Both Sides of the Fence - All Comments

re: Looking up

OHmom — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:59:21 GMT

Awesome post. I agree with Doug... your writing is eloquent and thoughtful.

Many of us get "stuck" in the here and now of small things that don't matter so much in the long run... how important to look up and ahead and far into the distance to where you want to be in the future.

re: Looking up

Christine McLaughlin — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:51:28 GMT

Tom, dude; in the far distant reaches of my mind where Monty Python resides, all I'm remembering is that I, like Jesus, am a Capricorn.

And thanks, Doug and Tosaville, for kind words. As to the dog poop, I wear rubber boots and am impervious. . .

re: Looking up

Thomas — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:03:19 GMT

Very nice Christine.

Tom

BTW - you wouldn't be a Monty Python's Life of Brian fan would you?

re: Looking up

Doug Sprague — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:10:22 GMT

Christine-

I don't know what kind of work you are looking for but I think you certainly have outstanding writing skills. Great post. Keep looking up, but be mindful of the dog poop too.

re: Looking up

tosaville — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:36:02 GMT

Beautiful thoughts, beautifully written. Your prescription for getting through is exactly how I have survived the last eight years + a lot of deep breathing. Please keep writing and "figuring things out."

re: People first, then property

Christine McLaughlin — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:16:15 GMT

Wow, thanks for your wonderful comments, Marco and Tosaville.

re: People first, then property

tosaville — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:40:27 GMT

All good points, Christine. The more I watch and listen, the more I think that even at the highest levels, most people are still kind of making it up as they go along. You read, you study, you call in the experts, and then you just go with what seems best at the time. The best voters can do is to get a sense of which candidate is the most honest or, if you're a glass-half-empty sort, the least dishonest. The polls on Milwaukee's near north and near south sides will be in need of extra volunteers. I wonder which political party will have the greatest number of people on hand to help out in those areas? What would Jesus do? What would Bill Gates do? What would Karl Rove do?

re: People first, then property

marco — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:34:35 GMT

I agree with you that the debates have become mundane and not very enlightening. It seems everyone is looking for the mistake that will be spread across the "talking head" channels--they have to have something to talk about to justify their salaries--or the internet.

The job situation will not get appreciably better for a long time since the financial mess now seems to be global in nature. The global nature of the problem will hinder any efforts at job creation-the republicans are probably feverishly looking for some fresh proposal.

I do not think you will see the two words "tax" and "increase" put together by Congress for at least the first year of the new administration if not two years. It will depend on the severity and length of the downturn. No one is going to tell us until after November 4 that all these new program proposals are going to have to be delayed until some future time.

re: To WEDC or not to WEDC: that is the $95,000 question

Calling it as I see it — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:10:38 GMT

Wow, a LINK. Yippee. I am sure you read all the footnotes in a book instead of the actual text. That totally excuses everything.

As long as you know you are a blatherer.

You're correct, it's easier to only question, criticize, and *** at those who live in our community and step up to the plate rather than help them seek answers and be part of the solution.

re: To WEDC or not to WEDC: that is the $95,000 question

Christine McLaughlin — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:33:14 GMT

Calling It, I included the link to the WEDC site in my blog.

I'm flattered that you think I know all the answers, but I'm much better at raising questions. It's much easier.

None of us here has "earned our pulpit." We are self-appointed blatherers. You too can speak from this vantage point if you want to, just by e-mailing Mark Maley.

re: To WEDC or not to WEDC: that is the $95,000 question

Christine McLaughlin — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:27:59 GMT

Pete, I though you were asking what the city would do if they transferred the $95,000 that now pays for WEDCs administrative expenses to their own budget. It's the CITY that would hire consultants, not WEDC.

re: To WEDC or not to WEDC: that is the $95,000 question

Calling it as I see it — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:20:48 GMT

"To find out what WEDC has accomplished, you should probably go to their website and talk to them, Calling It."

I could, but a writer who wants to deliver an intelligent, well-constructed argument instead of cheap-shot personal attacks would include that information in her article.

Since you know all the answers, how about you run for alderwoman or seek an appointment to the appropriate board instead of taking shots from the cheap seats? Its this kind of mindless ranting that probably keeps many reasonable, thoughtful people from serving their community in these positions, why would they want to put up with a bitter old hag who has done nothing to earn her pulpit than email the guy who runs the website.

re: To WEDC or not to WEDC: that is the $95,000 question

Peter Hart — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:53:08 GMT

"What the city would get for $95,000 (and the additional money requested) is the ability to hire consultants to do the work of 1) writing new zoning regs, something that needs to be done; and 2) the other work of helping developers through the process. I think."

I don't understand we hire WEDC (consultants) to hire consultants??

re: To WEDC or not to WEDC: that is the $95,000 question

Ploopder — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:48:32 GMT

i heard mayor didier on wuwm the other day during the lake effect suburban mayor series. she has no vision- zero- none. when asked about crime and business development on north avenue she said (paraphrasing) "we (the city) have to discuss opportunities with business so that they can take advantage of the opportunities there". what?! is that a strategy? please tell me- or more importantly the businesses- exactly what those opportunities are and what action items we can implement to get things rolling! i've heard nothing but empty happy-talk... sigh...

re: To WEDC or not to WEDC: that is the $95,000 question

Tosamom — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:19:33 GMT

I find the analogy to the van ride interesting. Imagine Mayor Jill careening down the highway with no map (no plan). A good road map (plan) would help her avoid dead ends, bumpy roads, no thru streets and the dangerous road ending with a sign "Bridge Out."

re: To WEDC or not to WEDC: that is the $95,000 question

Old Tosan — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:00:17 GMT

Christine nailed it (well done): Mauer, Welsh, Maher, and Purins could easily solve this. Only change: let them do it alone rather than in Mayor Jill's van. She makes Sarah Palin look really ready for prime time.

For the record: Old Tosan is a life long Republican.

re: To WEDC or not to WEDC: that is the $95,000 question

Christine McLaughlin — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 01:21:28 GMT

Thanks for sharing your comments with us, too, CQ.

re: To WEDC or not to WEDC: that is the $95,000 question

CQSKENT — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:03:10 GMT

Great report, I sent the following comments to Alderman Maher:

I sat through the 4 hr. discussion in the 9/25 Budget and Finance and do not wish to repeat opinions or ideas discussed as I think just about everything that could be said on the subject was discussed at great length. I do have one question, however, that wasn't discussed or brought up and to me it was an obvious question or observation:

We have a Community Development department that has professional and certified planners on staff, and we have a WEDC board made up of individuals who have a great deal of experience and interest in economic development. Why do we need a $30,000 study by a consultant to tell us what is the best model for economic development? Why has a department that has asked for additional staff for several years not developed a detail plan to use these additional resources? If they are certified and have extensive experience in the field I would hope they would know what the needs are and how to fulfill them.

I find it hard to believe that between the WEDC board and city planning staff we cannot, on our own:

1. Develop a listing of economic development needs and issues.

2. Identify what actions or programs are required to fill these needs.

3. Agree on who is/should be responsible for what.

4. Evaluate current Community Development activities and tasks,

- which are adding value, which are not.

- which are redundant or can be assumed by other departments or

personnel to free up planning staff time.

5. Identify additional resources needed and where best to put these

resources

Economic Development is more then revising zoning or handing out money to attract/assist new development or redevelopment. The greatest need from my perspective, having recently gone thru the redevelopment process, is one of culture and environment change within city hall to make Wauwatosa "business friendly". Handing out grants does not change this. Without exception, anyone who has been thru this development process or has investigated opening a business has several horror stories related to their contacts with the city. We need to change the culture from one that says "no you can't do that" to one that says "how can I help you".

re: To WEDC or not to WEDC: that is the $95,000 question

Christine McLaughlin — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:43:03 GMT

To find out what WEDC has accomplished, you should probably go to their website and talk to them, Calling It.

re: To WEDC or not to WEDC: that is the $95,000 question

Calling it as I see it — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:45:31 GMT

What has WEDC accomplished with our $95K? I do not find that information in your opinion column that is simply a set up to bash people she doesn't like and gain cheap praise from her friends.