From:	Dick Wagner [rrdickwagner@gmail.com]
Sent:	Tuesday, May 21, 2013 3:21 PM
To:	Christianson, Eric
Subject:	Plan B license

Please share this with members of the ALRC.

I was concerned when I saw the letter sent on behalf of the Marquette Neighborhood 
Association (MNA) which can only be viewed as an attack on Plan B, a business operating in a 
commercially zoned area and part of the vitality Williamson Street.

While I know a few neighbors raised a noise issue over Plan B, and there was a working group to 
focus on the issue, I do not feel the license renewal rises to the level of a neighborhood wide 
issue. I say this as a resident of the neighborhood since 1974 and one who served as a past 
president of MNA. I and my immediate neighbors certainly sometimes hear late night parties at 
the Elks Club just down the Street, but would not think it was an issue to seek their license 
denial or one to involve the broader neighborhood association which can have only the most 
limited understanding of such a localized issue.  So with Plan B.

What disturbs me most is that Plan B is being treated as if their were a hog rendering plant or 
some noxious use. As one of the many early gay people who moved into the Marquette 
neighborhood, along with many other straight people as well, the effort was to build a place 
where all could be part of a community. The neighborhood welcome the Gay Liberation statue in 
Orton Park, other gay related institutions like Outreach and AIDS network have found a home 
and become important parts of the area. A gay bar is one more cherished institution to have in the 
neighborhood, at least that is my view, and one I would have expressed had the neighborhood 
association done any communicating with its current members like myself.

Just because we have an African American President does mean racism is at an end, likewise just 
electing an openly gay Senator does mean homophobia is gone. This Spring publicity was 
distributed in the neighborhood publicizing our festivals. It was unfortunate in my view that only 
the four longer establish festivals were featured and the new festival of FruitFest, specifically 
geared to the LGBT community was not included. Whether this was oversight or animus I 
cannot say but I know how I felt seeing my community's event excluded.

At my age of near 70 I am only an infrequent user of gay bars, indeed of any bars, but I hope the 
ALRC will seek to resolve any issues so Plan B may continue. 

Thank you for your talent in weighing all the public issues of your work.

Dick Wagner
739 Jenifer  St.
Madison, WI 53703