On City staff: New rules would likely improve rental properties

Posted on February 9 at 12:34 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

If we're going to make the landlords responsible for maintaining their units, there should be equal responsibilities for the tennents to do their part as well.

Without controls for both parties, this could give renters the ability to trash the properity and the landlord responsible to clean up after them.

On Wis. DNR encourages e-cycling of old electronics

Posted on December 28 at 8:45 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

partarican1, In addition to URT, who frequently charge to recycle electronics, there is also Green Industries on Jackson St. near Delvan Dr, accross from the old GM plant.

On Are financial woes relevant in local politics?

Posted on September 2 at 6:46 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

THIS IS NOT MEANT TO INFER IN ANY WAY MR RASKIN IS ANYTHING BUT AN EXCEPTIONAL, HIGHLY VALUED COUNCILMAN WHOM I WILL CONTINUE TO VOTE FOR ANYTIME HE CHOOSES TO RUN FOR ANY OFFICE HE CHOOSES

My only problem with elected officials who have money difficulties is that it makes them vulnerable to special interests.

Again, I can't imagine Mr Rashkin using his office for personal gain, but if there were to be a national convention of all the politicians with that much personal integrity, a six pack would cover the bar tab.

On Anti-union bill passes Assembly

Posted on March 10 at 4:56 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

While I don't approve in the way the our little "Scottie" has handled the budget "crisis", I just looked up in PolitiFact to see if the pension and health care provisions affect our elected representatives (?) as well as the teachers,et al.

It's a point I haven't seen brought up as yet, and it seems as though the new law will in fact affect the lawmakers as well as all other public employees (except firemen and police). It looks like our boys voted themselves a pay cut too.

Now if they'd cut another 2/3rds of their salary, we'd finally be getting what we're paying for.......

On Eliminating mandate won't end recycling

Posted on March 7 at 11:46 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

L7 -

I don't know what or how Janesville handles their "recycleables". I know there are some - and I'd say more like a few - cities do reprocess plastic, glass, and paper. I doubt Janesville has a flagship process for these comodities.

I glanced at some of the comments in this thread by our fellow citizens and am amazed at the total disregard so many seem to have of the effects their comsumption habits have on their own enviroment. Talk about poopin' where you eat!

Is it so hard to buy a water bottle and drink from the tap? Take a cloth bag to the grocery store? Fix what you have instead of buying another?

On a somewhat related subject, times are tough in Janesville. You'd be shocked if you knew how many folks we see every day that are hanging on by culling the recycle baskets you leave out for cans and metal.

On Eliminating mandate won't end recycling

Posted on March 7 at 5:55 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

L7, just some facts...

I work at Stateline Recycling. Last month we shipped over 200000 lbs of ferous metal - that's car bodies, old washers, dryers etc - to be melted down and reused. That's over $20,000 to the folks in Janesville who brought in their old metal. We also collect over 1100 lbs of aluminum cans a day - that's over $550 worth. I'm not sure about the metal, but for cans there is a 90% reduction in the energy required to make a can from recycled material than virgin metal, and I'd assume that ferous has very similar savings.

It seems that by recycling, everybody wins. Recyclers get cash in their hands, energy usage is reduced, and hundreds of thousands of pounds are diverted from land fill.

What's not to like?

On Wis. Democratic senators still staying away

Posted on February 23 at 4:24 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Couldn't the Dem's come back to Madison and just not go into the chamber for the vote? Sure, they could be arrested, but they'd still be out and there would still not be a quorum for the vote.

There are important, complicated issues to resolve. Any change will be painful to someone, but that just makes it even more important for everyone to make themselves available to fashion the best agreement they can.

By the way, I'm somewhat surprised that Mr Walker and the state congressmen have not talked about the pay and benefit cuts that they too will be taking to help the budget deficit, at least symbolically.
Could it be that the are not contributing to the "repair" bill along with the unionized state employee's?

I did vote for Walker, I'm sorry, it won't happen again.

At the end of the day, we need a governor, not a dictator, and certainly not a "Koch" whore to lead the state.

On “'We are capable of thoughtful approach' on budget repair bill”

Posted on February 23 at 4:22 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Couldn't the Dem's come back to Madison and just not go into the chamber for the vote? Sure, they could be arrested, but they'd still be out and there would still not be a quorum for the vote.

There are important, complicated issues to resolve. Any change will be painful to someone, but that just makes it even more important for everyone to make themselves available to fashion the best agreement they can.

By the way, I'm somewhat surprised that Mr Walker and the state congressmen have not talked about the pay and benefit cuts that they too will be taking to help the budget deficit, at least symbolically.
Could it be that the are not contributing to the "repair" bill along with the unionized state employee's?

I did vote for Walker, I'm sorry, it won't happen again.

At the end of the day, we need a governor, not a dictator, and certainly not a "Koch" whore to lead the state.

On Tea party rally in Racine draws estimated 3,200

Posted on September 12 at 6:41 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

Yesterday was also the Progressive Democrat's annual "Fighting Bob" rally in Baraboo - attendence estimated at 6500.

Ever wonder why the Tea Party gets headlines if Sara Palin and 4 folks show up at a Quick trip and and the liberals are ignored?

On Property values decrease in Rock County

Posted on August 18 at 7:55 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

These statistics just don't seem right. Home prices down not even a full percent? With GM gone, the national economy in the tank, and in our little corner of the world property values are essentially unaffected?

I can stand on almost any corner and see 1/2 a dozen homes for sale from that one spot, businesses all over are struggling or gone, unemployment is actually so high, the numbers are down because folks have just given up looking for work.

And housing prices have gone down less than 1 percent? That just doesn't pass the giggle test. What is "equalized value", how do they figure the value of a home that was for sale, but didn't sell, Janesville foreclosures are at an all time high, how do those numbers fit into the statistics?

"Figures lie, and liars figure" Somebody's blowing smoke here.....