Top Stories, March 9th

Waupun Stands To Lose $350K Under Proposed Budget

3/9/11 - Waupun could be hit much harder than other communities under the proposed state budget. Clerk/Treasurer Kyle Clark says Waupun could lose between $375,000 and $475,000 as part of the governor’s proposed two-year budget bill currently held up in the Senate. Clark says because about half of the property in Waupun is state-owned, the city has a smaller tax base to pull money from than other similarly-sized communities and, as a result, a cut it state aid would be harder to absorb. Clark is projecting savings of around $125,000 if public employees begin contributing more into their health care and pension accounts. That would still leave the city with around $250,000 to $350,000 to cut and Clark says they are looking at everything. Clark did add that the figures he’s working with are not final and it’s possible that the cuts in state aid will be based on population and property values as opposed to the across the board cuts.

Senate Met Briefly on Tuesday

3/9/11 - The Wisconsin Senate met briefly Tuesday, apparently without acting on separate bills to fine the Democratic senator’s 100-dollars a day for being gone for almost three weeks. The Senate’s Web site said lawmakers would return tomorrow – but there was no indication of any vote on the 14 separate resolutions to punish the Democrats. Governor Scott Walker’s office said the lines of communication are still open with the Democrats, to grant at least some concessions on the bill which would almost eliminate collective bargaining powers for public unions. But Walker says he won’t compromise on the main concept – and at least some Democrats say they won’t come back until he does. Middleton Democrat Jon Erpenbach said the 100-dollar fines won’t motivate them to return. Madison Democrat Fred Risser says it’s a day-to-day decision on when they’ll come back. As of Thursday, they will have been gone for three weeks.

Poll: ‘ Walker Most Polarizing Governor’

3/9/11 - Scott Walker is one of the most polarizing governors in America. That means his supporters and opponents feel more strongly about his job performance than most other governors. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel came to that conclusion, after analyzing state polls from around the country by the North Carolina firm of Public Policy Polling. As of late February, 86-percent of Republicans approved of the job Walker is doing, compared to only eight-percent of Democrats. Subtract the two numbers, and you get a partisan gap of 78 points – the most among governors in the 37 states where the Public Policy group does polling. Wisconsinites have been split by Walker’s effort to scale back collective bargaining for public employee unions. Of the eight newly-elected governors from last fall, Walker has the highest partisan gap by far – 23 points higher than second-place John Hickenlooper of Colorado. Also, many voters are often not sure how they feel about a new governor during his first few weeks in office. But that’s not true with Walker. The Public Policy poll said only two-percent of Wisconsin voters were not sure if they approved or disapproved of the job Walker’s doing. Independent Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island had the second-lowest number of undecided voters with 17-percent in the early going. The Wisconsin poll gave Walker a 46-percent approval rating, and 52-percent said they disapproved of what he’s doing.

Juneau Adds False Fire Alarm Fee

3/9/11 - The Juneau Fire Department will now be charging a fee if they respond to multiple false alarms at the same address. The Common Council last night approved an ordinance establishing fees and penalties for repeat commercial and residential violators. Under the ordinance, there will be no charge for the first three responses in a 12-month period. A $300 fee will be assessed beginning with the fourth response. After the seventh call, the fee increases to $450 per call. Ten false alarms or more within one year will cost the property owner $600. Failure to pay the fees will result in a $300 penalty for the first offense, $450 for the second offense and $600 for the third offense. Fees collected will stay in the fire departments budget to replace costs associated with the response, estimated at around $300 to $500 per call. The ordinance applies to alarms activated accidentally, by negligence or by mechanical or electrical failure. It does not apply to false alarms caused by thunderstorms, power outages, tornados or other natural events. The Fire Chief or Assistant Chief has the authority to waive any of the fees at their discretion.

Judge Signs Raze Order For Beaver Dam Eyesore

3/9/11 - A Dodge County judge on Monday signed-off on a raze order for the dilapidated home at 400 North Center Street in Beaver Dam. The structure was ravaged by fire in November of 2009. In the months that followed, the former owners of the property haggled unsuccessfully with their insurance company over the claim; the home since gone into foreclosure. The raze order allows the city to proceed with hiring a demolition company and those costs will be assessed to owners of the property. If all goes according to plan, Mayor Tom Kennedy says the structure could be down before summer.

DNR Holding Deer Management Meetings

3/9/11 - The Wisconsin Department of natural Resources is holding a series of public meetings this month to discuss a host of deer management concerns. Officials are talking about the results of last year’s hunting seasons as well as recommendations for this fall, ways to increase participation by hunters, and new deer research. DNR Wildlife Biologists are attending each meeting to answer questions. The Dodge County meeting will be held in Horicon on March 23. A complete list can be found on the D-N-R’s Web site www.wisconsin.gov.

Wisconsin Adding Jobs Quicker Than Nation

3/9/11 - Wisconsin employers will add jobs at a faster pace than the nation as a whole this spring.

That’s according to the quarterly survey by Milwaukee’s Manpower Incorporated. Twenty-two percent of companies in the Badger State plan to add workers from April through June, compared to 16-percent nationwide. Only eight-percent of Wisconsin firms expect layoffs, and two-thirds plan to continue at their current staffing levels. It’s the sixth straight quarter that the job outlook has grown nationwide. Manpower C-E-O Jeff Joerres says the U-S will have the same measured hiring growth in the second quarter of the year than in the first quarter – but its industry data shows some new positive signs. Joerres says there’s a noticeable uptick in the manufacturing and durable goods’ sectors. And 10-of-13 industry sectors expect more hiring this spring. In the Milwaukee area, 23-percent of employers say they’ll add jobs, and 11-percent expect layoffs.

Wisconsin Happiness in Top 25

3/9/11 - Wisconsin is one of the 25 happiest states according to a new Gallup Poll. The Badger State is 23rd with a total score of 66-point-seven out of 100. Over 350-thousand adults were questioned last year about their happiness in various categories of well being. They included their overall life situations, physical and emotional health, work environments, and access to basic things like a doctor and a safe place to exercise. Hawaii is the happiest with a score of 71. West Virginia is the most miserable state at 64-point-six. Folks in Minnesota are apparently much happier than Wisconsin, as the Gopher State is the sixth happiest. Neighboring Iowa is 19th, Illinois 26th, and Michigan 41st.