Would the Isthmus call Code Pink ‘anti-victory’? Does the Capital Times writing about Fair Wisconsin protesting a legal amendment to the Wisconsin constitution call them ‘anarchists’? If the Wisconsin State Journal covers the Sierra Club protesting nuclear energy are they ‘anti-electricity’? I don’t think so and those labels would be inflammatory and distorting. On the other hand, if a group protests out of control government policies? Then they’re obviously ‘anti-government’, ‘militias’, or ‘racist’ to just name a few choice labels that are used.

Earlier this week in the Wisconsin State Journal they ran a couple articles on those ‘anti-government militias’. Recall also that for this week’s paper the Isthmus was there first to label candidate for governor Scott Walker as anti-government because he spoke at a Tea Party rally. However in the State Journal one story was from the AP about the rise of militias in the US in general and then there was a companion article about Wisconsin specifically. I’m not going to comment on the AP story other than to say it fits the pattern that anyone with a dissenting opinion of the current administration is racist. That doesn’t even deserve a response. I am familiar though with one of the groups highlighted in Wisconsin.

This group is called ‘We the People’ and they have been very active in participating in the local Tea Party events, shedding light on the healthcare debate, and generally just encouraging people to get involved in a number of current, national issues. In the spirit of full disclosure, I am not a member of this group but I do know several people in this group. They are definitely not an armed militia or a militia of any kind. Every protest, every rally they have participated in has been completely peaceful and they are not quasi-military in any way. The attempt here to paint them as ‘anti-government’ and label them a ‘militia’ is misinformed at best. The sad part is that a vast majority of people who read this article won’t know any better.

The Isthmus has an interesting article on Scott Walker this week.  While it’s obvious the overall tone is intended to paint the candidate for governor in a negative light, it seems to me that it actually highlights a lot of the good work he has done in Milwaukee County and that he has a strong vision for the state.  I think most of the perceived negatives come from the author’s lack of understanding rather than being true negatives.

For example, the opening salvo is to paint Walker as ‘anti-government’.  As this is explained, this perception comes from the fact that Walker stated he wants to ‘put our faith in the people and employers who make this country great’.  This is the crux of the problem (as the author sees it) and I can only assume the author would rather a candidate who asks us to put all our faith in the government.  What makes that position odd though is that the author then goes on to cite the extremely poor position Doyle and the current, Democrat-led, government has put our state in.  Given that fact, anyone who believes the people and, yes, employers (the people who create jobs for the aforementioned people) of the state of the Wisconsin should come first looks pretty darn good to me!  Score one for Walker.

It’s not that Walker hates government; it’s just that he states his belief that the government should be serving a different role than it has been.  That’s not ‘anti-government’, that’s just plain smart.  Clearly where the current leadership has been leading isn’t working and Walker simply is providing a strong vision for an alternative approach.

Another example given is how Walker apparently has done such a poor job with Milwaukee County parks that they’re ranked among the best in the nation (that's not a typo, yes the parks are ranked among the best). And this happened while he was reducing spending!  Smaller budget with as good or better results?  Sounds like a good deal to me.  Even if this is a testament to the park director’s leadership, clearly she found a way to be the best in the nation without a bottomless budget.  That sounds like a leader raising the bar to me. 

And so it goes.  There seems to be sort of a reluctant appreciation for Walker but an intense desire to find something that will ‘stick’ to him.  While I won’t comment on everything, I couldn’t let this next comment pass without commenting myself.  Shifting to more general policy later in the article the author writes:

“The obvious problem with Walker's logic is that no amount of tax cuts will encourage employers to hire workers to make products when already-produced inventory is sitting on shelves in stores and warehouses. The problem is lack of spending power among ordinary Americans. And the solution, some economists say, requires government intervention to put people back to work, restore spending power and get the economy rolling again.”

What the author conveniently ‘forgets’ is that tax cuts help everyone, not just employers, and that makes a huge difference.  Tax cuts would increase the spending power of ordinary Wisconsinites.  Tax cuts leave more money with the people that earned the money in the first place.  Those same people would now have money to spend on that inventory sitting on the shelves.  Government spending is just someone sitting in Madison (or Washington) taking our money, adding a little government-processing overhead (when does the middle-man not a take a little something for the 'effort'?), and then sending it back to where they want to spend it – like their politically connected projects and not necessarily where it’s most needed. 

You have to look no further than the failure of the current ‘stimulus’ to see how well government intervention works.  Walker is on the right track to suggest a different solution is in order.   

I had the pleasure of attending the Lakes and Watershed Commission public input session earlier this evening and learned a few important things from the commission’s presentation. 

First of all, apparently there’s no rush on this.  It’s going to take years and years and years.  It's also a very simple and easy thing; they're just standardizing zoning across the county.  Nothing to see here, no reason to be concerned.  It sounded like we were expected to just all go home and come back when everything is decided.  Silly people showing up to public hearing. 

Second, all of this won’t really do anything.  It’s just advisory and the county really doesn’t have the authority to make these changes – it’s up to the state!  Apparently this is just a fun thing to do on a Tuesday evening.  Like a scary movie where the victims keep heading off alone to explore the dark and scary rooms even though they know a killer is on the loose, this process reminds me so much like the Dane County RTA all over again.  We all know this ends for the poor kids in those scary movies and it doesn’t bode well for the property owners of Dane County.

It’s all sleight of hand.  This commission isn’t going to be responsible, the county won’t be responsible, and the state won’t be responsible but the property owners are going to end up paying for it. 

Lastly, and my favorite part of the evening, several of the Shoreland Zoning “myths” were exposed.  One person’s “myths” are another person’s “concerns”.  According to the presentation, the “myth” is that about 50,000 parcels would be affected by these changes.  According to the commission, the “reality” is that only 7 parcels per year would be affected.  Huh?  On one hand we’re told of the dire environmental consequences of not enacting these changes but then we’re told only 7 parcels per year will actually be affected.  How is this number arrived at?  Using the statistical method that “not all shoreland would be equally affected”.  Frankly, it doesn't make sense to me either. 

The most positive note for me though was the fact that of the approximate several hundred people in attendance, it was clear a vast majority were opposed to these changes.  It would be fair to say an overwhelming majority were opposed.  However, unlike the members of the commission, I believe it’s important that we keep showing up and keep our voices heard.  If you'd like to learn more about this you can visit the following sites: 

Dane County Property Rights  - This is an independant look at this initiative.

Dane County Office of Lakes & Watersheds - The official site to find out about upcoming hearings.

Not to be outdone by the CapTimes, the Isthmus came out today with their own hit piece and here come the labels!  Mr. Richardson is now consistently referred to “Dane County GOP spokesman” throughout the article.  Actually, saying they us it “consistently” doesn’t do them do justice.  “Dane County GOP spokesman” is plastered to his name just about everywhere it appears.  Previously in the CapTimes they inaccurately reported he was just supported by the Dane County Republican Party.  This is looking like a race to show which paper can be the most partisan.  Maybe Friday Mr. Richarsdson will receive a promotion in the Republican Party courtesy of the CapTimes.  We’ll just have to wait and see. Whatever Mr. Richardson’s personal beliefs may be, he clearly is not speaking on behalf of the Republican Party of Dane County when he speaking for The Great Train Robbery organization.  How are any of those labels relevant to the issue at hand?  They aren’t.  Clearly this is just an attempt by both the CapTimes and the Isthmus to marginalize Mr. Richardson’s message. 

On a side note, the Isthmus also does their best to low-ball the number of people who turned out against the RTA also.  While the CapTimes, in an ‘oversight’, suggested there was almost a hundred, the Isthmus reports dozens.  Hmm… dozens?  Like maybe 36, 48, or 60?  How about nearly 200 (188 by some, conservative counts)?  For the record that’s more than a dozen dozen.       

Representing the other side, County Board chairman Scott McDonell portrays those of us against his train as people who “hate all transit”.  This is the same guy who accuses Vicki McKenna of radicalizing the issue.  He goes on to say that if we’re against the trains stopping traffic, then “we shouldn’t have stop signs” – no radicalization there!  He also says the people who spoke against the RTA at the last board meeting were just "too angry" to be taken seriously although that same evening he said we didn’t count because we don’t live close enough to Madison.  I’m not sure what is more offending, to have Mr. McDonell say he ignored me because he thinks I don’t count or he ignored me because he thinks I’m too upset about where he’s leading us.  Remember, this is the person who is supposed to the representing the people of this county in important decisions – like the creation of an appointed board that doesn’t answer to the County Board that created it.    

The last thing I will point out is just one of the places where the Isthmus article ‘fudges’ the facts.  The article says that the voters will have to approve any sales tax proposed by the RTA.  This just isn’t true.  While Mr. McDonell and the other board members who supported the RTA may swear up and down that we’ll get our referendum, they conveniently leave out the fact that the RTA is not bound to do anything they say or promise on its behalf.  Furthermore, even if we have a referendum, it’s not binding.  The fact is that every, single soul in this county could vote against the sales tax increase and the RTA board can do whatever they like.  Small detail.

Now this is a sad, but too typical, example of Capital Times reporting.  In today’s paper they profile Bill Richardson who has been very vocal in raising awareness to the whole commuter rail and Dane County RTA discussion.  Unfortunately what they say leads a lot to be desired in accuracy.  It scares me to think that if I hadn’t been present Thursday night, I might think what they reported is accurate. 

They say “Richardson helped bring out about 100 people in opposition, a number nearly equal to those who registered in support” last Thursday night*.   In reality there were more registered in opposition than were in favor and there was nearly two hundred between those registered and those that spoke in opposition.  Perhaps not a lot more than those in support, but still more.  I sat through all five hours of it firsthand.  I guess ‘about 100’ is close enough to ‘about 200’ for some lines of work. 

*Note:  As I review this, I see where they say the numbers are nearly equal isn't technically inaccurate, it's just intended to create the impression those against where almost as many as those in favor. 

They also attempt to tie The Great Train Robbery to the Republican Party.  The Great Train Robbery website is not supported by the local Republican Party (or their website).  Those two groups certainly believe in a great number of the same points in this debate but The Great Train Robbery is not “supported” in any financial way by the Republican Party.  These are two distinct entities.

Lastly, it seems very easy for the County Board Supervisors who are in favor of the RTA to dismiss those of us who are not.  County Board Chairman Scott McDonell who suggests Mr. Richardson doesn’t have enough time vested in this to be a legitimate critic.  This is the same person (Chairman McDonnell) who dismissed those of us outside of Madison who spoke against the RTA simply because we live outside of Madison and the current RTA boundary (wasn’t this a county board meeting?).  This was literally minutes after we got done speaking.  It sends chills through my spine to hear our elected representatives say we don’t matter simply because we don’t live close enough to Madison.

Personally I am glad for people like Mr. Richardson who have spent their own time to help better educate and involve the people of this county in their local politics.  Contrary to the politicians and their supporters who would like to do this without any public scrutiny I think we are better served by a vigorous and transparent political process.  Perhaps he has been a bit too effective? 

The primary purposes that I created this site earlier this year was to be able to highlight issues, votes, and elected officials that are relevant to folks in Dane County but live outside of Madison, particularly west of Madison.  I appreciate the difficulty for so many of us that are busy with life, family, and/or careers to stay up to date on current events.  Knowing who all your representatives are from the federal level on down is difficult.  I sometimes wander into national issues but I will always do my best to get back to a local level or angle.

With regards to the Dane County RTA, keep in mind that it all started with the enabling legislation passing in the state budget.  Of particular interest to District 79 residents, remember that our representative, Rep. Sondy Pope-Roberts, voted in favor of this.  This legislation is where it all started and set the stage for our county board to create the RTA in it's current form (as an unelected, appointed body) last Thursday night.

Next in line, our esteemed Governor line item vetoed the provision that the voters of Dane County would have the opportunity for a binding referendum on this issue.  This simple thing is all that many of folks who appeared last Thursday night in opposition to the RTA were asking for.  I guess he didn't believe we deserved a say in this matter.    

Lastly, this then went to the Dane County Board.  Here is how the vote to join the Dane County RTA broke down there: 

While not exact, the geographic line has pretty much been drawn.  Those inside Madison want more money for transit and they’ve voted to create this RTA to get at it. 

I had the pleasure of attending and speaking at the County Board meeting yesterday evening.  Here are some of things that I learned:

·   Apparently in today’s tough economic climate one of the first things graduates consider when looking for a job is whether or not the job is in a city with an RTA.  Who knew?  I’ve literally done hundreds of job interviews of recent or soon-to-be college graduates and not once has one ever asked me if there’s an RTA that serves the community my company is in.  Weird.

·   RTA’s are good for your health.  This is according to a Sierra Club study (unfortunately I couldn’t see the article the speaker was referring to, I’m going on his word) that says something to effect that homes near highways increase the rate of cancer.  Therefore getting everyone on the train will help lower the rate of cancer in our community.  I can’t argue with lowering cancer rates in Dane County.

·   An RTA will help “spread the fairness” of paying for Madison Metro.  Clearly if you live in Stoughton it’s only fair that you help subsidize the buses in Madison.  Surely you’ve used it before or might use it… be honest and pay up.

·   Move over MADD… here comes the RTA!  The RTA will fix our DUI problem in the county.  It will so improve transportation in this county that even if you live far outside of Madison there will be a train, bus, or other RTA-guided service to get you from the bar to your doorstep.  By the way, taxis don’t count, I learned those are too expensive last night and you can’t expect someone to pay for a taxi! 

As you can see, it was a very enlightening evening for me.  Here I was worried about whether or not I would have representation as the RTA raises our taxes, how much it will cost, and silly stuff like that.  If they do raise our taxes then I’ll just call my supervisor… no wait… the county board doesn’t have authority over the RTA.  But didn't they promise the RTA would give us a referendum? I thought the RTA had no legal responsibility to answer to the board.  If they can't make promises for the RTA then how does that work?  I'm sorry I'm getting off on a tangent... stupid details!  I learned to not sweat the details last night too, we just need trust them. 

Perhaps I’ll need to contact the county executive; she appoints two people… or the member from a village within the jurisdiction of that authority other than those appointed by Madison appointed by the Dane County Cities and Villages Association or something like that…  I’m sure that person is looking out for us, I just to need figure out who that person is first. 

Anyway, I know someone is looking out for us voters - I learned that this whole taxation without representation nonsense is a big red herring last night too.  If nothing else there is always the governor since he gets to appoint one person.  Even though the governor vetoed our ability to have a binding referendum on this I’m sure he’ll be responsive to my concerns - Dane County transportation issues surely will be one of his top priorities. 

Why would the Sierra Club support the formation of a Dane County ‘Regional’ Transit Authority?  I’ve heard prominent members of the Sierra Club state they would support true regional (regional = Milwaukee to Madison or Madison to Chicago) rail but putting a train in a city just doesn’t make sense for protecting the environment.  A train running through Madison would increase congestion (and corresponding carbon emissions) and the engines themselves are huge polluters.  High speed rail that can run at high speed from city to city might make sense.  But a train starting and stopping across Madison is quite possibly the worst way to use a train from an environmental impact perspective.  Clearly they’ve chosen to put politics above the environment here.  So much for the façade of protecting our natural environment, their true colors are shining through now. 

It’s the ultimate irony that the “Call to Action” support the Dane County RTA is coming from the local chapter’s “Global Warming Team”.  Given their apparent support of putting this train in Madison, you have to wonder if they are in fact supporters of global warming?  Or perhaps better stated, they’re supporters of whatever is most politically expedient.

If you’re curious about how we might truly make a positive impact on the environment, check out this interesting and informative article from the Cato Institute.