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Category: Madison city government

  • I’m Paul Soglin, if you know what’s good for you

    I like Paul Soglin, not that he would care. He is irascible — and that’s if you are his friend! Brother Mike-boy, at the time chairman of the Dane County Board, recounts the administrator of the county health and social needs department running after the mayor as he stalked away in anger. “Wait, Paul, we’ve…

  • Madison spends $400,000 to study police, gets ‘few answers’ — while bullets fly

    ‘Few answers in report on police’ Good on Chris Rickert. I’m sure he misses his opinion column on Page 2 of the Wisconsin State Journal but, given the contracting news business, at least he is doing honest labor as the Madison city hall reporter. Mostly indoor work. No heavy lifting. Chris has come over to…

  • Can’t we all just bridge the digital divide?

    After studying the warranty and some augury involving small animals, the Policy Werkes concludes that your humble bloggeur will never be as virtuous as the average Madison alderoid. For the Madison Common Council and its mayor for life, every day is Christmas. It is always better to give because they rarely receive. We have recounted…

  • Madison alders get two more kicks at the cops

    Ald. Paul Skidmore just introduced a measure to add eight Madison police officers at  $416,385 (including fringe benefits, uniforms, etc.) and three more marked squad cars for $163,530. Unfortunately, the measure needs 15 votes from the 20 alders because it amends the recently approved 2018 budget. That budget allocated a local dollar match reliant on a federal…

  • Should the rule of law by subjected to the passions of the mob? 

    We stand by our verdict of a month ago. Shouldn’t there, at least, be a tee shirt? Thursday’s more complete exposition of the City of Madison’s $400,000 police proctology reveals a big nothing burger. (The full report here.) The high-priced consultants from Berkeley California, tasked with finding evidence of invidious racism in Madison’s police force,…

  • No money for more Madison police but plenty for Common Council staff

    UPDATE: Was there a roll call on approving the contract for the hiring of a Common Council chief of staff? No there was not. The voice vote in favor was declared unanimous. I am put in mind of my old seat mate on the Dane County Board, the late Bill Hitzemann, who farmed in the…