Citizen Dave
-
Tommy Washbush
Crime is always an issue
People worry about crime all the time, regardless of what the statistics tell us. In part that’s due to the fact that crime is over-reported. But in part it’s a justified concern because of conditions in their immediate neighborhood. Read more
Photo by Tommy Washbush
Where’s Superintendent Joe Gothard on the return of police officers to Madison high schools?
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes has renewed calls to return police officers to Madison high schools. But where does the new superintendent of Madison schools stand on the issue? Read more
Sep 13, 2024
Photo by Tim Wilson via Flickr
Leave the Apostles alone
U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany proposed turning the Apostles into a national park but nobody around Bayfield seems to think this is a good idea. Tiffany didn’t bother to check in with anybody around there before introducing his bill. Read more
Sep 4, 2024
Tommy Washbush / Freepik assets
Close some Madison schools
The biggest ticket item is replacement of the building for Shabazz High School and Sherman Middle School for an estimated $108 million. The building has outlived its useful life and should be closed at some point. But it makes no sense to replace it. Read more
Aug 28, 2024
Tommy Washbush
Interrogating BRT
It’s fine to ask reasonable questions, but let’s not nitpick this thing to death. BRT will be a wonderful improvement to transit and to the life of the city. Read more
Aug 21, 2024
Photos by Gage Skidmore
Politics as a piano
Kamala Harris has proven that she can take in information, evaluate her strengths and weaknesses and adapt to what's called for in the moment. Excellent for a candidate and vital for a president. Trump cannot do any of these things. Read more
Aug 14, 2024
Embrace the crisis
Rather than go to referendum, it would be better for the city of Madison to use this budget crisis to do a deep dive into city processes, organizational culture and overall mission. Read more
Aug 8, 2024
The gift of J.D. Vance
After the announcement that J.D. Vance would be Donald Trump’s running mate, the usual scrutiny began. It turns out that Vance had scattered landmines in his past that began to explode. Read more
Jul 31, 2024
1:30 PM
Can we stop describing the Upper Midwest as the “Rust Belt?”
The Upper Midwest went through a painful period of adjusting to the loss of manufacturing. But it has long since moved on. “Rust Belt” is not only insulting but also inaccurate. Read more
Jul 24, 2024
9:00 AM
Joeff Davis
19 loaded handguns
J.D. Vance’s story about his ‘Mamaw’ best illustrates the vast gulf between people who show up at Republican conventions and the rest of America. Read more
Jul 19, 2024
12:30 PM
Tommy Washbush / Freepik
We need some conservatives in Madison
No one is asking hard questions about the Madison school district’s performance even as it is going to referendum to add an additional $1,300 on tax bills by 2028. Read more
Jul 10, 2024
4:31 PM
Gage Skidmore
The curse of partisanship
While virtually every liberal and center-left commentator is calling for President Joe Biden to abandon his bid for a second term, Democratic politicians insist he’s fit for the job. Read more
Jul 3, 2024
2:00 PM
Freepik
Density backlash underway in Madison
The rhetoric against growth in Madison reflects a fundamentally anti-urban, back-to-the-land kind of vibe. Read more
Jun 28, 2024
8:30 AM
In the October issue
Can Monona help solve Madison’s housing crisis?
Monona may be landlocked but it isn’t airlocked. City leaders are looking upward for how one small suburb can do its part — and, maybe, much more — to help address the Madison area’s housing needs. Read more
They put the Wisco in the Wisconsin Book Festival
Memoirs, essays, poems, micro-histories and more shine the spotlight on the Badger State and those who write about it. Read more
A generation of art lovers
Youth programming at the Overture Center for the Arts includes the OnStage field trip program, Kids in the Rotunda, the Jerry Awards and Jerry Ensemble. Read more
The dean of Wisconsin pollsters
Charles Franklin launched the Marquette Law School poll in 2012, one of the most accurate in the nation. He is a respected national pollster and in-demand source for journalists. Read more
Open to all
Madison’s longest-running, all-ages open mic is also noteworthy for its inclusivity of genre, welcoming dance, visual art, stand-up and spoken word. Read more
