Is that a bullhorn in my soup?
A friend relates this adventure in downtown Madison Wednesday 07-15-2020:
For our anniversary, me, the wife, and two friends decided to celebrate downtown at [a restaurant]. After arriving by Uber, we were greeted by “non-violent” protesters. We had told the driver to stand by, in case we decided to go elsewhere. Loud and obnoxious (in your face) were the “peaceful” protesters. We decided to cancel rather than put up with what could get worse as more folks joined the “festivities,” had we dined there. [Restaurant] staff said 37 cancellations of 54 reservations. So much for venturing downtown anytime soon.
We also learned that the Mayor and MPD have agreed to allow these antics at State and Carrol Streets every evening. The mayor can take total blame for the demise of businesses in the isthmus area.
We ended up dining at Ruth’s Chris in Middleton.
Who is ‘tone deaf’ alder Verveer?
Where is Madison city government? They had planned $500,000 to help businesses recover from the BLM riots and looting last month. Not that half a million is going to go all that far. The entirety of State Street (some 80 businesses) is boarded up.
But wait a doggone minute! Where is the EQUITY? Madison officials can’t do anything without pouring identity politics through a flour sifter.
Alders are now considering throwing half the stipend at “a Downtown Equity Program” that would help support new entrepreneurs of color to locate Downtown … [for] a more equitable Downtown recovery.”
Downtown Ald. Mike Verveer (Progressive Dane) said after hearing from other Common Council and Madison residents, he realized the original reimbursement program for locally owned downtown businesses to recover “came across appropriately as tone deaf.” So The Capital Times reports.
Cities must be safe to thrive
From today’s Wall Street Journal:
Researchers, struggling to understand why crime fell so much, have offered many theories, including mass incarcerations, having more police on the streets, and communities themselves reclaiming their public spaces.
There is a risk, said Joel Kotkin, whose 2006 book, The City, traced the evolution of urban areas …
… that the backlash against policing will go too far and leave cities less safe. The constant pressure to reform, to increasingly extreme positions on law enforcement, is going to have a really bad effect. “Safety is a prerequisite for urban growth,” he said. “I can’t see how cities can thrive if they’re unsafe.”
Blaska’s Bottom Line: Recall Mayor Satya Rhodes Conway!
Blaska Policy Werkes 
21 responses to “An evening downtown, canceled”
As the Madison Chamber and Downtown Madison remain silent.
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People need to sign the recall petition. If you don’t know where to sign maybe you can download and print your own and send it in. Pay attention to the requirements so it’s counted. There also needs to be some petition signing events. I can’t believe how many people over 50 that I asked if they wanted to sign don’t even know what’s going on in this city.
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I believe it. So many people live in a protected bubble and have no clue as to what’s going past their own lives.
Many people I’ve spoken with ARE aware of the recall effort and have signed.
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Predictably, Madison has now entered the phase in its takeover by thugs and criminals where city “leaders” vie with one another to see who can placate the thugs and criminals most thoroughly–i.e., kiss their asses with the greatest gusto. Something they’ve had lots of practice doing over the years.
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“kiss their asses with the greatest gusto.”
Lefty Monkeys See, Lefty Monkeys DO (FF to 05:30)
Liberal Couple Kisses Boots of Black Activists to Prove How Sorry They Are for Being White.
Like muh Dawg always says: Liberalism Is A Disease!
The Gotch
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This was to be expected when 25 years ago, liberal policies and politicians, with liberal welfare requirements, attracted many minorities to the Madison area “to get a second chance with their lives”. That was good, for those who came here for that reason, who worked hard and kept their kids in school and contributed to the community. There were many. But the lenient city policies and the open arms of the city, unquestionably attracted undesirables and lawbreakers with criminal records as well, and we began seeing grafitti signings on STOP signs and sides of buildings in the early ’90s. Crime and the presence of drugs edged up, but our mayor at the time, denied there was a gang problem in Madison, and the rest of the liberal city leaders immersed their heads in the sand. Within a year, the mayor acknowledged that there were about 12,000 gang members in Madison. And, while the city leaders did nothing, the natural historical progression of a growing city, controlled by liberals, continued to present-day. High crime, continued influx of gang members, routine drive-by shootings, increased robberies and drug trafficking, thuggery and muggings, and the takeover of downtown Madison by thugs. Who really wants to go down there? My wife and I went to State Street 4-5 times a year. Not this year! Now, we have a mayor who has not only neglected her law and order responsibilities, but has literally joined with the radical leftists and has cowardly and cluelessly bowed to them. She has done nothing to maintain the integrity of city government and law and order in Madison. She must be recalled! Then, we need a strong, pro-law and order police chief; we need to dissolve those frauds on the city council and replace them with special elections; same with the Madison school board, and also find a way to neutralize the Madison Teachers Union, perhaps by the rank-and-file decertifying it – but assuring them to continue to be able to collectively bargain. Madison residents pay high taxes, to be assured of safety and protection by the city – government’s No.1 responsibility, and for the kids to be educated in a good school system. They are getting neither right now. They must take their city back! It won’t be easy – but nothing worthwhile is!
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What a great explainatiion of the dismall mess the liberals have made here.
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This is also on Madison police leadership. They need to stand up to this and do their jobs, which is enforcing the law.
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“This is also on Madison police leadership.”
Not so sure about that; the Chain-of-Command defaults to the idiot in the Mayor’s office.
“They need to stand up to this and do their jobs, which is enforcing the law.”
No LEO with a whit of self-preservation and concern about their continued employment and job security will step outside their orders, if they violate that chain-of-command they’ll be crucified.
THIS_MAYOR_NEEDS_TO_GO…STAT!!!!
The Gotch
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Copy on rank and file. But leadership should not be letting this happen? I think they have an oath they took to protect the public, yet it’s not happening.
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I think I read something a few weeks ago where the mayor said she didn’t give MPD any instructions on how to do their jobs. Pretty certain she’s trying to cover her A, but still. Bottom line is that police are sworn to protect us, and at least in downtown, doesn’t seem like this is happening.
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No LEO with a whit of self-preservation and concern about their continued employment and job security will step outside their orders, if they violate that chain-of-command they’ll be crucified.
That presents a problem, doesn’t it? No Denver LEO moved to protect Malkin, because they were ordered not to. Which LEO will refuse to carry out blatantly illegal orders to–say–remove all your weapons from your gun-safe? For that matter, which LEO will defend shoppers on State St. “against orders”?
It’s getting a bit more challenging, ain’a?
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Press good deal: Loot and destroy a business on State Street. Drive them away. Get the city to give you money to take over their location.
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Very insightful SouthofReality.
Are there any objective investigative reporters on staff in Madison to tease out that story?
Identity politics never ends well.
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Geez. You guys make downtown Milwaukee sound attractive.
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C’mon dad, they’re not rioters; they’re undocumented shoppers…..
The Gotch
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I wish the FB page of the Recall Satya page reflected more organization. Seems like signing stations pop-up w/out timely notice. And they are confusing as to where specifically the place is to sign at the various locations.
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You can just download the form and mail it in. Just make sure to sign the bottom portion.
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There would be a different attitude on the distribution of funds if the stores in the Monroe Street/Villas Neighborhood corridor were boarded up and painted like State Street is now.
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This is a pattern. I live off of State. On Sunday evening July 12 I was walking in the neighborhood and noticed something going on at State and Gorham, vehicles blocking the intersection, and a large crowd screaming and throwing around some kind of colored powder that was making a smokescreen in the intersection. There were police redirecting traffic down Francis St, I asked and they confirmed it is a protest. When I returned home almost an hour later the police were still there, intersection was still blocked and full of people and I could hear a bullhorn.
At home I checked the facebook of the usual suspects and found that the event, called “Paint Your Pride”, had been organized and promoted by Freedom Inc and Urban Triage. There was a video that I did not want to watch much of because people had been specially invited to bring children to the event and there were “drag queen” burlesque dancing performances–eunuchs dancing in leotards. Very ugly. These groups seem to want to weaponize that to cause economic harm.
I absolutely interpreted this incident, which was “LGBT” themed but not necessarily racial themed, as meant to disrupt the city’s just-launching “Streatery” outdoor dining on State Streets. I interpret this as a way for the Marxist-led groups to disrupt that and keep State Street depressed, furthering their stated goals of opposing “white supremacist patriarchal capitalism” and wielding their ability to damage the fabric of Madison like a baseball bat to intimidate the mayor to give in to all their demands.
I contacted the mayor’s office (no response). I contacted 2 different local mainstream news outlets pointing out this Freedom Inc/Urban Triage initiative to disrupt the “Streatery” program meant to help State Street’s recovery and called for these groups to be exposed for the harm they intend to the community. I also, though I don’t know what he could do about it, contacted Rep Vos and told him the story too.
Although this was more than a week or two now, I suggest that you look up on the Freedom Inc facebook the information about their “Paint Your Pride” event and the video from the evening of July 12 and put the pieces together about how they want to harm State Street businesses. These groups aren’t demanding free beer or venmo payments from the businesses so they consider their motives “pure”, They just want State Street destroyed for being allegedly “white supremacist patriarchal capitalists”.
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sorry, where I said redirecting traffic down Francis St, I meant Henry St.
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