As beautiful as Madison is, the earliest efforts at urban planning left its citizens with a private, inaccessible and second-rate lakefront. Now the proposal for a huge structure between the city and its largest lake is gaining momentum.

Public relations renderings show it only from the lake side. I suspect this is because no one would be very excited to see its back side, a view with which all but the privileged will have to live.

The economy is bleak and may not support another hotel. Bleak, too, is the city's economy as they ask for budget cuts, reduced services and increased property taxes.

Yet we may be asked to support this project with tax increment financing. Is not TIF intended to help develop blighted areas? What about some areas on East Washington Avenue, or low income areas with no grocery stores like Park Street and Verona Road? Even the hole at Hilldale deserves more attention if we want to subsidize the rich.

And what about public discussion of this project? Is it left to a "neighborhood group" and city leaders who seem more interested in leaving some monument to their legacy than keeping traffic flowing on our pot-holed streets?

We need to give ourselves a good dope slap and then tell our leaders, "No!"

- James Nikora, Madison

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