Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Mayor Tom Barrett Versus The Street Thugs

Four years ago, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, as he was leaving State Fair with his family, was physically assaulted by a good who beat the mayor severely.  Barrett suffered a broken hand and several broken teeth.  Fortunately, Barrett is no Illinois cream puff and recovered fully.

On Tuesday, two more thugs - Robin "Ratman" Vos and Slobbin' Bob Donovan - took to the streets on  Milwaukee's south side.  Purportedly, the reason for this was to make some kind of demonstration about the rash of shootings that has happened in the past few weeks.

In reality, the Republicans are desperately trying to find something - anything - to distract people from the atrocious job they've been doing.

But before Ratman and Slobbin' could get into any mischief, Barrett showed up to talk to the ne'er-do-wells:
Barrett paid a surprise visit to Donovan and the GOP lawmakers gathered to discuss his efforts against crime.

He said he welcomed the state legislators' attempt to better understand the neighborhood and would give them access to any information they wanted about the city.

Patrick Curley, Barrett's chief of staff, said the mayor visited the event to "elevate the conversation."

Barrett, Vos and Darling had a "brief but constructive conversation" before the tour, Curley said, noting they would meet again soon.
Foiled from being to run rampant on the streets, Vos sniped at Barrett with the most unbelievable comment I've ever seen (emphasis mine):
Vos said he sometimes feels Barrett is prepared to arrive anywhere he knows there is a camera. The Democratic mayor should be less partisan, the speaker added.
Yes, you read that correctly.  Vos actually had the nerve to accuse anyone of being too partisan.

It should be noted that while Donovan and Vos kvetched about the mayor's plans to address the crime issue, they offered no plans, ideas or suggestions themselves. In fact, Vos came out and said that the city should not look to the State for any assistance whatsoever.

Barrett wasn't alone in calling out the theatrics of the Dumbtastic Duo.  State Representative Josh Zepnick issued a blistering response:
In response to Speaker Robin Vos (R-Burlington) and other Republican legislators visiting Milwaukee’s South Side today on a neighborhood walk, State Representative Josh Zepnick renewed his call for the state to provide $500,000 in matching funds to help pay for increased police overtime.

Zepnick added that along with those dollars, a modest funding request, Republicans should work to change the state's concealed-carry law to ban individuals convicted of three or more misdemeanors in a five-year period from getting a permit, and mandatory minimum sentences for illegal gun holders.

And, like the City of Milwaukee requested during the State Budget process, struggling neighborhoods would greatly benefit from providing more money for tearing down abandoned houses…many zip codes in Milwaukee were among the hardest hit statewide by the housing foreclosure crisis and lack of jobs.

Furthermore, Milwaukee continues to need state support for a crime-fighting program that uses cutting-edge technology to help police officers detect when and where shots are fired. These kinds of tools not only help the hard-working men and women of the Milwaukee Police Department, they provide neighborhood support all when Milwaukee faces declining tax revenues from State government and a still recovering economy.

Both of these initiatives were voted out of the State Budget by Republicans and to quote the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial page, “that’s not helping Milwaukee, that’s helping the criminals.”
State Representative JoCasta Zamarripa also issued a press release, making some of the same points and also calling out Vos' phoniness:
Zamarripa concluded, “While I appreciate Speaker Vos spending his day in the 8th Assembly District, it’s time for him and other legislative Republicans in Madison to walk the walk to address this problem instead of simply talking the talk in front of a camera.”
The Republicans really having nothing to say about the rash of shootings that Milwaukee has experienced lately. There has been an increase in shootings and other violent crimes all over the state.

It should also be pointed out that it was the Republicans like Vos who passed the Walker/ALEC agenda which depressed the state's economy.  It was also Vos and his fellow ALECites that have been treating Milwaukee like dirt and treating minorities as if they were subhuman.  To this miasma, they also made guns so easily available.

One does not need to have an above average IQ to see that this is the recipe to disaster.

If Ratman and Slobbin', not to mention Scott 'Weaselman" Walker and his allies are so concerned about the shootings and other crimes, they would be working with all due haste on passing laws that actually create jobs, on reasonable gun control laws and restoring the rights and respect for the minorities.

The fact that they are not even interested in solving the problems they created shows that the bad guys don't always have to be the ones physically pulling the trigger.

10 comments:

  1. so if I read all this correct the Democrats ONLY answer is more money from the state... not a SINGLE idea other than give more money?
    I would think if they had some idea now would be the time to bring them up

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    1. And to have better gun control laws.

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  2. And the republican plans were?

    I must have missed them.

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  3. Maybe Wisconsin's junior senator, Tammy "Butch" Baldwin and ex-senator, Rooster Fiendmold, and Graeme "DWI 3" Zielinski should join the conversation...

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  4. Exactly how many of your Milwaukee hoods have concealed carry licenses? Numbers, pls. CCW license holders are not the gang bangers.

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    Replies
    1. The Neenah Walmart shooter had CCW. She was jealous that the victim had an easy job at the cash register. The shooter's logic makes as much sense as comments by Blaska and Vos.

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    2. David, how are you defining "hoods?"

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  5. BLASKA thinks concealed carry will solve the problems? Hoods Bladka? Can we call the Mequon sub a hood? Eh ?

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  6. Gang bangers Balska - was rape involved with these crimes.

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