Parking and traffic flow – Ripon College Area

I requested a report from the Chief of Police on the parking conditions around Ripon College, in light of the change in the parking ordinances in 2007, and the closure of the streets though the campus in 2008. This report will be discussed at the February 10th Council meeting:

Introduction
This report will review parking and traffic flow issues in the Ripon College area. This area includes the area inside the following streets: Thorne Street, Ransom St. ,State St., Elm St, Congress St. and Union Street
In the summer of 2007 the City of Ripon was presented with parking concerns by residents of this area. On July 25, 2007 the Council authorized the elimination of parking on the south Side of Thorne Street from Union St. to Woodside Ave. On September 11, 2007 the council further restricted parking from 3-6 a.m. on streets recommended by the Police Chief between September 1 and May 1 annually:
Thorne Street from Union Street east to Watson Street (North Side)
Thorne Street from Watson Street west to Woodside Ave (South Side)
Ransom Street from State Street south to Seward Street (West Side)
Seward Street from Ransom Street to Woodside Avenue (Both Sides)
Woodside Ave from Thorne Street to Oak Street (West Side)
Lincoln Street from Thorne Street to Oak Street (West Side)
In addition parking was restricted:
No Parking “This side of Street” Oak Street (South Side)
I believe that the above parking restrictions have eliminated the long term parking of motor vehicles on the streets in the vicinity of Ripon College. I believe the safe flow of traffic in this area has been improved as well. These restrictions when combined with the City’s winter parking restrictions that are in effect from November 15 – March 31st each year have taken care of the majority of parking concerns in the Ripon College area.
Closure of Elm Street and Seward Street
The Council also approved the closure of Elm Street and Seward Street between Congress Street and Woodside Avenue which was requested by Ripon College for construction of a pedestrian walkway through Ripon College. The appearance of the college walkway and the ease and safety of pedestrians has certainly improved. The elimination of viable parking spaces on Seward Street and Elm Street is certainly noticeable in increased parking congestion on the following streets:
Congress Street, from Elm Street west to Locust (Both Sides) we will have to restrict parking on the entire North Side of this street, when the weather improves because of traffic difficulties on Congress Street.
Elm Street, from Congress Street north to State Street (Both Sides)
Seward Street, from Woodside Avenue east to Ransom Street (Both Sides)
I have also received numerous complaints via telephone and in person regarding the lack of parking to get to events at Ripon College and the congestion mentioned above. The only solution I see to this would be increased development and construction of Ripon College Campus parking lots.
Parking citations issued
From 10/01/2007 to 11/15/2007 - 23 parking citations were issued in the above restricted parking zones.
From 04/01/2008 to 11/15/2008 - 223 parking citations were issued in the above restricted parking zones

RIPON COLLEGE - Task force assembled to assess Ripon's sustainability, make goals for future

A recent proposal sent to President David Joyce has been causing some on campus to see green.The American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment has been sent to Ripon College in hopes that it will make the necessary steps in the coming years to become more sustainable and carbon neutral."We had a reputation in the marketplace, due to the bike initiative, frankly that we're one of the green colleges," says Joyce. "That's nice, but if we're going to sign the statement on sustainability I want to be serious and make sure we can do it."To ensure that the school can make the necessary changes to become more sustainable, Joyce initiated the creation of a task force to take the necessary steps to see if the campus could, in fact, sign on the pledge and meet future goals.
For the rest of the story - click here

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL....June 16th?

The Oshkosh school district finds itself in a fix over the 2008-09 school calendar. As of now, the last day of school is slated for Tuesday, June 16 because a severe winter has already forced four school cancellations. TO read more: http://www.thenorthwestern.com/article/20090125/OSH0602/901250489/1190/OSH06

What Governor Doyle won't say in his State of the State

By Kevin Fischer - Tuesday, Jan 27 2009, 09:39 PM
Here are the top 10 statements you won’t hear Governor Doyle make when he delivers his State of the State address Wednesday night:
10) (Applause) “Thank you. Thank you. Relax everyone. Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.”
9) “I stand here tonight to deliver the annual State of the State address because…Barack Obama did not ask me or want me to be part of his administration.”
8) “We must repeal the QEO for two reasons. One, WEAC told me we have to.”
7) “The other reason we must repeal the QEO is so Wisconsin property taxes can remain the highest in the nation.”
6) “I call it a hospital assessment because I actually think there are plenty of people in Wisconsin who don’t realize that it’s actually a hospital tax.”
5) “I vetoed photo ID…….three times.”
4) “I am the governor of one of only two states in the country where law-abiding citizens who have undergone extensive training and background checks cannot carry a concealed weapon to exercise their Second Amendment Rights and protect themselves and others.”
3) “Wisconsin has a huge structural deficit. I have no idea how to fix it. Legislators, you figure it out.”
2) “Come to Wisconsin. It doesn’t matter if you have health care, a job, or citizenship. We’d be glad to take care of you.”
And the #1 statement you won’t hear the Governor make in his State of the State address Wednesday night (or if he does, you best not believe him):
"We should not, we must not and I will not raise taxes."

Twenty-five people at the heart of the meltdown ...

From the Guardian in Britain. A very good read on who the players are, American and British, in this debacle:
Twenty-five people at the heart of the meltdown ...The worst economic turmoil since the Great Depression is not a natural phenomenon but a man-made disaster in which we all played a part. In the second part of a week-long series looking behind the slump, Guardian City editor Julia Finch picks out the individuals who have led us into the current crisis

Alan Greenspan, chairman of US Federal Reserve 1987- 2006 - Only a couple of years ago the long-serving chairman of the Fed, a committed free marketeer who had steered the US economy through crises ranging from the 1987 stockmarket collapse through to the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, was lauded with star status, named the "oracle" and "the maestro". Now he is viewed as one of those most culpable for the crisis. He is blamed for allowing the housing bubble to develop as a result of his low interest rates and lack of regulation in mortgage lending. He backed sub-prime lending and urged homebuyers to swap fixed-rate mortgages for variable rate deals, which left borrowers unable to pay when interest rates rose.For many years, Greenspan also defended the booming derivatives business, which barely existed when he took over the Fed, but which mushroomed from $100tn in 2002 to more than $500tn five years later. Billionaires George Soros and Warren Buffett might have been extremely worried about these complex products - Soros avoided them because he didn't "really understand how they work" and Buffett famously described them as "financial weapons of mass destruction" - but Greenspan did all he could to protect the market from what he believed was unnecessary regulation. In 2003 he told the Senate banking committee: "Derivatives have been an extraordinarily useful vehicle to transfer risk from those who shouldn't be taking it to those who are willing to and are capable of doing so".In recent months, however, he has admitted at least some of his long-held beliefs have turned out to be incorrect - not least that free markets would handle the risks involved, that too much regulation would damage Wall Street and that, ultimately, banks would always put the protection of their shareholders first.He has described the current financial crisis as "the type ... that comes along only once in a century" and last autumn said the fact that the banks had played fast and loose with shareholders' equity had left him "in a state of shocked disbelief".
Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England - When Mervyn King settled his feet under the desk in his Threadneedle Street office, the UK economy was motoring along just nicely: GDP was growing at 3% and inflation was just 1.3%. Chairing his first meeting of the Bank's monetary policy committee (MPC), interest rates were cut to a post-war low of 3.5%. His ambition was that monetary policy decision-making should become "boring".How we would all like it to become boring now. When the crunch first took hold, the Aston Villa-supporting governor insisted it was not about to become an international crisis. In the first weeks of the crunch he refused to pump cash into the financial system and insisted that "moral hazard" meant that some banks should not be bailed out. The Treasury select committee has said King should have been "more pro-active".King's MPC should have realised there was a housing bubble developing and taken action to damp it down and, more recently, the committee should have seen the recession coming and cut interest rates far faster than it did.
Politicians
Bill Clinton, former US president - Clinton shares at least some of the blame for the current financial chaos. He beefed up the 1977 Community Reinvestment Act to force mortgage lenders to relax their rules to allow more socially disadvantaged borrowers to qualify for home loans.In 1999 Clinton repealed the Glass-Steagall Act, which ensured a complete separation between commercial banks, which accept deposits, and investment banks, which invest and take risks. The move prompted the era of the superbank and primed the sub-prime pump. The year before the repeal sub-prime loans were just 5% of all mortgage lending. By the time the credit crunch blew up it was approaching 30%.
Gordon Brown, prime minister - The British prime minister seems to have been completely dazzled by the movers and shakers in the Square Mile, putting the City's interests ahead of other parts of the economy, such as manufacturers. He backed "light touch" regulation and a low-tax regime for the thousands of non-domiciled foreign bankers working in London and for the private equity business.
George W Bush, former US president - Clinton might have started the sub-prime ball rolling, but the Bush administration certainly did little to put the brakes on the vast amount of mortgage cash being lent to "Ninja" (No income, no job applicants) borrowers who could not afford them. Neither did he rein back Wall Street with regulation (although the government did pass the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the wake of the Enron scandal).
Senator Phil Gramm - Former US senator from Texas, free market advocate with a PhD in economics who fought long and hard for financial deregulation. His work, encouraged by Clinton's administration, allowed the explosive growth of derivatives, including credit swaps.In 2001, he told a Senate debate: "Some people look at sub-prime lending and see evil. I look at sub-prime lending and I see the American dream in action."According to the New York Times, federal records show that from 1989 to 2002 he was the top recipient of campaign contributions from commercial banks and in the top five for donations from Wall Street. At an April 2000 Senate hearing after a visit to New York, he said: "When I am on Wall Street and I realise that that's the very nerve centre of American capitalism and I realise what capitalism has done for the working people of America, to me that's a holy place."He eventually left Capitol Hill to work for UBS as an investment banker.
Wall Street/Bankers
Abby Cohen, Goldman Sachs chief US strategist - The "perpetual bull". Once rated one of the most powerful women in the US. But so wrong, so often. She failed to see previous share price crashes and was famous for her upwards forecasts. Replaced last March.
Kathleen Corbet, former CEO, Standard & Poor's - The credit-rating agencies were widely attacked for failing to warn of the risks posed by mortgage-backed securities. Kathleen Corbet ran the largest of the big three agencies, Standard & Poor's, and quit in August 2007, amid a hail of criticism. The agencies have been accused of acting as cheerleaders, assigning the top AAA rating to collateralised debt obligations, the often incomprehensible mortgage-backed securities that turned toxic. The industry argues it did its best with the information available.Corbet said her decision to leave the agency had been "long planned" and denied that she had been put under any pressure to quit. She kept a relatively low profile and had been hired to run S&P in 2004 from the investment firm Alliance Capital Management.Investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the New York attorney general among others have focused on whether the agencies are compromised by earning fees from the banks that issue the debt they rate. The reputation of the industry was savaged by a blistering report by the SEC that contained dozens of internal emails that suggested they had betrayed investors' trust. "Let's hope we are all wealthy and retired by the time this house of cards falters," one unnamed S&P analyst wrote. In another, an S&P employee wrote:"It could be structured by cows and we would rate it."
"Hank" Greenberg, AIG insurance group - Now aged 83, Hank - AKA Maurice - was the boss of AIG. He built the business into the world's biggest insurer. AIG had a vast business in credit default swaps and therefore a huge exposure to a residential mortgage crisis. When AIG's own credit-rating was cut, it faced a liquidity crisis and needed an $85bn (£47bn then) bail out from the US government to avoid collapse and avert the crisis its collapse would have caused. It later needed many more billions from the US treasury and the Fed, but that did not stop senior AIG executives taking themselves off for a few lavish trips, including a $444,000 golf and spa retreat in California and an $86,000 hunting expedition to England. "Have you heard of anything more outrageous?" said Elijah Cummings, a Democratic congressman from Maryland. "They were getting their manicures, their facials, pedicures, massages while the American people were footing the bill."
Andy Hornby, former HBOS boss - So highly respected, so admired and so clever - top of his 800-strong class at Harvard - but it was his strategy, adopted from the Bank of Scotland when it merged with Halifax, that got HBOS in the trouble it is now. Who would have thought that the mighty Halifax could be brought to its knees and teeter on the verge of nationalisation?
Sir Fred Goodwin, former RBS boss - Once one of Gordon Brown's favourite businessmen, now the prime minister says he is "angry" with the man dubbed "Fred the Shred" for his strategy at Royal Bank of Scotland, which has left the bank staring at a £28bn loss and 70% owned by the government. The losses will reflect vast lending to businesses that cannot repay and write-downs on acquisitions masterminded by Goodwin stretching back years.
Steve Crawshaw, former B&B boss - Once upon a time Bradford & Bingley was a rather boring building society, which used two men in bowler hats to signify their sensible and trustworthy approach. In 2004 the affable Crawshaw took over. He closed down B&B businesses, cut staff numbers by half and turned the B&B into a specialist in buy-to-let loans and self-certified mortgages - also called "liar loans" because applicants did not have to prove a regular income. The business broke down when the wholesale money market collapsed and B&B's borrowers fell quickly into debt. Crawshaw denied a rights issue was on its way weeks before he asked shareholders for £300m. Eventually, B&B had to be nationalised. Crawshaw, however, had left the bridge a few weeks earlier as a result of heart problems. He has a £1.8m pension pot.
Adam Applegarth, former Northern Rock boss - Applegarth had such big ambitions. But the business model just collapsed when the credit crunch hit. Luckily for Applegarth, he walked away with a wheelbarrow of cash to ease the pain of his failure, and spent the summer playing cricket.Dick Fuld, Lehman Brothers chief executiveThe credit crunch had been rumbling on for more than a year but Lehman Brothers' collapse in September was to have a catastrophic impact on confidence. Richard Fuld, chief executive, later told Congress he was bewildered the US government had not saved the bank when it had helped secure Bear Stearns and the insurer AIG. He also blamed short-sellers. Bitter workers at Lehman pointed the finger at Fuld.A former bond trader known as "the Gorilla", Fuld had been with Lehman for decades and steered it through tough times. But just before the bank went bust he had failed to secure a deal to sell a large stake to the Korea Development Bank and most likely prevent its collapse. Fuld encouraged risk-taking and Lehman was still investing heavily in property at the top of the market. Facing a grilling on Capitol Hill, he was asked whether it was fair that he earned $500m over eight years. He demurred; the figure, he said, was closer to $300m.
Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin - Cioffi and Tannin were Bear Stearns bankers recently indicted for fraud over the collapse of two hedge funds last year, which was one of the triggers of the credit crunch. They are accused of lying to investors about the amount of money they were putting into sub-prime, and of quietly withdrawing their own funds when times got tough.Lewis RanieriThe "godfather" of mortgage finance, who pioneered mortgage-backed bonds in the 1980s and immortalised in Liar's Poker. Famous for saying that "mortgages are math", Ranieri created collateralised pools of mortgages. In 2004 Business Week ranked him alongside names such as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs as one of the greatest innovators of the past 75 years.Ranieri did warn in 2006 of the risks from the breakneck growth of mortgage securitisation. Nevertheless, his Texas-based Franklin Bank Corp went bust in November due to the credit crunch.
Joseph Cassano, AIG Financial Products - Cassano ran the AIG team that sold credit default swaps in London, and in effect bankrupted the world's biggest insurance company, forcing the US government to stump up billions in aid. Cassano, who lives in a townhouse near Harrods in Knightsbridge, earned 30 cents for every dollar of profit his financial products generated - or about £280m. He was fired after the division lost $11bn, but stayed on as a $1m-a-month consultant. "It seems he single-handedly brought AIG to its knees," said John Sarbanes, a Democratic congressman.
Chuck Prince, former Citi boss - A lawyer by training, Prince had built Citi into the biggest bank in the world, with a sprawling structure that covered investment banking, high-street banking and wealthy management for the richest clients. When profits went into reverse in 2007, he insisted it was just a hiccup, but he was forced out after multibillion-dollar losses on sub-prime business started to surface. He received about $140m to ease his pain.
Angelo Mozilo, Countrywide Financial - Known as "the orange one" for his luminous tan, Mozilo was the chairman and chief executive of the biggest American sub-prime mortgage lender, which was saved from bankruptcy by Bank of America. BoA recently paid billions to settle investigations by various attorney generals for Countrywide's mis-selling of risky loans to thousands who could not afford them. The company ran a "VIP programme" that provided loans on favourable terms to influential figures including Christopher Dodd, chairman of the Senate banking committee, the heads of the federal-backed mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and former assistant secretary of state Richard Holbrooke.
Stan O'Neal, former boss of Merrill Lynch - O'Neal became one of the highest-profile casualties of the credit crunch when he lost the confidence of the bank's board in late 2007. When he was appointed to the top job four years earlier, O'Neal, the first African-American to run a Wall Street firm, had pledged to shed the bank's conservative image. Shortly before he quit, the bank admitted to nearly $8bn of exposure to bad debts, as bets in the property and credit markets turned sour. Merrill was forced into the arms of Bank of America less than a year later.
Jimmy Cayne, former Bear Stearns boss - The chairman of the Wall Street firm Bear Stearns famously continued to play in a bridge tournament in Detroit even as the firm fell into crisis. Confidence in the bank evaporated after the collapse of two of its hedge funds and massive write-downs from losses related to the home loans industry. It was bought for a knock down price by JP Morgan Chase in March. Cayne sold his stake in the firm after the JP Morgan bid emerged, making $60m. Such was the anger directed towards Cayne that the US media reported that he had been forced to hire a bodyguard. A one-time scrap-iron salesman, Cayne joined Bear Stearns in 1969 and became one of the firm's top brokers, taking over as chief executive in 1993.
Others
Christopher Dodd, chairman, Senate banking committee (Democrat) - Consistently resisted efforts to tighten regulation on the mortgage finance firms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He pushed to broaden their role to dodgier mortgages in an effort to help home ownership for the poor. Received $165,000 in donations from Fannie and Freddie from 1989 to 2008, more than anyone else in Congress.
Geir Haarde, Icelandic prime minister - He announced on Friday that he would step down and call an early election in May, after violent anti-government protests fuelled by his handling of the financial crisis. Last October Iceland's three biggest commercial banks collapsed under billions of dollars of debts. The country was forced to borrow $2.1bn from the International Monetary Fund and take loans from several European countries. Announcing his resignation, Haarde said he had throat cancer.
The American public - There's no escaping the fact: politicians might have teed up the financial system and failed to police it properly and Wall Street's greedy bankers might have got carried away with the riches they could generate, but if millions of Americans had just realised they were borrowing more than they could repay then we would not be in this mess. The British public got just as carried away. We are the credit junkies of Europe and many of our problems could easily have been avoided if we had been more sensible and just said no.
John Tiner, FSA chief executive, 2003-07 - No one can fault 51-year-old Tiner's timing: the financial services expert took over as the City's chief regulator in 2003, just as the bear market which followed the dotcom crash came to an end, and stepped down from the Financial Services Authority in July 2007 - just a few weeks before the credit crunch took hold.He presided over the FSA when the so-called "light touch" regulation was put in place. It was Tiner who agreed that banks could make up their own minds about how much capital they needed to hoard to cover their risks. And it was on his watch that Northern Rock got so carried away with the wholesale money markets and 130% mortgages. When the FSA finally got around to investigating its own part in the Rock's downfall, it was a catalogue of errors and omissions. In short, the FSA had been asleep at the wheel while Northern Rock racked up ever bigger risks.An accountant by training, with a penchant for Porsches and proud owner of the personalised number plate T1NER, the former FSA boss has since been recruited by the financial entrepreneur Clive Cowdery to run a newly floated business that aims to buy up financial businesses laid low by the credit crunch. Tiner will be chief executive but, unusually, will not be on the board, so his pay and bonuses will not be made public.
... and six more who saw it coming
Andrew Lahde - A hedge fund boss who quit the industry in October thanking "stupid" traders and "idiots" for making him rich. He made millions by betting against sub-prime.
John Paulson, hedge fund boss - He has been described as the "world's biggest winner" from the credit crunch, earning $3.7bn (£1.9bn) in 2007 by "shorting" the US mortgage market - betting that the housing bubble was about to burst. In an apparent response to criticism that he was profiting from misery, Paulson gave $15m to a charity aiding people fighting foreclosure.
Professor Nouriel Roubini - Described by the New York Times as Dr Doom, the economist from New York University was warning that financial crisis was on the way in 2006, when he told economists at the IMF that the US would face a once-in-a-lifetime housing bust, oil shock and a deep recession.He remains a pessimist. He predicted last week that losses in the US financial system could hit $3.6tn before the credit crunch ends - which, he said, means the entire US banking system is in effect bankrupt. After last year's bail-outs and nationalisations, he famously described George Bush, Henry Paulson and Ben Bernanke as "a troika of Bolsheviks who turned the USA into the United Socialist State Republic of America".
Warren Buffett, billionaire investor - Dubbed the Sage of Omaha, Buffett had long warned about the dangers of dodgy derivatives that no one understood and said often that Wall Street's finest were grossly overpaid. In his annual letter to shareholders in 2003, he compared complex derivative contracts to hell: "Easy to enter and almost impossible to exit." On an optimistic note, Buffett wrote in October that he had begun buying shares on the US stockmarket again, suggesting the worst of the credit crunch might be over. Now is a great time to "buy a slice of America's future at a marked-down price", he said.
George Soros, speculator - The billionaire financier, philanthropist and backer of the Democrats told an audience in Singapore in January 2006 that stockmarkets were at their peak, and that the US and global economies should brace themselves for a recession and a possible "hard landing". He also warned of "a gigantic real estate bubble" inflated by reckless lenders, encouraging homeowners to remortgage and offering interest-only deals. Earlier this year Soros described a 25-year "super bubble" that is bursting, blaming unfathomable financial instruments, deregulation and globalisation. He has since characterised the financial crisis as the worst since the Great Depression.Stephen Eismann, hedge fund managerAn analyst and fund manager who tracked the sub-prime market from the early 1990s. "You have to understand," he says, "I did sub-prime first. I lived with the worst first. These guys lied to infinity. What I learned from that experience was that Wall Street didn't give a shit what it sold."Meredith Whitney, Oppenheimer Securities On 31 October 2007 the analyst forecast that Citigroup had to slash its dividend or face bankruptcy. A day later $370bn had been wiped off financial stocks on Wall Street. Within days the boss of Citigroup was out and the dividend had been slashed.

Stimulus 101: The Pelosi-Reid-Obama Debt Plan

FROM THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION:
With countless news stories, papers, editorials and experts giving their view of why Congress should or shouldn’t enact the Pelosi-Reid-Obama Debt Plan, we thought it would be helpful to give you a short index of why spending does not equal stimulus.
HIGH COST TO AMERICAN TAXPAYERS
* After Congress appropriates the FY’09 omnibus bill, they may have spent over $1.4 Trillion in less than one month! The current “stimulus bill” will be the LARGEST SPENDING BILL EVER enacted by Congress, making the New Deal look small, accounting for inflation.
* The “Stimulus” Bills Your Family – $825 Billion is equivalent to borrowing $10,520 from EVERY FAMILY IN AMERICA. This money has to be paid back.
* If all families were asked to equally shoulder the burden of $825 Billon, this debt would be equivalent to what they roughly spend on food, clothing, and health care in an entire year.
If Government Spending solved recessions, we would never have recessions.
BAD IDEAS – “THE DEVIL IN DISGUISE”
The hidden liberal policy agenda inside the ‘stimulus bill’…
* Over $142 Billion in Federal education funds: Nearly double the total outlays for the Dept. of Education in 2007 – making good on Reid-Pelosi-Obama education promises to the NEA.
* $87 Billion Medicaid bailout: Medicaid is funded by a formula that matches state spending levels with federal dollars. If we keep bailing states out, they will have every incentive to continue irresponsible spending. Fiscally responsible taxpayers in Indiana are now paying for fiscally irresponsible bureaucrats in Illinois.
* Expanded Medicaid coverage and SCHIP: Reid-Pelosi-Obama are enacting a nationalized health care policy with no debate. The government will soon be responsible for more health care spending than the private sector, i.e. socialized medicine.
* Green Jobs?: The myth of ‘green jobs’ merely means replacing one job lost, with a new job that fits the left’s agenda. It is a zero sum game. More than doubling spending, the stimulus also has over $35 billion for the Dept. of Energy. DOE’s current budget is $23.8 billion.
* Family Planning and birth control for children, immigrants and the wealthy, which could also be used as a backdoor to allow federal funding of abortions. How is this stimulus?
**UPDATE: Nancy Pelosi agrees this is not stimulus and has removed it from the bill proving these measures are allergic to sunshine.**
* Redistribution: Refundable Tax Credits for people who don’t pay taxes.
* Pork Spending: Digital TV Coupons ($650 Million), Gov’t Cars ($600 Million), Nat’l Endowment for the Arts ($50 Million), Repairs to National Mall ($200 Million, including $21m for sod).
BAD RESULTS
* No Jobs: While they have not been able to support these claims, Pelosi/Obama promise between 3 & 4 million jobs, yet House Tax Committee staff can’t estimate even ONE job will be created.
* Ineffective: The Congressional Budget Office estimates that only 52% of the spending in the ‘stimulus bill’ can even be spent by the end of FY’10. Well short of the 75% benchmark set by President Obama. “We have tried spending money. We are spending more than we have ever spent before and it does not work.” – FDR’s Treasury Sec. Henry Morgenthau Jr., architect of the New Deal.
BETTER IDEAS AND RESULTS
* Make the 2001 and 2003 Tax Cuts permanent, instead of raising taxes in 2011; Reduce Marginal Tax Rates for Individuals and Businesses by 10% creating new jobs. Adopting just this one proposal would create between 500,000 and 1 million jobs in one year.
* Repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax & reduce the Death Tax to 15% ($5 mil. individual exclusion)
* Enact long-term reforms and budgets for entitlement spending., putting long-term obligations from Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, front and center in the budget process.
* Assess and enforce long term spending rules in Congress. Get us out of debt!

COUNCIL RECAP - January 26

IV. Consent calendar - The Council approved the consent agenda which included:
* Ordinance – establishing maximum distance between street lights
* Resolution – amending resolution #2001-14 to cover street lights
* Petition – allowing 3 dogs at 722 State Street (Jeff & Peggy Henslin)
* Set public hearing for March 10th – adoption of comprehensive plan
The Council did table the request of Stellar Premier, LLC, 1216 West Fond du Lac St., Ripon, WI 54971, (trade name) Plaza Bowl, Lon Hetzel, Agent, 412 Ardmore Avenue Ripon, WI 54971, which was applying for the “Class B” Liquor and Fermented Malt Beverage license currently held by Not to Do, LLC
V. Other business
* Possible changes to project scope/timing – Newbury Street (Phase 2) - I suggested postponing the second half of the Newbury Street project for one year, allowing time for further study. Public Works Director Drake had suggested doing the project in 2009, but not replacing sidewalks, thus reducing the cost and saving more trees. The Council voted unanimously to delay the project one year
* Resolution – Carrying over certain unspent funds from 2008 budget - This is a typical action done at the beginning of the year to balance the books
* Further discussion/adoption of the City’s 2009 workplan and timetable - On January 13th, I presented a list of 2009 goals, and others were asked to submit items prior to the next meeting. The Council directed the staff to come back with an action plan and timeline for the goals for the February 10th Council meeting.
NOTE - The Council did not act on the Blossom Street vacation in downtown Ripon. It is currently being delayed due to some land acquisition issues. At this time, I would say February 10th is the next date we would bring it up.

DOWNTOWN STIMULUS PROJECT - UPDATE

Discussions continue on a downtown redevelopment-stimulus plan. One area that is being discussed involves the marketing of the downtown business community. A tentative budget, to be funded with downtown TIF funds and not general fund taxes, is being formed. The following items are part of the discussion. These include creating promotional postcards, brochures, web videos, podcast, and television/radio/newspaper ads. Anticipated expenditures are listed below:

2009 Marketing Projects
4 Full-Color Promotional Postcards Direct Mail (4,000 copies per + postage) ($6,300)
Summer and Christmas promotional fliers (5,000 copies ea. to promote community events) ($990)
Community Promotional Brochure (10,000 copies) ($1,510)
Promotional Web Video ($8,500)
Television, Newspaper and Radio Marketing (Shop Local Campaign) ($7,500)
Internet and iPod Historic Walking Tour ($27,700)
Walking Tour Hardware System ($8,400)
Total - $60,900
2010 Project
Downtown Broadcasting System (promote community events, play holiday music) ($20,000)

This new phase of the package may be in addition to, or replace a portion of what has been discussed earlier:
$250,000 - This money will be used for the reconstruction of the Blackburn Street parking lot adjacent to Domino's and Pasttimes.
$200,000 - This money will be used to beautify the downtown area. It will be used for, but not limited to: bike racks, trees, banners, flower pots, new street lights, and benches.
$100,000 - This money will be used to fund a Downtown Revolving Loan fund to be administered jointly by the city and the Main Street program.
$50,000 - This money will be used to fund a Downtown Facade Grant and Loan program.

Doyle creates office to help distribute stimulus funds

See, the stimulus bill has already created some jobs:

Jan. 23, 2009 Madison - Gov. Jim Doyle on Friday signed an executive order creating an Office of Recovery and Reinvestment to advise him and other state officials on how to spend what is expected to be as much $3.5 billion from the federal economic stimulus package. "Through this new office, we will work to turn federal stimulus money into paychecks as efficiently and quickly as possible," Doyle said. Doyle said Gary J. Wolter, president of Madison Gas and Electric Co., will be lent to state government to work as the agency's director. Wolter's deputy will be University of Wisconsin-Madison Vice Chancellor Alan Fish, who has worked on campus building projects, long-range planning and transportation systems, Doyle said. Doyle said the 15-person agency will work to understand how state and local projects can qualify for the most federal aid possible; recommend changes in purchasing and procurement rules so the federal money can be used as quickly as possible; and identify rules and regulations that must be changed to qualify for the money.

Honestly, could they not find 15 people already on the state payroll to determine the best use for the stimulus money.

Ripon Focuses on Strengthening Local Economy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ripon, Wis. – As Wall Street struggles, Ripon is taking steps to strengthen Main Street. Proactively pursuing economic development, Ripon Main Street, Inc. is focused on creating a positive business environment that supports business growth and expansion. In an effort to bolster the local economy, Ripon Main Street has several initiatives in place to help strengthen the business base, assist entrepreneurs with opening new businesses, and increase Ripon’s customer base.

Ripon Main Street has teamed up with Ripon College and its Creative Enterprise Center (CEC) to provide free business consulting. Business support services are offered that include creating business plans, conducting market research, and developing financial projections. This service is available for existing as well as potential start-up businesses.

In addition, financial assistance is available through Ripon’s Revolving Loan Fund which provides a dollar for dollar match for each job created. Businesses can receive up to $20,000 for each full time position created. Main Street has also established a Façade Grant Program along with a Downtown Revolving Loan Fund to assist with building renovations. The goal of these programs is to promote the continued use and restoration of buildings located within Ripon’s central business district. Low-interest loans ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 will soon be available.

Ripon continues to plan summer events such as the Village Green Concert Series, Cookie Daze, Maxwell Street, and the Watson Street Farmers Market. New ideas and activities are being developed for the holiday season in an effort to attract new customers. Dickens of a Christmas, the highlight of Ripon’s holiday season, returns for the 19th year and promises to be bigger and better than ever before.

“Main Street takes the economic downturn seriously and is working with the city and other partners to deliver services and produce events,” says Craig Tebon, Ripon’s Downtown Manager. “We urge area residents to continue patronizing area businesses first in an effort to keep money circulating through our local economy which in turn will keep our community vibrant.” Ripon Main Street, Inc. is working to organize a Shop Local campaign to further this effort.

Ripon Main Street, Inc., which leads a volunteer-driven, preservation-based economic development program, is part of a national network of communities using the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Approach to commercial district revitalization. Visit www.downtownripon.com for more information or call the Ripon Main Street office at (920) 748-7466.

STORIES THAT MAKE THE STOMACH CHURN

HARLEY TO CUT 1,100 JOBS
The announcement that Harley-Davidson Inc. (HOG) is cutting 1,100 jobs, including hundreds in Milwaukee, could hardly have come at a worse time, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker said this morning. Harley said it will consolidate engine and transmission production in Milwaukee into its Menomonee Falls plant. The company will close a distribution facility in Franklin and shrink its paint and frame operations in York, Pa. Harley also says it will end its domestic transportation fleet and plans a 10% to 13% reduction in motorcycle shipments for 2009. Details on the job reductions are still being finalized, but Harley executives said many of the cuts will come in the first half of 2009. About 800 of the job losses are expected to be in hourly, manufacturing positions.

BROOKFIELD CHURCH LOST $128,000 FROM COLLECTION PLATES
St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Brookfield lost nearly $128,000 over three years in thefts from its weekly collection, the church said today. Though a criminal investigation is ongoing, an outside audit found a correlation between the missing funds and the tenure of former pastor Father Leonard Van Vlaenderen, who was arrested in December 2007 on a misdemeanor charge of possessing cocaine. He later pleaded guilty and is on probation. Van Vlaenderen's successor, the Rev. Kenneth P. Knippel, divulged the findings of the audit in a letter to parishioners this month. Knippel said today that it was intended to provide transparency and restore confidence in the church as it embarks on a major capital campaign with the Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee. "We're starting our Faith in our Future campaign, and we don't want to ask people to give to that noble cause when they're still wondering what happened" with the missing funds, Knippel said. "We wanted our people to know we're serious about caring for their contributions; that we took the steps necessary to find out what happened and try to recoup anything that was stolen."

DANIEL BICE COLUMN: SUPERVISORS HEAD TO INAUGARAL ON TAXPAYER'S DIME
If you wished to attend but couldn't pay to go to President Obama's inauguration, you were pretty much out of luck.
Unless you're a member of the County Board.
Two county supervisors, Toni Clark and Elizabeth Coggs, are billing taxpayers thousands of dollars - including a hotel stay for one of them at $644 per night - so they could spend five days in Washington, D.C., this past week, a trip that allowed the pair to attend various inaugural festivities.
"Did I go to the swearing in?" Clark said Thursday. "Yes, I did."
Clark, however, cut off the interview, saying she was in the middle of children's basketball practice. Coggs did not return repeated calls to her office and cell phone.
Terrence Cooley, chief of staff for Board Chairman Lee Holloway, said he signed off on the trip in early December because it appeared legitimate. Clark and Coggs said they were going to Washington to meet with U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, county lobbyists and others.
"Nobody said anything about the inaugural," Cooley said.
He said he, of course, realized that the trip would coincide with the Obama festivities, but he said he wouldn't speculate on whether Clark and Coggs designed the trip so they could be in D.C. when the new president was taking his oath.
"This is when they could schedule the meetings," Cooley said.
Officials haven't done a final tally of the cost for the two supervisors to jet to D.C., but the figure is expected to come in around $4,000, including airfare, hotel and other expenses.
The biggest expense was to find lodging near the capital during the height of inaugural activities. An estimated 2 million attended Obama's swearing-in ceremony Tuesday. Records show Clark stayed at a Comfort Inn in Alexandria, Va., just minutes from the U.S. Capitol, arriving the afternoon of Jan. 16 and leaving Wednesday morning. The county issued a pre-paid check to the hotel for $2,227.60 for the five-day stay.
The hotel cost a little less than $160 for each of the first two days, but the daily rate then skyrocketed to $644 for the final three days of her stay. Clark had to kick in $20 from her wallet to cover the full cost of her room, according to a hotel receipt provided by Comfort Inn.
By contrast, Coggs had no lodging expenses because she stayed with relatives in the D.C. area.
In addition, the two had earlier estimated their combined airfare at a little more than $900. They also each received cash advances for $324.
Numerous aldermen, state reps and other Wisconsin government officials went to the inauguration, but No Quarter couldn't find any others who billed taxpayers for their costs.
A Coggs staffer initially put in the request for the trip on Dec. 4. The letter said Coggs and Clark had four meetings over three days on Monday through Wednesday of this week.
But at least one of those meetings never happened.
According to the schedule, the two County Board members were to sit down with officials at Waterman & Associates, the county's D.C. lobbying firm.
"There were travel complications that did not permit the meeting they had planned," board spokesman Harold Mester said Thursday. He didn't have any further explanation.
Clark and Coggs were also slated to meet with a staffer with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a Baltimore-based group, on Monday and an official with the National Association of Manufacturers on Wednesday. Neither group returned calls. The schedule also lists a sit-down with Moore, Milwaukee's Democratic rep in the U.S. Congress.
Moore spokesman Derrick Plummer said he would check to see if that meeting happened. He declined to say whether his boss supplied the two county pols - or anyone else - with inaugural tickets. Wisconsin's congressional delegation distributed some 1,600 tickets to state residents.
"We have a policy of not disclosing that," Plummer said.
Several officials confirmed that Coggs and Clark were among many Wisconsin dignitaries to attend an open house at the Les Aspin Center for Government in D.C. on Monday night. The state's congressional delegation held its own open house earlier in the day.
State Sen. Spencer Coggs, a Milwaukee Democrat, said he saw both Clark and Coggs, his cousin, at the Les Aspin event. He said he didn't see them at Obama's swearing-in ceremony, but he assumed they went, saying that was the main purpose for everybody's trip.
But the senator, who paid for his own trip, defended his cousin and Clark, saying both had mentioned that they were in Washington for several meetings. He said it was justifiable that they used tax dollars for the excursion.
"If, in fact, they had legitimate county meetings, then it was a legitimate trip," the senator said.
But if their real intent was to go to these meetings, couldn't they have found some dates when hotels and others weren't charging premium rates? Otherwise, why head to Washington this week?
"I don't know," said Coggs, the senator.
The two County Board members will have to answer that.

LOS ANGELES VIKINGS? PLEASE NO

As much as I detest the Minnesota Vikings, seeing them move would be a blow to the NFL and a definite downer for the Packer fans who will miss that god-awful horn blowing in the Metrodome.

Vikings Loving L.A.?
The Vikings’ ownership will say all the right things publicly about their commitment to staying in Minnesota, the love for the fans, etc. However, be certain they are keeping one eye glued to what’s happening in Los Angeles, where a sparkling $800M stadium may be rising in the nation’s second-largest market.

On Tuesday, voters in Industry (not the most alluring name, no?), Calif., approved a bond on the ballot providing $150 million for infrastructure improvements at a 600-acre site where a stadium has been proposed. That news dovetails with statements from a billionaire real estate developer, Ed Roski, who says he will build it (a new stadium) if they (the NFL) come.

The Vikings are not denying the possibility of a move, making a statement more for local Minnesota officials to read than to express a public interest in Los Angeles. As reported in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the team issued the following statement: “The Vikings are watching these developments with interest,” said Lester Bagley, the team’s vice president of public affairs and stadium development. “But we are currently focused on achieving a workable stadium plan to keep the Vikings here in Minnesota.” This means they are focused on staying in Minnesota until they get the deal they want. Then they are not.


I know from experience how the renovated Lambeau Field dramatically affected our revenue outlook, and how dismal the future looked if the referendum on public funding did not pass. We were sinking deeper down the revenue rankings each year, only to jump into the top 12 the first year after having our stadium renovated and the $20M of revenues it produced.

There are the haves and the have-nots in the NFL when it comes to revenues from stadiums. The haves are recent tenants of splashy new or renovated facilities, reaping the income from the revenue-producing opportunities that a new stadium delivers, teams like the Colts, Packers, Seahawks, Cardinals and Lions. And the Cowboys, Jets and Giants will soon be passing all of these teams on the revenue rankings when they walk into their new digs.

Then there are the have-nots, teams that look at the new revenues from a place like Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where the Colts will receive $122M over 20 years for naming rights and for which all but $100M of its $719M cost was financed by taxpayers (it will host the 2012 Super Bowl as well). These teams, among them the Chargers, Saints, Bills, Jaguars, 49ers and, of course, the Vikings, can only hope.

Having watched public funding go to facilities for the Twins and the University of the Minnesota without receiving similar treatment, the Vikings may soon no longer be singing “Love the One You’re With.” They might be changing their tune to “I Love LA.”

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/2009/01/vikings-loving-la/

PROPOSED ACTION PLAN FOR CITY GOALS

As you may have read in the paper, or read on here, I have proposed a number of goals for the city in 2009. The next step is implementation of an action plan to make the goal happen. Here are some of the ideas I have at this point:
* Brownfield Redevelopment – We have received a large grant to conduct a study of the Brownfield sites across the city. For those of you not familiar with a brownfield, it is a parcel of land which has been contaminated through, for example, a fuel spill recently or in the past. The presence of these contaminants makes redevelopment highly unlikely. I would propose that we identify and inventory all of the brownfield sites in the city, so we can develop a remediation and redevelopment plan.
* City Beautification Efforts – The goal this year is to install at least two new Welcome to Ripon signs (most likely along Highway 23 West and at the new Business Park). We are also looking to construct a sign to welcome visitors to the new Business Park along Highway 44. I am working hard to have the projects done locally. As I mentioned before, uur city’s Community Appearance Team, which has done a great job so far with their analysis and recommendations, has made a number of realistic and affordable suggestions. Some of their ideas for the West End include improving the appearance of our median strips along Highway 23 West, cleaning the area up around the detention pond near Dollar General, and reducing the sign clutter along the highway. We may also look at putting up banners on the lightpoles out there, drawing attention to such civic institutions as Ripon College and the Little White Schoolhouse and civic events such as Dickens.
* Extension of the West End – Geographical and development barriers have been created that have limited the opportunities on our west end of the city. We cannot grow to the south with the commercial district because of the Rolling Hill and Stoney Ridge developments. We cannot go to the north due to the landfill and the compost center, and the large parcels of land held by private parties. We cannot go back to the east, obviously, unless we want to buy up homes and tear them down. The natural direction of the development is to the west. The first major hurdle is the extension of utilities across, or under, or through Silver Creek. I am going to be asking our staff to develop a cost analysis on the various approaches we can take to open the land west of Silver Creek for development. With the natural wetlands to the south and rolling hills to north, we have a number of man-made and god-made selling points for developing to the west.

RIPON SCHOOL REFERENDUMS - HISTORY

This is by no means all-inclusive, but I hope you find it interesting. Any additions or corrections would be appreciated:
July 24, 1961 - A new Ripon Senior High School project was authorized by a 116-majority vote in the referendum put to all electors of the common schooldistrict.Representing only 32 percent of the eligible city and rural voters, 1,410 voted, 763 for issuanceof general obligation bonds,and 647 against.The $2.4 million price tag includes the package deal — classrooms, two-part gymnasium, a 750-seat auditorium, and an indoor-outdoor swimming pool. The latter two are for community use as well as teaching stations.The swimming pool project has been tossed from one organizationto another since 1932. and finally comes to fruition. (Oshkosh Northwestern)
Early 1990s - Voters approve funding for a new school for grades 3-5. The approval came on the third try for the approval of what becomes Murray Park Elementary
Mid 1990s - Voters approve funding for a new K-2 school, which is now known as Barlow Park Elementary School
April 4, 2006 - A recount of the school district’s Fine Arts & Athletic Facilities Referendum resulted in a final tally of 910 votes in favor and 910 votes opposed to the $1.5 million question. The district asked voters for permission to borrow money for purchasing band uniforms,choir robes, musical instruments, art equipment, stage curtains and auditorium equipment, replacing the RHS gym floor, installing artificial turf on Ingalls Field, and creating a fund formaintenance and replacement of the turf. The original ballot total of the April 4th vote showed a four-vote defeat for the referendum, but that 914-910 margin was corrected in the recount to a 910-910 tie.
September 12, 2006 - Voters approved two of the three referendum questions on the ballot.
* By a vote of 1,817 to 687, Question #1 was approved. The Board was requesting a 10-year bond for $925,000 to purchase high school and middle school music instruments, high school and middle school band uniforms, highschool choir robes, K-12 art equipment, middle school and high school technology educatione quipment, auditorium equipment and curtains, and a new floor for the high school gymnasium.
* Question #3 also was approved by a vote of 1,248 to 1,212 to authorize the establishmentof an endowment fund for future maintenance or replacement of the Ingalls Field playing surface—natural grass or artificial turf. The Board was requesting a 5-year bond for $250,000 for the establishment of an endowment fund for the replacement of the Ingalls Field playing surface in the future. This perpetual endowment fund will be invested and use the interest to pay for future resurfacing projects so that taxpayers will not have to raise taxes in the future.
* Voters did not approve, by a 1,357 to 1,129 margin, Question #2 that would have funded artificial turf for Ingalls Field with Ripon College and the state both paying for significant portions of the project. The Board was requesting a 10-year bond for $750,000 for the installation of rubber-based artificial turf on Ingalls Field similar to Camp Randall Stadium in Madison.

ANOTHER INTERESTING REFERENDUM
November 1934 - The beginning of the Ripon Hospital were officially started in August 1934 when the city council passed a resolution submitting a bond issue to the vote of the people. In the fall a bond issue of $40,000 was approved in a special election. By April 1935, construction contracts were awarded and the work definitely begun. The hospital site had been purchased in 1920 by the old hospital association at a cost of $2,200. The hospital opened in February 1936.

COUNCIL AGENDA - January 26

CITY OF RIPON - SPECIAL COMMON COUNCIL MEETING
Conference room, City Hall - Monday, January 26, 2009 - 6:30 p.m.
1. Call to order/roll call
2. Discuss concerns regarding removal of snow and ice from City streets
3. Adjourn (6:55 p.m.)

CITY OF RIPON - COMMON COUNCIL MEETING
Council chambers, City Hall - Monday, January 26, 2009 - 7:00 p.m.
I. Call to order/roll call
II. Pledge of Allegiance/Invocation
III. Public communications and comment
IV. Consent calendar (Unless the Mayor, Council or staff asks that one or more of the items listed below be pulled, this list may be approved with a single vote.)
1. Ordinance – establishing maximum distance between street light
2. Resolution – amending resolution #2001-14 to cover street lights
3. Petition – allowing 3 dogs at 722 State Street (Jeff & Peggy Henslin)
4. Set public hearing for March 10th – adoption of comprehensive plan
5. Stellar Premier, LLC, 1216 West Fond du Lac St., Ripon, WI 54971, (trade name) Plaza Bowl, Lon Hetzel, Agent, 412 Ardmore Avenue Ripon, WI 54971, applying for the “Class B” Liquor and Fermented Malt Beverage license currently held by Not to Do, LLC
V. Other business
1. Possible changes to project scope/timing – Newbury Street (Phase 2) - (Staff note: Mayor Kramer suggested postponing the second half of the Newbury Street project for one year, allowing time for further study. Public Works Director Drake suggested doing the project in 2009, but not replacing sidewalks, thus reducing the cost and saving more trees. We will evaluate these options, along with the original plan.)
2. Resolution – carrying over certain unspent funds from 2008 budget - (Staff note: In accordance with the Ripon Municipal Code, all unspent funds at the end of the year revert to the general fund, unless otherwise designated. The attached resolution has been prepared to carry forward certain unused monies from 2008 for use in 2009.)
3. Further discussion/adoption of the City’s 2009 workplan and timetable - (Staff note: On January 13th, Mayor Kramer presented his list of 2009 goals, and others were asked to submit items prior to the next meeting. Attached is a list of the Mayor’s and City Administrator’s goals, with timelines included, for your review and consideration.)
VI. Mayor’s communications and appointments
VII. Agenda items for future Council meetings
VIII. Adjourn

Any questions - fire away....

AS if we do not have enough to worry about...

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (AP) — A previously unknown fault in eastern Arkansas could trigger a magnitude 7 earthquake with an epicenter near a major natural gas pipeline, a scientist said Wednesday. Haydar Al-Shukri, the director of the Arkansas Earthquake Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, said the fault is separate from the New Madrid fault responsible for a series of quakes in 1811-12 that caused the Mississippi River to flow backward. Acres of cotton fields cover the fault west of Marianna, about 100 miles east of Little Rock, but stretches of fine sand mixed with fertile soil gave away the fault's location, Al-Shukri said. Liquefied sand bubbled up through cracks in the earth, while ground radar and digs showed vents that let the sand reach the surface, he said. The fault, likely created in the last 5,000 years, sparked at least one magnitude 7 earthquake in its history. Such temblors cause massive destruction in their wake. "This is a very, very dangerous (area) at risk of earthquake," Al-Shukri said. "When you talk about (magnitude) 7 and plus, this is going to be a major disaster."

Al-Shukri did not identify a time frame for the potential earthquake.
Such a quake would affect Little Rock and neighboring states such as Tennessee and Mississippi, Al-Shukri said. The researcher has said a gas pipeline crossed the newly discovered fault. He declined to name the company that owned the pipeline. Al-Shukri had said in a speech at the University of Arkansas' Clinton School of Public Service that the company was building a large line through the area, mirroring the old one's path. A map made by the Arkansas Public Service Commission shows an Arkla Energy Resources pipe in the area. A spokeswoman for CenterPoint Energy Inc., which owns Arkla, said Wednesday that the company worked closely with public officials to prepare response plans for earthquakes and other natural disasters. Pipes are "all over the place," spokeswoman Rebecca Virden said. "We, CenterPoint Energy, or someone else has a pipeline everywhere." Carl Weimer, executive director of the Pipeline Safety Trust in Bellingham, Washington, said companies with lines running through earthquake-prone Southern California have extra safety features including "more valves and different types of valves in case something happens and the pipeline can be shut off quicker." Clint Stephens, the chief of pipeline safety at the commission, said the federal government would oversee any interstate lines. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Pipeline Safety did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Plan would provide Internet service county-wide

Fond du Lac County intends to be the first county in Wisconsin to bring wireless Internet capability to all its citizens. The Fond du Lac County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday night to enter into a five-year agreement with Dotnet Acquisition Company of Fond du Lac for the trailblazing technology.
Dotnet plans to lease space on six county radio towers in exchange for construction of a high-speed wireless infrastructure. Fond du Lac County government will be provided service at no cost, but citizens and businesses will have to contract with Dotnet to utilize the service.
"It's going to be great," said County Executive Allen Buechel, noting the positive implications for the county citizens and businesses — manufacturing, education, health care among them.
The service, he said, will have a major effect on the workings of departments within county government.
The agreement would bring wireless Internet service to remote and rural areas of the county that now either have no service or only limited service.
Increased efficiency
It also will be welcome at a number of county work sites located outside the City County Government Center — the Medical Examiner's office, the Highway Department offices, Job Service and the Fairgrounds.
County Public Health and Care Management Organization workers would have the capability of entering data immediately instead of waiting to return to their offices. The wireless update is expected to bring increased efficiency for all departments.
Officials said Mobile Data Computers used in Sheriff's Department patrol vehicles need improved infrastructure. Estimates are that it would take $250,000 to replace the infrastructure.
Buechel, who lives in Malone, said he's looking forward to having a laptop computer at home that he can carry and use anywhere around the house and at functions anywhere in the county.
He said discussions about wireless service have take place over the past 15 months, primarily between county Director of Administration Ellen Sorensen and Dotnet Acquisitions President Frank Cumberbatch.
Sorensen told board members about the numerous benefits she envisioned if an agreement was reached. Fond du Lac County's progressive thinking in social services programs — it piloted W2 and Family Care — is now moving to technology and commerce.
"We can get giddy just talking about it," she said, noting no one else has the technology for county-wide Internet.
Of note is the ability for the Fairgrounds to be used as a backup site for Fond du Lac County and emergency dispatch operations.
"If this place flooded or blew up or there was a chemical spill, a wireless system will allow us … to transfer our dispatch center out there. We would move everything out there."
Infrastructure
After infrastructure is established at the six county towers, Dotnet will likely look for other opportunities to locate infrastructure, possibly on water towers or silos, Cumberbatch said. The firm also may construct some of its own towers.
He said the infrastructure would be built over the next one to two years and would start in Fond du Lac, Ripon and Waucousta/town of Osceola.
Board member Tom Dornbrook asked Sorensen about any other potential offers to lease space on the county towers.
Sorensen noted that negotiations have "broken off" with one firm when its offer was so low it wasn't worth consideration. The county is seeking another tenant to locate on five of its six towers.
Marketing tool
Buechel said wireless capability will provide an excellent marketing tool for economic development.
"There is absolutely no doubt," Sorensen said, "this puts Fond du Lac County at the head of the line statewide and at the top of the list nationally."
Cumberbatch mentioned his plan to get computers and service to low-income children and their families. Sorensen said Dotnet hopes to partner with the Fond du Lac School District and explore assistance through grants and foundations.
Sorensen said that with four institutions of higher learning located in the county, there could be opportunities for students.
"We have the work force to do call centers," she said. "Look at the students we have. They would be available to work off-hours and maybe they work from home."
Sorensen said she believes wireless technology is the wave of the future and soon will be the standard rather than the exception.
She said she's happy to know that Fond du Lac County is "far ahead of the curve."
Discussion at the Tuesday night meeting continued for nearly an hour.
"I was skeptical at first," said County Board member John Zorn, who asked a number of questions and told the crowd he previously owned a local Alltel franchise for 21 years. "I understand a lot of what is being talked about (tonight.) I think it's a good deal for us."
http://www.fdlreporter.com/article/20090122/FON0101/901220420/1289/FON01

PLAN COMMISSION RECAP - January 22

I missed the first half-hour of the meeting, so I am writing this based on discussions with the members who were there
COMPREHENSIVE, SMART GROWTH PLAN - The Commission approved a resolution encouraging the Council to adopt the Smart Growth plan with the Town of Ripon, which will be a guiding document for the next 20 years as far as development and zoning.
BUILDING COVENANTS IN THE INDUSTRIAL-BUSINESS PARK - The Commission looked at two existing building covenants, one from Fond du Lac, and appointed Frank Bush and Dennis Cotton as a sub-committee to review these and come back with a list of proposals for our industrial and business parks
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS - The Commission discussed its goals for 2009. They included:
* Eco-ordinances - We want to be pro-active with zoning regulations regarding "green" items, such as windmills, geo-thermal units and solar energy
* Residences in business districts - Currently, it is virtually impossible to add to or alter a home that is in a highway business zone (Disclosure - My home is currently in a Highway Business zone). We may look at changing the zoning restrictions to allow for some minor alterations and additions.
* Master Plan Streets - The city has a map showing projected streets outside the city limits. It has not been updated in over a decade. The Commission would like to review the map, with input from the town of Ripon
That is all - Any questions, ask

Refinancing Saves Taxpayers $336,000 in Interest Payments

FROM THE RIPON AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT:
Thanks to the District’s upgrade to an A+ rating by Standard & Poor’s for good financial practices and the decrease in interest rates, recent refinancing of District debt resulted in a savings to taxpayers of more than $336,000 over the next seven years of repayment of the bonds originally issued in 1999. This will mean an estimated decrease in the District’s annual mill rate of 75 cents ($75 on a $100,000 property) through the 2016 tax year.Due to state rules that separate taxes collected for annual operating expenses and taxes collected to pay off previous voter-approved referendum questions such as these bonds, the money saved cannot be used to fill the gap that the District is now facing in its annual operating budget. The decrease in the mill rate does, however, allow the District to seek new voter approval through a referendum to raise money for annual operating expenses and offset any resulting mill rate increase with the decrease that resulted from the refinancing.Carol Wirth, president of Wisconsin Public Finance Professional, the financial consultants used by the District for bond issues, explained, “Ripon was in the right place, at the right time, with the right bond rating to walk away with more than twice as much in savings for taxpayers than originally projected. The higher A+ rating really made a difference, and that shows the benefit of the District using sound financial practices—especially during the stress of difficult financial times as we’re now experiencing.”

SNOW SEASON REMINDERS FROM THE CITY

I hope these points hope explain a bit more the city's snow plowing procedures and suggestions:

* The Public Works Department is responsible for plowing of City streets. We have 10 full time personnel, with 5 plow trucks, 1 road grader, 1 loader with a blade, plus numerous smaller pieces of equipment used for City sidewalks. Obviously, it can not be expected to have clear pavements at all times. This goal is to provide the safest condition possible with the resources available. This means that personal driving habits must be adjusted to the situation encountered.

* City policy is that we normally do not start plowing until there is at least a 2” accumulation of snow; in the early and late part of the season this amount of snow will slush off and not impact most of the streets. When the temperature is below freezing, salt will be applied to assist in the slushing process. Salt in the early stages of a snow fall can help in getting the snow to peel off when accumulation becomes greater.

* The City has designated plow routes. Typically, the main thoroughfares are the first to be cleared, such as the State Hwy. routes, routes to hospitals, schools, nursing homes; then working our way out into the side streets. Those nice quiet streets that have dead ends or cul-de-sacs are often going to be the last to be plowed. The City recommends that citizens wait to plow their driveway until the plow has goon through. This alleviates having to do it twice.

* The downtown area will initially have the snow plowed to the curbs. The morning following the end of a storm, this snow gets plowed to the center of the street and hauled out, an operation that may start as early as 2 or 3 AM. The City does not do downtown sidewalk; those are maintained by the business owners.

* Citizens are reminded that snow and ice removal on their sidewalk is required to be done within 24 hours of the end of the storm regardless of the depth of accumulation. Failure to do so will result in the City removing the snow or salting and charging the property owner the full cost of the effort. It is less costly to hire a person to do this for you than to pay the City for it.

* Snow should NOT be shoveled back in the streets from sidewalks or driveways. Persons may not plow snow from driveways into the street, or ditches where they exist.

* Just a reminder, there is no over-night parking on City streets from 3-6 AM Nov. 15 to March 31.

CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS - IN TROUBLE

Charter Communications Inc. has hired law firm Kirkland & Ellis and investment bank Lazard Ltd. to advise on a possible bankruptcy, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Kirkland's Rick Cieri is providing counsel, Bloomberg said. If the St. Louis-based cable company decides in favor of bankruptcy, it may file as soon as next week, said one of the people, who declined to be identified because the discussions are private, Bloomberg reported. Charter, the dominant subscription TV provider in the Madison area, has more than $21 billion in debt and last week announced that two of its business units missed $73.7 million in interest payments on $1.153 billion in senior notes due last Thursday. The terms on the debt permit a 30-day grace period, which would give the company through Feb. 15 to make the interest payments, Charter said. If the payments are not made by then, the bonds would be in default. If that happened, holders with 25 percent of the principal amount on the notes could call them, asking for the full amount due to be paid immediately, according to a regulatory filing Charter made Thursday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company has been in discussions with bondholders about improving its capital structure, and earlier last week announced changes to its executive compensation related to potential restructuring of its debt. The company, which is controlled by Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul Allen, warned last year it could be forced to seek bankruptcy protection if it failed to raise additional funds to finance its cash needs by 2010. Last month, Moody's Investors Service lowered its rating on Charter and said default was likely imminent. Major bondholders are also organizing for a possible bankruptcy filing, with senior noteholders hiring investment bank Houlihan Lokey, Bloomberg reported. The Los Angeles-based firm has advised on some of the biggest debt restructurings of all time, including the Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and WorldCom Inc. bankruptcies. Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft Corp., has held a controlling stake since 1998 in the company, which hasn't turned a profit since going public a decade ago. Allen is represented by Nick Saggese of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in the talks and is being advised by Miller Buckfire & Co., Bloomberg reported. Cieri represented Federated Department Stores Inc. in the 1990s, during its reorganization while with the Jones Day firm. After Federated came out of Chapter 11, he represented the department store chain when it bought Macy's Inc. out of bankruptcy. He has since helped reorganize such companies as Calpine Corp., LTV Steel Co. and Trans World Airlines Inc. Charter spokeswoman Anita Lamont and Kate Kortenkamp, a spokeswoman at Kirkland & Ellis, declined to comment, Bloomberg said.

STIMULUS OR PORK???

From the Washington Post:
Much in Obama stimulus bill won't hit economy soon
WASHINGTON -- It will take years before an infrastructure spending program proposed by President-elect Barack Obama will boost the economy, according to congressional economists. The findings, released to lawmakers Sunday, call into question the effectiveness of congressional Democrats' efforts to pump up the economy through old-fashioned public works projects like roads, bridges and repairs of public housing. Less than half of the $30 billion in highway construction funds detailed by House Democrats would be released into the economy over the next four years, concludes the analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. Less than $4 billion in highway construction money would reach the economy by September 2010.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/20/AR2009012000249_pf.html

A Dozen Fun Facts About the House Democrats' Massive $825 Billion Spending Bill
1. The House Democrats' bill will cost each and every household $6,700 additional debt, paid for by our children and grandchildren.
2. The total cost of this one piece of legislation is almost as much as the annual discretionary budget for the entire federal government.
3. President-elect Obama has said that his proposed stimulus legislation will create or save three million jobs. This means that this legislation will spend about $275,000 per job. The average household income in the U.S. is $50,000 a year.
4. The House Democrats' bill provides enough spending - $825 billion - to give every man, woman, and child in America $2,700.
5. $825 billion is enough to give every person living in poverty in the U.S. $22,000.
6. $825 billion is enough to give every person in Ohio $72,000.
7. Although the House Democrats' proposal has been billed as a transportation and infrastructure investment package, in actuality only $30 billion of the bill - or three percent - is for road and highway spending. A recent study from the Congressional Budget Office said that only 25 percent of infrastructure dollars can be spent in the first year, making the one year total less than $7 billion for infrastructure.
8. Much of the funding within the House Democrats' proposal will go to programs that already have large, unexpended balances. For example, the bill provides $1 billion for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), which already have $16 billion on hand. And, this year, Congress has plans to rescind $9 billion in highway funding that the states have not yet used.
9. In 1993, the unemployment rate was virtually the same as the rate today (around seven percent). Yet, then-President Clinton's proposed stimulus legislation ONLY contained $16 billion in spending.
10. Here are just a few of the programs and projects that have been included in the House Democrats' proposal:
· $650 million for digital TV coupons.
· $6 billion for colleges/universities - many which have billion dollar endowments.
· $166 billion in direct aid to states - many of which have failed to budget wisely.
· $50 million in funding for the National Endowment of the Arts.
· $44 million for repairs to U.S. Department of Agriculture headquarters.
· $200 million for the National Mall, including grass planting.
· $400 million for "National Treasures."
11. Almost one-third of the so called tax relief in the House Democrats' bill is spending in disguise, meaning that true tax relief makes up only 24 percent of the total package - not the 40 percent that President-elect Obama had requested.
12. $825 billion is just the beginning - many Capitol Hill Democrats want to spend even more taxpayer dollars on their "stimulus" plan.
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009/01/022586.php

DOWNTOWN STIMULUS/REDEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL IN DISCUSSION

The first phase of the TIF #8 project plan is in the discussion stages at this point. TIF #8 is the new downtown TIF, which covers most of the land in the current downtown TIF (which will close in 2010 or 2011), and was created late last year. Using a popular term these days, I would view this first phase as a stimulus package of sorts for the downtown area. The items under discussion at this time include:

$250,000 - This money will be used for the reconstruction of the Blackburn Street parking lot adjacent to Domino's and Pasttimes. The lot is in a sad condition, and is an eyesore for downtown Ripon. We have discussed a number of designs, but I am hopeful that work will begin in spring.
$200,000 - This money will be used to beautify the downtown area. It will be used for, but not limited to: bike racks, trees, banners, flower pots, new street lights, and benches.
$100,000 - This money will be used to fund a Downtown Revolving Loan fund to be administered jointly by the city and the Main Street program. The funds can be used to attract new businesses to the downtown, help current businesses expand and modernize, and, in difficult times, serve as a financing tool to cover down times for local downtown businesses. The details of the program are in the discussion stage at this time.
$50,000 - This money will be used to fund a Downtown Facade Grant and Loan program. The downtown used to have this program until the funding dried up a number of years ago. The grants will be given on a matching format. For example, 50 percent from the business and 50 percent from the grant program. At this time, I am envisioning the interest being used to fund grants, with loans being given at a competitive interest rate. A key component of the downtown is the fronts of the stores.

This is the first phase of the downtown redevelopment we have been discussing the past two years. I look forward to your comments and questions on this program as we move forward.

DIRECT FOR THE RIPON SCHOOL DISTRICT

Refinancing Saves $336,000 in Interest Payments
Thanks to the District’s upgrade to an “A+” rating by Standard & Poor’s for good financial practices and the decrease in interest rates, recent refinancing of District debt resulted in a savings to taxpayers of more than $336,000 over the next seven years of repayment of the bonds originally issued in 1999. This will mean an estimated decrease in the District’s annual mill rate of 75 cents ($75 on a $100,000 property) through the 2016 tax year.

This is GREAT news for the district. The savings to the district is a DIRECT result of the A+ rating.

Referendum Questions Placed on April 7 Ballot
The Ripon Board of Education voted to place three referendum questions on the April 7 ballot. Question 1: $500,000 bond for replacing the RHS boiler and roof maintenance at various schools; Question 2: $500,000 annual revenue limit override for 6 years to be used for purchasing textbooks, updating curriculum, updating technology, performing maintenance, and replacing vehicles;
Question 3: annual revenue limit override for 3 years to be used for classroom staffing and related instructional expenses for $575,000 in 2009-10, $725,000 in 2010-11, and $850,000 in 2011-12. Taking into account the recent debt refinancing, if all three referendum questions are passed by the voters, it would mean a 93 cent increase ($93 on a $100,000 property) in the mill rate above the 2008 level—but still more than $1.00 less than the 2004 mill rate and the rates of prior years. Currently, the District is annually spending $240 per student less on education costs than the Wisconsin average which translates to a shortfall of nearly one-half million dollars per year.

I simply do not see how this referendum, in its entirety, will pass, not with the economy in the shape it is in. I can see #1 passing, but #2 and #3 will be hard. Such a large increase in expenditures does not cure what ails this and most districts in Wisconsin - a more-than-generous benefits package, no-bid health insurance, a flawed school funding formula, and the lack of putting EVERYTHING on the table when the budget is tight

Revenue Limit Threatens 2009-10 Budget
State-mandated revenue limits will force the District to cut $545,000 in annual operating expenses for 2009-10. The Board is studying budget calculations that will force the layoff of an equivalent of 4 teachers for next year, an additional 9 teachers the following year, and an additional 13 teachers in 2011-12. This would represent a 20% cut in the teaching staff in three years. With the equivalent of another 18 teaching positions required to be cut in 2012-13 due to state budget restrictions, Ripon would experience the loss of 30% of its teachers in the next four years. The Board is scheduled to take action at its February 16 meeting for the 2009-10 budget.

Ok, um, why is it only teachers being put on the chopping block? How about one principal for Murray and Barlow Park schools, splitting their time? How about co-curricular programs? How about a one-year wage freeze? How about higher insurance contributions (the district currently pays 95 percent of the family plan premium)? What about wage cuts across the board? Tough times require tough decisions and tough leaders....

SCHOOL DISTRICT HEADING TO REFERENDUM

The Ripon Area School District Board voted last night to place three referendum questions on the April ballot. I am waiting for the press release from Superintendent Zimman today and will post it when I get it.

Recently, the district received an A-plus rating from Standard and Poor's for its upcoming bond refinancing. The definition on the S&P webpage is as follows:
AA - An obligation rated 'AA' differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
A - An obligation rated 'A' is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.

So, the Ripon District has moved from the A rating it received for the 2006 fine art/FieldTurf referendum to an A+, which is in between the AA and A rating. Anyway you slice it, it is good news for the district as we move ahead with the refinancing, which is separate from the referendum questions.

LISTEN TO THE ISSUES

I recently appeared on WRPN-AM to discuss 2008 in review and preview 2009. Ripon Superintendent Richard Zimman appeared this morning to discuss the proposed referendum. Both interviews are available on the Internet - http://www.wrpnam.com/
They are in MP3 form.

MEDIA BIAS....NO, REALLY?`

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE INAUGARATION
The inaugaration will produce 575 MILLION pounds of CO2, according to the Institute of Liberty:
* The 600 private jets expected to fly visitors to and from the event will produce 25,320,000 POUNDS of CO2
* Personal vehicles could account for 262,483,200 POUNDS of CO2
* In the Inaugural parade, horses alone will produce more than 400 POUNDS of CO2
* The total carbon footprint for the Inauguration will likely exceed 575 million POUNDS of CO2
* It would take the average U.S. household 57,598 years to produce a carbon footprint equal to that of the new president's housewarming party
http://thechillingeffect.org/2009/01/14/ifl-inauguration-will-produce-575-million-pounds-of-co2/

MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE NEW ADMINISTRATION
History of Double Standards: Clinton Touted as Sturdy-Jawed Icon; Bush's Speech Paired with Funeral - Media Research Center
The news media are giddy with excitement as Barack Obama’s Inauguration Day approaches (see box), but it would be a mistake to think reporters are always so worshipful of new presidents. While most presidents do start with a media honeymoon, a review of the past 20 years finds reporters are more celebratory when Democrats are taking over the White House, while coverage of GOP inaugurals has included a fair number of anti-conservative stinkbombs:
■ 1989. TV reporters chose to salute the incoming President George Bush by slamming the more conservative Ronald Reagan. ABC’s Richard Threlkeld went to Overtown, a riot-scarred area of Miami, for Inauguration Day: “After eight years of what many saw as the Reagan administration’s benign neglect of the poor and studied indifference to civil rights, a lot of those who lived through this week in Overtown seemed to think the best thing about George Bush is that he is not Ronald Reagan,” Threlkeld claimed on the January 20, 1989 World News Tonight. “There is an Overtown in every big city in America — pockets of misery made even meaner and more desperate the past eight years.” On NBC, anchor Bryant Gumbel praised Bush’s speech as signaling “a new activism, a new engagement in the lives of others, a yearning for greater tolerance....Basically a rejection of everything that the Reagan years had been about.”
■ 1993. Bill Clinton’s arrival was touted with the same fervor now bestowed on Obama. The New York Times asked in a January 3, 1993 headline: “Clinton as National Idol: Can the Honeymoon Last?” Newsweek magazine ran TV ads touting its commemorative edition “that’s sure to be a collector’s item because it covers the most important inauguration of our lifetime.” Wall Street Journal reporter Jill Abramson — now managing editor of news at the New York Times — confessed: “It’s an exciting time to be in Washington....People are excited. They’re happy about change....I think you’re going to see crowds for these inaugural events the likes of which we haven’t seen in Washington ever.”
■ 1997. Clinton’s second inaugural inspired just as much hero-worship. Howard Rosenberg reviewed Clinton’s speech for the Los Angeles Times: “His sturdy jaw precedes him. He smiles from sea to shining sea. Is this President a candidate for Mt. Rushmore or what?...In fact, when it comes to influencing the public, a single medley of expressions from Clinton may be worth much more, to much of America, than every ugly accusation Paula Jones can muster.”
■ 2001. After the long recount, reporters applied an asterisk to Bush’s first inaugural. NBC’s Maria Shriver emphasized “millions of people who felt disenfranchised by this election, who don’t feel that he’s their President yet.” On ABC, George Stephanopoulos warned Bush to avoid conservative policies: “With a 50-50 Senate and a tiny margin in the House, and a majority in the country who actually voted against President Bush, he’ll be able to fulfill that central promise of unifying the country only if he’s willing to compromise.”
■ 2005. Bush’s second inaugural was met with far more hostility, with reporters attacking the $40 million price tag as obscene. “In a time of war and natural disaster, is it time for a lavish celebration?” ABC’s Terry Moran doubted. The AP’s Will Lester calculated that the money spent on Bush’s inaugural could vaccinate “22 million children in regions devastated by the tsunami....Do we need to spend this money on what seems so extravagant?” (Obama’s inaugural will cost $45 million.) The day before Bush’s swearing-in, ABC’s Web site pleaded for tips of “any military funerals for Iraq war casualties scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 20.” Sure enough, then-ABC anchor Peter Jennings got his wish to report how “just about the time the president was speaking, there was a funeral for a young Marine reservist: 21-year-old Matthew Holloway was killed in Iraq last week by a roadside bomb.” Don’t look for the networks to use such tactics to sour Obama’s celebration. — Rich Noyes, MRC Research Director
http://www.mrc.org/realitycheck/2009/fax20090115.asp