Order, Please

Failure to plan is a plan to fail

The responsibility to maintain order and protect the citizenry is the most important duty of government. According to Constitutional law, the State Legislature and Governor have the authority to enact laws that law enforcement utilizes to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of their residents. Failure to provide the measures necessary to deliver a safe and secure environment leads to the erosion of the community. Washington County is the #1 County in the State of Wisconsin for the quality of life. That is, in no small measure, due to the efforts of our local law enforcement agencies. Problem is, that your Washington County Sheriff’s Department is woefully understaffed. Local Police Departments depend on the Sheriff’s Department to assist them with high-risk incidents, accident reconstruction, crime scene investigations and generally stand at the ready to support your local police in any way necessary when requested. Teamwork is paramount to maintaining order and protecting the community.

In November, Washington County voters will have the opportunity to decide to add staff to place your Sheriff’s Department in a better position to address the constantly evolving crime environment. There has been a general lack of accurate information reported by some of our local pundits as to the appropriateness of asking the residents to approve a referendum adding $3.6 million to the tax levy. Staffing for the Sheriff’s Department remains at the same level it was in 1982, 40 years ago. According to the US Census Bureau, the population of Washington County was just under 85,000 in 1980. Today the population is over 136,000. That is more than 1 ½ times the population 40 years ago. Due to sound management and dedicated staff, the Sheriff has provided for the public safety, but we are but a few major incidents away from lacking the ability to properly manage those events.

Due to the sound and conservative fiscal management of Washington County, even with absorbing the hit to the tax levy, your tax rate will again decrease, from $2.06 to $1.97 per $thousand of assessed value. That means your county taxes, based on the assessed value of your home, will go down, as they have each year since 2015. Utilizing priority-based budgeting in the County’s the budget process, allowed for funding to be redirected to the services most necessary to serve the community. The County Board also determined that the #1 priority was public safety. Public safety is the linchpin that makes all the other services that the county provides possible. Without adequate resources, the ability to properly protect our citizens wanes and all other services will not matter. Without the safety and security that our Sheriff’s Department provides, we would not have the quality of life that we all enjoy.

Years of judicious budgeting by the Sheriff has served our community well. But times are changing. Defunding police and a lack of respect for the rule of law has caused a marked increase in crime in urban areas that is spreading into our community. Drug and human trafficking are here in Washington County. Recently, a 4-hour targeted interdiction effort in the I-41 corridor produced several felony arrests, including a person wanted in Milwaukee for homicide. I-41 is a key access route that is utilized by criminals moving drugs between Milwaukee and the Paper Valley. At its’ current staffing, targeted enforcement such as this cannot be utilized enough to make a difference. Adding staff will; enable the Sheriff to increase minimum staffing beyond the current 5 Deputies per shift that cover Washington County’s 436 square miles, decrease response times, limit overtime pay for Deputies to cover for sick calls or vacation, add additional detectives that can dedicate more time to investigate crimes, and enable the creation of a critical incident team consisting of Deputies and social workers trained to respond to mental health crises that will evaluate and transport mentally ill persons, freeing up local police departments from that responsibility.

Public safety is paramount to a growing and vibrant community. It is vitally important to be prepared for all emergency situations. Seconds lost can often make the difference between life and death. Fiscal austerity is not a valid rationale to cut corners on public safety. Government fails if a safe and secure environment cannot be provided to its’ citizens. Bringing your Sheriff’s Department up to speed is a logical and necessary step that will serve our community well, now and into the future. 

Crazy Train

A nation divided cannot stand.

Never thought that of all people, Ozzie Osborne, could be a prophet, but after President Biden’s Labor Day speech, perhaps he is. From the song, Crazy Train – “Crazy, but that’s how it goes. Millions of people, living as foes. Maybe it’s not too late to learn how to love and forget how to hate. I’ve listened to preachers, I’ve listened to foes. I’ve watched all the dropouts that live by their own rules. One person conditioned to rule and control. The media sells it and you live the role. Heirs of a cold war, that’s what we’ve become. I’m going off the rails on a crazy train.” Christian, conservative, married, heterosexual, retired police officer, former County Board Chairman and Trump voter, I am exactly what the Left and their leader, Joe Biden, fear and despise. Respect for the rule of law becomes a threat to democracy. Support America first is tantamount to semi-fascism. Opposing open borders, indoctrination of our children and military, recognizing that all people matter and acknowledging the reality that there are only two genders is radical and divisive. We are going off the rails on a crazy train!

Mandela Barnes is the anointed Democrat candidate for the United States Senate, with all challengers dropping out of the race and endorsing him.  Barnes, whose given name is Jesse, uses his middle name to his advantage. He is nothing like Nelson Mandela. Barnes life’s legacy has been supporting progressive, left-wing organizations. He supports ending cash bail, defunding the police, the Green New Deal, unlimited abortion, Medicare for all and legalizing marijuana. He chaired the Governor’s task force on climate change, yet could not cite a single policy he helped implement when asked about it at a climate change event at UW-River Falls in March of 2022. Perhaps, he could not recall because he was overcome by carbon monoxide fumes from the Wisconsin State Patrol vehicle, used as his personal escort service, that he ordered to run continuously when at the Capitol, so that the interior climate was appropriately comfortable for him. This “service” cost taxpayers over $600,000 during his 4-year term as Lieutenant Governor. Also known as ManDead-Beat Barnes for being delinquent on his property taxes and failing to pay parking tickets, leading to his Wisconsin Driver’s license being suspended. He also falsely claimed to be a college graduate for years. Barnes is a founding member of the Working Families Party of Wisconsin, an offshoot of ACORN, that supports defunding the police. Minnesota became a laughingstock by electing a professional wrestler as Governor and a Saturday Night Live comedian as their US Senator. Barnes, who thinks he is running against Scott Walker, (just a slip of the tongue according to his spokesperson) to represent Wisconsin in the Senate. We are going off the rails on a crazy train!

The incumbent Senator, Ron Johnson has been a proven leader, unafraid to challenge the status quo. The Joseph Project works with faith-based organizations to help inner city residents become gainfully employed. The Right to Try Act allows those suffering from incurable illness access to drugs not yet approved by the FDA. He will continue to fight against the reckless spending and exposing the use of the federal justice system to target political enemies. Being transparent and honest makes him a target for the left and the entrenched Deep State. We need more elected representatives that do the right thing, not some lifelong bureaucrat to perpetuate the disfunction in Washington DC.

Governor Tony Evers is the quintessential bureaucrat that lacks any experience outside of the government. Like far too many politicians, his life experience ill prepared him for a role as Governor. His crowning achievements consist of vetoing more bills and pardoning more criminals that any other Governor in our history. Plagiarism is one of his more popular methods for taking credit for other’s accomplishments. He even took credit for the Republican crafted budget that reduced taxes $2 Billion when the budget presented by Evers raised taxes by $1 Billion. He did sign it though. Evers’ legacy will be that of Illegal lockdowns, closed schools, mask mandates, anti-police rhetoric, the failure to lead during the Kenosha riots and walking lock-step with the failed policies of the Biden administration.

Tim Michels, Evers’ opponent, is a businessman that created thousands of jobs and runs a successful company. Michels, like all successful entrepreneurs, has a detailed plan to solve what ails us. He has a blueprint with solutions to our bloated and ineffective government on his website. Fancy that, an actual plan, on paper for all to read, rather than slogans and platitudes. The contrast could not be clearer. Democrats are running this nation off the rails on a crazy train of wokeness, lawlessness and anti-Constitutionalism. We need leaders that want to solve problems, not perpetuate them while creating more problems that will require more of the taxpayer’s money thrown at them. It’s your choice.