The mayor responds
Re: “Just reducing lake levels won’t prevent flooding. We need to do more.” (11/29/2018): Unfortunately, Dave Cieslewicz and Isthmus have misled readers on the complicated issue of flooding. Dave acknowledges that he spoke to a half-dozen people for his story but never contacted me. Yet, he leads his story with a “second source” quote, taken from another newspaper, and used to suggest that I believe lowering Lake Mendota level is the only solution to this issue.
Maybe Dave didn’t want to call me. He could have searched the public record. He would have found video of press conferences (on YouTube) at which I talked at length about the complexity and interconnectedness of the causes and the solutions to flooding. He would have heard me talk about the need to start at the southern end of Lake Waubesa and work our way north addressing all the human-made dams, pinch points, and railroad trestles that inhibit the flow of the lakes.
He would have found a memo I sent to the city council in which I wrote: “Lowering Lake Mendota is dependent upon the level of Lake Monona. If Lake Mendota is lowered at too high a flow, the Yahara River, Lake Monona, and bodies of water further south will flood.” In that memo I recommended that we convene “engineers from the city of Madison, Dane County and the private sector who understand the nature of the flooding” to “bring back a unified position based on solid data….”
The record is very clear regarding my approach to the flooding and it has nothing to do with the caricature the former mayor invents. We need to understand the flooding that occurred in August as two separate physical events. Climate change is a cause. There are many other causes that are interdependent. We need to develop solutions to the flooding based on science and engineering. Those solutions will take strong political leadership to implement.
It will surprise no one that Dave isn’t supporting me for mayor in 2019. But I have hope that during this campaign, on topics that are so important to our city, Isthmus will focus on solid journalism that advances your readers’ understanding of the issues we must solve together instead of misleading those readers by omission and by design.
— Mayor Paul Soglin, via email
Keeping the faith
Re: Madweek (11/29/2018): Regarding Bishop Morlino, I have been a lifelong Catholic and naively believed the Church’s hierarchy would have strong leaders who would teach us all how LOVE can make this world a better place. This man did not. Instead he divided us, excluded those who did not agree with him, and single-handedly had me questioning my faith.
But he did not succeed: Instead of being driven away from the church, my faith has grown stronger. Poor leadership cannot destroy our hearts, minds or souls. It is fleeting. What lasts is how much we love.
— Phil Biebl, via email
