This morning we take a quick look around the state.
There is a brewing controversy in Green Bay. The school superintendent was caught on a hot mic expressing his true feelings about his co-workers and the city in which he works.
New details of Superintendent allegations at GBAPS board meeting – WBAY
An investigation is underway over comments made by the superintendent of the Green Bay Area School District. It happened during a radio show in Atlanta where he was a guest, and the interview was streamed online.
New details were shared Monday night at the Green Bay School Board meeting about what superintendent Claude Tiller Jr. is accused of saying. Tiller, who has a doctorate in education, was not at the meeting.
While he was absent, he was also the target of a serious allegation, concerning what Tiller said during a radio interview last week when he thought the mic was off during a commercial break. However, the video portion, was being streamed online.
“He referred to a subordinate as a wicked witch and a *censored* spelled out, he spelled that out,” said Ed Dorff, a former Green Bay School Administrator.
WBAY
He also is said to have called the city ‘Lilly White’ and apparently maligned a large employer in the area. This controversy is going to grow with each passing day. Odds are the only question is what will the size of the Superintendent’s buy out be when the Board terminates his employment.
Despite being home to a never-shrinking government-industrial complex, and despite receiving loads of federal and state COVID relief funding in recent years, the City of Madison is preparing a budget that has a structural deficit and is threatening service cuts, and, of course, a tax hike.
As WISC-TV reports
Madison faces $27 million budget deficit: Could lead to service cuts, property tax hike – WISC
The city documents describe the structural deficit as “an on-going gap between the costs-to-continue current services to city residents and the growth in revenues that is allowed under Wisconsin law.” It blames the state legislature limiting the authority of municipalities to increase property taxes as a major factor in the deficit, along with the decreasing amount of shared revenue coming to the city from the state.
WISC
These stories, and the threats of service cuts, are almost always pre-emptive measures to justify the imposition of tax hikes.
Despite less than ideal conditions, the Sturgeon spearing tradition continues, thanks to some intrepid anglers. But after a slow opening weekend, the DNR has closed some registration centers until ice conditions improve.
After small opening weekend sturgeon harvest, three registration stations close until ice conditions improve – Journal Sentinel
As we’ve been following, Eau Claire and Chippewa Counties are facing a health care access crisis. Now, lawmakers are looking at ways to fix this.
Wisconsin lawmakers look to help communities where hospitals are closing – WPR
The state had set aside $15 million in 2021 for HSHS to expand psychiatric bed space. Now legislators are looking to use that money to safeguard emergency department services in the communities affected by the closures.
Under the proposal, the money would be used for grants to fund health systems that commit to providing hospital emergency department services in the two counties. It could also be granted to help pay for capital expenditures for hospital emergency department services in the region.
While local officials say they appreciate the effort, it won’t solve the larger financial problems affecting rural health care systems.
WPR
Both houses of the Legislature will be in session today, and the Senate may attempt to make the redistricting court case moot by passing Governor Evers’ proposed maps. The assembly would have to agree and the Governor would have to accept the maps he proposed for this to happen.
Nothing is certain–other that that we’ll keep you posted.
