notice.
 
February 23 http://www.mymonona.com/pages/city_government/committees/doc_includes/export_file.php?id=332 
January 26 http://www.mymonona.com/pages/city_government/committees/doc_includes/export_file.php?id=333

Monona Fall Festival Photos

The Monona Fall Festival was a huge success with turnout more than doubling last year. Here are a few photos with more posted on Photobucket. The photos don't do justice to the size of the crowd. I was selling hot dogs, apple cider, and caramel apples during the peak. Thanks tp the sponsors and volunteers. Music was great. Kayak rides and pony rides had lines that would have gone out the door, except that we were already outdoors....

Monona Fall Festival

The Monona Fall Festival returns this Sunday, September 26 from 2PM to 5PM at the M.Y. Dream Park shelter in Winnequah Park.

The wildly popular pumpkin hunt starts at 2PM SHARP and ends very shortly thereafter (It turns out that pumpkins are not that hard to catch.).

• Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt (2:00 sharp)


• Storytelling with Puppets (2:15 and 3:00)

• Pony Rides and Petting Zoo (2:30-5:00)

• Entertainment by Banned Wagon (2:30 and 3:30)

• Lagoon Kayak Rides by Rutabaga ($1 per ride)

• Balloon sculptures by Funny Faces 4 Kids (2:30-5:00)

• Games and Crafts

• Food and Beverages

• Vendors

• Free Pumpkins!



Rain location: Monona Community Center.
 
The Family Attraction Committee members have done an outstanding job putting together this event.Also thanks to alder Dennis Kugle and family for helping with the food and sign production. Many thanks also to local sponsors, including WPS Bank, Monona State Bank, Wal-Mart, Klinke Cleaners, Kellie Unke, Steve Seeliger and the Stark Company, and Prairie Grove Orthodonics.

Monona Drive Celebration This Saturday - September 25

"Thriving on the Drive"

Saturday, September, 25

8:00 am-8:00 pm

OK, I admit it, I swiped this directly from the city's web page. (Hey, it's an Open Record.).

My photos taken during the project will also be on display (well, probably) at the Pepsi tent at Tully's II. So, come down, walk around in the road, ride a free bus (?!), test the concrete.

Can't wait to see the photos, go here for a slideshow or here to see all of my albums.

[stolen part begins here]

"Thriving on the Drive"


Date: 09/23/2010

It’s been a long season of construction, but the first phase is almost complete…and we’re ready to celebrate! The east side of the drive will still be closed to traffic but open to a celebration with events galore!



•Explore the new roadway – walk, bike, push a stroller, or ride the free bus loop

•Participate in a 3K walk/run sponsored by Anytime Fitness (registration starts at 8:00 am / race starts at 9:00 am at Anytime Fitness)

•Browse the farmer’s market, sidewalk sale & specials, flea market, craft sale, and vendor booths (starts at 8:00 am)

•Enjoy live music

•Choose from a variety of lunch specials

•Join the Monona Pub Crawl – Angelo’s, Joe’s Fire Station, Pizza Oven, Silver Eagle Bar & Grill, Tower Inn, Tully’s II Food & Spirits, and Village Lanes (4:00-8:00 pm)

Mark your calendars for "Thriving on the Drive"


Saturday, September, 25


8:00 am-8:00 pm
 
[end of stoeln part]

More RTA?

I posted the following over on the Rag and then I thought, why am I giving away this good stuff?

I wanted to respond to one comment in your post and make a couple other observations: "I point out that Wood the is legal counsel for the State Office of the Commissioner of Railroads – so I would think it would make him a natural cheerleader for this project."


No, my agency is basically a quasi-judicial regulatory body. I have no rooting interest. Our primary focus is rail-highway crossing safety (highway being any type of public street, path, road, etc.). We don't run projects, like high-speed rail (HSR) or commuter rail or highway projects . Other agencies do that, like DOT, RTA, or municipalities. We get involved when those projects require changes to public rail-highway crossings.

I personally like the HSR project. It will tie us into the Chicago Hub Network of Midwest cities connected by HSR. It should not be viewed as a Madison to Milwaukee project - no, Madison is really not the center of the known Universe. I doubt I will take the train to Milwaukee very often, but would certainly take it to Chicago. On the other hand, I'm not sold on commuter rail. Will people ride a train to get from the far east side to the far west side in sufficient numbers to make it worthwhile? Maybe, maybe not. I sort of look at it like a new roadway going through the Isthmus - imagine how much that would cost even if it were feasible. But how many trips per day will this new road carry?


In any event, whether I think these passenger rail projects are a good idea or not really has nothing to do with my job of evaluating the safety impact.

The high-speed rail (HSR) project is an entirely separate project from the commuter trains. However, commuter trains would run on the same tracks as the inter-city HSR trains. So clearly, any future commuter train operation would significantly benefit from the money spent in the HSR project to upgrade the tracks, signals, stations, etc.

The RTA was, in fact, created partly to aid the County's funding application to the Federal Transit Administration for commuter rail funds. The FTA would not consider the application until there was a governing structure and a funding source. The "Falk letter" that has everyone's tights in a knot was basically in aid of that application.


BUT, the RTA is NOT only about trains.

I actually blogged this issue three years ago:

http://mononadoug.blogspot.com/2007/08/rta-update.html

http://mononadoug.blogspot.com/2007/08/more-on-rta-and-commuter-rail.html

Here is the estimated breakdown of expenditures at that time.


§ Bus service for Madison and surrounding communities – 25%

§ Town, Village, City and County road maintenance – 25%

§ Commuter rail – 33%

§ Rail/Bus Enhancements/County-wide Paratransit/Bike Transit – 16%


As it has now developed, the road maintenance part could not be funded by the sales tax under the law that created the RTA.

There's something about trains. A whiff of diesel makes a lot of people get goofy. We call them "foamers" or "FRNs". I never got that; to me it's just another way to move people.

Harvest Moon Festival Tonight

The Harvest Moon Festival returns for the 6th year tonight, Friday, September 24 at 6 PM at the Lussier Family Heritage Center, 3101 Lake Farm Road, Madison WI 53711 (608)-224-3604.
The festival iincludes an illuminated trail through the park, with displays set up on the walk showcasing wildlife such as owls, small and large mammals, amphibians, insects and bats. Stargazing with UW-Madison's Universe in the Park, and the big Howlin' Campfire behind the Lussier Family Heritage Center, complete with s'mores and bluegrass music.

The festival kicks off at 6 p.m.; admission is $3 and kids under 2 are free.
Better yet a $5.00/person annual Friends of Capital Springs Recreation Area membership includes free admission to this event.

Food and beverages will be available for purchase.
The proceeds will go to the Friends of Capital Springs Recreation Area to support the Lussier Family Heritage Center, Capital City State Trail, Capital Springs State Park, Lake Farm County Park and the Jenni and Kyle Preserve, all part of the recreation area.

Cat Bite in Monona

I received the following comment this morning:

Hello Mr Wood, We live near Frostwoods Park and would like to remain anonymous at this time. Can you help in this instance. A medium sized cat, black or mostly black with no tags or collar came up and bit my wife in the leg while she was hanging out laundry. This was in the Bridge Road and Owen Drive area. She is now facing the rabies shot regimen if the cat is not found. I was hoping your Blog would alert neighbors. Please encourage people to contact the Monona Police Department with any information.


Thanks for your help.



Monona resident

Spotted in Superior

While in Superior recently for work I came across this sculpture of James J. Hill, whose "name became synonymous with railroad innovation and visionary business leadership in the last quarter of the nineteenth century"  according to The American Experience.

"Robber baron" or "constructive genius"?

This statue stood in front of the Superior Jr. High for many years and was recently relocated to a spot outside the BNSF offices in Superior.

Council Supports Transit Referenda

The Monona city council passed, by a 4-2 vote (Munson and Wood opposed), a resolution for the anti-train November referendum. The Mayor also indicated that he would have supported the proposal.

That referendum will read:

“Shall commuter rail from the City of Middleton to the Town of Burke be funded by a half-cent (0.5%) increase in the sales tax?"

 
It was another occasion where I thought logic was on my side, but to no avail. Do we want to spend ALL of the RTA sales tax revenue on a commuter train? Who could vote 'Yes' on that question? I plan to either vote No or - more likely - just sit it out to boycott dumb questions.

Melanie Stebbins, one of the residents who supported the referendum, made the most astute observation of the evening: The driving force behind this anti-train referendum is that a lot of people just do not have any trust that they will get a fair chance to vote on any future RTA-proposed sales tax increase. She nailed it exactly. I don't share that mistrust, for the most part, of county government, but the mostly well-earned corrosive cynicism that pervades the average person's view of state and federal government has made its way down to county government.

The council also passed by a 6-0 vote the proposal I offered (co-sponsored by alder Munson) calling for the Regional Transit Authority Board to hold a regular meeting in Monona, urging the RTAto adopt a regional transit plan that includes, among other things, increased transit services for Monona residents; and urging the RTA Board and the Dane County Board to conduct a referendum on a regional transit plan, including the amount of any increase in sales tax, at a regularly scheduled election and to abide by the results of that referendum.

In non-transit matters, the council approved an ordinance making the Sustainability Committee a Standing Committee. The Council also extended Green Valley's refuse/recycling/brush contract by one year while the City Engineer prepares an RFP for the next long-term contract. The Public Works Committee will be working on that in the months ahead.

Transit Tops Monona Council Agenda - September 20, 2010

The Monona city council takes up three transit-related matters on Monday, September 20. The first two are related to the RTA. To counter the premature proposed referendum, alder Munson and I are offering a substitute resolution. Our proposal calls for a referendum to be held after a transit plan is adopted by the TA and that the plan includes improved transit services for Monona.

Consideration of Resolution 10-08-1719 Requiring a Referendum on the Levying of a Sales Tax to Fund Commuter Rail (Alderman Kugle, Alderman Wiswell, Alderman Veserat).

 

Consideration of Substitute Resolution 10-09-1725 Requiring a Referendum on the Levying of a Sales Tax to Fund the Dane County Regional Transit Authority (Alderman Wood, Alderman Munson).

The substitute :

• invites the Dane County Regional Transit Authority Board to hold a regular meeting of the Regional Transit Authority in Monona for the purpose of learning about Monona’s existing transit system and its future transit needs; and,
• urges the Dane County Regional Transit Authority Board to adopt a regional transit plan that includes, among other things, increased transit services for Monona residents; and,
• urges the Dane County Regional Transit Authority Board and the Dane County Board to conduct a referendum on a regional transit plan, including the amount of any increase in sales tax, at a regularly scheduled election and to abide by the results of that referendum.

 

The third seeks a broader view of the transit needs of Monona:

 

Consideration of Resolution 10-09-1724 Directing the Mass Transit Commission to Outline its Vision for Mass Transit in the City of Monona (Alderman Munson, Alderman Veserat).
 
Some other items of interest:
 
Proclamation Recognizing David Neperud for 30 Years of Service to the City of Monona.


Proclamation Declaring October as Energy Awareness Month.

Proclamation Declaring September 20, 2010 as “Bob Essock Day” in the City of Monona.
 
Consideration of Ordinance 8-10-616 Reconstituting the Sustainability Committee to that of a Standing Committee (Alderman Wood, Alderman Munson).

 

Consideration of Ordinance 9-10-618 Amending Title 10, Chapter 2 Regarding Bicycles (Police Chief).

 

(Proposed ordinance changes for bikes are here.) 

 

Here's the entire agenda.

Here's the entire packet.

Mice with Human Brains? You Fill in the Joke

On the off chance that you missed this gem from the tea party's new darling (and GOP nominee in Delaware for the US Senate) Christine O'Donnell, here is a quote:

American scientific companies are cross-breeding humans and animals and coming up with mice with fully functioning human brains.

Sounds crazy, but maybe this explains the Calumet County DA?

Monona Public Library on Kathleen Dunn

While driving Up North on Monday (September 13) I tuned into Kathleen Dunn's excellent show on Wisconsin Public Radio and caught a program about libraries. One of the guests was 'Eric'....hey, wait a minute, that's not Eric, that's Erick as in Erick Plumb, Interim Director of our very own best library in the entire cheese-eating state of Wisconsin. You can listen to the show here.

Green Tuesdays Films & Lectures

The Yes Men Fix the World and More Jam, More Jobs

Tuesday, September 14, 2010
6:30pm -- 8:00pm
Monona Public Library, 1000 Nichols Road

Green Tuesdays Films & Lectures: Creating awareness, sparking conversation, empowering change.

The Yes Men Fix the World is a screwball documentary that follows a couple of gonzo political activists as they infiltrate the world of big business and pull off outrageous pranks that highlight the ways that corporate greed is destroying the planet. Along the way the duo discover the culprits behind the cult of greed, and in a wildly uplifting ending, they find a way for everyone to save civilization from its own worst excesses. "Comedic vigilante justice!" - USA Today. "Great fun! It takes some nerve, not to mention diabolical intelligence... to pull off the elaborate pranks devised by the Yes Men." — New York Times.

More Jam, More Jobs, a student short from the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, shows one woman's attempt to convince twelve sororities to buy local. When Chi Omega sorority sister Jessica Halpern finds out that buying high quality, locally produced products can help create jobs for homeless people in her town, she takes matters into her own hands. Follow Jessica and her tray of crackers as she tries to change sorority consumption patterns, and the local commodity food chain, one sister at a time - by buying Porchlight jam.

About Green Tuesdays

Green Tuesdays, a free series of films, presentations, and conversations on sustainability started by The Natural Step Monona and the Monona Public Library, now reaches four additional communities: Mt. Horeb, Middleton, Cross Plains, and Oregon. (Cottage Grove joins the circuit in January 2011.) Check this calendar for all the dates.

In Monona, Green Tuesdays start at 6:30 and run until 8:00, with engaging and fun conversations often pushing the conclusion a bit past that hour. Sessions are on the second and fifth Tuesdays of the month, from September through May. They are open to the public: all are welcome. Whole Foods serves treats, so attendees are encouraged to come early for delightful food and drink.

The series is sponsored by The Natural Step Monona, in collaboration with Oregon Working to Live Sustainably (OWLS), Mount Horeb Area Sustainability Network, RGPL Green Tuesdays (Cross Plains), the City of Middleton Sustainability Committee, Cottage Grove Green Tuesdays, and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, and is supported by the Dane County Environmental Council.

Monona Transit Committee Rejects Referendum

The Monona Transit Commission, by a 4-0 vote, passed a recommendation to the Monona city council  against placing a proposed referendum on the November ballot. Alder Munson, members Nelson, Runk, and Stolper voted in favor of the motion. Chair Veserat did not vote (chair only votes in case of a tie).

Here is the proposed question:

“Shall commuter rail from the City of Middleton to the Town of Burke be funded by a half-cent (0.5%) increase in the sales tax?"

The Committee had RTA Chair Dick Wagner in attendance. He informed the committee that the RTA is still working on a transit plan. The committee also heard from alders Kugle, Busse, Wiswell, and me. (Alder Busse is undecided and didn't tip his hand tonight.) County Supervisor Schmidt was also in attendance and spoke briefly.

Several Monona residents spoke in against the referendum. Three non-Monona speakers, Bill Howard, Bill Richardson, and Bob Schaefer, spoke in favor the referendum.

The item will be back before the council on September 20.

I get it. The conservative crowd thinks their anti-train tack is good politics. That's why they want it on as many ballots as possible in November. 

But, to my mind, it's bad public policy to ask voters to vote on something that has not been proposed and will not be proposed. The RTA will not propose a transit system that only includes a commuter train.

And the question is worded to maximize the 'no' vote. State law allows the RTA to raise the sales tax by up to 0.5%. So the question really asks "do you want to allocate all of the money only to commuter rail?"

Someone casting a no vote could:

* Support a sales tax increase between 0.1% and 0.5%; AND

* Support spending most of the sales tax increase on commuter rail, but not all of it; OR

* Support spending a little of it on commuter rail, but most of it on increased bus service; OR

* Support spending all of the money on buses and none on commuter trains; OR

* Oppose any sales tax increase period.

Who is left to vote yes? Only voters who want to raise the sales tax the maximum legal amount and spend 100% of it on commuter rains and none on bus service or any other transit option.

If, as its supporters claim, they just want to let voters express their voice about commuter rail, a better question would have been, "Shall commuter rail from the City of Middleton to the Town of Burke be funded by any increase in the sales tax?"

But really, why not wait until a plan is proposed by the RTA and then we can all vote on a question that will actually man something?