There is a contract you enter into with society when you become a police officer.  You sign up for the job with the full understanding that you will never be wealthy.  You accept the fact that you will work nights, weekends, and holidays.  You will work in [...]]]>  Reprinted with permission from Badger Blue, Times Two.

There is a contract you enter into with society when you become a police officer.  You sign up for the job with the full understanding that you will never be wealthy.  You accept the fact that you will work nights, weekends, and holidays.  You will work in the blistering heat of the summer and the Arctic chill of the winter. You understand that there will be family events cancelled at the last minute due to a chaotic work schedule.  Little League games and piano recitals will be missed.  You will consistently see the worst that human existence has to offer.  You know that, statistically, you will die younger due to heart disease and stress-related illnesses than the average person (the most generous study has police officers surviving to an average age of 66, compared with 73 for the average US male population).

Finally, you understand fully that your spouse or partner may at some point receive a visit from very somber people in the middle of the night, a visit which starts with the words “we have some bad news.”

This is not a theoretical risk.  In 2011, 173 police officers were killed in the line of duty.  That number represents a 14% increase from the year before.  For the first time in 14 years, more police officers were killed by gunfire than by on-duty auto accidents.  Firearms related fatalities for officers, in fact, rose 70% from 2008 to 2011.  In one 24 hour period in January of 2011, 11 officers were shot in 5 states.  Last year was open season on cops.

The deal with a contract, though, is that obligations extend to both parties.  In return for the sacrifices listed above, police officers have a right to expect certain things.  A wage that allows you to raise a family in modest surroundings.  Patrol cars that don’t explode when rear-ended.  Body armor that stops bullets most of the time.  The ability to take your child to the doctor when she is sick.

And if fate determines that we don’t return home one evening, we expect a big funeral.  Really big, with scores of squad cars, officers in their dress uniforms, and citizens lining the streets.  This may sound shallow or trite, but trust me, it isn’t.  I didn’t understand the importance of this ritual before I became a cop, and even then I didn’t truly understand it until I became a father.  It simply boils down to this:  if I am killed in the  line of duty, I want my wife and children to see that my community appreciates the sacrifice they had to make.

However, the contract does not end after the funeral.  It used to be that we could count on society to take care of our families to some degree:  A ceremony every year.  A name etched into a memorial.  A politician praising the sacrifice of a profession undervalued by society. Special death benefits for the families of officers killed in the line of duty.  Not enough to make our families wealthy, but enough to keep them out of poverty.  Maybe reduced or free state college tuition for our kids.

The contract.

I had the sad honor of attending the memorial service for one of my fallen brothers last year.  Police Officer Craig Birkholz, age 28, was shot to death on March 20, 2011 in the City of Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin.  Craig was responding to a domestic violence incident gone bad, and officers on scene were calling for help. Craig was gunned down as he approached the residence to help his coworkers.  Another responding officer, Ryan Williams, and his canine partner were also shot and seriously injured.

There were several unbearably bitter ironies to this incident.  The first was that Craig was a decorated veteran of the United States Army who had survived combat deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan.  He survived in a war zone only to be killed on the soil of his own nation.  This is almost too heartbreaking to think about.  The other bitter irony is that Craig was murdered by another combat veteran.

This incident devastated those of us in Wisconsin’s law enforcement community.  It is remarkable how much you can grieve for a man you never met.  I and my coworkers cried freely at Craig’s memorial service.  He was, by every single account, an absolutely extraordinary young man, a fact that makes the pain of this loss even more pronounced.  A wonderful, happy, committed, compassionate, and principled young man cut down in the prime of his life.

The other tragedy is that Craig left behind the love of his life, Ashley.  I can’t even begin to fathom the depth of her loss.  A young couple with hopes, plans, and dreams,  all cut short on March 20, 2011.

Nothing can take that pain away.  Nothing can soothe that ache.  There are, however, things society can do to try to hold up its end of the contract.

In the Wisconsin Legislative session of 2009-2010, a bill passed both the Senate and Assembly providing health insurance to the families of firefighters killed in the line of duty.  For reasons unknown to me, police officers were not included in this legislation.  However, in May of 2011, a bipartisan effort led by Republican Senator Van Wanggaard and Democratic Senator Bob Jauch sought to remedy this.  Senate Bill 18 added the health insurance protection to the surviving spouses and children of Wisconsin’s fallen law enforcement officers, retroactively.  The bill passed the Senate on May 17, 2011 by unanimous vote.

On November 1, 2011, the Wisconsin Assembly was supposed to take up this measure, and passage would have certainly resulted in Governor Walker signing the legislation.  On that same day, the Assembly was scheduled to pass a resolution honoring the sacrifice of Craig Birkholz.  The Birkholz family was supposed to go from the ceremony honoring Craig to watching the health insurance bill pass.  It would have been a positive day among many filled with sorrow for this family.

Few could have predicted what happened next.

At the last minute, the Republican legislators in control of the Assembly blocked the bill from being brought to a vote.  BLOCKED the bill that unanimously passed the Senate.  From what I have discovered, the Birkholz family was given the choice of coming to the Capitol for the resolution only, but understandably opted not to attend. In a horrendous display of partisan politics in what should have been a unifying issue, John Jagler, spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, called SB 18 an “unfunded mandate” on local governments that “isn’t ready to become law.”  ”We’re looking at a more fiscally responsible way of funding it,” he added.

These officers, and their families, have given everything in service to the people of the State of Wisconsin.  I mean EVERYTHING.  Lives are lost, and countless others are shattered.  The least we could do for them, on behalf of a grateful public, is to give the survivors the peace of mind of health care.  It doesn’t seem like a lot to ask, but the Assembly Republicans apparently believe it wouldn’t be “fiscally responsible.”

The contract broken.

To the people who blocked this bill:  It isn’t enough to attend the funerals of fallen officers in your districts, or memorial services during Police Week.  It isn’t enough to get teary-eyed when the bagpipes play, and to talk about how grateful the citizens of Wisconsin are for this ultimate sacrifice.  Your words are hollow, because your actions have broken the contract.  These families are trying to put their shattered lives back together, yet all you can talk about is fiscal responsibility.  For the sake of decency, please do not attend another officer’s funeral, or another police memorial service, until you make this right.  You are not welcome to share in our grief until that happens.

To my readers here:  please share this with everyone you know.  Share it on Facebook, Twitter, or anywhere else you can post it.  Email it to your friends and family.  This situation is a disgrace to the citizens of the great state of Wisconsin, and dishonors the sacrifice of our fallen officers.

The following politicians are responsible for the failure to bring this bill to a vote.  Please send them emails on behalf of Ashley Birkholz and the families of Wisconsin’s other fallen heroes, and ask everyone you know to do the same.  Please spend 5 minutes of your time serving those who sacrificed their lives serving us. Demand of these legislators that they bring this important piece of legislation to an immediate vote.

Tell them it’s part of the contract.

Brian

The GOP priority: Their Job, Not Yours
By Democratic State Rep. Brett Hulsey

Rep. Robin Vos (R-Burlington) is pushing a major constitutional change to protect Wisconsin jobs. A fairly diverse group of Wisconsinites hold these jobs. Employees commute from all over the state to come to their offices, and the interview process leading [...]]]>

The GOP priority: Their Job, Not Yours
By Democratic State Rep. Brett Hulsey

Rep. Robin Vos (R-Burlington) is pushing a major constitutional change to protect Wisconsin jobs. A fairly diverse group of Wisconsinites hold these jobs. Employees commute from all over the state to come to their offices, and the interview process leading up to the hiring is rigorous. Yes, GOP legislators have introduced a constitutional change to revoke the citizens’ right to fire their elected representatives at will through the recall process.

Taking away citizens rights is nothing new for Republicans in the legislature. Since taking office, he’s been part of the leadership of a GOP legislature that does a lot of that kind of thing. From eliminating worker’s rights, stopping citizens from entering the capital while the legislature was debating their foul legislation, working to raise taxes on seniors and low-wage earners, defunding women’s health programs, and the entire litany of attacks on the Wisconsin way of life contained within the state budget, the GOP is very good at taking away from Wisconsin citizens.

Now, they want to make it harder for Wisconsinites to take their jobs away from them. Removing the statewide recall process from the constitution is a blatant attempt to strip a vital citizen check on governmental authority. It takes resolutions passed in two consecutive legislative sessions and a statewide referendum to change the state constitution, so this process could take 5 years. That’s fine with the GOP; they figure they’ll control the entire state for the next 10 years now that their unfair backroom redistricting maps are law (we think the people will have something to say about that presumption, but I digress). But, after this week, they know their power can be checked through the recall process, and they’re out to do something about it.

We can’t let this important check on the power of elected officials be struck from the constitution. Contact your legislators today to oppose Rep. Vos’ resolution.

Contact: Rep. Brett Hulsey, (608) 266-7521

Governor Walker’s budget is law. Now what?

By State Rep. Peter Barca

The budget signed into law today by Gov. Walker that shamelessly attacks Wisconsin’s shared values and middle class families is certainly a dark chapter in our state’s proud [...]]]> The following is a guest blog from Democratic Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca of Kenosha:

Governor Walker’s budget is law. Now what?

By State Rep. Peter Barca

The budget signed into law today by Gov. Walker that shamelessly attacks Wisconsin’s shared values and middle class families is certainly a dark chapter in our state’s proud history. But we must remember that it is always darkest before the dawn.

In Gov. Walker’s veto message released today, he attacked struggling Wisconsinites who have lost their jobs by “applauding” his fellow Republicans for their “decisive action” that requires laid off Wisconsin workers to wait one week before they can receive benefits that help put food on their family’s dinner tables while they look for work in one of the worst economies in generations.

The evidence is clear that Gov. Walker and his fellow Republicans believe that the only path they have to hold on to power is to govern Wisconsin in secret and keep their radical agenda away from the light of the Wisconsin people. From passing the budget legislation at 3:00 a.m. to signing it into law on a Sunday hidden away from the public on private property, Gov. Walker has gone out of his way to limit public scrutiny of his extreme agenda. In a startling number of Gov. Walker’s budget vetoes, he used the power of his pen to eliminate provisions of his budget that require reporting or legislative oversight — further consolidating power in his administration and reducing accountability.

Gov. Walker’s budget attacks middle-class families by shifting taxpayer funding away from public schools and giving it to unaccountable, unproven voucher schools. It raises taxes on seniors who want to stay in their homes. It slashes funding for universities and job retraining programs at technical schools. (Another irony – Gov. Walker is signing his budget at a business that needs tech college training for its jobs.) It passes the buck to local communities, forcing them to make the tough cuts in local services while Governor Walker consolidates more power and more taxpayer money within his administration.

Further proving that Gov. Walker will say or do anything to deceive Wisconsinites for his own political gain, he repeatedly broke his own campaign promises in this budget. He promised he wouldn’t raise property taxes. He did. He promised he wouldn’t raid funds or hike fees. He did both. He promised not to hide policy in his budget. He did. And he promised he wouldn’t increase state spending. He did – by $1.1 billion.

Gov. Walker will try to claim victory today, but he knows that he would never have been elected, let alone been able to pass this disastrous budget, if he had been transparent and honest with the hard-working people of Wisconsin during his campaign.

But dawn is coming.

In a little more than a month, Wisconsinites in six Republican-controlled senate districts will give Gov. Walker a much needed lesson on the shared values of our state and democracy’s inherent desire for open, transparent and honest government.

To take back our state legislature and to build our case for recalling Gov. Walker and Republican senators in the months ahead, we must continue to pull back the shroud of darkness and secrecy they have imposed on our state – we have to provide the sunlight that will ultimately disinfect Wisconsin of their radical and misguided agenda.

We must continue to tell the stories of struggling middle-class, working Wisconsinites that will suffer additional hardships as a result of Gov. Walker’s poor budget choices and his assault on worker rights. We must continue to expose the special favors and abuse of power that is rampant throughout the Walker Administration. We must clearly articulate our plans to expand opportunity and prosperity while protecting our shared Wisconsin values.

And most importantly, we must continue the fight to ensure that Wisconsin values are restored and preserved for future generations.

Wisconsin’s bloggers have been the tip of the spear in the battle to bring openness and transparency to this fight and I look forward to working with bloggers across our state to restore worker rights and the shared values that have always made Wisconsin great.

By Representative Brett Hulsey

GOP legislators delivered a one-two punch to local law enforcement officers over the last several days. Tuesday, [...]]]> The following is a guest blog authored by Democratic State Rep. Brett Hulsey, who represents the 77th Assembly District.

Wisconsin Legislature Allows Hidden Guns while Voting Against Officer Safety and Common-Sense Safety Measures

By Representative Brett Hulsey

GOP legislators delivered a one-two punch to local law enforcement officers over the last several days. Tuesday, the State Assembly voted to put at risk the lives of those who are sworn to protect us– police officers, deputies and troopers. And, last week, the GOP controlled Legislature voted to cut millions in funding for local governments in the state budget, which will mean major cuts to public safety.

Like many Wisconsinites, I am a hunter and got my first gun when I was very young, and I’ve always used it safely, like so many gun owners. However, I urged other members of the legislature to support a Safe Officer amendment, which would have informed law enforcement when they ran the plates of someone who held a concealed carry license. It’s a common sense measure that could save lives, especially with law enforcement officers across the state making aggressive efforts to bust drunk drivers.

Having been drive-alongs with law enforcement officers, I know that a traffic stop is one of the most dangerous moments for any law officer. One study by the Violence Policy Center showed that 11 law enforcement officers were killed by concealed carriers.

This amendment would have given needed information to the officer before he or she approached the vehicle that they not only are they dealing with a drunk or lawbreaker, but one who likely has a gun.

I have attended funerals for deputies – it’s very difficult. I wished we could have gotten more support for the Safe Officer Amendment so more don’t have to attend those funerals for law enforcement officers in their districts.

Sadly, that was not the case. The amendment failed and the bill passed.

Other amendments voted down in this irresponsible manner by the Assembly GOP include an amendment to ban hidden guns at the State Fair and at Miller Park. Another would make weapons illegal at often-raucous and booze-soaked block parties like the Mifflin Street block party in Madison (where two people were stabbed in separate incidents just this year) and hundreds of annual parties in Milwaukee and elsewhere.

When the GOP rejects common sense measures like these designed to protect us, our families, and our neighbors, its clear that they don’t have the best interests of Wisconsin in mind. It’s just one more thing on to add to the list of this legislature’s “accomplishments” that have taken our state backwards.

Paul Ryan’s good buddy Glenn Beck has fallen on hard times. It looks as though Beck’s lunatic run on Fox News is coming to an end.

Beck entertained Congressman Paul Ryan on his radio show last April and told Ryan he loved [...]]]> This is a guest blog by none other than contributor Steve Carlson:

Paul Ryan’s good buddy Glenn Beck has fallen on hard times. It looks as though Beck’s lunatic run on Fox News is coming to an end.

Beck entertained Congressman Paul Ryan on his radio show last April and told Ryan he loved him after Ryan stated that he was trying to ” indict the entire vision of progressivism.” Ryan readily agreed with Beck that progressivism is a “cancer.” They got along just swell, as you can watch for yourself.

So now that Beck is on his way out at Fox News, I think Congressman Ryan should visit his old buddy on the set before the show goes off the air. It’s an opportunity for Ryan to further tout his much ballyhooed “Roadmap” and to demonstrate some loyalty to his old pal.

So do the right thing, Congressman Ryan, and give your old buddy Glenn Beck a boost before he signs off for good. After all, he loves you.

Here’s a little something I found in my email inbox that caught my attention, courtesy of Chicken Lit:
As a legally elected representative of the people, and in order to show that I have their interests in mind as I write, sponsor, co-sponsor and vote on legislation, I [...]]]> Greetings from sunny Las Vegas!

Here’s a little something I found in my email inbox that caught my attention, courtesy of Chicken Lit:

As a legally elected representative of the people, and in order to show that I have their interests in mind as I write, sponsor, co-sponsor and vote on legislation, I pledge the following:

• I will not copy legislation wholesale from any partisan organization;
• I will not vote the “party line” in lockstep with others of my party merely because they are members of my party;
• I will take only actions that either benefit or cause no harm to my constituents, regardless of those constituents’ age, income, education level, party affiliation, union membership or other characteristic;
• I will not offer enormous tax breaks to businesses and corporations, ever;
• I will not issue press releases simply to call other elected representatives names;
• I will not introduce legislation that is empty and devoid of content, other than the very occasional recognition of bravery or other meritorious acts by one or more of my constituents;
• I will have a vision for the future;
• I will not take myself too seriously;
• I will listen to my constituents equally, not giving more weight to anyone based on how much they contributed to my election campaign or might give to my re-election campaign;
• I will not say I am working on the behalf of “the taxpayers” if there is no evidence that what I am doing is actually beneficial to the taxpayers;
• I will not lie;
• I will do everything in my power to bring about campaign finance reform, starting with the reversal of Citizens United and the declaration that corporations are in no way “people”;
• I will obey the law, adhere to procedural and parliamentary rules and conduct myself ethically at all times;
• I will acknowledge my errors and apologize appropriately to those I have wronged;
• I will be utterly transparent in everything I do as an elected official and will be available and answerable to my constituents; and
• I will be educated and intelligent about matters I am addressing through legislation and will educate myself about matters my colleagues are pursuing.

Further, I recognize that I work for the people of my city/county/district/state/nation, and that those people pay my salary and benefits.

I am honored to have been elected to represent the people of my city/county/district/state/nation and will serve their interests not just until the next election, but for the long term. I will work to ensure that the quality of life for my constituents is continually improving.

Sincerely,

Dated this first day of office

Governor, (I’m so upset I can’t even type your name) you have grossly under-valued our state resources. You have sold us out for fractions (as if you know what they are) of a cent on the dollar.

The 4+ million tax payers of [...]]]> From my email inbox comes this guest blog from Rusty R:

Governor, (I’m so upset I can’t even type your name) you have grossly under-valued our state resources. You have sold us out for fractions (as if you know what they are) of a cent on the dollar.

The 4+ million tax payers of this state are the keepers of an unequaled treasure anywhere on the planet and you obviously don’t know what that is. But no matter, you sir will not be allowed to give it away “Scott Free” (with apologies to all Scotts and Scottish who are not the a****** governor right now).

There is a large portion of the 4+ million tax-payers of this state that want the best educated kids in the country and are willing to pay for it. The same group wants to keep that well educated workforce right here by providing them high paying jobs with benefits. That same group wants to have the best environment to play in and raise kids in.
They want the best in arts & cultural offerings. They want and need the greenest industries. They want the best roads and even the best trains. They want sewer systems and fire and police protection. They want great healthcare. And they are more than willing to pay for it – as long as state corporations do their part. Anyone, or any corporation (because we know they are not people), who is not is free to move out. But I think the exact opposite is more likely, people and
corporations that want and need highly educated, highly skilled workers will move here.

Perhaps you have not spent enough time outside to know anything about the true value of our state and it’s environs. You seem to be to busy lining your pockets and those of your friends and associates – at the expense of the above.

You claim we’re “open for business” – but what kind of business will come here once you’ve won the race to the bottom? You seem to want an uneducated workforce ready and willing to work for low wages and no benefits, no quality of life, no hope and only servitude to the rich and powerful – the people you plan to hand our beautiful state over to.

Our new overlords will do one of two things to this state (I feel a need to keep it simple for you).
• Either (A) – exploit all of our states natural resources as fast as humanly possible with zero regard for the environment or future generations. Turning the state into a putrid cesspool of toxic waste, tree stumps, polluted waters, rancid air and barren soil. Just like the timber and mining barons did in the late 19th Century (that means the late 1800’s). Then they leave – but not before setting up pipelines connecting the Great Lakes to where ever it is that these thieves deem appropriate for maximum financial exploitation – on a scale that would make oil barons blush and for which they will pay no taxes on.

• Or (B) – turn our state into a lavish playground for the rich and powerful – which only the rich and powerful can afford to play in and only the rich and the powerful will have access to. It will look like and feel like 18th century (that means the 1700’s) Europe – complete with serfs, slaves and even the village idiot (your destiny). Have you ever read … never mind, silly question.

I really do apologize for repeatedly coming back to your stupidity but I just can’t help it. You have landed the gig of your life and you’ve chosen devolution as your banner (that means going backwards – as in the opposite of the State Motto). Wow, I just can’t get over that. These corporate tax cuts, payback appointments, privatization, union busting, education and social services cutting, climate change denial, minimum wage cuts, screw the EPA, birth control and abortion rights – are all so… yesterday. And they’ve been rehashed for over 30 years now and it still isn’t working. The only new thing you’ve brought to the table is this Dictator thing and I gotta say you are not pulling it off. Your fifteen minutes of fame will feel more like 15 seconds come next year.

If your plan was a national stage you really, really blew it (especially since the phone call – you idiot – oops there I go
again, sorry).

Imagine how much further ahead you would be today if you had chosen to lie to the conservatives instead of lying to the liberals? Do you think the conservatives would’ve been shouting at you out your window in the cold Wisconsin [fresh & clean] air for days on end? Do you think you would have been subjected to drum circles in the Capital Rotunda? Do you think your senate members would have fled the state to stay in Motel 6’s? Not a chance! You would have received some angry emails and lost a few trips on private jets – but hey, you got that treatment anyway after the phone call you _____!

Your attempt at the national trough (troff) has now failed. You have proven, beyond any doubt, that you are out of their league and they will soon move on to bigger targets. You have dead-ended yourself, I’m sure you know it and I’m sure you are pissed about it. All you’ve got is the local Dictator thing and I don’t think it will get you any further than where you are now. You have only yourself to blame (and your crack staff of course).

What a waste. You could have been a Rock Star and all you needed was a few lies to the conservatives, a high-speed train, a tree-hugger in the DNR, a mom to oversee the banks and a revised tax code. Have you seen the crowds President Obama can draw, even after he became a right-leaning centrist? But no, you listened to your idiot advisors and bought into the totally wrong set of lies.

But you can be sure of one thing; your legacy will inspire millions and millions of liberals for generations to come. You will become famous and your name will forever live in textbooks, pamphlets and campaign slogans — Vote! Vote! Vote! Because if you don’t you might get Walkered! That’s you as a verb and it is as close as I want to come to typing your name.

Good Luck, you’ll need it in the private sector.