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Barrett: Walker is Attacking Cops By Questioning Milwaukee Crime Stats

Milwaukee mayor and Gov. Scott Walker exchange barbs over the misreporting of Milwaukee's crime data.

 

Gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett Thursday blasted Gov. Scott Walker for vilifying the Milwaukee Police Department for what Barrett says was a miscalculation of crime statistics — an issue that has become political fodder on the campaign trail in recent days. 

"Shame on Governor Walker if he impugns the integrity of the beat cops of the Milwaukee Police Department because these are men and women that put their lives on the line every single day," the Milwaukee mayor said during a press conference.

Milwaukee's crime data became an issue in gubernatorial recall race after the Journal Sentinel published a story earlier this week that indicated the Milwaukee Police Department may have misreported more than 500 assault cases since 2009 to the FBI. 

"The misreported cases found in 2011 alone are enough that (Chief Edward) Flynn would have been announcing a 1.1 percent increase in violent crime in February, instead of a 2.3 percent decline from the reported 2010 numbers, which also include errors," the paper reported.

The discrepancies could have been caused by coding errors on the part of police officers, according to Barrett, who vowed to be transparent in solving the issue. The department requested an audit on its crime reporting numbers from federal officials last year. The results of that audit are due out within the month. 

"I applaud my Police Department for asking for this audit," Barrett said. "This was not something they had to do." 

State Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) has called on the Legislative Audit Bureau to conduct its own audit. Walker echoed that call on Thursday.

The issue, which shines a disparaging light on the city, could not come at a worse time for the mayor, who is in a uphill battle against Walker. According to polls, Walker has a 5-point lead over Barrett with less than two weeks the June 5 election.

Walker held his own press conference Thursday morning when he appeared with the Milwaukee Police Association to discuss public safety.

The Journal Sentinel reported that the Republican governor noted Barrett has routinely touted Milwaukee's decrease in crime.

"If the mayor believes in the past or at least believed a drop in the violent crime rate is an example of his leadership, it is a legitimate question, now that we know that violent crime went up, we should also be able to question whether that is an example of failed leadership in the City of Milwaukee," Walker said.


“The recent findings by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel highlight a disturbing trend within the Barrett campaign machine,” said Ciara Matthews, a spokeswoman for the Walker Campaign. 

“The failed mayor’s disregard for facts in favor of political capital is troublesome for the people of Milwaukee and should be a reminder for the rest of Wisconsin on Election Day, Mayor Barrett cannot be trusted,” she added. 

Barrett attempted to turned the tables on Walker in terms of inquiring about criminal activity, saying that governor has questions to answer about his involvement in corruption in the Milwaukee County Executive's office during his time as county executive.

"Weave and bob and duck and run," said Barrett in describing Walker's response to requests for the release of emails in connection with the case.

Five former staffers have been charged with crimes in an ongoing John Doe investigation. Walker, who has set up a legal defense fund, has not been implicated in the probe.

"He is trying to run the clock out so he does not have to answer these questions," Barrett added.   

Related Topics: Crime Statistics Miscalculations, Milwaukee Police Department, Recall, Recall Campaign, Scott Walker, Tom Barrett, Walker Recall, Wisconsin Recall, and Wisconsin Recalls

CowDung

4:27 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012

How exactly is Walker 'vilifying' the police for this? The Milwaukee Journal broke the news--it's not like Walker is accusing them of something they didn't do...

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red

7:59 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

Hate to say it, but this kind of thing comes from the top. Just like Viet Nam, if you choose some focused statistics, you may distort the measurements. An involved manager understands that. And acts when this kind of thing is alleged IN THE NEWSPAPER....

Lange said he told an officer about the beatings but noticed the officer didn't write anything down or note his name. Bublitz tried to tell an officer that her three-speed bicycle had been stolen and that one of her friends was hurt but said the officer told her he was looking for evidence.

"About 20 of us stayed to give statements and make sure everyone was accounted for. The police wouldn't listen to us, they wouldn't take our names or statements. They told us to leave. It was completely infuriating," Bublitz said.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/125027704.html

Bewildered

4:56 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012

Every time I open up a page on Patch, either at the top or on the side, I get an invitation to Have Dinner with Barack and, best of all, they'll cover airfare ! How damn !

No showing your true colors here, are we HuffyPatch ?

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alt ideas needed

8:39 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012

Bewildered,
Because Patch.com is a large internet company, they make their money from advertising. Now days internet advertising is tailored to the end user, so that different users will see different ads, even though they may be at the same url. Showing your true colors.

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Mark Maley

8:35 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

@Bewildered: We'll take ads from anyone...Obama, Romney, Ron Paul...doesn't matter to us. And it absolutely does not influence what we cover.

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Bewildered

10:07 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

Duh, Herr Schmitz. way to overstate the obvious. Putting a little Irish whiskey in your altera coffee this morn....as usual.

And Mr Patch, do ya think there just might be a reason Obama advertises but conservative would touch Patch? Could it be content ?c Come on, you're just a local attempt by Huffyto get the left wing talking points out. Too bad you have to accept counter balancing comments from the right. I sure Huffy is trying to figure out how to limit those. Get real

Craig

5:19 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012

Partisanship aside: Is this maybe just a sign of how things in Milwaukee have changed? Paradigmes shift, what was once a violent crime is now perceived by some cops as run of the mill crime.
Perhaps Milwaukee has become so bad that Sexual assault is not a violent crime.
Rape with a weapon and Murder still qualify as violent crime.
The Mayor has done such a great job with the City.

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Mike in OC

5:48 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012

Barrett this week is trying to look like he supports the police when last week he skipped two functions for the police..... and now he calls out Walker because his people got busted for cooking the books.... lol

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al campos

10:52 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

He is in support of his PD but, after all they did come out and endorse Walker!!

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red

7:44 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

It was a shameful moment when Barrett stiffed his own police memorial. He was on the program. There are important moments when politics should be set aside and we should all be together in honoring those who protect us, like Monday.

We want a return to civility, we maximize those moments.

WEACHATER

5:51 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012

This is all he has, I ask Democrat to list here one thing he has done in 8 years.

Ready, ok I have started the clock..

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alt ideas needed

8:40 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012

he took a tire iron to the face for that one lady outside of State Fair.

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Greg

9:18 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012

Ah, that's right. I thought his momma dropped him.

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Bren

10:27 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012

1. Revitalization of the Menomonee Valley district.
2. Workforce development initiatives
3. Working with police and high-crime neighborhoods to build trust and reduce illegal guns
4. Sensible budgeting

Tom Barrett isn't a chest-beating Rudy Giuliani but he has done good things for Milwaukee and our state.

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Steve ®

10:59 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012

Still don't see any results posted, only "initiatives"

Walker = results. Proof? we're having a temper tantrum recall.

I've got one! $100 million dollar train that runs in circle. We have to rip up all the streets but it's going to be super cool like back in the 1800's when trains came of age. Then were replaced by cars, but that was a big mistake RECALL cars and buses and trucks and bikes and rubber and stuff that actually works.

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Keith Schmitz

7:20 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

Steve, as usual you demonstrate you have the IQ of room temperature.

Walker has created a built to blow up budget. How do we know that? His experience as County Executive.

Of course these are accomplishments. I love you clowns. You can be hit in the face with facts and you still don't wake up out of your stupor.

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Steve ®

8:39 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

Personal attack

jibberish emotional walker is evil initiatives are accomplishments.

/keith postings ©2012

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al campos

11:06 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

Tom has started many long term projects. Take a look at Bay View these days. It has done a turn around very nicely. Look at a number of neighborhoods around Milwaukee. These are things that do not happen over night. Made many offices in his administration that he has streamlined for efficacy. Tom does things that the Urinal/senile never prints and never will. That paper has been at odds with every Mayor since Zeidler, then Henry, Norquiest and now Tom! Tom has more ideas than most people have thoughts in a year.

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Bren

3:32 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

Bay View, Menomonee Valley, these are good things. It's difficult sometimes to distinguish between county and city projects. The Park East corridor is county--Walker could have made that area a showpiece for his administration but if you drive past the area still looks more like a bomb blast area than anything else. In contrast you have the new Harley museum, nice restaurants, etc., in the MV and Bay View is a gem (Anodyne!).

On the one hand you have Barrett, who has made the most of available resources in the city, and Walker, who could have done far more grantseeking, etc., to help Milwaukee--and didn't. One might say that a guy who apparently didn't notice a pile of extra computer equipment in his office suite couldn't be blamed for leaving money on the table that could have helped the largest city under his administration...? Or cancelling a public art contract that contained cancellation penalties? (Wait, he was warned about that.) Or illegally firing county security guards? (Wait, he was warned about that too.) Who knows. All I can say is, Wisconsin can do better than Scott Walker for governor and Tom Barrett is the answer.

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red

7:48 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

Barrett has increased the organic content of Lake Michigan!

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red

7:49 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

-----Walker has created a built to blow up budget.

No, Doyle blew up a budget. And he stole money from a Patients fund and stiffed Minnesota reciprocity to try and cover up the bs.

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red

8:03 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

2. Workforce development initiatives

And yet Milwaukee unemployment is up 38 percent....

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Justme

8:08 pm on Sunday, June 3, 2012

Walker TRIED to do something with the Park East corridor but his liberal county board wouldn't allow it unless companies agreed to their costly, numerous "green" regulations.

Bob McBride

5:54 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012

Flynn's essentially blaming the officers on the beat by labeling it "human error" (even though reports are supposed to be checked up the ladder and even though it doesn't appear any crimes were mislabeled as more serious than they actually were - which one would expect if human error were truly the case), so Barrett, by extension, is accusing Walker of blaming the cops on the beat as well.

Once again, some questionable advice given to Barrett, who's not an attack dog by nature. Making a weak argument seem even weaker via its presentation.

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SkinnyDude

6:45 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012

Backwards Barrett and Taxing Tom Lehman would be a bad marriage for tax payers. Vote Walker and Van Waggard. It and easy choice with Obvious Success of the state's current path vs the Liberal agenda that is killing America.

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Greg

7:14 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012

I think it is time for Barrett to turn over his thousands of E-mails.

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Dorothy

8:18 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012

Yes, BARRETT PLEASE come forward with YOUR LISTS AND E-MAILS. I THINK THERE IS JUST TO MANY TO EVEN TAKE TIME TO LIST!
Eight Years and NO ACCOMPLISHMENTS! BACKWARD BARRETT!!
Dorothy

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Keith Schmitz

7:21 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

Dorothy, your caps key is stuck. Or is that your outdoor voice that you think makes your point?

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Phil

7:36 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

I CONCUR WITH YOU DOROTHY....BACK WARD BARRETT, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, BACK WARD BARRETT.

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Bren

3:41 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

I again congratulate the marketing teams that have been working on the Walker campaign ads. They have developed verbiage that delivers misrepresentation in an exquisite timbre of derision, topped with an alliterative insult, that inserts fluidly into the mid-cognital brain and immediately saturates.

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Greg

3:53 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

Ever see or hear a Barrett ad?

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red

7:50 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

Remember Barrett's bridges falling down at the zoo interchange? Where did he spend the money he didn't spend on maintaining them?

BRG

11:08 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012

if the crime rates did indeed go up, one might ask why. Let's see, thinking, thinking...OH YEAH, I REMEMBER NOW. Huge cuts were made by Mr. Walker (not a governor in my book) in funding to municipalities and local governments that forced budget cuts in public safety. Then to add insult to injury limited their ability to increase property taxes that would've helped make up for those shortfalls. But apparently this was called moving Wisconsin forward. What on God's green Earth do you think is going to happen when law enforcement agencies are forced to make personnel cuts?

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Bob McBride

5:49 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

You've completely missed the point.

This isn't about crime rates actually going up or down, it's about the mislabeling of serious crimes as less serious than they actually were and how that effectively distorted the reported crime rates. It's got nothing to do with budget cuts, property taxes or funding to municipalities.

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red

8:01 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

Yeah, I have trouble calling Obama "president" too. And michelle "first lady" what a joke. You want civility? Has to go both ways.

Steve ®

11:18 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012

A real leader pushes his local "leaders" for better results.

This is like an employee whining at their boss and also trying for that promotion. Sad.

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WEACHATER

7:08 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

1. Revitalization of the Menomonee Valley district.
2. Workforce development initiatives
3. Working with police and high-crime neighborhoods to build trust and reduce illegal guns
4. Sensible budgeting

REALLY, these are not results, their NOTHING

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Craig

7:14 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

Barrett is a nice guy and an average mayor. He has not shown the bold leadership of an above average mayor but his affability has shown some results.
Walker is clearly the right choice to lead the State.....as he has already shown in his short tenure in office.

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Keith Schmitz

7:25 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

Walker is clearly the right choice to lead the state? Where? Into a ditch?

Average of $11 a day in tax savings means that the average Wisconsin family can go to the movies to escape the horror film that is Wisconsin under Walker for three hours -- unless of course if you overlook that Walker is fixing to let health insurance companies jack up their premiums.

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Sara Conrad

3:57 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

Mr. Schmitz....

You may want to do some reading..... http://content.clearchannel.com/cc-common/mlib/1176/05/1176_1337887692.pdf

And while you're at it...see how much you ACTUALLY saved here: http://isavewithact10.com/

Have fun! See you at the Walker victory rally! ;)

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red

7:52 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

A billion dollars in savings so far, and more to come.

I believe Barrett wants to import more Spanish companies that discriminates against Americans.

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red

8:06 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

While a lightning rod for controversy and recall, Wisconsin's Act 10 has paid significant dividends to taxpayers, according to a new analysis by the Beacon Hill Institute for Public Policy Research, at Suffolk University in Boston.

Act 10, which curbed collective bargaining for most unionized public employees, in the whole has saved taxpayers more than $1 billion, according to The Economic Impacts of the Wisconsin Budget Repair Act. The study is slated for release this week by Beacon Hill Institute, a prominent free market think tank.

http://www.wisconsinreporter.com/exclusive-analysis-finds-wisconsins-act-10-saving-taxpayers-big

WEACHATER

7:30 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

Keith, so if you paid the money you owe, how much would that be for each family..

So what are Barretts accomplishements?

What are your? When are you going to pay the state back?

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Keith Schmitz

7:34 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

We do have proof that Walker has not only done nothing to push the Wisconsin economy (http://www.cows.org/pdf/ds-WIJobWatch-Apr12.pdf), but has county exec he did nothing there either.

You guys though love your faith-based voting.

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Dolf

7:39 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

AND YOU HATE FAITH-BASED VOTING.

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red

7:54 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

Funny how Walker was re-elected over and over in a Democratic county. Maybe that's the faith based voting.

WEACHATER

7:38 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

Keith, so this is your experts
Copyright © 2012 Center on Wisconsin Strategy - University of Wisconsin- Madison

What a joke. We have proof, really.

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Keith Best

7:38 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

Barrett is desperate, lashing out at anything and everything. As mentioned before, the initial report came from the Journal-Sentinel, not Gov. Walker.

Since Barrett cannot run on his record (failure) he throws stuff against the wall hoping something, anything, will stick. Barrett should join Falk as a 3-time loser for governor, since he has NO PLAN.

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WEACHATER

7:39 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

By the way Im still waiting for Barretts accomplishment.

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Dolf

8:41 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

don't hold your breath.....there's nothing to report

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Don Jacobs

9:02 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

I have no criticsim of Barrett;
“To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.”
― Aristotle

GearHead

8:22 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

Walker pointing out the horrible MKE crime statistics is hardly bashing the police department. Police don't do violent crime. CRIMINALS DO!. But Barrett shows how thin-skinned he is by his desparate attack on Walker. Another example of how exporting MKE into the rest of the state would be a bad idea. Let Barrett flounder a few more years in his rat-hole until the residents finally wake up and retire him.

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Dave Koven

10:12 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

I'm surprised the reports filed by the police are as accurate as they are. Have you ever tried to do detailed paper work as you're coming down from an adrenaline rush from making an arrest? Leave the cops alone, they're doing the best they can under very difficult conditions. The main thing is that the bad guys get caught more often than not...except our glorious politicians and CEOs.

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Greg

1:40 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

Typical Non-producer, CEOs are criminals.

Explain how the adrenaline rush kept the officers from "over classifying" the offenses.

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red

7:56 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

Remember that race based attack by the River where the victims said the police wouldn't take reports?

Most of the 11 people who told the Journal Sentinel they were attacked or witnessed the attacks on their friends said that police did not take their complaints seriously. They each said police responded to the scene quickly and tended to the injured, but officers did not take statements from them and told them to leave the area.

"You've got 20-plus people giving eyewitness accounts. I'm very surprised that they said it wasn't a mob," said Mowrer.

Lange said he told an officer about the beatings but noticed the officer didn't write anything down or note his name. Bublitz tried to tell an officer that her three-speed bicycle had been stolen and that one of her friends was hurt but said the officer told her he was looking for evidence.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/125027704.html

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Greg

2:25 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

Oh joy, no more cats stuck in trees. And in his spare time he boycotts Wisconsin businesses.

GlendaleCitizen

1:56 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

Headline shows the bias. Could have easily been an article about the phony stats themselves, and Walker's request to investigate. Instead, the headline is designed to spin against Walker.

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Thurston Howell III

9:09 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

Looks like the only ATTACK going on is Right Wingers attacking Barret here on the Patch INSTEAD of LISTENING to the Debate. Scottie really is the BEST liar! I guess that's why he's a "successful" politician.

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Grant Moen

11:43 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

Man, Barrett totally smoked Walker in tonight's debate! Count on his agressive stance to translate into lots of democratic votes!

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Grant Moen

11:47 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

I figure Barrett will pick up three to five percentage points in the next poll, and score a come-from-behind victory June 5th.

Richard Head

10:36 am on Saturday, May 26, 2012

Barrett lies - like Dickert lies.

Power at all cost. Milwaukee and Racine are BOTH cesspools being looted by liberal Democrats. Only the garbage is left behind, which is why they are always going to the State or Federal Government for bailouts and more $$$ from the productive.

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al campos

3:30 pm on Saturday, May 26, 2012

Richard Head, Come out of your closet. Have you ever heard of Mandates? That is what the State requires of the Cities, towns, villages, etc. But if you do not fund those Mandates the locals have to raise taxes to cover the States requirements. Federal Mandates are in the same boat. Require them to do things, then fund them or quit bitching when we come with our hand out for the $$ to cover them. Wake up.

Jim Bob

12:34 pm on Saturday, May 26, 2012

I remember in kindergarten when I learned how to tie my shoes. I thought this was a big step in progressing forward in dealing with the issues that would confront me in the world. Unfortunately, the messaging in today's political drool fest is something they pre-dates kindergarten. I believe it's aimmed at the part of the voters' brains that are developing when they are two and three.

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