by Peter Rotter on October 20th, 2009
This a letter that I sent to various newspapers around the state. I think that it is an important enough issue that it be posted on Citizen Wausau as well.
Yesterday I wrote very angry letters to Wisconsin Legislators, especially my own, Russ Decker and Donna Seidel, and including Jerry Petrowski and a slew of others.
I investigated further and discovered that my anger and outrage had only scratched the surface. I was originally upset because they snuck a utility surcharge into the budget and used the money to pay district attorneys.
What first made me angry was my belief that the money should have gone to the woefully underfunded State Public Defender, especially those private attorneys taking assigned counsel cases (namely me).
On further investigation I discovered that the utility surcharge was
originally inserted to fund Wisconsin Works, one of the remnants of our State Assistance to the poor. At the last moment the Senate inserted the language directing all of that money to already employed and salaried attorneys for the state. This amounts to literally taking bread out of the mouths of the destitute to fatten the wallets of state attorneys. I am ashamed of myself for ever wanting any of that money. I see it now for what it is — blood money.
We should all be ashamed of ourselves for allowing this to happen.
Indigent criminal defense is constitutionally mandated, and it should be fully funded, but not by diverting money originally raised to provide other essential services for the poor.
Here is the text of the law:
30. PUBLIC BENEFIT FEES FOR WISCONSIN WORKS
Joint Finance: Require the Department of Administration to ensure that electric utilities charge customers an additional $9,139,700 annually for deposit into the public benefits fund for maintenance of effort in the Wisconsin Works program. Require DOA to include in its calculation of low-income assistance fees the collection of this additional amount. Specify that these additional fees would not be subject to the current caps, which specify that a customer may not be assessed more than the lesser of 3% or $750 per monthly bill.
Specify that this fee applies only for the 2009-11 biennium.
Senate/Legislature: Specify that this additional fee would be used to support salaries and fringe benefits for district attorney offices rather than the Wisconsin Works program.
[Act 28 Sections: 64m, 542p, 542s, 9101(1f), 9113(6x) and 9413(2x)]
by Cheryl Mathis on May 20th, 2008
Mike Morrisey, Director of Community Development for the city of Wausau, has announced his retirement, effective June 2.
Morrisey returned to work following an internal investigation that cleared him of misconduct in regards to a wrongful termination suit currently pending before the state involving a former employee.
See NewsChannel 7’s coverage of this breaking news for more information.
See retirement letter here.
Morrissey Retires
by Dino Corvino on April 14th, 2008
In case you were wondering who on the City Council is tasked with what? Well, this document should be able to answer these questions. In the past, these appointments have led to some clashes on the Council, and these might as well.
Your City government is yours though. That is something that should not be forgotten. These people are voted for by you, and for you. They are acting in a role of service, as such we should thank them. But also we need to be a part of this process.
Committee Appointments
by Andy Laub on April 4th, 2008
After a year of procrastinating, I finally had a moment to head over to the Wausau Police Station and get a license for my latest steed. I really love my bike, and it means a lot to me, so doing that little bit to help with recovery in the unfortunate event of a theft is never too much to ask.
I walked in there, checkbook in hand, ready to pay whatever fee they were asking. As it turns out, it’s free! So I had to pay $0 for a little peace of mind. As I drove (I know, I know) home, I was thinking that the local bike shops should have these forms as well. They could even fill out the relevant information (model, serial) for you when you take your new bike home to save some trouble – it could be the extra little motivation people need to get their bikes licensed.
Or maybe they do this already – do they? And also, to clarify, I’m not sure whether this is also the case in the surrounding villages. Do you know?
by Dino Corvino on January 1st, 2008
As I sit here on this New Year’s morning, lost in the love of my keyboard, I am faced with questions, and answers, and predictions, and more questions. So I thought I would jump in the pool first, and be the first idiot to take on our virtual Polar Bear Plunge of 2008. A veritable cacophony of randomness brought on by long hours of no work, loss of mental stimulation, and overall sitting still for way too long. (more…)
by Jim Rosenberg on December 23rd, 2007
So I’ve picked up a competitor in the April Fool’s Day election for the Wausau City Council. It’s no big surprise because this will be my sixth race and in that time, I’ve faced four different competitors. As the longest-serving elected official in the City of Wausau, I’ve made some very good friends and I also have what has thus far been a smaller, but dedicated group of detractors. That’s normal.
I don’t take competition lightly, since I won the seat from a 12-year incumbent myself in 1998. It’s a one-time luxury to run as a challenger, if you happen to end up winning. After that, I think it’s more about what you’ve done than what you say. I don’t make any bones about what I’ve supported over the years, including an aggressive approach to developing tax base and jobs, as well as efforts to make Wausau a more attractive and livable community for people of all ages, from many different aspects. It’s about making a difference — not holding an office.
Someone asked me about what is involved in getting on the ballot and it’s not all that complicated, but people who are interested in the spring election need to get moving quickly.
For Wausau City Council, go to the City Clerk office to pick up a packet. There are several forms to fill out which are not complicated. You can then circulate your nomination papers in your district. You only need 20-40 signatures to qualify; still very doable by the deadline to turn them in (which is the first week of January). If you live in another city, village or township, check with the respective office or you may want to inquire through the County Clerk office, which is responsible for many different local elections. For school district seats, check with the respective school district office for information about what terms may be ending.
For the Marathon County Board of Supervisors, you will need to turn in 50-100 signatures to appear on the spring ballot. Those information packets are available at the County Clerk’s office.
For a look at the forms, go to:
http://elections.state.wi.us/subcategory.asp?linksubcatid=412&locid=47
While it might not seem like a great time of year to be running around knocking on people’s doors to get signatures, you can often catch folks home between the holidays and you might even find that it’s kind of fun.
As for my own race, I don’t know a whole lot about my opponent. He had an oversized sign in his front lawn for my last competitor in 2006 and he railed on me against the re-opening of the Washington and Third Street to traffic areas several years ago. People still thank me for that project on a weekly basis and that’s something I just flat-out think he was wrong about, so the voters won’t be able to say they don’t have a stark choice in my district. They surely will.
by Dino Corvino on November 15th, 2007
I hid this at the bottom of the other post, but this time I thought I would put it right here at the top:
So, I encourage you to take a look at it. It is, at the end of the day, the budget that will, as I am told, dictate your property tax. We want to make sure it has a place of greater prominence, rather than be buried at the end of some rant I put together. (more…)
by Dino Corvino on November 14th, 2007
I am a City Council fan. I like going to the meetings, I like listening to the folks, and at the end of the day (is that my catch phrase?) I like everyone up there for the simple reason that they are leading. Yeah, some of them are not my favorites, but that is like trying to pick a favorite pizza topping. They are all good people, trying to lead the city they care about in the way they think works. Sure, the alliance or voting block is a bit upsetting, but so it goes. It is politics after all.
This post is not about them though. This post is about you, dear reader, dear commenter, dear complainer, dear curmudgeon. You who sit at home and complain that your taxes are too high, that the 400 block is a bad idea, that renaming Stewart Avenue or buying new pools is a waste of your tax dollars. You who complain that Mr. Dudley, both father and son got too much public funding to build the buildings that will end up being cornerstones of Wausau future. You who get on 550 AM morning show and accuse the Sustainable Wausau folks of being owned by the Concrete Lobby or Smart Growth weirdos from California. Heck, this post is even dedicated to Pat and Tom from that morning show. (more…)
