Ethics-challenged Justice Ziegler seems to have multiple owners; the Wisconsin Realtors Association and the Wisconsin Builders Association are the latest to pull her leash. Unfortunately for their political action committees, Ziegler's reputation preceded her (well played, Town of West Point!).
I can imagine these guys wringing their hands in disgust; "Not fair! We bought her fair and square!"
High court deadlocks on Smart Growth
Madison - The state Supreme Court deadlocked on a Smart Growth decision today after Justice Annette K. Ziegler stepped aside because of campaign contributions she received last year.
The resulting 3-3 vote sent the matter to the Court of Appeals to resolve. Court of Appeals judges had asked the high court to take the case directly, citing the major statewide precedent it would set.
The case was to determine whether towns have the authority to enact moratoriums on development while they wrote long-term development plans. Cities and villages have that power, but the Wisconsin Realtors Association and the Wisconsin Builders Association argue towns do not.
Ziegler withdrew from the case after being asked to do so by the Town of West Point in Columbia County because the political action committees for the builders and Realtors each gave her $8,625, the maximum allowed under state law.
The town asked her to step aside after she disclosed those donations in letters to all the parties. Ziegler has been routinely making such disclosures, going further than other justices have in the past.
She also stepped aside in a public meetings case after being asked to withdraw. That court has not yet issued a ruling in that case.
Ziegler was elected in April after the most expensive judicial race in state history. She is also under scrutiny because she has acknowledged she mishandled cases as a Washington County Circuit Court judge involving a bank her husband helps run.
Ziegler's six colleagues on the high court will determine if she should be disciplined for violating the judicial ethics code in those cases.
Reality finally visited upon McMansion builders?
While overextended homeowners pay the price as variable mortgage rates click in, home builders are finally beginning to feel the consequences as well.
Additional reading: When a McMansion Isn't Big Enough, an article and reader discussion about the growing amount of space we need for our stuff.
(data from NAHB. Housing Facts, Figures and Trends - May 2007)
Yes - living (storage?) space has nearly DOUBLED since 1970!
Posted at 10:29 AM in Commentary, Current Affairs, Problems | Permalink | Comments (20) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: McMansions, sprawl
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