Smoky Jon's robbed...help 'em out!

Madison's best barbeque joint was robbed Saturday night by a masked, gun-toting thug. This is particularly disturbing for me, given that he fled down Manley Street toward my house and neither I nor my family were any the wiser. And those of us who live nearby and frequent Smoky Jon's know the employee who had a gun pointed in her face; it must've been terrifying.

So if you're grabbing a bite to eat over the next few weeks, make a point of patronizing Smoky Jon's. Show this local treasure the neighborhood has their back.

Standing up for Vera Court

With 7 (!) charged in the apparent gang homicide on October 20th, neighbors and community leaders are getting together Thursday night to organize against this crime. The meeting is at 6:30 p.m. at the Vera Court Neighborhood Center, and everyone in the neighborhood is invited to attend.

Community involvement is crucial to ensuring that isolated incidents of gang violence do not metastasize into ongoing problems. A meeting like this is a great place to start, but it's just that - a start. Keeping this from growing into a problem requires a real commitment. Fortunately Ald. Weier and other neighborhood leaders seem to get that, and I'm hopeful for the future.

Johnson/Gorham moving forward...where are our alders?

As mentioned a month ago, the City will soon conduct a study on switching East Johnson and Gorham Streets to two-way traffic, as part of the reconstruction of Johnson. What's billed as the first of four meetings on the proposal will be held on November 10th.

Where are our Northside alders on this?

Troubling week on Troy Drive

Tuesday we had a "drug deal gone wrong" that led to a shooting. Thursday we had a murder, probably gang-related. Both took place a block apart along Troy Drive, a problem area well over a decade ago. If nothing else, this should remind us how important it is to keep working on troubled parts of town even after it seems like a crime problem has been addressed.

But the "isolated" incidents are racking up this year...

Voting: Block out some time, and other changes

This week the City Clerk's office ran a mock election to study the results of the new voter ID law, and the results were unsurprising. It could take over a minute to process each voter. If the line is long - say, for the presidential election next November, or the recall of Gov. Walker that Wisconsin Democrats are promising - you could be there awhile. So plan ahead.

Meanwhile, my neighbors and I are looking at some electoral changes for next year.

Ruskin BB update...and what else is going on?

I emailed Ald. Rhodes-Conway for an update on the status of the Ruskin Street bike boulevard. She said that she asked Traffic Engineering to revise the project based on comments at the August public meeting, but didn't mention any reaction to the neighborhood's opposition or other feedback. She also said it's "likely" there will be another public meeting or a formal hearing once the revision is complete.

Meanwhile, there are developments on Sherman Avenue...

Mayor prioritizes basic services

After a lengthy and unprecedented process of public input, Mayor Soglin released his proposed 2012 operating budget today. The lede is that it prioritizes basic services, raises city property taxes 3.2%, and cuts the subsidy to Overture Center by a third.

One thing I learned in grad school is that a budget is a statement of priorities. Based on what the Mayor is proposing, it's clear he agrees with me that public safety and other basic services are the most important priority for city government. And his attention to slashing borrowing and considering the consequences of across-the-board cuts makes me feel like the $40-$60 property tax hike Northsiders face is reasonable.

With layoffs and cuts to major services avoided, the major point of contention will be the cut to Overture's operating subsidy. Personally, between this and reopening the Edgewater controversy, I'm glad we're finally having a public debate that directly connects the grand plans of Madison's elite to their impact on the average taxpayer.