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Articles by Vikki Kratz
Isthmus Dining 2020 | We are what we eat
We all have our favorite cuisines and favorite restaurants. Favorite ingredients and favorite types of food. And then there is that one dish. You know the one. The one you crave years after the restaurant closes. The one you long for when you’re backpacking and stuck with dehydrated chili mac. The one you simply cannot not order when you look at the menu. We spend a good deal of time here at Isthmus talking about food. It’s a lingua franca in a lot of offices and we are no exception.
Fighting the authorities
Transit advocates are pushing state legislators to support a new bill that would let local governments create regional transit authorities. "This is a very significant policy change," says Gary Goyke, a lobbyist for the Wisconsin Urban and Rural Transit Association. "It may change how people look at transportation issues." Regional transit authorities are used to run intercity bus or rail systems.
Bill 'disastrous' for local cable
Charles Uphoff is worried about what the Video Competition Act will do to Madison's local cable channels ' WYOU and City Channel 12 ' should it pass the state Legislature. 'This bill, as presently written, would be disastrous,' says Uphoff, WYOU's executive director. AB-207, sponsored by Rep. Phil Montgomery (R-Ashwaubenon), would let cable companies establish a single statewide franchise, instead of negotiating individual deals with municipalities.
Election brings no shakeup on the Madison Common Council
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Despite 14 Madison Common Council races and nine open seats, Tuesday's election changed little. All incumbents were re-elected, even those facing tough challenges. "I thought I was gonna lose," admits Ald. Robbie Webber. She went to her election night party at the Laurel Tavern "prepared for the worst," but handily defeated Troy Thiel. Progressive Dane lost only one of its seven seats -- Ald.
Rosas questions Cieslewicz on water report
Ald. Santiago Rosas is asking Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's campaign to compensate the city of Madison for radio ads touting a recent water quality report.
Only hours remain until Election Day
With only hours remaining until the polls open on Tuesday morning, both the pace of discussion and the levels of invective therein are increasing as this spring's political campaigns reach their final stage. We're trying to keep up with the last-minute revelations and discussions in this last day before the elections. Ald. Brenda Konkel has perused the campaign finance reports and published the findings.
Election Day: 96 hours and counting
It is only a matter of days before the polls open on Tuesday, Apr. 3 for this spring's round of municipal elections. Discussions, data and dirt are flying fast and furious as the day approaches; we'll try to keep up with some of it. Here are some recent developments in the final days before the election: The Dane County Democrats have not endorsed anyone in local races where two Democrats are challenging each other, but that hasn't stopped Chair Wayne Bigelow from pushing his favorites.
Playing favorites?
The Dane County Democratic Party hasn't endorsed candidates for Madison Common Council in races where two Democrats are running. So some candidates were upset to learn the Democratic Party of Wisconsin has been using its phone banks to do polling for non-endorsed candidates. 'There are active Democrats competing in a lot of these races,' says Vicky Selkowe, who is challenging Ald. Larry Palm on Madison's east side.
Allen, Cieslewicz gaze into the future
With only a week to go before the April 3 election, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and challenger Ray Allen make a final plea for your vote. Each promises a safer, brighter and -- in one case -- rain-free future. This week, Isthmus asked both candidates to offer two potential future timelines. If you win, what will the city be like in four years? If your opponent wins, what will the city be like in four years?
Term limits for the Madison city council?
At next Tuesday's city council meeting -- the last before he retires from office -- Ald. Brian Benford will finally introduce a long-promised ordinance imposing term limits. "I don't sense I'll get a lot of support for it," he chuckles. But with the council discussing a proposal by Ald. Austin King to implement public financing of elections, Benford believes the time has come to talk about term limits too.
The rebirth of Stoughton Road
A group of east-side residents has hired a consultant and will begin holding meetings to do land-use planning for...a highway. Not a park, not an abandoned factory, not an entire neighborhood, but a highway. 'What should we do about the Stoughton Road corridor?' asks Fred Arnold, chair of the Stoughton Road Revitalization Project.
Mayoral candidates point towards the future of Madison's TIF policy
Tax Increment Financing -- better known as TIF -- is the city's major financial tool for encouraging the redevelopment of neighborhoods -- and a frequent topic of controversy. TIF is used to pay for public improvements and for developer assistance is specified districts. The city pays up front for the work then recaptures the money from the new property taxes generated by the new development.
By the numbers
1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence at some point in their lifetime. 435 women and children stayed at the county's shelter for victims of domestic violence in 2006. 90 women and children were turned awayfrom the shelter last year for lack of space. 4,473 people called the domestic violence crisis line (251-4445) in 2006. 1,562 of these were first-time callers. 147 crisis-line callers were male.
Deadly attraction
Carrie Hindes was hiding. For days prior to the attack, she had been camped out with a friend, Ken Klawitter, at the Expo Inn on Madison's south side. Their room was only a few doors down from Jonathan's, but Carrie felt safe. Although Jonathan still paid his rent, he had not been living at the motel for weeks. 'Don't go anywhere alone,' her friend Kati Stone warned her. 'Don't leave Ken's room.' Kati was the Expo's manager and says now, 'I knew Jon was coming after her.
The candidates size up Allied Drive's problems
The word 'trolley' has been banned from the rest of this article. That's because trolleys are not the most important issue facing Madison, despite what the mayoral campaign has suggested. Housing, education, even, arguably, the increase in parking tickets are more important issues than a still hazily conceived streetcar proposal. Worse, by bickering so much over trolleys, the mayoral candidates have ignored the one issue that the city truly needs to address: poverty.
Mayoral rivals disagree on parking fines
In the past year, the city of Madison has increased the cost of parking tickets, doubling the fine for an expired meter to $20 and tripling the fine for alternate-side parking during street sweeping to $30. The fee increase has raised $800,000 in additional revenue for the city, but some criticize the move as a hidden way to raise taxes. This week Isthmus asked the mayoral candidates about these fees. Is the city charging too much for parking tickets?
Fitchburg prepares to kick some butts
Fitchburg Mayor Tom Clauder has changed his mind about smoking. Last summer, Clauder threatened to veto a citywide smoking ban if it passed the city council. It didn't. But now Clauder is supporting a new ordinance that would ban smoking in bars and restaurants. 'I've heard from more citizens who want it than those who don't,' he says, admitting he's 'come around.' The new proposal, introduced last week, is not as stringent as Madison's ban.
Did TomoTherapy need a helping hand?
In 2005, the city of Madison bent its own rules to loan $700,000 to TomoTherapy, a medical technology company that wanted to expand. This amount was nearly three times what the city has given in the past from its Capital Revolving Fund. Ald. Brenda Konkel voted against the loan at the time and is criticizing it again, especially now that TomoTherapy stands to raise $200 million in a public stock offering. This week, Isthmus asked the mayoral candidates about the efficacy and outcome of this loan.
Dane County braces for Family Care
At first glance, Family Care seems like a great idea. The state's new plan for long-term care is supposed to help the elderly and people with disabilities by eliminating lengthy waiting lists. 'In the current system, there are many times when people don't get services,' says Sinikka Santala, head of the state's Disability and Elder Services Division, part of the Department of Health and Family Services.
Madison mayoral rivals on public financing
Ald. Austin King has proposed 100% public financing of elections for Madison mayor, the Common Council and municipal judge, to help local government "avoid the plague of corruption that has afflicted the state Legislature, governor, and our counterparts in Milwaukee." The council is expected to consider the measure next month. Meanwhile, the two candidates for Madison mayor are raising lots and lots of money.
Section 8 wait may soon abate
After four years, the city of Madison may finally reopen its waiting list for Section 8 housing, which has been closed since 2003. At its peak there were 2,000 people on the list who needed a voucher to help pay for housing. Now, that number has dwindled to about 300. 'The list is years old,' says Lisa Subeck, a housing advocate for the YWCA. 'They can't find the people on it anymore.' Under Section 8, the federal government pays a portion of the housing costs for low-income families.
Mayoral rivals weigh in on Madison Metro
Over the years, Madison Metro has had frequent budget woes, forcing it to raise fares or cut service. One proposed solution is to create a Regional Transit Authority. The independent body would manage mass transit for the city of Madison and its surrounding communities. More importantly, it would have its own taxing authority, making public transportation less dependent on city funds.
United, they can't stand Dave
Anyone hoping that by now, less than two weeks before the mayoral primary, Ray Allen and Peter Muñoz would have distinguished themselves as candidates for Madison mayor, must be disappointed. The two men challenging Dave Cieslewicz are, as the Wisconsin State Journal recently put it, in "a race for second." But neither has yet managed to rise above the other.
As District 12 goes, so goes the council?
With 46 candidates running for the Madison Common Council this spring, it's tough for political observers to gauge the election's potential impact. Will the new council be more liberal? More conservative? More moderate? Who knows? But maybe the primary race in Dist. 12, on the city's northeast side, can offer a clue. There are four candidates: Satya Rhodes-Conway, Michael Basford, Mark Deadman and Marcus Watson.
Is constant grousing bad for business in Madison?
The Madison business community has complained that efforts to raise the city minimum wage, mandate paid sick leave and impose a smoking ban have created a hostile environment for local businesses. This week, Isthmus asked the city's mayoral candidates if the regular complaints about Madison's business climate are a self-fulfilling prophecy. Their responses follow below.
Shake up hits east side planning group
The East Isthmus Neighborhood Planning Council held an emergency meeting Wednesday night to elect new officers for its board. And the group's executive director, Lilly Irvin-Vitela, is leaving after only three months on the job.
Smoking out the Madison mayoral candidates
Madison enacted a controversial indoor smoking ban in 2005, and now Gov. Jim Doyle is proposing a similar indoor ban -- including in bars -- for the entire state. This week, Isthmus asks the mayoral candidates what their position is on the current ban. Their responses follow below. The Daily Page: What's your position on Madison's indoor smoking ban? Ray Allen I didn't support the smoking ban because I feel such legislation is best considered at a regional or state level.
Central Park: Taking the next steps
The city of Madison is taking over the planning of Central Park. Mayor Dave Cieslewicz is appointing a task force that will make decisions on funding and design for the proposed 17-acre park on Madison's near east side. 'There's been a lot of good work done already,' says mayoral aide George Twigg. 'We need to push it forward now.' There's been concern that plans for the ambitious park -- which could include community gardens and a skateboarding park -- have stalled.
Madison mayoral candidates on Overture's money woes
This week, Isthmus asks the mayoral candidates what the city should do to solve the Overture Center's financial problems. Their responses follow below. The Daily Page: The Overture Center's trust fund dropped nearly $1.7 million in value last year, and the arts center is facing a $735,000 shortfall in its 2007 budget. What went wrong and what should the city do now? Ray Allen The Overture Center will help keep Madison, especially downtown Madison, a destination point.
Madison mayoral rivals identify laws they don??t like
Continuing with weekly questions for the Madison mayoral candidates, Isthmus asks Allen, Cieslewicz, MuÃoz and Sandstrom what city law they would most like to see overturned. Their responses follow below. The Daily Page: If you could change or repeal one city ordinance, what would it be? Ray Allen I would repeal the mayor's failed inclusionary zoning (IZ) ordinance, which is social policy experimentation at its worst.
Checking up on Civil Rights
When he announced his run for mayor, Peter MuÃoz once again criticized Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's controversial decision to merge the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Affirmative Action Office into the Department of Civil Rights. He complained that Cieslewicz showed 'not leadership but dictatorship' in 2005 when he created the department without more public input. 'I knew it was a done deal before the mayor even got going,' he says.
Madison mayoral candidates assess their chances
Each week, Isthmus will send the mayoral candidates a question and post their responses online. We started this week with something simple: We asked Mayor Dave Cieslewicz which of his three challengers is the biggest threat. And we asked each challenger -- Ray Allen, Peter Muñoz and Will Sandstrom -- why they think they can beat the incumbent. Their responses follow below. The Daily Page: Who do you think is your most serious challenger and why?
Fond farewells... and good riddance for the Madison Common Council
In the exodus of alders from the Madison Common Council this spring (nine are retiring), there are a handful whose departure will leave a gaping hole, taking with them years of institutional memory and knowledge. Of course, there are also a couple of duds who shouldn't let the door hit them on the way out. Here are the alders we'll miss -- and a couple we won't. Fond farewells for: Ken Golden.
Fast forward: An agenda for 2007
The coming year will be a busy one for local governments, as they tackle everything from land use to mental health issues for prisoners. In 2007, Dane County supervisors will make final plans to build a new Badger Prairie nursing home. And they'll likely have to find a new site for a proposed 448-bed Huber Treatment Facility.
Neighbors resist proposed jail site
When dozens of south-side residents gathered last night for a public hearing on Dane County's proposal to build a new work-release jail on Fish Hatchery Road, one woman sat quietly in the back of the room and listened. One by one, her neighbors got up and complained that Dane County's new jail -- expected to house nearly 450 inmates -- would harm their efforts to revitalize the troubled neighborhood, which has been plagued with drugs, crime and prostitution.
The miracle of faith
For most people, a rock is just a rock. But Jigme Shakabpa believes his rock is special. The Madison resident sees in the black, oval-shaped stone's natural lines an image of the Virgin Mary. "I don't believe this is just an accident of nature," he says. "You don't get to see images like this too often." Shakabpa's father, a Buddhist, found the rock 25 years ago while fishing in a river at the base of the Himalayas. On seeing the Virgin Mary's image, "he was gripped by a great spiritual energy.
Why wasn't the mayor present at Allied rally?
On Wednesday afternoon, members of the Allied Drive Neighborhood Association and Madison ACORN held a rally and press conference in front of the City-County Building to object to the city's suggestion that half of the new housing there be owner-occupied. Mayor Dave Cieslewicz was not present, nor was any of his staff. Mayoral spokesman George Twigg says Cieslewicz only learned about the rally from the media, shortly before it was due to begin.
Allied residents: Don't drive us away
There was one person conspicuously absent from Wednesday's rally for Allied Drive: Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz. Although the event -- which attracted about a dozen residents -- was held on the front steps of the City County Building, neither Cieslewicz nor anyone from his office came down to see. Residents were protesting the city's suggestion that 50% of new housing in Allied be owner-occupied. They say most residents won't be able to afford to buy a house and will have to leave.
Invincible?
Last week, Madison Ald. Brenda Konkel wrote a lengthy post on her blog that began, 'Mayor Dave is a nice guy. Or so they say.' Konkel was once a strong ally of Dave Cieslewicz. Her support during the 2003 mayoral race helped deliver the lefty votes Cieslewicz needed to beat Paul Soglin. And during Cieslewicz's first year in office, Konkel almost single-handedly pushed through an affordable housing ordinance, which Cieslewicz now cites as one of the highlights of his term.
Dave Magnum's mystery backers
In the final weeks of his failed bid to unseat Rep. Tammy Baldwin this fall, Dave Magnum loaned his campaign $525,000. But Magnum hasn't paid state income taxes since 2002 because, he says, his broadcast company has not been profitable. So if he has no income, where did Magnum get half a million dollars to loan his campaign?
Women vets struggle for inclusion
When LaShell Lentz went to the cafeteria on her base in Kuwait, she kept her face forward and avoided making eye contact with any of the men there. "You're like a horse with blinders," says Lentz, a Madison resident. "You never, ever look around." Lentz says the men who served in her platoon were respectful, but the other American men on the base often took any sign of friendliness from female soldiers as an invitation to make advances. "All they see all day long is other men," she says.
Allied Drive residents get booted
All 15 tenants in three buildings on the 2300 block of Allied Drive are facing eviction this month. The tenants received notices last week informing them that their month-to-month leases would not be renewed beyond Dec. 31. "This was a blanket eviction for everybody," says Barry Hayes, a member of the Allied Drive neighborhood association. "It's unfair." Hayes notes that at least one tenant has lived there for 15 years, while other tenants are single mothers, elderly, or disabled.
Housing law called 'emotionally draining'
To Maleah and Dan LaCloche, the new Monroe Commons development on the city's west side seemed like the perfect place to raise their family. It was located on Monroe Street, next to shops and restaurants, within walking distance of Maleah's parents. A Trader Joe's grocery store was opening on the building's first floor. And the price was right: Under Madison's new inclusionary zoning (IZ) ordinance, the young couple could get a two-bedroom condo, with a den, for just $168,000.
Lying down on the job?
Several Dane County supervisors are fed up with the county's Equal Opportunity Commission, labeling it 'dysfunctional' and 'inactive.' 'It's a body that doesn't do much,' grouses Supv. Kyle Richmond, who resigned in frustration from the EOC in 2003, after only a year. 'It feels dormant ' that's the polite way to put it.' In the past year, the EOC has canceled four monthly meetings for lack of a quorum.
Zach Brandon, odd man out
Twenty-seven dollars. If all of Ald. Zach Brandon's amendments to cut the city of Madison's 2007 budget had passed, the owner of an average $239,000 home would have saved $27. While not an overwhelming amount of money, notes Brandon, it "adds up over time." Brandon was the lead sponsor on 27 amendments that would have collectively cut $9 million from the city's budget. These included everything from $100,000 for a downtown public-safety initiative to $2,500 for a new coffee urn at the Senior Center.
You get what you pay for
There's clearly a minority recruiting problem in the Dane County Sheriff's Office. Only 4% of its employees are racial minorities, compared to 19% at the Madison Police Department. So why did Sheriff Gary Hamblin spend less than $750 on minority recruitment this year?
Council is due for an overhaul
Next spring could bring big changes to the Madison Common Council. At least five members are not seeking re-election, while another two, Santiago Rosas and Ken Golden, are apparently still undecided. Three more ' Tim Gruber, Robbie Webber and Larry Palm ' are considered vulnerable. All told, half of the 20-member council could be leaving. 'We could have 50% turnover,' says Ald. Paul Van Rooy, who has decided to retire after six years on the council.
State Dems score big
As Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz repeatedly reminded the Democratic faithful Tuesday night at the Marriott-West, it was "a good night for Democrats" - on the national level as well as in Wisconsin. Democrats picked up four seats in the state Senate, giving them the majority, 18-15. And for the first time in 16 years, Democrats gained seats in the Assembly, instead of losing them. They picked up at least seven seats, narrowing the GOP's control of that body to 53-46. And one seat, Dist.
Baldwin: We need a trusted investigation
In the minutes immediately following news that Democrats had secured a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, strong critics of the Bush administration and the war in Iraq began wondering about the possibility of impeachment proceedings. Rep.
Sheriff candidates are in the money
Sure, the big money in this year's Wisconsin elections is being spent at the state level -- gubernatorial candidates Jim Doyle and Mark Green have raised roughly $17 million so far, on track to beat the $18 million raised in the 2000 race. But Dane County's battle for sheriff is no small shakes either. Campaign finance reports filed on Monday reveal that Democrat Dave Mahoney has raised more than $89,000 and spent $70,400 through Oct. 23.
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