📰 The Pulse of Janesville and Rock County – Hypothetically Speaking August 8, 2025, | Vol. 1, Issue 23(Approx. 1971 words – a ten –minute read)

 What’s Ahead? A Civic Reckoning and back to basics… Kindergarten Rules, Free Speech, and the Public Behavior Crisis, an update from the newsmakers and more.

🧠 Commentary

We are in a Behavioral Crisis Disguised as a Political One

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❝ It is not just who we vote for. It is how we behave while doing it. ❞

There is a lot wrong with the way public engagement is showing up lately—and not all of it is ideological.

The real fracture line in civic life? Behavior.
Violence masquerading as protest. Vitriol posing as free speech. Manufactured outrage where thoughtful dialogue used to live.

Somewhere along the way, we traded in “use kind words” for “whose voice can hit hardest.” But the truth is still:

Everything I need to thrive I learned in kindergarten.
Share your crayons. Say sorry. Take turns. Clean up your mess.

If our democratic habits do not include these foundations, we are not just losing civility—we are losing legitimacy.

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📢 Freedom Is Not Free When It is Weaponized

Let us be clear:

• Free speech does not include punching someone in the nose.
• Party labels are immaterial if you cannot behave like a civil, functioning adult.
• “Get a dog if you want a friend in Washington” is not just a joke—it is a warning.

Today, we supply mourners for funerals, wailers for political events, and anarchists for chaos. But where are the civic stewards? The bridge-builders? The people who can speak truth without tearing down the house?

We call it deliberative democracy. But demonstration without deliberation is just noise.

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🟨 For you to ponder:

What is your take on “deliberative democracy”?
When does it become generative, and when does it cross the line into destructive?

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🏛️ A Call to Rebuild the Civic Square

This is not a lament. It is a call to construct.

We need spaces where ethical leadership, participatory governance, and inclusive dialogue are modeled—not mocked.

🛠️ What Comes Next: A Policy Agenda for Civic Renewal

We cannot rebuild community trust with sentiment alone.
We need infrastructure: Policy. Programs. People.

🧪 Participatory Democracy Labs

• Structured forums for civil discourse and community problem-solving
• Youth-led and intergenerational by design
• Synchronized with local decision-making cycles.

📚 Ethics-in-Leadership Public Curriculum

• Taught in schools, colleges, and civic groups.
• Topics: transparency, governance, and public ethics
• Includes mentorship, storytelling, and systems-thinking.

📊 Public Accountability Scorecards

• Nonpartisan indicators for responsiveness, inclusion, and transparency
• Made public via civic dashboards run by media collaboratives.

🗞️ Civic Media Ecosystems

• Community-driven platforms elevating underrepresented voices.
• Produced with students, artists, and journalists.
• Reframes storytelling as a civic tool.

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🟨 Hypothetically Speaking
Imagine a community forum designed with dignity and dialogue at the center.
What would it look like? Who would be there?
How do we build—not just disrupt?

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🏗️ Development Watch | Civic Futures Weekly

GM/JATCO Advisory Board: Vision, Voice, and Vigilance

– Janesville City Council — As Janesville prepares to take its next step in the redevelopment of the former GM/JATCO site, the City Manager’s office has announced a revised timeline and framework for setting up a citizen advisory board. The resolution, outlined in a memorandum to Council, rescheduled Council consideration to August 25.

The memorandum states that the proposal reflects ongoing input from Council leadership and community stakeholders. It’s a promising gesture, but one that deserves close scrutiny.

This proposal arrives in the shadow of Councilmember Erdman’s earlier advisory board concept, which emphasized deeper representation, broader community engagement, and a more transparent selection process. That proposal was dismissed by the Council majority. Now, with the latest version on the table, the question is: how does it compare and what must be in place to ensure this City delivers on its promise?

🧭 Comparing the Vision: Erdman vs. Executive Proposal

Councilmember Erdman’s proposal prioritized:

• Inclusive representation, especially from impacted neighborhoods
• Transparent selection, potentially via the Advisory Committee on Appointments
• Clear public engagement mandates, with community-driven input baked into the board’s charge
• Checks and balances, to ensure the board’s independence from executive influence.

The new proposal, while incorporating some of these elements, leans more heavily on executive coordination. It includes:

• A lean board structure for “agility”
• Councilmember nominations post-resolution approval
• A consultant-led planning process via RFP
• A structured timeline for engagement and concept development

While the intent to collaborate is clear, the mechanisms for accountability and representation remain under-defined.

✅ Critical Must-Haves for a Legitimate Advisory Board

To ensure this board is not merely symbolic, several foundational elements must be present:

1. Transparent Selection Process

Councilmember nominations are a start, but without a formal vetting mechanism, the process risks becoming political rather than participatory. Consider using the Advisory Committee on Appointments or another neutral screening panel.

2. Neighborhood Representation

The board must include residents from the immediate GM/JATCO area. Redevelopment without proximity-based input is a recipe for disconnect.

3. Defined Scope and Authority

What decisions can the board influence? What is advisory versus binding? Clarity here will prevent confusion and ensure meaningful contribution.

4. Public Participation Infrastructure

A robust engagement plan—workshops, surveys, listening sessions—must be embedded, not optional. Community voice should shape every phase.

5. Staff and Consultant Support

Board members must be equipped with data, facilitation, and technical expertise. Without it, even the best intentions falter.

⚠️ Cautionary Areas Requiring Monitoring

1. Executive Overreach

If the board becomes a vehicle to confirm pre-existing plans rather than co-create new ones, its credibility will erode.

2. Tokenism in Representation

Diversity must be authentic, not performative. Who’s at the table matters, but how they’re empowered matters more.

3. Timeline Rigidity

While the proposed schedule is thoughtful, flexibility must remain. Community input may demand more time, and consultants should not dictate pace over substance.

4. Lack of Council Ownership

If Council voices are sidelined in shaping the board, the process risks losing democratic legitimacy. Council must remain engaged throughout.

Hypothetically Speaking:

Imagine a redevelopment process where the advisory board isn’t just a checkbox—but a civic engine. Where residents shape not only the look of the site, but its purpose. Where transparency isn’t a press release—it’s a practice.

Hypothetically speaking, what if this board became a model for future city planning—one rooted in trust, shared power, and long-term vision?

That’s not simply good governance. That’s good faith.

As the August 25 vote approaches, let’s stay focused on what matters: representation, accountability, and community ownership. The GM/JATCO site deserves more than development—it deserves democracy.

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🍻 Rethinking Concessions and Civic Partnership at the Janesville Ice Arena

Janesville City Council: In a quiet but meaningful shift, the City of Janesville and Wisconsin Hockey Partners (WHP) are updating their longstanding agreement to better reflect operational realities and legal compliance, especially around alcohol sales and community engagement.

Under the proposed amendment, the City’s designated concessionaire, Sports Facilities Food and Beverage Wisconsin, LLC, will take over as the official alcohol license holder for the Ice Arena. This change removes the City from direct responsibility for alcohol-related activities, aligning with state law and simplifying oversight. WHP, meanwhile, will continue to provide licensed volunteer bartenders to support responsible alcohol service during their events. This is a model that blends civic participation with practical staffing.

But the heart of this amendment lies in a new sponsorship structure. Rather than tying revenue to alcohol consumption, the City will now compensate WHP based on attendance. For every scanned ticket at WHP games, the organization will receive $1.46—an amount derived from estimated concession revenue and projected attendance. This shift is expected to generate approximately $41,000 annually for WHP, with adjustments made each year based on the Consumer Price Index. If attendance surpasses 28,000 for NAHL games, WHP may also receive an additional end-of-season sponsorship bonus.

The amendment also formalizes WHP’s responsibility to staff beer outlets with volunteers. If they’re unable to do so, they’ll reimburse the City for the staffing shortfall—an accountability measure that reinforces the collaborative nature of the partnership.

On the advertising front, the City will now receive 15% of all advertising revenue that exceeds $350,000. However, questions remain about the types and limits of advertising permitted under the agreement. Rumors of City-imposed restrictions have circulated, but the amendment offers no clarity on this point—leaving room for further dialogue and transparency.

Ultimately, this proposal reflects a necessary recalibration of roles and responsibilities. It’s designed to be revenue-neutral for both parties, while reinforcing the shared goal of fostering a vibrant, community-centered sports venue. More than just a financial arrangement, it’s a model of how civic institutions and local organizations can co-create value.

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📣 Civic Futures Weekly

When Technology Meets Integrity—And Civic Learning Comes Alive

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🏫 Janesville School District

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to ripple through our classrooms, boardrooms, and communities, most districts are reacting.

But Janesville is leading.

When the Board of Education meets this week, they are not just reviewing another tech policy. They are weighing a civic framework—one built on values, vision, and democratic resolve.

This is not just a policy. It is a public commitment to integrity.

Where others scramble, Janesville reframes the question:

❝ Not “How do we control AI?”
But “How do we guide it with ethical intent?” ❞

Key Highlights:

• Transparency, academic honesty, and digital equity are the bedrock.
• Students are not passive users—they are stewards of AI.
• Educators are facilitators of thoughtful integration—not compliance officers.

Statewide, it supports DPI’s guidance. Nationally, it reflects broader ethical movements. Locally, it is grounded and intentional.

This is not just about software.
It is about soul.

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🧭 Civic Learning in Motion: The Milton Model

Across Rock County, Milton School District is launching a transformative year-long Civic Practicum in collaboration with the Rock County Civics Academy.

Students will not just study systems—they will shape them.

Features:

• Community-based research
• Media storytelling
• Ethical leadership labs

Each student is matched with a mentor—from artists to educators to nonprofit leaders. These relationships model purpose-driven civic engagement.

As students facilitate forums, produce community narratives, and present insights to local leaders, they rehearse democracy in real time.

This is not just education.
It is civic rehearsal.

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🟨 Hypothetically Speaking
What if every district followed Janesville’s lead on ethics?
What if every classroom embraced Milton’s model of agency?
What if civic learning was not an add-on—but the heartbeat?

If these models hold, our civic future will not be inherited.
It will be constructed—by those most prepared to lead it.

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❤️ Two Events, One Truth

A personal note:
In the past two weeks, I experienced both rupture and rebirth.

🟥 A town hall meeting so hostile it felt like a death rattle for democratic engagement.
🟩 The birth of twins in my family—a moment full of vulnerability, hope, and promise.

These moments collided in me.

The town hall reminded me of what we risk becoming.
The birth reminded me of what we are fighting for.

And the question echoes:

❝ What are we building for the next generation? ❞

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⚖️ Urgency Meets Opportunity

Yes, there is fear—that dysfunction is systemic.
But there is also hope—that we are ready to rise.

We must reclaim space for dialogue.
We must elevate what is good and decent.
We must build better systems.

Because the next era will not be decided by headlines.
It will be shaped by the spaces we create the voices we elevate, and the courage we

show.

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🟨 Final Word: Hypothetically Speaking
Let us raise the standard for public engagement.
Let us insist our democracy be both demonstrative and dignified.
Let us bring civility back—not as politeness, but as courage.

This week, make your point.
Speak up.
Do it with honor.
Do it with intention.
Do it with the civics you learned in kindergarten and the vision you hold for the next generation.

Because the democracy we build today…
is the legacy they inherit tomorrow.

— RHG

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Subscribe to Hypothetically Speaking for insight at the intersection of policy, people, and possibility.
New columns every Friday from Wisconsin’s heartland to America’s horizon.

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☕ Community Spotlight: Havana Coffee

Fueling Dialogue, One Cup at a Time      

Looking for a space to connect and reflect? Visit Havana Coffee at 1250 Milton Avenue true Janesville gem where civic energy meets excellent espresso. With hearty food, warm service, and a strong commitment to local journalism, Havana Coffee proudly supports the Rock County Civics Academy and all who believe in informed engagement.

💬 A Call to Leadership

Every advancement in our community begins with someone choosing to act. If you have asked yourself when the right time to get involved is—the answer might just be now.

Ways to contribute:
• Volunteer with a civic group
• Apply to serve on a local board or commission
• Run for public office and lead the change.

“If not me, who? If not now, when? — Hillel the Elder

Welcome our newest sponsor, Nowlan Law Firm and Attorney Tim Lindau. Thank you for sharing our vision for the future with your support today.

We deeply appreciate the support and encouragement from Tim at Nowlan, Daniela at Havana and many others who ask with us:

💭 Hypothetically Speaking…

• What if transparency was standard in local government?
• What if civic engagement became Rock County’s defining strength?

That is the mission of Hypothetically Speaking. And with your voice in the mix, it is closer to reality than ever.

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Until next time—stay curious, stay engaged, and stay connected.
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