THE OFFICIAL WEB SITE OF THE MADISON TIMES WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

NEWS AT A GLANCE

Compiled By Rob Hunter

Madison gets top marks in fiscal health

MADISON — When Madison refinanced its pension debt in late November, Moody’s Investors Service assigned it a MIG-1 rating, which stands for Moody’s Investment Grade 1 — the highest rating Moody’s gives to new short-term debt of this type. It also affirmed Madison’s Aaa bond rating and praised Madison as a strong and creditworthy community.

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz asked the city comptroller to pursue paying down and refinancing its unfunded retirement liability. At the significantly lower interest rates available today, the city will be able to reduce its annual payment by up to $250,000 a year and pay off its liability in 20 years, saving a total of more than $50 million.

The release from Moody’s credited Madison as having “one of the nation’s strongest economies” and praised Cieslewicz’s “strong fiscal oversight.” It also commended the mayor’s plan that made significant reductions ($1.3 million) in the 2003 budget to offset adverse changes in state revenues, including the loss of general state aids in 2004.

“I’m pleased that Moody’s recognizes the proactive steps we took to minimize the large hit in state aids; it really paid off,” said Cieslewicz.  “While other cities are struggling to prop up sagging economies, Madison remains a vibrant and healthy place to live and do business.  I want to commend the city staff and policy makers for helping me complete a successful budget in these tight fiscal times.  I’m confident the actions we took in the budget passed last month will continue Madison’s strong fiscal tradition.”

Comptroller Dean Brasser was also pleased by the report.  “The Moody’s report helps demonstrate that the pension refinancing is a wise financial decision for our city’s future,” he said. —Office of the Mayor of Madison

Jobs Creation Act may violate open records law

MADISON — Clean Wisconsin, an environmental advocacy group founded as Wisconsin’s Environmental Decade, has asked state Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager to comment on a seeming violation of Wisconsin’s Open Records Law by the authors of the Jobs Creation Act. Wisconsin’s Open Records Law is intended to keep the voters of Wisconsin informed on the affairs of the government.  The Drafter’s Notes on the Jobs Creation Act indicate that the authors intended to grant access to the bill to certain industry lobbyists, while denying the same access to the public.  It also appears that industry attorneys submitted large portions of the bill language directly to the Legislative Council, bypassing the supposed authors.

The denial of access puts the public at a distinct disadvantage.  This was readily apparent at hearings held on the topic  Nov. 12, one day after the 114-page bill was introduced. The third party drafters used the information regarding both the content of the legislation and the timing of its introduction to their advantage.  They were able to recruit testimony in support of their legislation far in advance of any opposition.  The public was left trying to absorb the large document in less than a day.

“If this is not a violation of Wisconsin’s open records law, it should be,” said Derek Scheer, water policy director for Clean Wisconsin.  “It is the intent of the [open records] law that government dealings occur out in the open, so that the public can make informed decisions.”

Clean Wisconsin is hoping for a quick response from the Attorney General’s Office, because the Job Creation Act is likely to be decided on before the state Legislature’s winter break. —Clean Wisconsin

Ken Baldwin says goodbye to Madison & Wisconsin

MADISON — Wisconsin lost a treasure to South Carolina recently when Ken Baldwin, Administrator of the Division of Public Health, Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, decided to join his wife, JoAnn, in their new home at Aiken, SC. Baldwin was appointed by DHFS Secretary Helene Nelson to his latest position early this year, after serving more than 10 years in the same department.

“It has been nearly a year since the appointment and I have enjoyed the experience and the opportunity to serve the people of Wisconsin,” Baldwin said  in a letter to Jon Gramling, editor of The Madison Times. “However, living separately from my wife after over 31 years of marriage has been more difficult than either of us expected or is willing to continue.” — The Madison Times

END OF LOCAL NEWS