P.O. Box 1222, Madison, WI 53701 | www.prodane.org | office@prodane.org | (608) 257-4985
To summarize the dialogue between the Common Sense Coalition and Progressive Dane thus far:
Common Sense Coalition: "Hey, we’re coming onto the local political scene."
Progressive Dane: "Welcome to the debate, we look forward to seeing your agenda."
CSC: "Nay, unhand us, villains! You shall never join our organization!"
PD: "Huh?"
Since its splashy launch back in early June it's hard to tell what the Common Sense Coalition has been up to other than obsessing about its "membership." While incessantly touting its 5000 "members" (one has to wonder how many of these 5,000 know they are members, or care), and even as at least one CSC leader says all are welcome, others want to ensure Progressive Dane isn't among them. Those leaders even went to far as to claim Progressive Dane has been asking to join.
Sorry guys, Progressive Dane and its very engaged membership – all of whom know they are members because they join the old fashioned way, by filling out a membership card, cutting a small check and getting involved – has been busy moving ahead with an agenda of TIF reform, economic initiatives for small businesses, protecting human services, sane transportation policy, neighborhood planning and the safeguarding the environment. The notion of joining the Common Sense Coalition has not even been discussed, let alone approved, by our membership or our steering committee.
Starting a new organization is a lot of hard work and we wish the Common Sense Coalition well. Eventually perhaps we'll see what it might actually think about ways to set priorities for Madison and Dane County, to protect the most vulnerable, to provide quality services, and to watch the bottom line on tax bills. Meantime, we are puzzled it imagines we’ve requested to join. I guess we’ll just keep on working on our work and say thanks for the non-consideration of our non-application for membership.
Posted by prodane at 04:36 PM
Madison Metro wants to raise fares. The problem is these FARES aren’t FAIR!
The Transit and Parking Commission (TPC) votes on this unfair fare proposal July 26.
Make your voice heard now. Right now! PD members have been working hard to inform the community about the fare increase. Please read this handout which we have been handing out at various bus stops and trasnfer points around town. You can also download and print this poster to help spread the word.
UNFAIR - Fares just went up two years ago and now Metro wants to raise them again.
UNFAIR - Big employers get huge discounts on fares yet Metro isn't raising their fares as much as it is for other riders.
UNFAIR - Options to increase revenue (and keep fare increases down) have not been fully explored.
UNFAIR - We're talking about the Metro bus budget in a vacuum, outside of the time we talk about the rest of the budget.
UNFAIR - Low-income riders are hit hardest.
The Transit and Parking Commission (TPC) will take public comment on this unfair fare proposal only through 10am July 27.
Make your voice heard now. Right now!
TPC staff - 266-4761, gphillips@cityofmadison.com
Metro - 266-4904, cdebo@cityofmadison.com
Mayor Dave - 266-4611, mayor@cityofmadison.com
Come to the TPC public hearing:
July 26, 5:30 pm
Room 260, Madison Municipal Building
215 Martin Luther King Blvd.
Metro says we must either accept their increases or cut services.
But there is another choice!
Tell the Transit and Parking Commission you want it to:
PD member Michael Jacob wrote an LTE further outlining the problems with these proposed fair increases. Continue reading:
PD Member Michael Jacob wrote the following LTE:
You can’t complain about things you don’t know are happening. You can’t offer alternatives if you aren’t given decent information about the problem.
These are just two of the many problems with Madison Metro’s latest drive to increase bus fares.
Metro is fond of saying “No one complains about the fare increases.” Sure, because riders don’t know they are coming until it is too late and even if they do they don’t know whom to contact or think doing so will do no good. Thursday morning I talked to more than 120 riders along Route 4 and at the South Transfer Point. Two riders – count them, two! – knew Metro had proposed a fare increase and none of them knew they could voice their opinions at a public hearing on July 26 before the Transit and Parking Commission or that they could call or e-mail the commission.
The TPC, struggling with whether to go along with Metro’s unfair fare proposal, has asked people against the fare increase for alternatives. Several suggestions have been offered: discuss Metro fares along with the rest of the city budget, so Metro service can be prioritized among everything else the city spends money on; rework the extraordinary deals Metro gives to the UW and other large employers (82.5 cents per ride vs. $1.50 for the base fare); further explore revenues from increased advertising and vending booths at the transfer points. Pressed for details by the TPC, those suggesting alternatives had to throw up their hands because Metro does not share the any details with how much it has explored these options nor how it came up with the unfair fare proposal that will go to the public.
The many people who want the TPC to reject this fare increase recognize that costs have gone up and Metro has a deficit. We recognize that Metro needs more money. But we reject the idea that saddling riders with $500,000 in fare increases, especially since fares just went up less than two years ago, is the only option. And research shows that every time you raise fares, you lose ridership equal to 40% of the money you get from the fare increase.
Send it back. Explore the alternatives. Come up with a fair fare proposal and then make sure riders and the public know about it!
Michael Jacob
410 Russell St
Madison, WI 53704
712-5475
Posted by prodane at 07:03 PM
PD members Gary Storck and Stephen Burns recently wrote editorials about drug policy and the lobbying ordinance. Highlights are below:
Gary Storck - Isthmus July 21, 2005Zach Brandon may consider himself a Democrat, but he is clearly from the right wing of the party. And while Democrats are in general more reliable supporters of medical marijuana than Republicans, there are all kinds of exceptions, like Bill Clinton, one of Brandon's heroes.
In early 2004, I worked with my alder, Judy Olson, to draft a resolution declaring March 14-21 "Madison Medical Marijuana Awareness Week. The resolution was on the agenda at the Council's March 2 meeting, with seven additional sponsors: Mike Verveer, Jean MacCubbin, Brenda Konkel, Matt Sloan, Austin King, Steve Holtzman and Brian Benford.
I was the first to speak in support, and I recalled not only how it had helped treat my glaucoma, but also how it helped a close friend, noting, "In the face of uncontrollable suffering, marijuana has literally been a godsend."
During the debate, Brandon argued against adoption, saying, "Any week that promotes drug use, be it legal or illegal, is not an appropriate message for this body to be sending."
The resolution was clearly not an attempt to "promote drug use," but to raise awareness of cruel policies that target some of our most defenseless citizens. Fortunately, the majority of the council understands why the resolution was before them, and the resolution passed with 11 votes.
Stephen BurnsImagine a developer meeting with a city official to discuss a multi-million dollar package of tax breaks for his project. Should the public have the right to know that this meeting took place?
Well, if you're Susan Schmitz, president of Downtown Madison Inc., the answer to this question is clearly "no". According to Schmitz, requiring the developer to register and report meetings with city officials would "hinder public input."
Nonsense. As a taxpayer I want to know when lobbyists talk to my elected officials (who work for me). I want investigative reporters to be able to "follow the money" when they look into city contracting or corporate tax giveaways. Madison's lobbying ordinance gives us all the right to know who's meeting who and wh en, and that's a good thing.
Given the hue and cry raised by many in our city's business community about the lobbying ordinance, I just have to wonder: what are they doing that they don't want us to know about?
Posted by prodane at 05:42 PM
Click on this useful document to find out more about the issue and ways you can make the system better and get your voice heard!
Posted by prodane at 10:11 PM | Comments (0)
What is TIF? Tax Incremental Financing is a financing tool that allows the city to use tax dollars to finance public infrastructure improvements by subsidizing private development in a specific area in anticipation of more property tax revenue later. That revenue is then used to pay back the investment by taxpayers. It was originally intended to jumpstart development in blighted urban areas and was to be used only if a development would otherwise not be possible.
Madison will provide millions of dollars in subsidies to developers in the coming year. You should have input in how that money is spent. It should benefit the community, not just the developer. The city should set short and long term goals for that money. And it should all be accountable to you, the taxpayer!
TIF reform is being debated by the City Council, right now. Make sure your voice is heard.
Click on this useful document to find out more about the issue and ways you can make the system better and get your voice heard! Also please read these blog entries to learn more about TIF: PD offers TIF reform package, Cap Times commends PD TIF reform proposal.
Posted by prodane at 09:54 PM
Progressive Dane's successful grassroots organizing model based on citizen voice and participation in government is spreading. The State Journal wrote about groups that have formed in Oregon, Brooklyn, and the Town of Springfield. The issues that these groups are working are mostly development issues ranging from Quarries to Cement Plants but all the groups show how organized citizens can help make government decisions at a local level.
Progressive Dane strongly supports citizen participation in government and we can help you organize around issues that are important to your community. Please contact our office for more information.
Highlights from the article are below:
Oregon Area Progressives pulled together because of a cement plant proposed by Lycon. Monona Area Progressives formed to stave off Wal-Mart. Those groups aren't sponsored by the Madison political activist group Progressive Dane, but they share many of the same ideals as the city group, which was formed in 1992."People just want to have a say in how that development takes place," said Kevin Pomeroy, planning director for the environmental group 1000 Friends of Wisconsin.
Pomeroy said he believes some activism can be traced to more public participation in Smart Growth plans, which outline how and where communities should grow. "Previously, these kinds of decisions were made behind closed doors, and now they're made with a lot of public participation. There's a new sentiment that people can make a difference," Pomeroy said.
....
Fitchburg's Terry Carpenter, president of a local software company, in April formed Neighbor to Neighbor Progressive Network. Her fledging group has turned up at the Dane County Farmers' Market on the Capitol Square and is aimed at helping neighborhoods identify issues and getting neighbors talking.
"It's not about a (political) party," Carpenter said. "It's about working together to understand our community and how we can take action."
Posted by prodane at 09:13 PM
As you may have heard - and you can certainly be forgiven if you were too busy enjoying the holiday weekend - Ald. Jed Sanborn has proposed repeal of Madison's 4 day old smokefree ordinance and Council President Paul Van Rooy has put it on tonight's Council agenda under suspension of the rules governing debate over major policy decisions made by the City.
Never mind that members of the Common Council spent a great deal of time researching, discussing, debating, and gathering constituent feedback on this ordinance.
Never mind that after doing so, 15 out of 20 alders voted for the ordinance.
Never mind that in the months leading to its implementation the City worked very hard to help businesses implement the ordinance.
Never mind the sneak attack on those who support the ban having adequate notice that the issue will be debated once again.
Finally, also be aware (and beware) of the red herring that the Council should put this issue to a referendum vote. If alders felt at the time that the ordinance passed that they did not have a firm grasp on the desires of their constituents, that would have been the time to ask for a referendum.
If there are Madison residents who would like to see the ordinance overturned, they should take the steps necessary to put a referendum on the ballot through citizen initiative. Absent such citizen interest, it does not make sense for the Common Council to continue this debate.
Supporters of the smokefree ordinance are prepared to let the rules be suspended, in part because this issue has dragged on (pun intended) long enough.
The council meeting begins at 6:30 and this will be among the first issues debated. If you can make it tonight, please do. Show your support for the smokefree ordinance. Tell Sanborn and Van Rooy you don’t appreciate the attack on your ability to be heard. And tell the council to kill the repeal.
Read more about the attempted repeal on Channel 3000 or some interesting commentary from Mike Ivey of the Capital Times.
Posted by prodane at 09:59 PM
Stephanie Rearick of the PD Drug Policy Committee wrote an editorial commenting on the case of Scott Roberts, a Madison resident who is being charged with delivering heroin for bringing his girlfriend to the emergency after she overdosed. Rearick stresses harm reduction over prosecution and explains how prosecution of cases like this could discourage people from seeking medical attention for their friends.
The entire editorial is available in the Capital Times and highlights from it are below:
In a perfect world, individuals would always put saving a life over fear of personal consequences. But as we know, it's not a perfect world. In a situation where the people present are using intravenous drugs, it's hard to expect them to have clear heads about what to do in an emergency.Reasonable people can easily question the decisions made by Madison resident Scott Roberts leading up to the point at which his girlfriend overdosed on March 5. But, after the overdose, Roberts' decision to take his girlfriend to the emergency room was the right one.
Unfortunately, this effort led to scrutiny by law enforcement officials. Roberts is now facing a $35,000 fine and up to 18 1/2years in prison on a charge of delivering heroin, a controlled substance. His girlfriend has been charged with possession of heroin, likely to help encourage her to provide information about Roberts.
Our law enforcement officials continually reassure us that saving lives is their utmost priority. They claim that they almost never prosecute people who call 911 or otherwise seek medical attention in case of an overdose. But then a case like this comes along and "almost never" means nothing. Drug users see these events and realize that, yes, they are putting themselves in danger when they seek medical attention for their friends.
Our law enforcement officers and local prosecutors need to make a policy that codifies the importance of saving lives over the importance of busting drug users. Many communities around the world are employing harm-reduction measures in regard to drug policy, often with great success.
Posted by prodane at 06:17 PM