The argument that tax payers should provide entertainment for kids is a wash. There are countless wholesome, healthy things kids can do without going to a skating rink or whatever. Tax money should be spent on necessities. Entertainment is NOT a necessity. Let the skate parks/rinks be run by private entities. If they are making money, the parks will remain open. If they are not making money, they will close. But don't take money away from more pressing needs for something as trivial as entertainment.

Wow..reading these blogs is scary and sad. I'm sad for the future of Janesville, which by the way is it's youth/teens. Most people on the blogs I'm reading are passionate about their city and have many ideas on how to use taxpayer's money. Could the youth, whose voices are not heard here, be considered for a change? The rollerskating rink is closed, there is no rollerblading/skate park, and if Janesville decides to close the "white elephant" ice skating center simply because it needs to many costly repairs.....well then maybe a suggestion is to use the stimulus money to increase police protection and juvie detention centers and increased security for Janesville's business is in order because honestly....that's what Janesville will need if you don't focus on providing safe venues of entertainment/exercise for the youth. Can any of you bloggers give VALID suggestions on how to keep the youth of our city, that does NOT cost the hard earned money of their parents, out of trouble by providing places and opportunities for youth/teens to socialize and exercise?? Today's teens/youth have 1) movies (way out of anybody's budget) 2) cruise WalMart 3) cruise the mall, 3) cruise the streets, and 4) YMCA (again too expensive). The future of Janesville is their youth...so let's REALLY think about our future voters and invest in fixing what we already have built. Building NEW anything and not repairing what already have is, in today's economy, is silly. Let's use structures already built for opportunities/actitivies for our youth/our FUTURE.

An opportunity to tell the Council how the stimulus money should be spent:
http://yurirashkin.blogspot.com/

Stimulus money for the ice arena??? Did you read the paper today? Hufcor laying off 100 - every day there are more, and the homeless rate in Rock County? How about a larger homeless shelter to help our neighbors? We need to get back to basics.

Just remember, when the stimulus money runs out, the state will have to pick up the tab. Texas turned down the $55 million for extended unemployment benefits just for that reason. Maybe Janesville can have the $55 million that Texas rejected. Taking the money without considering the potential long term effects sounds a lot like what happened in much of the housing bubble. Where will the money come from once the stimulus cash is gone? Stimulus 2, I suppose.

Considering our children and grandchildren will be paying for this spending package with higher taxes and inflation decades from now, the money should be put into a trust fund for them to access so they try to maintain the quality of life we now have.

I think it needs to boil down to what is going to be good for the community. Infrastructure is a good investment because local workers will have jobs and we will be spending money thats given to us rather than raising taxes on us later.

Projects like the Ice Arena are great and all but in the big picture, a million dollars could be spent elsewhere. You could hire hundreds of people to weatherize older homes here in town and no cost to the property owner. The energy savings might be the difference between foreclosure and not. Not only that but you teach some of the workers a skill they can use in other jobs. Its a win/win.

Put any stimulus money received into street & bridge repairs and upgrading to energy-efficient street lights. Don't waste it on white elephants like the ice arena, bike tunnel, or skateboard park.
.
Speaking of energy efficiency, the city should redo the traffic light timing on Milton Avenue so shoppers and people passing through don't spend so much time at red lights. Move the circuit riders back downtown where everything but the bars are closed on Friday and Saturday nights.

Shadow......thanks for the link. I'm hoping that I can purchase one of these babies soon. I would assume that if we all went to this kind of power, Congress will enact a surcharge for all home owners who use such technology so that they can continue to raid our pocketbooks to fund their pet projects and pork barrel spending.

Beware what you ask for "Fillups". The GM property is probably so contaminated that it would take many millions just to dig the place up and repace the soil to make it safe. Disposing of hazardous waste is cost prohibitive for even large communities. Don't even go there with this one. Spending on the infrastructure would be great for the community to make it safe. Hopefully, the bidding process will be open and transparent for all residents of the community to see and will include caps on any and all cost overruns

Here is an Idea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efCelx7qe...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt5z8L4LB... using our currently vacated manufacturing facilities in the city,start producing these type of things for residential and commercial uses at fair and reasonable prices. Excess power can be co-oped and sold at a fair market value to others. Profits from these should greatly reduce the amount of taxes and the city could really build its infra structure, providing lots of jobs and plenty of new opportunities in related support fields. Just an idea.

I have no problem with necessary infrastructure improvements to existing stuff but am suspicious of new projects that could be the equivilant of the "bridge to nowhere". I am puzzled by statements equating fiscal responsibility as an "endorsement of more unemployment" or the attitude of "if we don't spend it someone else will". Those are the very attitudes that put us where we are. The cure for obesity is not more eating. 20-20 had a great piece last night by John Stossel on excess government spending and what it does.

Refusing the money is endorsing more unemployment. Infrastructure spending benefits not only today, but future generations. Most bridges are designed for a fifty year lifespan, for example, and many are rebuilt to last even longer than that.
.
I have nothing against a skate park per se, but I do believe the council has made it clear they will only match funds that are raised by the skate park committee. If they ever raise more than four figures, that is.

I didn't see building a skatepark on the list. If done right this could bring money into the city. For example today I am taking my step-son to Delavan to use their park and while there stop for lunch, if we had a park here that money would stay here.
If this money supports one sport group, then it should be shared by all sport groups, baseball, basketball, football and yes, skateboarders!

The idea of rejecting stimulus money probably does't sound like a good idea to those who have just lost their jobs. If we don't use the money, some other community will.

I agree with sannio that the idealistic thing to do would be to refuse the money. Realistically, with Wisconsin's adiction to government that won't happen. At a minimum I hope the council will reject any project which would require future expenditures for maintenance and personnel beyond current levels. Remember the school system has asked for six additional custodians for the additons to the high school. Beware of the trap of "free" gifts. Our multiple levels of government love to spend money received from other levels of government. They can then brag that it wasn't our tax money that paid for it. Problem Is - It is our tax money.

I think the city council should do the right thing, and reject any stimulus money. We need to take responsibility for today's problems and not push them into the future of our children. They'll have enough to contend with now that global oil production has peaked, as well as tillable land. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but it's the medicine that will help us in the long run.

Anything but a Bike tunnel under Milwaukee St.

I think priority needs to be infrastructure projects.

Wouldnt mind seeing them buy the GM plant at a bargain and tear it down as well and rehab the land it stands on.