Monona Terrace: Ten Years Later, Unrepentant

Last week several people asked if I was going to the Tenth Anniversary of the opening of Monona Terrace. The answer was, "Yes."

I then was asked if I would speak. The answer was "No. And for very obvious reasons."

Several of my friends thought that given my role in the project that I should have been invited to make a few remarks. Then I reminded them of my comments ten years ago at the opening ceremony.

Enjoy:

Governor Thompson, Mayor Bauman, County Executive Falk, distinguished guests and my good friends George Nelson and George Austin, it is a pleasure to be with you today.

Frank Lloyd Wright began work on this project 60 years ago. I hope it does not take another 60 years or even six weeks to finish. The construction is completed, but there are a number of unfulfilled responsibilities of glacial proportions facing Madison and the State of Wisconsin.

Monona Terrace is sound, but the economic underpinnings are fragile and precarious. We knew eight years ago when we reexamined the plans for Monona Terrace that the city of Madison’s disproportionate dependence upon the property tax would weaken our project and would jeopardize the city’s other economic and moral commitments.

Perhaps the legislature, divided and confused, will steer a decisive course in defining communities entitled to a local sales tax. They must have the wisdom to overcome their petty differences that weaken the State as they define conflict in terms of their own personal differences at the expense of their constituents.

They must have the courage to serve all of the people of Wisconsin, not just those who contribute to their reelection. They must put aside their anger and cease punishing citizens who live in a legislative district represented by a political foe.

They must have the profound understanding that progress is not defined by making miserable the lives of our neighbors.

This building will stand complete when we disprove Frank Lloyd Wright’s mistaken belief that all politicians are narrow-minded and inept. It is time to heed the lesson learned in the private sector - that a rising tide lifts all ships and that from our neighbors’ bounty, we can rise, not fall.

I am unrepentant.

Given the chance, I would have implored the current mayor and any other elected officials I might have found in the crowd to meet the challenges facing our city and state.

Update: In Frank Lloyd Wright's Monona Terrace, here is how the authors, David V. Mollenhoff and Mary Jane Hamilton described my comments:

Then came a spleenful Soglin, who attacked the municipal revenue-sharing policies of the stunned Governor...Some thought they had mistakenly wandered into a protest rally on state taxes. Coming among so many happy words, Soglin's speech seemed twice as long as the others....

It is never inappropriate to discuss fairness and to remind those in power that they are there to serve the people, all of the people in a constructive manner. As my dear friend Sam Brown said, "Never offend with style when you can offend with substance."

Comments

[Stu Levitan]

And if I recall correctly, the original text was even tougher.

well from the report i recieved from a nonchannel 3 reporter or former reporter and from a woman who is frank and honest that party was all style and they sneered at the substance.

[borges]

Ten years later and it is still the wedding cake on the lake. Give 'em a spleenful whenever you can.