During the Great Depression, Madison and much of Dane County suffered, but not like the rest of the state or the nation. As the home of the University of Wisconsin, state government, and numerous hospitals, unemployment in Madison never hit the devastating levels of more industrial or agricultural based communities.
Even as recently as the 1970's, only one of the ten largest Madison employers was from the private sector - Oscar Mayer. The rest were government (the State of Wisconsin, Dane County, the City of Madison), educational institutions (the UW and the Madison Public Schools), and health care (Madison General, St. Mary's, Methodist and the UW hospitals).
Now we get word that to save $5,000 a year that three days each week the county will close the Tenney Park Locks that connect Lakes Mendota and Monona.
It may not sound like much in terms of service reductions and savings, but it is the beginning of a series of significant changes Madison and Dane County residents can expect in the next eighteen months.
There will be additional service reductions before the end of this year and there will be greater reductions once the 2010 budgets are adopted.
There are a multitude of reasons for the cuts. Like the state of Wisconsin, Dane County is experiencing sharply reduced sales tax revenues as a result of the recession. Income related to construction and development is reduced for all levels of government. While gasoline prices are down from record levels of last summer, governments have not recovered from their impact as fleet costs and building energy costs continue to make excessive demands on police departments, transit and snow removal agencies, as well as building heating and cooling systems.
The next six months will be most challenging. It will be a real test to see who can contribute to solving problems and who can exploit the situation.
I would have preferred to see the state and local units of government correct inequitable taxation systems, but that is a solution that comes too late to solve the present crisis. It is a solution that can prevent the next crisis.
Other solutions include the commitment to long term quality management programs (no meat-axe alternatives), modest but necessary cuts in many basic services, greater investment in infrastructure and greater investment in human capacity.
You can't tell me there is not one single $50K/yr slow-motion County worker that isn't redundant?
There isn't one $95K/yr job that couldn't be filled by someone that would be capable (and thrilled) to do it for $60K/yr?
Things can't be that bad yet. They haven't gone to the tried and true trump card of opening the jails and cutting sheriff services.
Posted by: R.J. | May 28, 2009 at 07:13 AM