The out of control spending spree Madison's Mayor and Common Council have passed will effect you this much:
The budget, approved by a 16-4 vote, increases tax collections 3.5 percent to $179.5 million, and raises taxes on the average $241,217 home by $98.41, or 5.08 percent.
Alds. Jed Sanborn, Judy Compton, Larry Palm and Thuy Pham-Remmele were the only members out of 20 that voted no (thank them!). The rest can be found on the following link and you can let them know of your feelings and DON'T FORGET TO TELL THEM WITH YOUR VOTE NEXT YEAR!! Find them at:
http://www.cityofmadison.com/Council/documents/2009publicroster.pdf
Now -if you live IN Madison and you want to keep track of how much your taxes are going to go up on your next property tax bill - here is the breakdown (so don't be surprised):
Madison City = $98 (5.08%)
Dane County = $48 (2.9%)
MATC scam = $34 (for next 20 years on top of the regular annual increase. See what you're getting, needlessly, below)**
Madison Metropolitan School District = $170 (245.1 million)
Total (excluding state taxes) = $350
This is more than an average car payment and likely about an 8% overall increase in an average home. Doesn't this make you angry? What do you want to do about it?! Start Now!!
Over-the-top spending by MATC:
** $43.1 million for a new health education center and clinic at the main Truax Campus.
** $21.7 million for new law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services facilities, most of which will be at Truax.
** $7.3 million for renovation and upgrades at MATC's regional campuses in Fort Atkinson, Watertown, Reedsburg and Portage.
** $16.8 million for a new west wing, plus upgrades to the current west wing, at the Truax campus to support transportation programs and advanced manufacturing programs.
** $34.2 million for classroom repairs and upgrades at the various Madison campuses.
** $10.7 million for the acquisition of property to make traffic improvements, add more parking, and update storm water and drainage systems.
Add to this the cost we will be burdened with for the Overture Center and the Central Library and the Edgewater Hotel (yes - that will and IS costing you because the TIF districts around it and for it take tax funds away from the pool so the decrease falls on YOU to pay for it). Mayor Dave mentions in his budget cover letter that "room tax revenues are projected to be down for 2011". Why are we so focused on rebuilding the Edgewater????
One final thought (and you need to tell the mayor about how you feel) is that our debt hole continues to deepen under Mayor Dave:
Madison's budgeted borrowing is more than three times as much as it was 10 years ago, raising questions about whether its debt payments now and in the future threaten spending on police, snow plowing and other basic services. Read more at - http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_a5d5f42c-bea0-11df-9006-001cc4c002e0.html
START NOW!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Important Contact Links for YOUR Elected Representatives
Important websites for you to go to to contact your elected officials: Start Now!
http://www.cityofmadison.com/council/documents/2009publicroster.pdf
U.S. House of Reps: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
U.S. Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Wisconsin Legislature: http://legis.wisconsin.gov/
Or click on the title for a comprehensive Stae and US listing.
http://www.cityofmadison.com/council/documents/2009publicroster.pdf
U.S. House of Reps: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
U.S. Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Wisconsin Legislature: http://legis.wisconsin.gov/
Or click on the title for a comprehensive Stae and US listing.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
This is How The Madison Common Council Celebrates Wasting YOUR Money!!
Contact your council member and the mayor and let them know that they should not be celebrating spending/wasting hard working Madison resident's money!!!
Invite e-mail to an after budget party reads:
Subject: Council After Budget Party!
Please join Ald. Mark Clear Council President,
and ALD. Laren Cnare, Council Pro Tem,
at Madison's 119 King Street Immediately Following Adoption
of the City's 2011 Budget!
Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 6:48 PM
To: Bidar-Sielaff, Shiva; Bruer, Tim; Clausius, Joe; Clear, Mark; Cnare, Lauren; Compton, Judy; Eagon, Bryon; Kerr, Julia; King, Steve; Maniaci, Bridget; Palm, Larry; Pham-Remmele, Thuy; Rhodes-Conway,Satya; Rummel, Marsha; Sanborn, Jed; Schmidt, Chris; Schumacher, Michael; Skidmore, Paul; Solomon, Brian; Verveer, Mike
Cc: Cieslewicz, Dave; Harmon, Ray; Klein, Chris; Mendoza, Mario; Piraino, Janet; Statz, Andrew; Strauch-Nelson, Rachel; All Agency Heads; Berg, Elena; Phelps, Jean
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Let The Bush Tax Cuts Expire For The Wealthy!
If we let the Bush tax cuts expire for the wealthy (or for those making over $300,000 per year) we can balance the budget / reduce the deficit within 5 years! CONTACT your congressman/woman today and tell them to let the Bush tax cuts expire for the wealthy!
The other options they are trying to pass onto middle class Americans to balance the budget is to increase the retirement age to 68 or 69, increase Medicare and Medicaid costs, and eliminate the property tax credit on homeowners. These are just a FEW of the items the new congress is trying to push through and middle class Americans should not have to bear the cost or burden of more sacrificing because congress decided to be irresponsible with tax cuts and spending (republicans and democrats alike).
Please ACT NOW!!
The other options they are trying to pass onto middle class Americans to balance the budget is to increase the retirement age to 68 or 69, increase Medicare and Medicaid costs, and eliminate the property tax credit on homeowners. These are just a FEW of the items the new congress is trying to push through and middle class Americans should not have to bear the cost or burden of more sacrificing because congress decided to be irresponsible with tax cuts and spending (republicans and democrats alike).
Please ACT NOW!!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Recovering From Nov 2nd - Voters Choose Based on Emotion Rather Than Logic
The elction is over and the predictions were right/close. Nationally - we will be thrown back to where we were two years ago or will the republican house and speaker create more gridlock than the last two years? I don't know how this would be possible since the party of "NO" is just bigger - not better.
Locally, My biggest surprise was the choice of Brett Hulsey as representative of the 77th District (WI). Hulsey's actions have proven him untrustworthy and were even identified by the very man he replaced, Spencer Black. Manski Ran a clean, honest campaign without making up quotes or elected supporters such as Black, Baldwin, Feingold. I hope we make a better decision in the next election.
The other disappointment came from the approval of the MATC referendum (scam) that is going to cost property owners $50 - $75 every year for the next 10 years - and - that is only part ONE of the project. It now will cost the average property owner in Madison 10% more in property taxes over last year when all the taxing authorities are accounted for (City of Madison, Dane County, MMSD, MATC, State).
Some confidential sources who work at or with MATC have told me the following:
Locally, My biggest surprise was the choice of Brett Hulsey as representative of the 77th District (WI). Hulsey's actions have proven him untrustworthy and were even identified by the very man he replaced, Spencer Black. Manski Ran a clean, honest campaign without making up quotes or elected supporters such as Black, Baldwin, Feingold. I hope we make a better decision in the next election.
The other disappointment came from the approval of the MATC referendum (scam) that is going to cost property owners $50 - $75 every year for the next 10 years - and - that is only part ONE of the project. It now will cost the average property owner in Madison 10% more in property taxes over last year when all the taxing authorities are accounted for (City of Madison, Dane County, MMSD, MATC, State).
Some confidential sources who work at or with MATC have told me the following:
Barhorst has, from day one, been trying to transform MATC from a vocational/tech
institution to, IMO, a liberal arts college, a petit Oberlin or Huntington. She doesn't
even like the words 'vocational/technical', hence the rename and new logo that tries
to purge the icky 'technical'. I say 'tries' because I note that there seem to be college
staff who maybe make a subtle point by saying/writing 'Madison College' or 'MATC'.
As in where do they stand, maybe?
A colleague noted that Barhorst just loooves going on about
A colleague noted that Barhorst just loooves going on about
rather fluffy UWish liberal arts things, and ignores anything to do with, in two cases,
construction trades and fire safety...
An Employee of the college had this to say:
Please vote against this referendum. I have personal knowledge of the
wasteful spending practices of MATC. Currently they are asking for money to
expand their programs in protective services. I recently discontinued teaching
wasteful spending practices of MATC. Currently they are asking for money to
expand their programs in protective services. I recently discontinued teaching
for many reasons.
The area stakeholders including law enforcement agencies, fire and
EMS are all dissatisfied with the operations of MATC and have actually left
the system going to other institutions like Blackhawk Techinical College
even though it is a travel. This means that they are doing their trainings
elsewhere and are not looking to hire from MATC. The dean of protective
services was recently let go for many reasons and the entire department is
in turmoil. It is almost fraudulent for MATC to ask for more funding when
their basic functioning is in such disarray. I have personally communicated
with the VP, Terry Webb, at the college and my impression is that this is a
bureaucratic mess with no one really prepared to make tough decisions. The
president of the college has also been notified of these issues via direct
letters from community stakeholders and yet the problems continue to be
ignored. Please tell others to vote NO.
EMS are all dissatisfied with the operations of MATC and have actually left
the system going to other institutions like Blackhawk Techinical College
even though it is a travel. This means that they are doing their trainings
elsewhere and are not looking to hire from MATC. The dean of protective
services was recently let go for many reasons and the entire department is
in turmoil. It is almost fraudulent for MATC to ask for more funding when
their basic functioning is in such disarray. I have personally communicated
with the VP, Terry Webb, at the college and my impression is that this is a
bureaucratic mess with no one really prepared to make tough decisions. The
president of the college has also been notified of these issues via direct
letters from community stakeholders and yet the problems continue to be
ignored. Please tell others to vote NO.
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