P.O. Box 1222, Madison, WI 53701 | www.prodane.org | office@prodane.org | (608) 257-4985
This summer, PD's membership set its policy agenda for Madison and Dane County for the coming year. The priorities included three county and four city issues. Recognizing the efforts of the PD policy committee, our hard working issue taskforces and our endorsed elected officials, we’ve made real progress on several of our top issues.
At the county level:
Environmental Issues
Thanks to leadership from County Supervisor Kyle Richmond, PD's top two Dane County environmental issues look to be early wins. Manure digesters, which promote rural economic development and help protect the environment, will be studied by the county in the coming year using funds from an environmental impact fee and the Dane County Agriculture Advisory Council. The Conservation Fund, which protects habitat, open space, and recreational areas around the county, was funded at $5 million in the County Executive’s budget, set for debate by the full County Board this fall.
The Environmental Task Force plans to move ahead on other issues and is eager for your ideas. The next ETF meeting is Tuesday, November 8th at 6:30 pm at the Social Justice Center. For
Land Use Issues
PD Policy Committee members Amy Westra and Ron Richardson convened a kickoff meeting with people interested in working on Land Use issues (many formerly of People First Planning) on September 12th. The group decided to first look at mineral extraction overlay districts in the County Comprehensive Planning process to show where quarries can and should be sited. "Citizens and developers alike should know where the future quarries will be placed so that development can be planned around appropriately placed sites," said Amy Westra, point person for the Land Use group. "This will help avoid unnecessary turmoil like the situation that the Village of Brooklyn just experienced."
The Land Use group met again in mid October to work through ideas and do strategic planning and organizing to support this initiative. After that, the group plans to help propose legislation that protects green space and farmland while preventing urban sprawl.
Human Services
Human Services make up over half the county's budget. With need increasing and funds from the County decreasing in real dollars, the ever-contentious battle to adequately fund the human services budget is underway. Currently proposed budget changes and layoffs in the W-2 program would slash funding and service for Dane County’s most vulnerable residents. PD members have been working closely with SOS Dane, the Policy Committee and PD-endorsed County Supervisors to plan a strategy for this year’s budget fight. "We want to remind the County Board that, after years of erosion and not matching true inflationary realities with funding, social services are yet more strained, said Nick Berigan, Progressive Dane Steering Committee Member. ”The only way Dane County can still credibly say we're the best in the state is by noting that the rest of the state is in much worse shape than we are."
Join us at the public hearing on the county budget Monday, October 24th at 7:00 p.m. in Room 201 of the City-County Building.
At the city level:
Economic Development Issues
The Economic Issues Task Force (EITF) has made tremendous strides towards success on this critical area of City policy. Most recently, the Task Force worked hard on a list of proposals to benefit small, locally-owned businesses. Several proposals have been developed; the following were formally adopted by the GMM in September as specific goals for PD to pursue:
* Amending city purchasing policies to favor local businesses
* Increasing micro-lending opportunities
* Encouraging small businesses to buy their store-fronts
* Creating a transportation pool for small businesses
* Expanding the facade improvement grants program
* Requiring Economic Impact Statements detailing how new development will affect small businesses
* Helping businesses deal with problems caused by road construction
* Notifying tenants/businesses (in addition to the building owner) of construction and other projects in their area
* Promoting use of TIF for small businesses
* Encouraging the creation of small business incubator space
* Creating a health care purchasing pool
"Progressive Dane has long recognized the community and economic value of supporting local business," said Vicky Selkowe, co-chair of Progressive Dane’s Economic Issues Task Force, who also noted that the proposals have already received support from some key members of the business community and favorable media coverage.
The Task Force, which introduced this list to the public late last month, will host a forum at 5:30 pm on November 10th at the Villager Mall to gather input from small business owners and other stakeholders. All are welcome to come and participate. From there, the Task Force plans to prioritize the list and to request that they be formally drafted as city ordinance amendments.
The Task Force is also busy continuing its work to reform the City's TIF policies. EITF members will continue to speak to city committees, neighborhood associations and others about the importance of comprehensive TIF reforms that promote accountability, transparency and community benefits. Additionally, the EITF is continuing to build a relationship with the Allied Drive Neighborhood Association. The EITF meets the 4th Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the Social Justice Center and always welcomes new energy.
Transportation Policy
A group that officially became the Transportation Task Force at the August GMM actively campaigned over the summer against bus fare increases at Transportation and Parking Commission meetings and before the City Council. “Through swift and effective organizing on this issue, we were able to hold the cash fare at $1.50,” said Progressive Dane's Transportation Task Force Chair Mike Barrett. “However, we were disappointed that the commission recommended increased monthly and quick ticket passes.”
The TTF is currently focusing on fighting service cuts and monitoring the implementation of a $40,000 program (proposed in the Mayor's budget) to assist low-income riders especially hard hit by this year’s fare increase.
Clean Elections, Neighborhood Support
Alder Austin King plans to introduce an ordinance to publicly fund city elections. A group will begin meeting on this in the next few months.
The membership also voted to improve neighborhood planning and support by working to create a Westside planning council, a city-supported Office of Neighborhood Support and continuing work on Madison’s Comprehensive Plan. The Policy Committee recently put out a call to members to get involved in this issue, especially PD members in near Westside neighborhood associations.
"It's great to see Progressive Dane volunteers, elected officials and numerous organizations come together to make these progressive initiatives become a reality. We know that when we look back, we’ll be able to say that our work made Madison and Dane County a better place to live," said Michael Jacob, a member of Progressive Dane's Policy Committee.
Posted by prodane at 06:53 PM
Progressive Dane is looking for volunteers to help with 2 initiatives we recently signed onto; The Healthy Families, Healthy City Campaign and the Bring Our Troops Home Campaign.
The former will seek to enact an ordinance requiring that all employees in the city of Madison have access to sick leave. The latter will send the sense of the community (along with other Wisconsin communities!) that our troops should be brought home from Iraq immediately.
There are concrete ways to help these two important efforts.
The Healthy Families, Healthy City Campaign will be going door-top-door in swing alder districts to build support on Thursdays evenings, Saturdays and Sundays. At this point, we are seeking interested folks to help with details to follow. Two door to door canvasses are planned: one on Saturday, November 5th and the other on Sunday, November 13. Please contact Progressive Dane to volunteer.
The Bring Our Troops Home campaign is canvassing to collect petition signatures to put the question of withdrawal to a local referendum on the April ballot. At this point, there are just a couple of weeks and 4-5000 signatures that are still needed. Now that the big summer/fall outside events are behind us, we can most effectively collect the needed signatures at the door. One volunteer noted that she was getting 75% of the folks she visited to sign.
There are canvas routes available west, near west, and east (district 15) areas that are currently being canvassed. The best way to hookup with this effort is to attend the canvas sendoff from EVP Coffee (orange building on the corner of Baldwin and E Wash) on Sunday the 23rd and Sunday the 30th, from 10 am to noon to get materials and training. More details are available by clicking here.
Posted by prodane at 05:16 AM
Progressive Dane is electing a new steering committee at our upcoming General Membership Meeting. Below are the profiles for candidates who have been nominated and accepted their nominations. It's not to late to run for Steering Committee. Just show up at the Meeting on October 26th at the downtown public library and you can be nominated from the floor and elected.
Here are the candidates:
Amy Westra
I've been a member of PD since January of 2005. I got my start while running for a short time for city council in district 3. After that I was the Volunteer Coordinator for the Nitzel Campaign. I am currently an active member of the elections and policy committees. I am also heading up the county land use group.
Shelley M. Fite
I am happy to accept the nomination for steering committee, with the caveat that I am moving to Milwaukee next August. I will maintain my membership, but can't complete my term. I was the PD staffer from Aug. 2002 to Aug. 2003. I was on the SC from Oct. 2003 until June of 2005. I am committed to PD, to the success of the SC, and--as a former staffer--am particularly interested in helping Laura continue to get acquainted with the job.
Mary Anglim
I'm a long-time PD member, treasurer, steering committee member, and
(briefly) co-chair. PD has more centers of energy and activity than ever before. That's exciting, but if we are to expand our membership and maintain transparent, member-driven decision-making, we need coordination more than ever, too. Ensuring PD's communication and coordination is the Steering Committee's job, and I think I can help with that.
Julie Spears
I'm a long-time progressive activist who found my new political home in PD when I moved to Madison last August. I volunteered for Lori Nitzel's campaign, am an active member of the Policy Committee and regularly attend PD's city caucus. I'm a housing resource specialist at the Tenant Resource Center.
Brenda Konkel
The good, the bad and the ugly. You know me. Member of the steering committee and co-chair of the party off and on for the past 6 or 7 years. Endorsed by the party three times. Looking forward to continuing to work with the membership to keep this City great.
Yogesh Chawla
I have been a SC member for the last year. During my first year, I have helped to completely rewrite the PD web site, started an online donation/membership program, start a PD 'blog', contributed many newsletter articles, and was one of the main organizers of the PD counter inaugural celebration "Keep Hope Alive Globally, Act Locally". I also served as a PD spokesperson making the following appearances: live TV interviews on News 3 and "For The Record", radio interviews on 92.1 the Mic, and newspaper interviews with the Badger Herald and Core Weekly.
I look forward to another term on the Steering Committee and focusing on membership and further developing PD's internal infrastructure.
Satya Rhodes-Conway
I joined PD while managing Lori Nitzel's campaign for City Council. I’ve since become involved in the Policy and Elections Committees and the Environmental Task Force. Professionally, I'm a progressive policy wonk with a science background. You can easily spot me in a meeting - I’m the one knitting.
Vicky Selkowe
I'm a poverty lawyer and community activist who also co-chairs PD's Economic Issues Task Force and am a leader of the Healthy Families, Healthy City campaign to get all workers paid sick leave. I've been on the SC since last year.
Posted by prodane at 06:35 PM
Progressive Dane's "Transportation Task Force" will have its first get-together at Mother Fool's next Thursday. This will be a very informal little strategizing session.
What: Our first official face-to-face meeting
Where: Mother Fools Coffeehouse 1101 Williamson
When: Thursday, 27 October, 2005, 7 PM
Who: You. And anyone else concerned about cleaner, cheaper, and more neighborly ways of getting around
Why: Budget battles are raging, and, as predicted, Metro plans to continue to slash bus service even more.
Meanwhile, check back here for some transportation-related documents over the next week for brainstorming purposes.
Posted by prodane at 06:15 PM
The State Journal continues to obsessively editorialize about Progressive Dane. Co-chairs Mary Anglim and John McNamara along with Economic Issues Task Force Co-Chair Vicky Selkowe set the facts straight.
From Vicky Selkowe
There's a little bit of Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz going on with your anti-PD editorials. Your editorial board seems to be clicking its heels three times and repeating over and over, 'PD is anti-business,' in hopes that it becomes the truth. Thankfully, we think Madison's residents and your readers are smarter than that. We're willing to bet they will look behind the WSJ curtains and the unsubstantiated mantra and instead look at the facts.
Fact: PD recently worked with small business owners and other stakeholders to develop and release a set of proposals to support small, locally-owned businesses in Madison and Dane County. This list includes city and county purchasing plans that favor local businesses, creating a transportation pool for smaller employers, helping businesses deal with problems caused by road construction, and encouraging the creation of small business incubator space.
Fact: In June, PD unveiled a similarly thoughtful and well-received package of reforms to the City's Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) program to promote public accountability and oversight, increase the use of TIF dollars for small businesses, and ensure that developers receiving these taxpayer subsidies provide meaningful benefits back to the community.
Also a fact: PD's platform reveals quite clearly that we certainly prioritize issues facing our community's most vulnerable and lowest-income residents more highly than issues benefiting the deepest pocket developers and big business interests. PD supported raising the minimum wage, advocated for more affordable housing, and is now proud to stand with the coalition of twenty-six other organizations (including the Dane County Democrats) that supports the Healthy Families, Healthy City campaign for paid sick leave. We believe these proposals help the entire community, including businesses, by strengthening our economy and making Madison a better place to live and work. We're not in Kansas anymore. We're in Madison, where we can promote both a healthy economy and healthy workers and where we're going to keep putting forth thoughtful proposals that respond to real people's needs.
From Mary Anglim and John McNamara
As the Irish poet Brendan Behan said, "There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary." Progressive Dane therefore welcomes the Wisconsin State Journal's Oct. 11 editorial, in which PD looks to be still going strong.
You covered our opposition to watering down the law that required lobbyists to disclose their activities, our support of a proposal to provide Madison workers with paid sick leave, and our objections to an executive budget proposal that values an arbitrary percentage increase more than principles. Thanks! Probably inadvertently, your editorial included a few mistakes:
-We never advocate kicking or punching. In fact, PD's recently-released small business initiatives are intended to help local employers become stronger and more stable in the face of big business competition. Hear more at our forum at 6 p.m., Nov. 10, at the Villager Mall.
-Mayor Dave Cieslewicz was never "our own" mayor. We are happy to have him as a member. But he did not seek our endorsement in 2003, and we did not give it. (Neither, for that matter, did the WSJ.) Future endorsements are never guaranteed. In 2007, like the State Journal, we'll evaluate the candidates. Maybe we'll endorse one, but only if he or she wants our support, the candidate's vision matches ours, and our members vote to commit their energies to the campaign.
-Your editorial suggests PD is losing power. Only time will tell, but we've been around since 1992 and we don't think grass-roots democracy is going out of style any time soon. Besides, what other local citizen group is thinking as hard as we are and putting forth as many thoughtful, pragmatic, detailed proposals about city services, revenues, social justice issues and access to government?
The above LTE was printed was printed in the State Journal. Vicky Selkowe's LTE has not been printed (we will update our web site if they print it).
Posted by prodane at 05:40 PM
LTE printed in the Capital Times
Dear Editor:
County Executive Kathleen Falk should be commended for budgeting $5 million for land conservation in her 2006 budget. This level of funding shows her commitment to preserving open space and protecting Dane County's environment. It shows foresight and good planning as well, since land prices are increasing anywhere between 10 and 60 percent per year.
The conservation fund, which is used to acquire lands detailed in the Parks and Open Space Plan, was created with the support of 75 percent of voters after a 1999 referendum. Increasing its funding now allows the county to better fulfill the will of the voters by protecting more land.
Land is only bought from willing sellers, and is often bought in partnership with local governments and nonprofits. These partnerships mean that the county often bears as little as 25 percent of project costs, and is able to buy land at an average of 40 percent of the appraised value.
We hope that county supervisors will support this level of funding and allow the Conservation Fund to continue to provide recreational opportunities and protect our valuable natural resources for all of Dane County's citizens.
-Chairman Brett Schumacher, Julian Zelazny, Ron Richardson, Satya Rhodes-Conway, Michael Simons, Gary Giorgi, Progressive Dane Environmental Task Force
Posted by prodane at 05:13 PM
Progressive Dane has an action packed general membership meeting in late September, Progressive Dane members weighed in on the following topics:
1. Mayoral appearance. Mayor Cieslewicz spoke about his upcoming operating budget. Madison has budget strains because of city expansion, revenue shifts from state revenue sharing to local property taxes, and increasing costs (e.g., fuel, health insurance, retirement contributions). To keep up with existing service levels, the mayor projects a $10+ plus million spending increase.
Until a day or two ago, the city believed that state law limited property tax increases to 4.1%, leaving the city about $4 million short in its existing budget. The mayor based his 2006 budget plans on that figure. Recent state clarifications on how the increase should be calculated results in a permitted increase of 7.4%. However, the mayor wants to keep tax increases at the 4.1% to prove that local governments can be fiscally responsible and to guard against possible future cut-backs by the state legislature.
Questions from members zeroed in on whether, now that the state law permits it, increases in tax levies beyond 4.1% should be considered to fund essential services. Mayor Dave declined, preferring to stick to the 4.1% increase, citing possible changes in state law and his wish to show that local governments can be frugal. He stated that his operating budget (due for release on October 11) would include pain, but not excruciating agony.
Members also pressed the mayor on his failure to support the proposal for paid sick leave that is being forwarded by a coalition of labor, political, and faith-based organizations. As member Pat Kelly said, "This proposal is at the heart of what Progressive Dane is all about." The mayor agreed that it is a good idea but believes that the time is not right for him to support it.
2. Small Business Initiatives Proposal. The membership approved the proposals as outlined in the newsletter by a vote of 23/0. For more information see the September newsletter. Look for information about a town hall meeting on this subject soon!
3. Sick Leave Proposal. A wide coalition of labor, political, and faith-based organizations have crafted a proposal to require local employers to grant up to 9 paid days of sick leave to their employees. PD members and alders have been active in this effort. The membership unanimously approved joining the coalition working on this issue.
4. Elections coming! In October, PD will elect next year’s steering committee. Nominations were accepted this month and will be accepted in October also. At the September meeting, all current members of the Steering Committee were nominated. These are: Lisa Subeck, John MacNamara, Lukas Diaz, Pat Kelly, Vicky Selkowe, Nick Berigan, Yogesh Chawla, and Mary Anglim
Others nominated were: Marcia Rummel, Shelley Fite, Amy Westra, Brenda Konkel, Satya Rhodes-Conway, and Julie Spears.
5. Candidate Agreement. The Elections Committee is seeking guidance from the membership about our candidate agreement. Members concurred that we should have a candidate agreement, that the agreement should be signed, and that the non-endorsement provision, which asks endorsed candidates to refrain from public support of other candidates not endorsed by Progressive Dane, should be mandatory or at least optional. The Elections Committee will continue to work on the final form of the agreement and will present a proposal in October.
6. Referendum on Bringing U.S. Troops Home from Iraq. The membership voted unanimously to support this referendum proposed by the Madison Area Peace Coalition. The steering committee will determine how PD maps and other resources will be made available for this effort.
Posted by prodane at 10:49 PM
According to the State Journal, Pigs are flying and Hell is freezing over because "some in Madison's business community are applauding a new initiative by the leftist, grass-roots political party Progressive Dane."
The new initiative was developed by Progressive Dane’s Economic Issues Taskforce (EITF), with input and support from area small business owners and workers and was approved by the PD GMM last month. We’ll be hosting a meeting with small businesses and other interested parties to gather feedback on the following ideas:
- Amending City Purchasing Policies to Favor Local Businesses: Each additional dollar that circulates locally boosts local economic activity, employment, and ultimately tax revenue.
- Increasing Micro-lending Opportunities: Support low-income workers who want to start a small business by increasing funding for existing microlending programs and creating new ones.
- Encouraging Small Businesses to Buy Their Store-fronts: Buying property protects businesses from rent increases, promotes stability, provides tax advantages and allows businesses to recover their investments should they relocate.
- Creating a Transportation Pool for Small Businesses: By allowing employers to buy bus passes at a discount similar to that which big employers are given, Madison can encourage use of the Metro system, increasing Metro’s revenue, and help smaller businesses provide an employee perk at discounted rate.
- Allowing some portion of Facade Improvement Grants to be used by locally-owned small businesses, and possibly allowing them to be used for interior improvements.
- Requiring proposals for new developments to include Economic Impact Statements detailing how they will affect small businesses.
- Helping businesses deal with problems caused by road construction perhaps by creating a City Ombudsperson position to help businesses navigate city processes.
- Establishing a process for notifying tenants/businesses (in addition to the building owner) of construction and other projects in their area.
- Promoting use of TIF for small businesses – perhaps through "small cap" TIDs where some of the increment within an existing TID can be set aside specifically for small business enhancement.
- Encouraging the creation of small business incubator space, such as shared office space.
- Creating a health care purchasing pool to make insurance accessible for small businesses.
So far, these proposals have received very positive reviews from the business community:
Susan Schmitz, president of Downtown Madison Inc., a diverse group that promotes business and other interests in the central city, said the initiative "is definitely a change, in terms of PD versus the business community."Obviously, they've been talking to small business and listening," Schmitz said. "That's a good thing. I don't think it's the end of disagreements. But it's OK to disagree. It's OK to come from different places."
Sandi Torkildson, owner of a Room of One's Own Bookstore and former president of the Greater State Street Business Association, who opposed PD on the minimum wage and lobbying, said she helped forge some of the proposals and applauded the party for reaching out.
"I think they are sincere in wanting to help small, locally owned business thrive in Madison," she said.
Torkildson said she's especially enthused about the potential to condo-ize business spaces, which would protect businesses from rent spikes and stabilize small, local enterprises. She also liked the proposal to create an insurance pool.
"I don't go to a single business meeting where merchants don't talk about affordability of health insurance," she said. "Small businesses feel like they're living on the edge."
Stephanie Rearick, owner of Mother Fool’s coffeehouse, noted, "These ideas are working in other areas of the country. They are cost-effective for small business and will actually improve the city’s bottom line, as they promote sustainable economic development."
PD looks forward to working on these initiatives to make Madison and Dane County and even better place for small and local businesses.
Posted by prodane at 10:29 PM
PD welcomes Mary Anglim as co-chair. Brenda Konkel recently stepped down so she could focus more of her time on policy work. Brenda is still very active with Progressive Dane and we thank for her years of committed service as co-chair.
Mary Anglim has served as PD treasurer for more than ten years. She grew up in Chicago and moved to Madison in 1971 to teach French history. She recently retired after 29 years of state service as a policy analyst, library paraprofessional, and teacher. She has been active in neighborhood associations and her AFSCME local and has been a member of the PD steering committee off and on for several years. Her goal for PD is to make sure that it sets an example of democratic
operation.
"For me, the most important thing about PD is its emphasis on open processes. Over the years, PD's leaders have struggled to realize that value. We want our members to be able to see how the party's decisions are made, and to participate in making them. Good process isn't easy, because every lesson in our culture pushes the other way--toward fast and marketable decisions by a few. It's something that we have to reinvent almost daily."
Posted by prodane at 09:01 PM