Columbus vs. Port Washington and the Christmas Lights fiasco

A lot of complaints about Columbus Government from people that have never been in government and have zero understanding of what can and what can not be done in government.

I was one of those once.  In this blog I was a Darvin-lite complaining about city government and how it did not care about our downtown.  I accused and ranted and stomped my feet and then was told "Put your money where your mouth is, stop complaining and DO SOMETHING".   So I ran for office, won and now understand ALL the freaking obstacles of what city government CAN and CAN NOT do.

Then I hear - "Look at Port Washington, look at Baraboo, look at Oshkosh, look at Hartford" and the list goes on and on about awesome downtowns and what THEIR government did.   

To the people that keep telling me of the GREAT downtowns, maybe it's time they get off THEIR asses (I say that with a sly smile).  Each of those city's with awesome downtowns have a BID District.

A BID district is when downtown building owners get together, tax their buildings, and use that money to create a FANTASTIC downtown.  Like Port Washington.

I was looking at Port Washington's BID District minutes. Each building owner in their downtown is taxed by the BID District, in addition to property taxes, $2.01 per $1000 in valuation, capping at $3250 a year. That money is used to clean and beautify their downtown.  The downtown business owners all work together.  How amazing is THAT!

If you see a beautiful downtown, they probably have a BID district OR at least building owners that care about there property.  Sandye Adams was just starting to create a BID District before they left.

SO - you want a magnificent downtown?  It's not up to the city, it's up to the building owners of the Columbus downtown.   

But you know - this whole Darvin thing got me thinking.  Darvin and many long term, never lived anywhere else residents REALLY have good reason to not trust city government. First of all they do not understand government and what it can and can not do - I CERTAINLY DID NOT.  But look at the past shenanigans that have happened in the last two or three decades in Columbus.  FUBR

Just a crap load of stupid stupid things.

When I became an alderman the city was being run by right wing cronies that were anti-business and from what I have been told by MANY long term residents when walking door to door  - it had been that way for a long long time. 

So of course residents do not trust the government.   When I was elected the one thing I learned was  that the people that run things in a 5000 person town are just normal people. HELL - I got on City Council. 

ANYWAY - I got into it with Darvin about the whole debacle about Christmas Tree Lights but while I loath his technique to get things done and believe it hurts more then helps Columbus I do admire his passion for the city.  I like Darvin when he is being calm, he has great ideas.

If he REALLY wants to help Columbus, organize a BID District.  It's how things get done in real life.

SO now the Christmas Light fiasco.  From talking to people yesterday my understanding is exactly what I thought. With the absence of a DPW manager and a vacuum on who really is in charge of those lights and brand new poles, the government dropped the ball.

The Water and Light people never thought about it because it was DPWs job, DPW didn't think about it because the person who did it every year is missing in action, the city government didn't think of it because it was automatically done every year and the Downtown Beautification Committee who SHOULD be in charge did not think of it.

There is blame for EVERYBODY.

NORMAL PEOPLE DO THINGS AND SOMETIMES NORMAL PEOPLE MESS UP!

Add to the fact that the decorations we HAD no longer fit the new poles and I bet it takes a year to get a brand new design, purchase the lights and all the logistics that go with it. PLUS - where will the $10 to $15,000 come from for new lights.  Should we raise taxes?  A Bake Sale?

Heck - knowing all the obstacles just to get a design for a freaking railing in front of a bar so drunk people won't break their ankles was a pain.  We had conference calls to Minnesota and all sort of headaches.  I learned that Government runs on island time - everything takes MUCH MUCH longer.

So there is no Deep State Conspiracy to get rid of Christmas, the sky is NOT falling.  R E L A X

There is a group already working on lights, there have been meetings about the lights - shit happens, get over it. ONE year without lights will not ruin Christmas for generations.

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Meanwhile - I sold this piece to yesterday to a lovely Columbus resident - remember when we used to have thing thing called FALL? 

This is Dix street in Columbus

And just to get you in the Christmas mood. City Hall.

One more image.  I now can put my images on all sorts of things - I have an entire line LOL  I ordered a pillow with a photo I took in Las Vegas a few weeks ago -  it came out GREAT.

MEANWHILE - contractors hired by Trumps FEMA are rebuilding Puerto Rico which includes purchasing bathroom sinks that cost $666, the same ones that cost $226 for Americans.

$3,700 Generators and $666 Sinks: FEMA Contractors Charged Steep Markups on Puerto Rico Repairs

Meanwhile #2 - Trump has said he will shutdown he government if he does not get $5 BILLION for his wall (which Mexico will pay for?).  remember Ammon Bundy? The head of the group that led the 2016 occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

He said all of this Mexican border is all GOP led fear based.

Ammon Bundy breaks with Trump on anti-migrant rhetoric: ‘It’s all fear-based’

SURPRISE!!

One last thing - just to see if anybody read this far.

1. There is a rumor that Mullins will open a free clinic for legal problems AND fighting crime out of his office.  I see NETFLIX giving Kelly a call soon!

2. and a shout out to Michael Clark who volunteered his time to be on city council.  Now we all know that him and I do not get along at times, we just rub each other the wrong way every so often, that's fine, disagreeing is normal but anybody that ACTUALLY puts his money where his mouth is in an adult manner has my admiration.

I put in those many many hours of tedium every week to tried to help the city and I thank ALL of the basically non-paid city council members who spend the time never getting thanked for all their work.

From me - THANK YOU!  It really truly is a thankless job.     

Have a great Wednesday.