Why the Prospects for Madison Are So Bleak: Part II

My biggest concern stems from the comments of a long time Madison city council member, Mike Verveer. This comes from a Rob Zaleski column on Monday, Consensus is clear: Crackdown on crime is necessary. After documenting the rise in crime in Meadowood in the past five years:

However, he (Verveer) denies that city officials have been in a state of denial, noting that he had to deal with an uptick in violent crimes in his own downtown district last year.

"Now, are we playing catch-up? Should we have seen this coming? Perhaps," he says.

But he says city officials are wracking their brains trying to come up with solutions.

...He points out that many U.S. cities are experiencing a spike in crime -- due in part, he suggests, to the stagnant economy and an alarming increase in poverty...

...he was struck by the number of residents who said if things don't improve soon, they'll consider moving elsewhere.

This is stunning, bizarre, and tragic.

"Should we have seen this coming?" Good grief. It has been coming for thirty years. Everyone has discussed it. He was there the last time it received heightened attention in 1989 and 1990, and in the subsequent years.

"Wracking their brains for solutions?" Good grief. The solutions were implemented in the 1990's. All you have to do is go back and dust off the playbook which was tossed aside ten years ago.

"Many U.S. cities are experiencing a spike in crime" Good grief. Our goal is accept national standards so our homicide rates go from 1.5 a year to 17?

"Struck by the number of residents who said if things don't improve soon, they'll consider moving elsewhere." Good grief. Its been going on for over a decade and really picked up around 2000. The school enrollment figures clearly show that.  And go look at the private schools, bulging at the seams, for confirmation.

That's OK. This is Madison. All is forgiven. Throw a good party on State Street, recycle a few beer cans, vote to impech Bush-Cheney, and it does not matter that we are losing the city.

Politically correct trumps substance every time.

Comments

[Michael Basford]

"He was there the last time it received heightened attention in 1989 and 1990, and in the subsequent years."

In all fairness to Michael, he wasn't an alder until 1995, if I'm not mistaken.

[Paul]

Michael Basford, you are correct, but by time he (MV) was voting on budgets in the mid to late 1990's, the programs were in place and he should know what was going on in services from community policing to community services.

[Alex Saloutos]

I thought this would be interesting look at the bigger picture in light of this discussion:

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/09/18/introducing-this-blog/

[MLL,MBA]

Mr. Soglin: I'm a bit new here but what were the solutions back in the 90's for this problem. Can you clarify?

[John Dodge]

Paul,

I stumbled across your blog while writing a paper for a literary club on Maraniss' book. Both my wife and her sister worked in your campaigns while at Madison (Kay Sonntag, `71 and Ann Dooley, `74). I am curious. I read somewhere which I can't find now that you lost your last mayoral campaign as the "conservative" candidate. Is this true?

Best regards,
John Dodge
W. Newbury, Mass. (and a journalists for 30 years)

[paul]

Hi John. Kay's name rings a bell. My regards to everyone. Yes, I lost a race in 2003. The dynamics are a bit complicated but two factors were the greatest forces. Our very popular County Executive endorsed my opponent and she literally moved close to 8,000 votes. Causing the second - for the first time in all of my campaigns, I lost the women's vote.