B&S Wins MacIver Public Investigator Prize

I’m very pleased to announce that B&S has won the MacIver Public Investigator Prize for our coverage of the West Bend School Board over the past few months.  While we did provide quite a bit of original coverage, many others did too.  People getting involved in their local governments… it’s a beautiful thing. 

New Berlin, Wisc…] Owen Robinson, co-author of the blog “Boots and Sabers,” has just been awarded a MacIver Public Investigator prize.

For his continuing coverage of the West Bend School Board, Robinson will receive a $500 cash award from the John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy, a Wisconsin-based free market think tank.

“Owen’s work in West Bend is exactly the kind of citizen journalism we want to encourage and recognize,” said MacIver President Brett Healy. “Not only did Owen keep his readers abreast of what others had published about the West Bend School Board’s budget deliberations, he did a lot of legwork himself an provided original content not found anywhere else.”

The Institute occasionally awards the MacIver PI prizes to writers, bloggers, and other ordinary citizens who spend their “free” time working to root out government waste or making our government more transparent. Robinson has published dozens of blog entries over the last several months regarding the West Bend School District’s budget deliberations and other activities of the West Bend School Board. He reported on their use of tax dollars to finance ‘team building’ dinners, wrote about internal disputes between board members, predicted the Board’s push for sweeping new tax hikes and filed an open records request for data to back up the School District’s claim that it “has experienced 15 years of consecutive budget reductions.”

In accepting the prize, Robinson said there is more to come.

“While I certainly did not expect any recognition or compensation for my continued coverage of the West Bend School District, between pending tax hikes and Christmas, it certainly comes in handy,” said Robinson. “I hope, in some way, this will encourage other bloggers, student journalists and everyday citizens to demand their local elected officials be held accountable. For example, I know that I will have a lot more to report, and to say, about the West Bend School District in the months ahead.”

I would note that roughly half of my prize will go to pay the 2009 increase in property taxes on my home. 

If you see other folks out there digging up the truth on their government, let the MacIver Institute know.  Perhaps they could be next. 

1. Congrats Owen good for you.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 09, 2009 at 1035 hrs




2. Congrats.  Wish I had good news for the other half of that money, but it will be going to pay for PlaceboCare and the rest of the taxes imposed by our masters in DC and Madison.

   Posted by steveegg on November 09, 2009 at 1138 hrs




3. WTG, Owen!

   Posted by GAMazy on November 09, 2009 at 1206 hrs




4. Congratulations.  I enjoy reading this blog.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 09, 2009 at 1705 hrs




5. Congrats, Owen. Well deserved. Also, one of my “Don’t miss” sites.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 09, 2009 at 1809 hrs




6. Congratulations, my silver tounged ( ah, finger tipped) son.  I am proud of you, also my “don’t miss” site.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 09, 2009 at 1901 hrs




7. Well-deserved.  Let’s have more!!

   Posted by dad29 on November 10, 2009 at 0805 hrs