I was really enjoying my trip to the Italian riviera until I learned about their all powerful urban design commission that keeps those shutters green and buildings pastel. I guess you can't escape people wanting to maintain the neighborhood character.

In Madison, WI - it’s Fox47. Advertising as of this evening: GSK Kohl’s (!) CarGurus Tide Starbucks Amazon Hyvee (!) Bob’s Discount Furniture (!) Pepsi Habush Habush and Rottier (!) More local ones (!) = bigger impact of your calls/messages

1/ Tonight the Dane County Board will vote on a proposal to introduce mail scanning at the county jail, which would eliminate most paper mail for people incarcerated there. Meeting details, and a short thread on this proposal and the messy discourse around it:

Totally missed Madison Common Council Tuesday, but it turned out to be a total snooze-fest in the end. They put off the decision about whether to go through with the closure of Dairy Drive campground until the next meeting. Potential county/city funding to extend to April is murky at best.

The next Democratic president should declare that the National Emergencies Act and Article II of the Constitution allow him to: •admit D.C. and Puerto Rico as states •abolish ICE •grant citizenship to any immigrant •disband the 5th Circuit •expand the Supreme Court Seriously: Why the hell not?

Someone should take a bunch of substack accounts around a common theme, package them into a single publication, and charge $15/month. They could even send them to my house every month on glossy paper, so that I can read them with my morning coffee while relaxing on my couch.

It is kind of wild that they didn't even make the Office of Independent Monitor accountable to Common Council. isthmus.com/news/news/ma...

At Madison Plan Commission tonight, they are revising the changes to the city tree protection ordinance from 5 ft for all trees to 1f/inch tree diameter. bsky.app/profile/ther...

A lot of people's images of slavery are based upon relatively small-scale operations that were prevalent in the east. The large-scale cotton operations in Alabama and Mississippi were basically factory farms but with people and some of the most horrifying places ever known to man. Read about it.

I'm finally catching up on Madison Plan Commission from July 28th, and it was a bit wild. They approved a parking addition to double the normally allowed amount in a TOD overlay for an addition at a construction company. The developer only provided a picture of a full parking lot as evidence.

Welcome to 2007

US Park Police now doing traffic stops in DC, and charged at me with a baton for filming closer than they liked

Vacancy rates in Dane County are currently at 7.1%, the highest they’ve been in more than five years, according to Apartment List. The vacancy rates in Madison remain lower, according to the latest figures available from the city’s planning division, at 3.6%. isthmus.com/news/news/ma...

The motion to refer to the next PC meeting passed unanimously. Lots of skepticism from PC about how the street tree ordinance is written as is and about outreach to developers (large and small) about impacts.

Oh no I'm late for Madison Plan Commission. But yes lots of discussion of TREES tonight. A proposed ordinance will extend the "tree protection zone" from 5 ft to 1 ft/inch trunk diameter. Also 73 unit apartment approved at 121 N Butler on the consent agenda. madison.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=...

At this point they should just defund the agency and let private entities do their own surveys. No one is going to trust the numbers coming out of the BLS. Trump destroyed yet another valuable thing.

We are going to have our normal general meeting this Sunday the 10th at Cargo Coffee East at 1pm. See you there!!

Everyone should come to Eken Park Fest on August 16. I'll be there all day long. If you spontaneously strike up a conversation with a stranger about how more housing is important for the neighborhood I'll buy you a beer.

I am absolutely convinced that 80% of historic preservation is people just trying to preserve stuff that was around when they were 20. I probably would willingly embarrass myself in front of Common Council for a chance to step foot in the Den again. www.facebook.com/groups/15970...

Light Madison Common Council meeting tonight; everything passed unanimously. There was discussion of changes to a crisis prevention RFP program to align with what is already offered by County and to remove a requirement that providers be certified case managers. madison.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=...

I feel like the locations of Madison Urban Design Districts (where UDC has extra review authority) demonstrate a strange obsession with the ways cars approach the capitol.

Unquestionably the most dangerous and corrupt attack on the independence of US economic data in American history. Trump is firing the head of the BLS, a longtime civil servant confirmed 86-8 by the Senate, simply because the job numbers came in below his expectations today

A Little League group might be kicked off the fields just south of Aberg in Eken Park as the owner (I assume Kraft) wants to sell it to a developer to build housing. It will be a real test for who is HARD CORE pro-housing.

It passed.

Speculation: When UW admin eliminated the DEI division (DDEEA) it allowed central campus to capture its giant budget and then make imaginary "cuts" while confining layoffs to DEI staff. I'm guessing that most real cuts are in academic departments, while admin grows. captimes.com/news/educati...

I'm hiking in CO, so will miss tonight's Plan Commission, but major alteration to approved building to replace the Red Caboose Willy St up for approval. Now larger, 45->53 units, 3-5 -> 5 stories. 1st approval was controversial because of Jenfr. St cap. views. madison.legistar.com/LegislationD...

What else can they accuse Obama of? Capital murder?

Crap guys...Milwaukee might be bankrupt, but they have better coffee, a better lake, and unlike Madison their city hall is beautiful rather than a literal jail.

I'm sick of unanimous pro-YIMBY Madison Common Council votes. Someone propose getting rid of all height limits city wide (not required by state law). I need something to calculate a YIMBY score!!!

At Madison Common Council tonight. The three Housing Forward items are on the agenda (flag lots, duplexes everywhere, taller small apartment buildings downtown). The new subdivision plat in Burke (approved at last Tuesday's PC) is approved on the consent agenda. www.cityofmadison.com/city-hall/co...

“Zoning reforms that promote housing diversity and accessibility are essential to empowering older adults,” Cranley said. “These changes help reduce barriers to aging in place and ensure that people of all ages and abilities can find safe, affordable homes that meet their needs.”

This story in the State Journal refers to "Capitol Grounds Cafe" on East Main. I've never heard of it, nor can I find a single mention of it on Google: madison.com/news/local/b...

And a reminder, there is no general meeting today. We are doing this instead.

Someone should adopt this rabbit. I've hung out with her many times and she is very nice. www.petfinder.com/rabbit/carro...

I'll be there. But let's keep it to one drink. No getting tanked up before Council!

Someone should adopt this rabbit. I've hung out with her many times and she is very nice. www.petfinder.com/rabbit/carro...

Seriously considering starting "The Church of Madison Common Council" All kinds of benefits. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/07/u...

I went to this; only concern about duplexes was the possibility that renters might live in them. That, as one person said, "would suck." Another person argued that the city wasn't doing enough to build condos. The entire time I just got the feeling they didn't want to live next to "renters."

A batch of zoning changes under the "Housing Forward" initiative is at Plan Commission. These will be at Council next week. - Allow duplexes in all sf zones - Allow special "Flag lot" divisions. - Fewer conditional use approvals for apartments downtown.

Tonight at Madison Plan Commission, several new apartment buildings with 290 units were approved on the consent agenda: At 709 Northport 2 buildings adjacent to a church (lot was recently split), At 2222 City View several buildings of various sizes.

I count housing 838 units up for approval at tonight's Madison Plan Commission (including 548 single-family, town home units in a new subdivision on the far far east side) plus a crypt. And the Tishler town hall is tonight. Too many possibilities! www.cityofmadison.com/city-hall/co...

Having a town hall in your district about zoning policy reforms (that include duplexes city-wide) the same night when they are being discussed at Plan Commission is an interesting choice. PC 5:30pm July 7, Tishler town hall 7pm at Sequoya Library. www.cityofmadison.com/city-hall/co...

Tonight at Madison Common Council, a presentation about alcohol density regulations and relation to public health. WI counties have a lot of heavy drinking. Deaths up in Dane County.

California doing permitting exemptions for infill housing today plus hopefully passing a big upzoning near transit this year might be the most YIMBY state legislative session in US history.

Wasniewski says that his kids have traversed this area without any problem in the past - he doesn't think it is unsafe. Plan Commission unanimously approves conditional use for 93 WHEDA funded affordable apartment units at 4506 Verona Rd. Very interesting discussion!

Tonight is Madison Plan Commission. The most controversial issue tonight a 93 unit apartment/mixed use building in a commercial district at 4506 Verona Rd. Staff have expressed concerns in its report that this location is general commercial in comp plan, may be inconsistent with residential.

The free market is finally coming for the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce building on E Wash. Just think of the GOP schemes that have been cooked up in this conference room.... Slated to become 223 apartments. Tonight at Madison Plan Commission. madison.legistar.com/LegislationD...

Honestly, the last accusation - that he tried to fire staff who made civil rights complaints to HR about not being given disability accommodations - should be relatively easy to ascertain and lead to his immediate termination if true. madison.com/news/local/g...

Look folks, I am only going to utter these words one time ever and only in response to this one particular tweet from 2019: Tulsi is right