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April 07, 2010

The Wednesday Update

April 7, 2010  Volume 4, Number 14   IN THIS ISSUE:  Cruel and Unusual, Indeed; Barrett's Bike Path

April 07, 2010 Vol 4, Number 14	Wednesday Update
In This Issue: 1. Cruel and Unusual 2. Barrett's Bike Path 3. Fall Festival of Fraud	Cruel and Unusual, Indeed Last Wednesday, federal judge Charles Clevert, Jr. overturned a Wisconsin law barring the use of tax dollars to perform sex change operations on prison inmates. Judge Clevert ruled the Sex Change Prevention Act of 2005 unconstitutional on the ground that denying hormone therapy to prisoners amounted to cruel and unusual punishment. Too bad for taxpayers, who obviously have no immunity against cruel and unusual decisions by federal judges who are appointed for life and never, ever, have to face voters. State Senator Ted Kanavas (R-Brookfield), who co- authored the law, was not impressed. In a statement Thursday, Kanavas called Clevert’s ruling “absurd.” “Taxpayer dollars should not be used to pay for hormonal therapy or sex changes for prisoners,” Kanavas said. “This is another prime example of a liberal judge, far removed from the mainstream, overturning the will of the people.” If Judge Clevert feels like disputing that remark about being “far removed from the mainstream,” he should take a look at the legislative roll calls on the law he just threw out. It passed the State Senate unanimously and the Assembly by a margin of 82-15. That’s 15 opposing votes among a total of 132 state lawmakers. “The Wisconsin taxpayer deserves better than this,” Kanavas said. “Hopefully the Appeals Court corrects the ruling and helps restore some confidence in our legal system.” Barrett’s Bike Path to the Future If you look at Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett’s transportation priorities over the years, his opposition to reconstructing the deteriorated Zoo Interchange in 2005 is no big surprise. Last week we wrote about his opposition to early engineering work on the interchange in a 2005 letter to legislative leaders. A little less than a year after that letter, the Mayor submitted written testimony to a legislative committee, complaining that transportation policy focusing on highways had produced “adverse effects” and a “diminished quality of life” in urban areas. Barrett presented leaders of the Joint Legislative Committee on Transportation Needs and Financing with several of his higher priorities. Among them: • Rapid-transit passenger rail, including the KRM commuter line; • Enhanced Amtrak service, possibly extending to Madison; • A separate regional or statewide taxing authority for transportation; • Bicycle and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure within the city. Barrett has been consistent in his opposition to upgrading and maintaining Wisconsin freeways. In 2006, after opposing Zoo Interchange engineering studies, Barrett opposed upgrading I-94 between Milwaukee and the Illinois state line. So the Zoo Interchange problem, it seems, was just the tip of the iceberg. Down below, there’s a great eagerness to embrace boutique transportation gimmicks, while neglecting infrastructure that delivers real mobility for the greatest number of people. If Barrett is elected Governor, will the Barrett Bypass become the Barrett Bike Path?  Fall Festival of Fraud   We’re wondering how long we’re supposed to believe it’s coincidence that one political party always—and we mean always—takes positions on ballot security that make organized voter fraud easier. Can it really be coincidence that, seven months from fall elections that might end Democratic control of the Wisconsin legislature, broad election law changes are rocketing through the State Senate. You have to hack through pages of complicated legislation to find the part of bill prohibiting ANY eligible voter to challenge the ballot of any person they believe to be voting fraudulently.  SB 640 says you can challenge a suspicious action ONLY if you reside in the county where the action occurs. That actually improves the original bill, which allowed challenges only by residents of the same ward. Digging deeper, the bill forbids access to voter data on phone or fax numbers and e-mail addresses that may offer clues to fake registrations. Students will be deemed qualified to vote upon presentation of a university ID or fee card if their name is on a university housing list. Watch for double-voting, on campus and back home, to explode. Are Democrats desperate to crank up this fraud machine? Nowadays the name alone—the “Voter Protection Act”—should tip you off to something fishy. Call or write your legislators and tell them to vote no on SB 640.