Paul Soglin: Waxing America

Moving Local Elections from February and April to The Fall

Three Wisconsin legislators wish to move the local spring elections to the fall. The move will save money and it will increase the turnout for voters casting ballots for the school board, county board, town board, city council, and mayor.

There is a downside to scheduling local elections to coincide with the congressional, presidential and state wide races. The idea was to prevent the coattail effect from influencing local races. Wisconsin is not the only state that ensures that local elections are as far removed from the partisan state and national elections as possible. They stagger the elections from Maine to California.

There are other problems with a fall local election:

• Local candidates will be competing for the grassroots workers with congressional candidates.
• In major markets, mayoral and county board candidates will be squeezed out of the television buys. Maybe that is a good thing.
• Most important, the voters will be focused on the higher level races and ignore the candidates for mayor or school board and ignore everything from the candidates' forums to the literature.

The higher voter turnout in November is a good reason to shift the elections, saving money is not.

Too bad we do not have a better way of increasing voter participation in the spring elections.

I will be on Wisconsin Public Radio with Joy Cardin doing the Week in Review at 8:00 am this morning.

 

The Palin Teenage Pregnancy Is Off Limits but the Hypocrites Are Not

I have no quarrel with Sarah Palin, and certainly none with her pregnant seventeen year old daughter, who is having a baby out of wedlock.

I do have a quarrel with the right wing hypocrites. I am talking about the self-congratulatory commentators who never get pregnant themselves, have access to all of the condoms they can unroll, and impose their twisted morality upon the rest of society.

The twisted morality is not their position on unwed teenage girls having babies. I join with them in urging young women not to conceive, without passing moral judgment on their behavior.

I also support sex education, making birth control available to sexually active teens, and full counseling to young woman about all of the choices available to them should they become pregnant.

The hypocrisy lies in the treatment of Sarah Palin as some great moral crusader in supporting her daughter's choice to have a baby and silence on her child raising skills.

There is total silence and not the usual condemnation of the grandmother-to-be we normally hear from the radio and television commentators from Milwaukee to Houston and San Diego to New York City.

The bitter attacks on the mothers is gone. These men are creeps.

Mark Belling: Milwaukee's White American

Mark Belling is not "Standing Up for Milwaukee."

In a column on Wednesday, Millions can’t solve moral bankruptcy in central city, Belling launched into a two pronged attack attacking the city's black community and ridiculing Joseph Zilber's $50 million gift to strengthen Milwaukee neighborhoods.

For starters, the right wing commentator notes money already spent combating poverty and crime in the inner city:

How many billions in welfare, charitable programs and "investment" have been poured into predominantly black neighborhoods?

Then comes this gem:

Most blacks have tuned out white America...

Belling has a Milwaukee view, or perhaps a world view that makes him incapable of understanding the problems of poverty and crime and how to fix them.

For starters he knows nothing about Zilber's gift. An examination of the announcement reveals that the approach is significantly different than traditional efforts to institute change. It is community base building, not welfare.  It is economic development, not handouts.

Secondly, while Belling realizes that moral leadership is essential to improving Milwaukee, he has no clue as to how economic and social justice play a critical role in shaping community standards in Milwaukee or any other city around the world.

Zilber's gift is a challenge to Milwaukee leadership to add additional funds to a well crafted effort.

Milwaukee business leaders have a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to the city. They can sit on the sidelines with Belling, or they can learn about the fundamental principles underlying Zilber's commitment and open their own wallets.

As for Belling, he might want to tell us what he means by his "white America."

Wisconsin Business and Entertainment Climate: Belling Style

You have to wonder why Mark Belling hates Wisconsin and Milwaukee as much as he does. In his latest rant, subtitled, State’s business climate far from welcoming, the right wing radio entertainer asserts:

We are driving businesses out and telling new ones to stay away by raising taxes to obscene levels, regulating businesses to death, imposing impossible environmental restrictions and levying some of the nation’s highest health care costs. Until those things are fixed, the business climate is not going to improve.

With so-called friends like Belling, it is no wonder that there is more than a little confusion in the Milwaukee business community.

There is not one word in Belling's quiver about the most important challenge facing Milwaukee and the state, growing a vital workforce. The key to Wisconsin's future is eduction, job training and workforce development.

Other key elements that Belling gets wrong:

• Collections of taxes and fees in Wisconsin is average compared to the rest of the nation.


• Taxes on Wisconsin businesses are significantly lower.

• When businesses make location or expansion decisions the quality of the schools, the environment, safety, and the workforce all trump tax rates.

• Government and the private sector can work together within the M-7 environment. In fact, that collaboration will allow a frank and candid discussion of the changes that both government and the private sector need to make.

• Lowering the bar so that wage rates compete with China or even Alabama are not what Wisconsin business needs.

• The new economy is not solely based on "biotech and drug industries." The secret for Milwaukee is not to copy others but to work from its strengths, its industrial and financial base.

It is evident that there are elements in Wisconsin including Belling and the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce who are less concerned about the quality of Wisconsin's business climate, and more concerned about using the business community to drive a right-wing ideological political program.

For a true understanding of how far Belling is off the planet, take a look at the  Milwaukee 7 website and scroll down to the Strategic Planning link and look at the thoughtful reports. I may not agree with all of their findings but certainly, this is more substance than "inane cheerleading."

Bruce: "Radio Nowhere"

Mike Plaisted nails it:

..."Radio Nowhere"... might be the best opening song in rock concert history..."I just want to feel some rhythm," he (and the crowd) shouts over and over, while his drummer, the Mighty Max Weinberg, is giving him everything he has. "Is there anybody alive out there?", indeed. Springsteen is speaking to a dearth of culture, to a world of niche marketing, where the music industry gives us only what it thinks we want and not what we need. "I want a thousand guitars/I want pounding drums." Is that too much to ask?

Throughout the whole show Springsteen -- once the vulnerable street poet still trying to understand his own words -- is finally, truly The Boss; self-actualized, in command and knowing exactly what is going to happen next, because he planned it that way. The sheer power of the best parts of this show is truly something to see, even for grizzled Springsteen concert veterans. He’s supposedly bringing this tour through Milwaukee in March (his shows get better later in the tour), and I’ll be there again, this time with my son, who is almost as old as my brother was when I took him to his first show. It’s like taking the kid to see Favre – get it while you can, because there will never be anything like it again.

- Barry Orton

It Is Time for Charlie Sykes To Move To Colorado

The triangulation was proper. Three stories converged this week and I suddenly realized that Charlie Sykes should move to Colorado where he can find true happiness in the thirteenth best state for taxes.

Charlie decided to merge the Coors-Miller headquarters issue with the most recent clap-trap from the Tax Foundation:

The Coors/Miller folks are about to sit down to decide where to locate the company's HQ; and they'll be comparing Colorado and Wisconsin...That's not good news....A new study drops Wisconsin's business climate rank to 39th. In contrast, Colorado ranks 13th.

The merger of Milwaukee based Miller and Colorado based Molson-Coors leaves many unanswered questions, including, where will the brewer locate their corporate headquarters. As the Chicago Tribune notes:

Milwaukee could suffer job cuts, while some of Miller's and Coors' advertising work is likely to be consolidated, analysts say. Draftfcb in Chicago is Coors' lead agency. Starcom in Chicago is Miller's media buyer, while Y & R's Chicago office handles the Miller Genuine Draft account.

At the same time the infamous Tax Foundation, as Sykes says, ,  "in an effort to boost TABOR legislation, gives Colorado a boost: For an executive summary, go here."

Over the past 17 years, Colorado’s tax burden has fallen from 22nd highest in 1990, around the national average, to currently standing below the national average.

This study is one of several debunked in Peter Fisher's Grading Places: What Do the Business Climate Rankings Really Tell Us? Here is what Fisher says in conclusion in discussing the Tax Foundation's report:

There is no point, really, in trying to assess whether the (study) successfully predicts which states will do better in attracting business investment,creating jobs, or the like. If it does, it is purely by accident, for the index does not even measure the effect of a state’s tax system on a firm’s cost of doing business. Even if the index appeared to be correlated with growth, one could not conclude, as the Tax Foundation would like us to, that lower taxes cause growth. The index does not measure tax rates to begin with, or even correlate with relative business tax levels. As a tool for assessing public policy, it is fatally flawed, notwithstanding its carefully groomed appearance of plausibility and academic credentials (however spurious).

Then there was the third story, that Brown Shoe Co, the parent company of Famous Footware, was thinking of moving its corporate headquarters from St. Louis to Madison. From The Capital Times:

The publication (St. Louis Business Journal) cited sources close to the negotiations in the report last Friday...It said Brown, one of St. Louis' oldest and largest publicly traded companies with about 500 employees at its headquarters, is considering moves to sites within the region or out of state, with a decision possible as soon as November.

This story received no mention from Sykes, any other right-wing radio entertainer or the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, all of whom declare the Badger State to be a 'tax hell.'

If taxes are so bad here, perhaps Sykes and his cronies would like to explain why they have not made the move to Colorado. In fact, if Sykes moves to Colorado by the end of the year*  I will personally pay $5,000 towards his moving expenses.

After all, why stay and endure another freezing winter here in Hell?

*Sell a Wisconsin home, purchase one in Colorado, and make it his permanent residence.

Mark Belling: Left-Wing Infiltrator of Reactionary Right

I listened to Mark Belling for ten minutes yesterday as I drove around Madison between meetings. I admit it.

Here is what Belling said:

• He called for a purge within the Republican Party --those are his words, not mine.
• He estimated that the purge might involve twenty percent of all Republicans.

I wish him luck. If even five per cent of the Republicans are driven from the GOP, that will assure Democrats a solid working majority for another generation.

A word to the left: Go slow with the new Dems. They will need a period of adjustment to become comfortable with long-haired hippies and those who believe the literal words of the Constitution. Their exile from the Republican Party does not mean that they will be instantly comfortable with us. I suggest exposing them to Ed Schultz before they spend any time with Stephanie Miller.

A word to Mark Belling: Keep it up; you are doing a better job than I ever imagined in expanding the base of the Democratic Party.  But do try to stay under the radar. A few more broadcasts like yesterday and Rush Limbaugh might figure you are our tool and never allow you back on his show.

Jim Rowen on Radio Alternatives

Last week Jim Rowen noted that there is some good listening when dialing in, More On Milwaukee Talk Radio--The Good, The Bad, The Ugly. Rowen's point being that there is some damn good stuff out there for those who do not want the latest from the conservative talking heads:

Then I went up the dial farther to WMCS, and there was Joel (McNally, AM 1290)  interviewing Prince Fielder. Live by phone from Houston. And at some length.

This is when talk radio is at its best: Finding something that the community is indeed talking about - - in this case, the Milwaukee Brewers' pennant run and best baseball in these parts for a quarter-century - - and letting the guest actually talk.

Why the Prospects for Milwaukee Are So Bleak. Round Two

Wow. Now that was interesting. Why the Prospects for Milwaukee Are So Bleak. The problem is some folks cannot read, or read things that were not there.

Badger Blogger: Former Madison Mayor Paul Soglin: Milwaukee's problems are the fault of "talk radio."

No. There is not what I said. The problems of crime and poverty  are not the fault of talk radio. The problem of not getting to a cohesive solution is exacerbated by right-wing talk radio. That is where the fault lies.

The prospects are bleak because of a lack of dialog, the lack of understanding by Milwaukee talk radio hosts as to what happened in NYC in the 1990's (Misinformation: From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel to Charlie Sykes), and the dismissal of solutions that ignore job development and training, childcare, transportation, and public health.

Boots and Sabers: Soglin misses the point...listeners are who determine the content.

Another feeble attempt to turn my commentary into an attack on the people of Milwaukee.

From Where I Sit: Paul Soglin blames talk radio for the problems of inner-city Milwaukee.

The problems of inner city Milwaukee go back to the failure of Milwaukee leadership, and the leadership of most major cities, in the 1970's to understand the evolving economy, the loss of manufacturing jobs, the looming international economy, and the subsequent rise on crime and poverty.

McBride Media Matters: Talk radio derangement syndrome alert!!!

...he apparently thinks that the citizenry doesn't include talk radio's listeners.

Another feeble attempt to suggest that when Sykes-Belling-Weber select narrow content, it is the fault of their listeners.

... Lack of childcare causes crime? Lack of universal health care causes crime? Transportation causes crime?

No Jessica, but quality childcare, quality health care (you said universal, Jessica), and adequate transportation to the better jobs are all elements that contribute to combating poverty, reducing crime and strengthening neighborhoods.

The conservative hosts have listed teenage motherhood, the collapse of the family structure, and the high school dropout rate, as being among the pressing issues

And in the face as what has happened, the practical way of correcting these problems is provide quality childcare, quality health care and adequate transportation to the better jobs. I do not recall solutions like that in listening to the conservative talk, when show hosts bemoan the rising crime.

How does he think NYC lowered crime rates when Giuliani was mayor? It was through an aggressive law enforcement strategy called Broken Windows.

Let's get it straight. Broken windows alone does not lower crime. Broken windows is not an aggressive law enforcement policy. Broken windows works when part of an aggressive community policing program combined with tackling the problems associated with poverty. I should know. I instituted a broken windows program in Madison in 1989, years before Giuliani was elected mayor.

Finally, the vast majority of the crime reduction was the result of changing demographics. This is well documented as crime fell universally throughout the U.S. as the population aged.

Dan and Nicole's Still Spinnin' Blog: This does go to a larger point that demonstrates how liberal elitists like Paul Soglin view the “common man”.  They think you aren’t smart enough to come to your own conclusions or have your own thoughts.  This is why they push for things like the “fairness doctrine”.

Another attempt to transfer my criticism of the talk hosts to their listeners combined with drivel. No one saw a single line in my recent post or any of my posts about the fairness doctrine.

Charlie Sykes: presume he means that we do not share his enthusiasm for and faith in more government programs. But -- and I can only speak for myself here -- I have never suggested that "law enforcement alone" would solve the city's problems. In fact if Soglin spent more or (sic) his drive time listening he might here (sic) me spending considerable time talking about...education,,,business climate...failed social service organizations...etc....

Charlie, if you examine your own list, it is all negatives, except for the implication for support of school vouchers. I do not for a moment question that  you correctly  identified "Social breakdown, including out of wedlock births, babies having babies, drop-out rates, drug use and the tolerance of the thug culture," as critical issues.

Now what do we do about it? I will even join you in saying that many government and non-profit programs fail to live up to expectations and are relatively ineffective.

But pointing the finger at the obvious does not break the circle of poverty and bad behavior. The languishing  teenage mother who is witnessing her child follow in her footsteps needs an intervention. Where does that start?

A thank you to Charlie Sykes and Jay Weber for acknowledging my criticisms. I do not know if Mark Belling has responded.

A special thanks to the right side of the Cheddarsphere for linking to Why the Prospects for Milwaukee Are So Bleak, thus making Wednesdays hits the highest non-election coverage in Waxing America's history.

Finally.  If I were to criticize my own post it would be the following:

Where does this transplanted Chicagoan get off criticizing Wisconsin's largest city when during the fourteen years he served as mayor of Madison, he did nothing but fight with Henry Maier over economic development issues and John Norquist for supporting the construction of Miller Park (which he thought should have been built downtown),  and now in his own city of Madison, where crime is rising, whenever he opens his mouth, you can hear the crickets chirping?

Why the Prospects for Madison Are So Bleak: Part I

Madison is going to have a tough time combating rising crime. While the Milwaukee problem is talk radio blather from right-wingers without a clue, in Madison it is do-gooder lefties who refuse to recognize the nature of the problem.

While Lisa Subeck understands that it is going to take a collaborative effort, Southwest side needs more than just cops... to combat crime and poverty, she misses one vital point. She refuses to acknowledge that Madison does not have the capacity to house an endless stream of low income families from other cities. In a letter to the editor of The Capital Times, she says,

...former Mayor Paul Soglin fought increased shelter capacity out of fear that more shelter would attract more homeless people. Soglin was wrong then, and our current mayor is wrong now...

...I can honestly say that not one of them came to Madison because of the wonderful shelter accommodations. Instead, they are born and raised here or they choose Madison for the same reason so many of us do: friends or family already living here, educational or job opportunities, to get away from the drugs and violence in larger cities, or just looking for a better life.

In the 1990's, residents of shelters and occupants of transitional housing were surveyed. Those who were new to Madison in the past three years or less ran as high as 70%. While Lisa is correct that many low-income families choose Madison as a destination for the same reason as middle income families, the quality of life, it is inescapable that Madison is a magnet for those in need of shelter.

And the problem is worsened because the efforts to move people out of poverty and the need for subsidized shelter are not as effective as the efforts to provide that shelter.

On September 15, 2007 The Capital Times article RACE ENTERS DISCUSSIONS OVER CRIME CRACKDOWN brought this exchange:

"It's clear there are racial undertones to a number of issues being raised in the public safety meetings," mayoral aide Enis Ragland said in an interview Friday. "Our job is to make sure people understand the focus is on behavior, not race or ethnicity."...

..."I really don't know," Lengfeld (Police Captain when asked why so few people of color attended the meeting) said in an interview Friday. "Maybe they're not vested enough in the neighborhood to try to make changes when they may not be living there anymore.

"But this will fail if we don't get them involved," he said...

...Peter Munoz, executive director of Centro Hispano, said the "people from Chicago" remarks definitely are code. But the stereotypes don't make any sense anyway, he said.

The bottom line is that so long as race and poverty are intertwined, the subject of race cannot be avoided. The key is acknowledging that it exists. Ragland is correct noting that the focus must be on behavior, not race. Lengfeld is correct in noting that if the low income community, which is predominately non-white, must be engaged if efforts to combat poverty and crime are to succeed. And Munoz is correct about 'people from Chicago' being code words.

The reality is that areas populated by recent low income arrivals to Madison are posing the toughest public safety challenges. And they are predominately non-white. Denying that is a barrier to solving the problem.

Sides must be chosen. Regardless of race, neighborhood, or income, everyone must decide on which side of the behavior line they fall. Then it is necessary to take sides on the solution. Those who support only law enforcement will support a system that continues to incarcerate blacks at record rates.

Those who support only housing alternatives will support a system that does nothing but warehouse families and continue the abysmal cycle of crime and poverty.

Those who choose law enforcement, housing support, and strategies to enhance families and break the cycle of poverty will support a system that works. But they had better get out their checkbooks.