Paul Soglin: Waxing America

Madison Then and Now: 1960's and the Walker Protests

No, I never saw in the 1960's what is occuring today in this effort to stop Governor Walker's union busting.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:   

Soglin: "I've never seen anything like this"

Soglin said he has participated in the protests against Walker’s budget repair bill for a week, starting with a march Saturday from Memorial Union on the UW-Madison campus. The crowds have built every day, and on Thursday and Friday exceeded 20,000, he estimated.

He compared the mood of the crowds to those he saw during the civil rights movement in the 1960s. There’s anger, he said, but there was also “elements of joy and enthusiasm, and that’s what’s going on here as well.”

The anti-war movement, he said, was “all energized and angry - because it was focused on stopping a war. It could not have the almost spiritual nature of what’s going on in Madison today.”

Spiritual? Joy? Soglin said the teachers and other public employees from across the state are finding a bond with each other.

“There are a lot of people who are scared about the economic consequences of what’s going to happen” with Walker’s bill, he said. “But they’re also getting strength from all of the people they are meeting.”

Governor Walker Launches New Political Movement

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's attempt to crush public employee unions has changed both Wisconsin and the nation. While we do not know the outcome of Wisconsin Senate Bill 11, Walker's effort to end collective bargaining for public employees has triggered a response that is overwhelming and will be lasting.

Walker, elected last November on an anti-labor platform, never publicly disclosed that he planned to crush our unions with legislation that was scheduled to be adopted only six days after its announcement.

Know that hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin residents, both union and non-union folks, have said, "Kill the bill."

Here at the Capitol, dozens of people asked me today if I ever saw anything like this in the 1960's. 

No.

This is different.

The civil rights movement was joyful and enthusiastic.

The anti-war movement was energetic and angry.

Neither combined the dynamics we see here in Madison this week.

The rotation of people from throughout the state, coming in each day, is one of the reasons we are so vibrant.

The other factor is the young people. I have never seen anything like the energy from people under 30. It's both inspiring and energizing. 

We have much to do; more education, more planning, and the work to keep our elected officals from hijacking this grassroots movement.

Because this movement has legs.

 

 

Reflections on a State in Turmoil and an Election

Last night a Wisconsin State Journal reporter asked me how I felt about the primary results.  Soglin beats Cieslewicz in primary, setting up general election showdown.  I told the reporter,

On a personal basis, it's very heartwarming. But that's not why I'm in the race. I ran because I love this city and I want it to be the best place possible.

Wisconsin and Madison face serious challenges in the next few years. The recession which looks more like a depression, the fiscal condition of the state and city budgets, and the tired, conventional thinking which makes the situation more critical.

The primary results last night were rewarding, but that is not what the campaign is about. The 2011 Madison mayoral race is about the people of this city. The 2011 Madison mayoral race is about who can best deal with Governor Walker's budget repair bill that turns the clock back sixty years.

Almost 49% of school kids live in homes that are below the poverty line. More and more builders who construct housing, offices, and shopping are working in Dane County outside of Madison. City finances are troubling as we hit record borrowing and our per capita cost of government rises.

I learned long ago that while the mayor must identify the problems, the solutions come from the community. My supporters are neighborhood activists and real estate developers, public employees and citizens concerned about taxes and city finances. I doubt they will agree on the same solution to every problem.

The job of the mayor and the city council is to bring those folks together, utilize the professional city staff, and arrive at the best resolution that reflects our shared values.

That is why I am running, that is why I am so energized and excited about serving. We cannot wait for years; we must start now.

 

Editor's Note: Campaign contributions can be made out to Soglin for Mayor and mailed to PO Box 1228, Madison WI 53701. Please include contact information and whether we can use your name as a supporter.  Let us know if you can volunteer or sponsor a fundraiser. State law requires you to supply employer information (name and address) if your contribution is over $100 in a calendar year. The campaign website at http://www.soglinformayor.com is now able to take online contributions, but please feel free to go old school via the US Postal Service.

What Scott Walker Does Not Say About Public Employees

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker issued a press release on Monday,  The Cost of Public Sector Benefits. This document of over 500 words and all sorts of data began:

Madison–In an effort to raise awareness about the cost of public sector employee benefits today Governor Walker’s office released the following fact sheet.

The 'fact sheet' never once addressed the cost of employing a public worker in Wisconsin. The 'fact sheet' provided information about the cost of the retirement system, how much taxpayers pay for public employees health insurance and the cost of HMO co-pays.

The 'fact sheet' never gave the total cost to the taxpayer of a public employee.

WISCONSIN WORKERS ARE NOT OVER PAID OR OVER COMPENSATED

For the millionth time --- Wisconsin public employees do have better fringe benefits than the public employee in other states. That is because everyone from the firefighter to motor vehicle workers, teachers to snow plow drivers, choose to take their compensation in health insurance and retirement contributions.

For example Wisconsin teachers rank 20th for average teacher's salary among the states . Add in the fringe benefits and Wisconsin may be as high as 17th or 16th, not an outrageous ranking for a state that values education.

NO BONUSES

The Wisconsin public employee who receives a bonus is a rare exception. Yesterday GM announced that all hourly workers will receive a $4000 bonus. Private sector employees receive bonuses, at times stock options, and many other privileges not afforded he public employee. II never met a public employee who's golf outing was paid by their employer.

EFFICIENCY OF OUR STATE WORKERS

Wisconsin is the 20th most populated state but we rank 27th in number of full time employees.  We get more productivity from Wisconsin public employees. Wisconsin state workers are doing more than their counterparts in other states.

Governor Walker: There Are Better Options for Wisconsin

It is the ultimate false choice: Governor Walker is suggesting that we must choose between unionized workers and streamlined government.

The fact is we can, and must, have both. One critical responsibility of elected leaders is to provide the highest quality public services as efficiently as possible. This requires skilled employees, a reliable structure, and a workplace culture designed to encourage trust and productivity.

The rights of Wisconsin workers to organize and bargain collectively has been around for 50 years. Public employees are your neighbors; they are librarians, bus drivers, nurses, teachers. Their unions came to the bargaining table in recent years, willing to help share the burden and spread the pain to help make city, state and county budgets work in tough economic times.

The way to improve public services and reduce costs is to trust public employees and give them the opportunity to do quality work.

There are a couple of things we need to do to stop Governor Walker’s proposal. First, we must get out the facts about wages and benefits for Wisconsin public employees.  For example, over the years, Wisconsin public employees  chose to take the funds available for increased compensation as retirement benefits and payment for health care.  That is one reason the pay scale for most Wisconsin public employees is far below the national average.

Second, we need to examine Walker’s proposal where it may run afoul of federal law. Madison bus drivers are covered by a federal 13(C) Agreement. This is a requirement that applies to transit systems that receive federal aid.  13(C) “requires the continuation of collective bargaining rights, and protection of transit employees' wages, working conditions, pension benefits, seniority, vacation, sick and personal leave, travel passes, and other conditions of employment.” In other words it is likely that no matter what the legislature does in adopting Walker’s proposals, it will not apply to the Madison bus drivers or the drivers of any union-organized transit system in Wisconsin that receives federal funds.

We should be looking closely at all of the federal funding and regulatory requirements that may apply to the union employees in our cities, counties, and school districts.

Finally, total quality improvement must be adopted. In the city of Madison and in state government, this systems-approach to managing that focuses on the employees, not top down managers, has saved millions of dollars by creating more effective means of delivering public services. As I said in my public statement when Governor Walker’s proposal first came out, we will not, cannot and ought not fix our economic problems by demonizing working people or destroying their rights. Rather, we must continue to find ways to work together because that is the only way to meet the challenges we face.

 

Another Madison Problem: Hiring and Retention at City Hall

Last week, writing in Isthmus, Tim Cooley's exit reflects ongoing struggle over mayoral control,  Marc Eisen noted:

And his departure raises a concern that is increasingly heard around City Hall: Mayor Dave's decisive personnel moves have intimidated city staff and hurt their performance, while scaring away good applicants for top city jobs.

New top managers are now put on two years probation. This creates two major problems. First, many skilled leaders are not about to move from a stable position to an environment where they must spend two years waiting to see if they are accepted, and then three years later can be discharged. That is why there are so few qualified applicants in these tough economic times for vacancies at the department and division level. There may be multiple applications from unqualified applicants.

Secondly, a two year probation means the individual is chained and gagged at the mayor's side. There is no ability to freely express opinions to neighborhood groups, the press, or the general public.

The argument is made that it takes two years to see if the individual is qualified to prepare and administer budgets. As one who teaches public budgeting, let me note that is one of the easiest qualifications to research and vet.

Eisen got it right:

Begin with the long, arduous recruitment of a new planning chief. Multiple searches were conducted, finalists found and lost, and a headhunter hired to help. The mayor says the hiring took so long because he insisted on only interviewing exceptional candidates.

But this seems odd. Why wouldn't the best talent line up to work in a marvelous city like Madison, with its link to legendary planner John Nolen? Well, maybe the mayor would have had more exceptional finalists if the probationary clause were different.

"Who'd want to jeopardize a promising career in another city, uproot the family and move to Madison only to be out of a job in a couple of years based on the political whims of the mayor?" a skeptical city staffer asked.

I talked to one Milwaukee-area professional who considered applying for the planning job but didn't. Probation is common in top city jobs all over, he acknowledged, but Madison's two-year clause "sent a signal of 'Buyer beware!'"

Wisconsin Telephone Deregulation Bill Expected Soon; Still Bad For Rural and Elderly Landline Users

Here we go again: there's a draft telephone deregulation bill being negotiated by the industry's players that is based on the one that nearly passed last year. No bill number or sponsor yet - this time they will keep their fingerprints off until the steamroller is fully up to speed. Stripping the Public service Commission's powers to regulate the adequacy of landline phone service wasn't a good idea for rural and elderly consumers last year, and it's not a good idea now.

The PR and lobbying campaign laying the groundwork has already started with statements from the usual industry sock-puppets like "Wired Wisconsin."  Yesterday the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ran dueling op-ed pieces: they asked me to argue against Steve Bass of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce. Bass, who made his rep as former Speaker Scott Jensen's mouthpiece, found Wired Wisconsin's wild assertions of the legislation's potential "to create or retain about 50,000 jobs in Wisconsin" quite convincing.

My response is here. A sample:

What's at stake? This year's bill probably will eliminate telephone providers' obligations to provide service to all areas of Wisconsin. The companies won't have to report profits and expenses to the PSC, which no longer would control rates or the adequacy of phone service and facilities. Market forces will be consumers' only protection; unhappy landline users would need to switch to a cable-based or cellular service.

But many rural areas of Wisconsin with spotty cellular service and no cable don't have affordable alternatives. And many older customers will not consider an unfamiliar technology; these landline users still need the PSC's legal protection.

Opposing last year's bill, Nino Amato, president of the Wisconsin Coalition of Aging Groups, said: "There are still 3 million customers in Wisconsin who use wired phone services, and we simply cannot abandon them."

...I suppose Grandma could just get a Blackberry and Wisconsin farmers could always do their business via the U.S. Postal Service.

With all the wholesale unregulating of industry going on at the Wisconsin Legislature, this one may well get very little attention and pass quietly.  Let's all keep our eyes open.

- Barry Orton

Madison Common Council Given Snow Job on Bicycles

No-bid government contracts always call for close examination.

And upon close examination, Madison’s recent no-bid deal on a bike share program just doesn’t make sense. One reasonable expectation is that no-bid contracts should only be allowed when there is a single source for the item to be purchased.

That’s what the Mayor’s office told the City Council about the bicycle deal, which was rushed through the approval process, taking funds from the contingent reserve fund, which is generally for emergencies.

First, the Council was told there was only a single source for this kind of bicycle rental.  When it was demonstrated that there are actually multiple suppliers, the Council was told that the recommended vendor was the only one with a GPS system that could locate the bicycles, should they be abandoned.

 But wait: Here’s an article from Crain’s New York business:

Queens bike maker seeks big leg up.

“The DOT is accepting bids until Feb. 16 for the bike program, which would involve setting up more than 600 bike stations around the city, equipped with high-tech locks, and more than 10,000 GPS-equipped bikes. The request for proposals dictates that a private company will bear all costs of the program, slated for a 2012 launch, and share any profits with the city.”

So in New York they are going to bid, the private company will bear all of the costs of the program, and share the profits with the city.

Oops.

 

Congratulations To Madison Snow Removal Crews

 

Unshackled and given a chance to tackle a major blizzard, city public works crews backed by private contractors demonstrated they are still the best around.

 

Unlike the storms of December 2009 and the two prior years, the crews cleared out most of the city in less than twelve hours.

 

What made the difference is that this time the mayor -- who had reduced both the staffing and equipment during the prior three years --  allowed the plow operators to do their job. It is unfortunate that it took seven years in office to get it right...but most importantly this time our residents and businesses did not suffer. Last winter, as you might remember, I was vocal on what needed to be done.

 

But there is more we can do and we can do better.

 

The Mayor's Office Is Over Staffed

 

if I am elected mayor, there will be a minimum 10% reduction ($130,000)  in the Mayor’s office budget through the elimination of one mayoral aide. I will request those funds be used to create two additional public works positions for snow removal and similar work.

 

 

Bike Share Deal Controversy: Questions and Answers From The Candidates

 Today Brenda Konkel asked both mayoral candidates some pointed questions about the Trek-run "B-Cycle, LLC" bike share program:

Sure, its cool but . . . is it a good idea to make a sole source deal with Trek to provide bike kiosks for the City of Madison at a cost of $300,000 ($100,000 from this year’s contingent reserve) to the taxpayer in this current economy? Should there have been an RFP, why or why not? Is it appropriate to use money from the contingent reserve?

Paul Soglin's answer:

First some perspective:
Bicycle sharing systems are not new to Madison. After the first modern effort was introduced in the Netherlands in the late 1960’s, Wisconsin’s capital city, as did Paris, followed suit with the yellow bicycle program. This effort of fixing up old bikes and painting them an identifiable color was repeated with the red bicycles found on Madison’s streets in the 1990’s.

Since then, a number of more effective programs were introduced in Europe and subsequently the United States.

The fact is, this idea has merit and represents a sensible step forward compared to the earlier bicycle sharing models: The bicycles will be new and well maintained. While not free, the rentals are reasonable and convenient, available to both Madison residents and visitors.

The problem with this is not the idea of bike sharing. Rather, the problem with the Cieslewicz proposal is that it plays fast and loose with a number of reasonable and long-standing checks and balances; it circumvents established budgetary and fiscal practices; and it presents challenges in terms of other values Madisonians hold dear.

We are told that this proposal must be adopted within four weeks of introduction. There will be no bidding on the contract. The funds will come from the contingency reserve fund. There may also be advertising that will violate the Madison sign ordinance and commercial use of the public parks.

Here’s what should happen:
The proposal should be properly referred to City committees. That will allow for discussion of a number of critical issues and the opportunity to get critical questions answered:

- The contingent reserve fund is for emergencies –overtime for police and fire and snow removal. Why is this an emergency?
- If the cost of the project is $100,000 for each of three years why shouldn’t the project stand on its own merits and go through the budget process?
- Why wasn’t this proposal put out to bid? Given the number of bicycle sharing programs in the United States and Europe, this is not a single source item. There is absolutely no justification for ignoring the RFP and bidding process simply because this is a last minute proposal.
- Why should the city pay for the program? If a private company is going to use public property to store and lease the bicycles, it seems that they should be paying the city, not the other way around.
- If it is true that the company managing the program is going to rent the space they have on public property, including the parks to advertisers, then we need a public discussion about how extensively we will allow advertising on public property, especially if it violates the billboard ordinance.

Every progressive city maintains high ethical standards. We need to discuss the payment of the mayor’s recent trip to Europe by a bicycle industry group particularly now that a member of that group is getting this no bid-contract. We should not have different standards for green industries as opposed to other industries seeking to do business with Madison.

Dave Cieslewicz' answer:

The B-Cycle bike sharing program is an incredible opportunity for Madison. Bike sharing is a hallmark of a world class city – one where companies want to invest, locate or attract talented professionals. It represents the kinds of smart investments we can make now to ensure that we are a leader in the new economy. And, it supports a great local company that brings jobs to our region.

Trek is offering to make the $1.4 million investment to set up the program and will manage it. And, they do not expect to make any money off the program. In fact, at least for the first few years, they expect a financial loss. But, because they are located in the area and Madison is important to them, they want to try their product here, even if it means losing money. Trek has also agreed to open it’s financial books and if they do make a profit, it will be split evenly with the city.

In addition, because Trek is the only company in the country that not only offers the infrastructure for bike sharing, but also offers unique GPS technology, it is appropriate under city ordinance to do a sole source contract. That’s why it’s gained the approval of BOE and the Pedestrian Bicycle Motor Vehicle Commission.

This is the kind of thing that gives a city a competitive edge in the new economy. So much of our success in the new economy is about keeping Madison a progressive, green, and bike-friendly city. Few other places can offer this combination, and that’s exactly what will attract and retain talent. And it will reduce carbon emissions in Madison and help us reach out goal of increasing bike share to 20% by 2020.

The program will also have an immediate economic benefit. Local businesses will be more easily accessible for those who carpool or use public transit. Trek is creating jobs right here in Madison to service the B-Cycle system.

And let’s not forget, Trek is giving Madison an incredible deal for this one-of-a-kind system. It has enormous potential for our city, and I look forward to community input to determine locations and overall implementation of the system.

These are not trivial issues. Go to Brenda's site to read some very interesting discussion of them in the comments.

 

UPDATE: Madison Guy reads these and reacts: "When I hear the words "Madison" and "world class city" in the same sentence, I reach for my BS meter."  

To be fair, Cieslewicz put them in the same paragraph in adjacent sentences.

 

UPDATE #2: The Wisconsin State Journal has the story of Brenda's complaints about the ethics of the process:

Former Madison Ald. Brenda Konkel, a vocal advocate for open government,has filed a series of complaints alleging violations of the city's lobbying regulation law involving a proposed bike-share program up for approval at Tuesday night's City Council meeting.

Konkel said at least four people associated with Madison's proposed B Cycle bike-share program, including those representing Trek Bicycle Corp., did not register as lobbyists with the city but attended meetings and pledged to evaluate such a program.

"The fact that it's all been done behind the scenes is the problem," said Konkel, who also objected to the project not going out for bid. "It's hard because this looks like a cool project. (But) just because it's a cool project, we can't ignore the rules."

Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said it's unclear if there were any violations to the law, and if so, they were "inadvertent" and a representative from Trek plans to register as a lobbyist soon.

If the comments at the WSJ are any indication, this should be a very hotly-debated item at the City Council on Tuesday night.

- Barry Orton