Public Input City Budget

But first, please read this Guardian (UK) article about the latest leaked draft IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report. Read it and understand it.

”According to AFP, the IPCC draft details at least 12 potential tipping points. 'The worst is yet to come, affecting our children’s and grandchildren’s lives much more than our own,' the report says.”

Consider that the City of La Crosse pledged TWO YEARS AGO to reduce its carbon footprint to zero and increase its renewable energy use (community-wide in both cases) to 100%, and they are just now planning to hire a planner to plan for a plan that will be ready in about another year or so, give or take.

In the meantime, what's in our budget right now that recognizes the TERRIFYING climate catastrophe we've bumbled our way into? What's in there right now to stop further unnecessary carbon emissions from DEMOLISHING BUILDINGS, building new things that are NOT ZERO-CARBON, and encouraging more people to drive and park more fossil-fueled vehicles wherever they want. For example.

Is there money to vastly improve the routes and schedules of our public transportation service? Is there anything in the budget to build a grid of PROTECTED BIKE LANES for residents of all ages and abilities so they can safely and easily use bicycles for everyday transportation? Is there a budget to install EV charging stations around the city? A mandate and budget to get businesses and residences off of fossil gas? A program to weatherize all of the city's rental properties? Money to gather the top employers, schools, colleges and universities, and non profits to work out how they will be leaders not laggers in reaching carbon zero goals?

If you find there's no or not enough attention paid to the climate action commitment, please mention this is your remarks.

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This email is to notify you of the Public Hearing on the 2022-2026 Capital Budget Process, which will be held at 

the City Plan Commission’s Meeting on July 12, 2021 at 6PM at the South Side Neighborhood Center, located at 1300 6^th Street South in La Crosse.

 

Attached is the draft Capital Budget Summary: https://www.cityoflacrosse.org/home/showpublisheddocument/5261/637586563335400000

Here is the link for the detailed report:

https://www.cityoflacrosse.org/your-government/departments/finance/budget/capital-improvement/2022-capital-budget

 

Members of the public will be able to provide comments on the 2022-2026 Capital Budget via video conferencing, in person, or written statement. Please include the item number and description with your comments.

 

The City Plan Commission Meeting’s Public Hearing will be held on July 12, 2021 at 6PM, located at the South Side Neighborhood Center, 1300 6^th Street South in La Crosse. Social distancing policies will be in effect.

 

The meeting will also be conducted through video conferencing and may be viewed and accessed with the following link:

https://stream.lifesizecloud.com/extension/9794361/0d016062-5436-4221-a814-2adab70cb22e

 

Or, comments via written statement can be sent ahead of the meeting in an email sent to Tim Acklin, acklint@cityofalcrosse.org , (608) 789-7391, or dropped off to Planning Department at City Hall, located at 400 La Crosse Street, La Crosse, WI 54601.

 

If you have any questions, please contact either Tim Acklin, AICP, Planning Administrator, (608)-789-7391 acklint@cityoflacrosse.org

or Erin Duffer, Planning & Development Assistant, (608)-789-8311 duffere@cityoflacrosse.org .

July 22 = Transit Advocates' Ride SMRT to Viroqua

 From La Crosse Area Transit Advocates:

Ride the Scenic Mississippi Regional Transit (SMRT) bus from La Crosse to Viroqua for a day of sight-seeing, shopping, dining, and exploring. We’ll leave mid-morning from La Crosse. Jackie Eastwood, Transportation Planner with the La Crosse Area Planning Committee, will join us to talk about the SMRT and answer questions.

We’ll arrive in Viroqua at about 11 a.m. and you will choose what to do, where to go, and how long to stay There are two return trip options which have you back in La Crosse between 4:30 and 6:00 p.m. LATA will provide trip participants with talking points, so we can be SMRT advocates, too!

The bus costs $3 cash each way - pay with exact change on the bus. Bring your own lunch or eat at a restaurant. Other expenses will depend on what you choose to do, including

Driftless Books & Music		The Vernon County Museum ($)
Ewetopia		Parrish Music
Paper, Scissors, Stone		Second Time Around
The Drifting Boutique		Jaali's Dollies
Viroqua Public Market		Viroqua Food Co-op
Thoreau’s Garden		Gary's Rock Shop

and more!

Catch the SMRT Yellow Route to Viroqua:

•   9:48 - UWL (State St shelter between Iguana’s and Newman Center)     
•   9:54 - WTC (7th St. Academic Resources Center shelter)       
• 10:03 - Mayo Clinic shelter near building                         
• 10:08 - Gundersen Health (Founders’ Building entrance on 8th St.) 
• 10:16 - Shopko South

Return trip YOUR CHOICE:

• Yellow Route leaves at 3:24 p.m., back in La Crosse 4:22 - 4:50 p.m. or
  
• Blue Route leaves at 4:39 p.m., back in La Crosse 5:30 - 6:00 p.m.

THERE WILL BE WALKING or wheeling!

Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather.

Sign up by July 20: tinyurl.com/LATA2VIROQUA.

Questions? MTUFriends@hotmail.com or 608-315-2693

Expand BadgerCare!!

 

Every Wisconsinite, rural or urban, needs healthcare to survive and thrive. Unfortunately, certain Wisconsin politicians are blocking over 90,000 Wisconsinites from the healthcare they need. In doing so those politicians are keeping billions of dollars  in federal aid from reaching Wisconsin. We need to make our voice heard NOW and do everything we can to demand that Wisconsin expand BadgerCare.  

Join us for a postcard party to ask the Governor to veto any state budget that does not expand BadgerCare!

 

There will be so many ways to get involved at this event.  The event will be kicked off with a local headline speaker.   We will of course be collecting postcards to the Governor.  We will be helping folks craft letters to the editor of local papers.  We will even be collecting videos of people's personal healthcare stories to be used to help make sure EVERYONE in Wisconsin gets the healthcare they need!  You can send a postcard and leave or you can stay for all the ways to get involved.

 

This will be an outdoor, family friendly event.  Pets are welcome as long as they are kept on leash,  Feel free to bring a picnic as well.

 

If you want to go the extra mile and donate a few hours of your time you can help out by signing everyone in, helping folks write postcards, helping to collect healthcare stories or just make sure everything goes smoothly and everyone has a good time!  To sign up to volunteer just click the box on the RSVP page.

 

This will be an outdoor, COVID safe event. We are asking anyone not vaccinated to please wear a mask and respect social distancing.

RSVP

It's OFFICIAL: Juneteenth

Next steps: Educate, Motivate, Agitate until the underlying system that slow walks, ignores, twists, and delays fairness, justice, equity, promises owed is changed.

OWR on Saturday