By now you've probably heard of the musical ""Wicked."" It's all about perceptions; essentially striving to depict the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, in a more positive light than her Wizard of Oz predecessor, while showing how the Wizard himself is in reality not all that nice.
Interestingly enough, this hugely successful play is coming to Madison's very own Overture Center for the Arts right at a time when city officials are trying to evaluate whether or not the Overture can be something it hasn't been—hugely successful.
In fact, the Overture has racked up almost $30 million in debt over its illustrious six-year lifespan. Like many of the play's characters, the Overture is deceptively good-looking. Its sleek, modern glass exterior hides the center's lousy management and poor performance.
In order to eliminate the debt, Overture officials are hoping to hand over the business to be run by the city. Along with some $15 million coming from outside donors, the banks financing the center have agreed to forgive the remaining debt if the city of Madison takes over.
But that means Madison residents would pay an additional $500,000 per year in taxes for maintenance costs over the next 15 years, raising the Overture's price tag to almost $2 million per year for taxpayers.
And some of the repairs are flat-out ridiculous. Over $2 million in carpeting, $600,000 for new tiles and another $2 million for roof repairs will weigh heavily on taxpayers who would enjoy a less costly version just as much.
Now, the city has the task of answering one simple question: all costs considered, is owning and operating the Overture Center a good investment for Madison and its residents?
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz seems to think so, but this is the same man who hopes to have 20 percent of all Madison commutes done on bikes by the year 2020. I'm hesitant to trust anyone who so severely underestimates Wisconsin winter that he believes we can outpace California 10 years from now.
As of late, Mayor Dave has been trying to get his hands on just about every capital plan in town. And for the most part, his pet projects have ended up like the Overture: Unsuccessful.
Before the summer, rebuilding the Central Library had long been a primary concern for area residents. But after some internal squabbling over $3 million between contractors and the mayor, rebuilding the library reverted to renovating the library. Mayor Dave took it upon himself to personally end all discussions.
Following the library fiasco, the mayor turned his attention to renovating the Edgewater Hotel for the low, low price of $98 million. After some questionable power plays by the mayor and council members, the city was able to overturn Landmarks Commission rulings that had initially blocked the project. Now, amidst public and legal backlash, Mayor Dave wants to expand the State Street Tax Increment Funding district so more Madison residents can help shoulder $16 million for a project that very few residents will ever use.
He often stresses that construction costs and interest rates are the lowest they've been in years—some nice rhetorical rationale for his disillusioned spending projects. While he emphasizes the job-growth potential of all his capital investments, he fails to mention that Madison has the lowest unemployment rate in Wisconsin. Plus, a majority of the positions he touts are temporary construction jobs or extremely low-paying.
I can't knock him for wanting to make the city look as flashy as possible, but Mayor Dave is seriously discounting the financial burden he's placing on Madison taxpayers. His newest capital budget has the city borrowing $137 million in the next two years, with much of it focused on finishing up his past failures.
There's a reason the Overture is in debt right now, and I doubt new ownership is going to change its poor performance in the years to come. It's too extravagant, too traditional. In a downtown atmosphere dominated by young people and alcohol, plays and operas aren't as appealing as drink specials.
New faces in ownership roles mean nothing. Unless specific, detailed management plans are introduced with drastic operational changes, the Overture will continue to follow the yellow brick road to failure. To transition it to a public project means higher taxes and more spending for Madison residents who would rather save a buck and buy a beer.
The mayor needs to take a moment and consider the role he's playing. He's not responsible for making Madison an Emerald City, just a functional one. It's time to stop the spending and snap our wizard back into reality.
Dan Tollefson is a senior majoring in English. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
