NO? Seriously? and The Bucks

Well now!  It seems SOME people are not very good with financials or just anti-education.

I'm stunned that the referendum failed and I STILL have not heard of a valid reason why anyone would vote NO.  I've heard reasons but they are all riddled with false facts and head scratching believes.  It makes no sense to me at all.  We can do this for FREE, or wait and buy at twice the cost down the road! 

The City of Columbus voted YES  595 to 530 but the other towns in the School district, mainly Elba voted a resounding NO  373- 278. However - I'm confused about Columbus also.  I was actually open minded, I WANTED to hear a valid reason to vote NO. But never heard one.


2012 Presidential Election
Columbus  56% Obama
Elba 57% Romney


Cost of living index
Columbus: 95.9  (US average is 100)
Elba 180.5

One thing that is interesting and I'm not sure of a connection but Columbus voted for Obama 56% and YES 53%.  Elba voted for Romney 57% and NO 58%. 

So here is the thing- I'm sure there are a lot of not only disappointed people in Columbus but pissed off people. Why would you not want to save money.  What is the downside?

I also blame the local media with the constant "They LOST the last referendum" talk.  Every single time this referendum was mentioned a negative thought was inserted next to this one!

 And I'm not sure the School Board ran the best campaign!

If you want to win you need to play the game TO win!  I feel the campaign brought out all the NO people and made the YES people too comfortable and I know a number that didn't vote because it was such a sure thing which, was the campaigns fault.

If you want to win you need to think political and understand WHO is going to vote and why! Sometimes a small turnout is what you want, not a big one. Every time you went around a corner you saw VOTE YES which you would think was the correct thing but in reality all it did was remind people that the School Board wanted ANOTHER referendum (they LOST the last one you know) and they needed to vote NO, on whatever it was. 


HOWEVER - I can almost guarantee you that with both of the referendums that lost in the past few years, they would have lost by much more 5 or 6 years ago. When I moved to Columbus 8 years ago and started writing this blog and meeting people I was surprised at how many people felt that the demographics in Columbus was changing, that the town was slowly becoming a younger town.

But things do not change overnight.  We are not quite at that tipping stage yet but I honestly believe  . . it's close.

And when you get down to it, it was just land, just a good deal for everybody. Things will change for the good even more in a few years.  


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The Bucks.  Since I'm the only person in Wisconsin that thinks about the Milwaukee Bucks I'll make this short.

They did not win the 1st overall pick and that is a GOOD thing.  In this years draft there IS no #1 pick.  There are three players that stand out and really, it's a crap shoot who is better.   Everybody I listen too agree that any one of these three players COULD be a great player and anyone could suck  (as most picks do).

So take the pressure off and pick the 2nd guy.  Makes no difference.
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That's all - brain dead from Council last night - we cut 1:45 hours off the last meeting  and still went 3:45.    The average meeting is now at 3:31 Which has to me longer then the "old" councils meetings.  Hopefully this will slowly shrink as we HAVE had a lot on our plate and worked a good bunch down last night.

I believe there will be new sidewalks coming to Columbus in 2015 citywide over the next . . . millennium.

And looks like new bleachers are coming to Firemans Park. Sort of like the ones at Warner Park or Pardeeville.  MUCH higher and handicap accessible.   

I'll have more as I digest stuff.

Rod