Referenda politics

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I was surprised to get the email below which is intended, I thought, to provide updates on the mayor’s activities. My objection is not that a position was taken on the referenda questions, or even that a link was provided to send contributions to those seeking yes votes. Rather, it was the characterization that those who think a no vote is the wiser choice are REPUBLICANS. That’s a mighty dirty word in this town.
I’ll be voting no on the expansion of Leopold. After educating myself on the issues, (thank you School Information System for providing such high quality, non-partisan, primary source information) I’ve concluded that building such a large school is unwise; more important, there are changes in the neighborhood demographics that argue at least for a fresh look. That means I could be persuaded in the future, but as things stand right now, I’m voting no.
As to the other two questions, I’m still trying to work out the answer. I resent being played by the administration over items like strings and I don’t believe the board has done its job, the careful oversight of the budget/budget process. I don’t trust the numbers and I don’t like the fact that Supt Rainwater protected his staff before the budget process formally began. Administration seems like a very fat piece of the budget and, at the risk of offending, also seems like it serves as the golden parachute for long-serving prinicipals as they edge toward retirement. That said, I want our schools able to function to educate our kids. So what I have to decide is if this vote will prompt the board to reevaluate how it does its job.
Does this make me a Republican?

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Mayor Dave’s Plan for Madison

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Mayor Dave released a memo to Department Heads regarding the 2006 capital budget Monday. A few tidbits:

  • Two more swimming pools will be included in my 10-year plan; like the first pool, they will be built with a combination of public and private funds
  • A new Central Library: included in my 10-year plan, funded through a mix of public and private support
  • Streetcars: included in my 10-year plan; funded through a mix of local, state and federal funds
  • Redevelopment of East and Towne malls along New Urbanist lines: private investment

Reasonable ideas, but for the streetcars… I’d love to see rail to O’hare, Milwaukee and Minneapolis.

Local Tech Firm Sonic Foundry’s Annual Meeting

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Andrew Wallmeyer summarizes Sonic Foundry’s current state of affairs and provides a useful bit of history in terms of their stock mania and subsequent losses. The tech business can be brutal. We’ll see how SF navigates these waters.

“When you look at the number of tech companies that didn’t make it when the bubble burst, it’s truly amazing that this company was able to get it under control and survive that period,” he said. “The carnage was so absolute.”

If some of this smacks of boosterism, that’s because it is. Aside from their personal financial interest, many of the stockholders at the meeting said they root for Sonic Foundry because they want to see a local company succeed.

“I’ve been up and I’ve been down with the company,” said Hughes, who once watched his Sonic Foundry holdings fall from $100,000 to $1,000. “But it’s nice to be in a Madison company, being from Madison.”

GM’s Troubles Ripple Locally: Tower Automotive

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Thomas Content discusses Milwaukee auto parts supplier Tower Automotive’s ongoing layoffs. Tower will have less than 200 employeees next week. Tower supplies steel car and truck frames to the domestic auto manufacturers. Content’s article arrives the same week as GM’s announcement that they were talking with Toyota about hybrid components. Sadly, these increasingly popular parts will likely come from Toyota’s network, rather than domestic sources…