I don't know if Chuck Clement planned it this way, but the city commission candidate profiles in the Madison Daily Leader have steadily declined in real policy discussion. The first last month had Jeremiah Corbin offering some distinct policy proposals. The next had Mike Waldner offering some less-than-innovative Web ideas and fewer specifics on economic development. Then came Pat Mullen to say he still needs to do his homework.
Now Clement profiles highway patrolman Scott Knisley. We get great gobs of personal résumé; on a daily operational level, Knisley would make an efficient bureaucrat (and I say that word in the best sense possible). He nods duly to business growth amidst population stagnation. But what sort of policies does Knisley want to enact?
Knisley added that Madison needs entities such as the local Chamber and the Lake Area Improvement Corporation to promote the community. He said the city should encourage visitors to come and enjoy what Lake County has to offer. Knisley said the local golf courses and the state parks at lakes Herman and Madison are destination points for some visitors [Chuck Clement, "Knisley Seeks New Role with City Commission," Madison Daily Leader, 2012.03.29].
In other words, nothing but a recitation of the same old pro-Chamber, pro-LAIC pablum with no clear vision of anything different Madison might do to change its fortunes. The city is already encouraging visitors to come enjoy Lake County; what else are we supposed to do?
I suppose I'm just applying the wrong metrics: maybe Madison's elections aren't really about policy, but popularity, image, and reinforcement of the same "everything is fine" tropes our leaders need us to believe. We can only hope that the Chamber's city commission candidates' forum (tomorrow evening, 7 p.m., MHS lunchroom!) will bring a little more discussion of concrete policy issues.