UP: Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and County Exec Kathleen Falk. These two local leaders, on a junket to look at transit options in Germany and the Netherlands, got stranded due to the volcanic ash that grounded planes in Europe. But while most stranded travelers get stuck in places like Houston or Detroit, this pair managed to be in Amsterdam! Some people have all the luck.
DOWN: Madison property owners. The value of all real estate in the city dropped 3.1% in 2010, the first decrease in 35 years. The drop in values will shift the tax burden and make it tougher to fund governments and schools. "There can't be new spending," Mayor Dave tells the Wisconsin State Journal. "We're going to have to cut where we can."