This just in: Shawn Haney will make it official. He is announcing for Dane County sheriff Wednesday at 1:30 at the DeForest public safety building. He'll run on the Republican ticket. He is a former sheriff's office lieutenant. In a pointed reference to the incumbent's policy on releasing inmates on ankle bracelets even when they have been sentenced to jail, Haney promises: "I will work with judges to ensure that inmates will be required to serve part of their sentence in jail before they are released on electronic monitoring."
One area I know Haney agrees with the incumbent sheriff, Dave Mahoney, a Democrat, is on the department's process of consulting Immigration and Customs Enforcement when the jail cannot ascertain the identity of inmates deposited there. That has Madison's Left in a dither, with one historically impaired young lady comparing the practice to "Jim Crow laws."
Later this week, the squire of the stately manor is attending a neighborhood celebration honoring a milestone achievement: an immigrant friend of ours has become a naturalized citizen of the United States of America!
As did my great-great grandfather 156 years ago. That is a common bond we as Americans share. Excuse me, past tense: once shared.
Meanwhile, let's all make travel plans for Arizona because ...
Next up on the political correctness parade: a resolution by the Madison Common Council prohibiting city government travel to or business with the apostate state of Arizona. That state -- plagued by drug running, kidnapping, and violence fueled by illegal immigration -- is doing what the federal government cannot do -- secure the safety of its citizenry.
On May 13, Madison Ald. Shiva Bidar-Sielaff copied her colleagues on her response to this e-mail:
Subject: FW: Alders: Care to cut ties with Arizona like LA just did?
Dear Nathan,
Thank you for your email. I am already in the process of writing a resolution that encompasses AZ related statements and other immigration related points. A number of my fellow alders have already expressed support for such a resolution. I will make sure to share it with you once it is ready. I plan to have it ready for the June 2 City Council agenda. Respectfully,
Shiva Bidar-Sielaff
District 5 Alder
Bidar-Sielaff is leading the charge on the Dane County Task Force on Immigration to handcuff Sheriff Mahoney over his policy of contacting Immigration and Customs Enforcement when persons without valid identification are deposited in his jail.
A former alderman resorts to common sense
The proposed boycott resolution prompted the following comment from former Ald. Dorothy Borchardt on May 15:
Alder Bidar-Sielaff,
You certainly aren't an illegal immigrant, not supporting yourself and looking for a handout, or involved in criminal activity.
America is made up of immigrants that came to the USA for the opportunity to improve their life, pay their own way and be proud Americans!
Since you are so concerned about the plight of the illegal immigrant please consider organizing a ban on travel to Mexico and rallies protesting the conditions that make their citizens risk their lives in leaving Mexico and cross the border illegally. Why do they come here and rally against America? Why not rally in Mexico?
My family went to Mexico every couple of years because of the climate, the Mexican people and the convenience of travel. We will NOT be going to Mexico again. I'm sharing our decision with all of our friends in the hopes that they do the same.
I certainly hope you reconsider sponsoring a resolution to ban travel and trade with Arizonian and do something to make life better for the people of Mexico so they aren't.
Dorothy passes along a message she received from Chuck Cole, former deputy chief of police for Madison.
If cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco have thrown down the gauntlet on this issue, then my response would be this: Let's create our own form of economic retribution to show respect for the citizens of Arizona, their State government, and their right to control their own destiny. I would encourage all of you to forward this e-mail to as many people as you can with the hope that they will pass it forward as well.
My request is simple, boycott the cities that boycott Arizona. Do not make travel or vacation plans to those destinations (Los Angeles, San Francisco, etc.)or spend money for goods or services that are located in any of those cities.
Let them feel the pain of their own game of trying to strong arm citizens of a sovereign State. If states join in the boycott, apply the same strategy to them. In the coming weeks, perhaps we can create a powerful voice of thousands that will show support for Arizona and cause the outsiders that oppose the law to rethink their strategy. If they truly believe that the Arizona law is unconstitutional, then they should work within our judicial system to make that determination.
Dorothy adds:
In addition, I will not vacation in Mexico as long as the Mexican government ignores the needs of their citizens, supports them crossing the border illegally, and our taxpayers picking up the tab.
Where is the next governor on this?
Confused by third-party accounts of where Scott Walker stands on the illegal immigration issue? Here is a statement provided by his campaign for governor Saturday afternoon:
I sympathize with the people of Arizona who are victimized by violence, crime and property damage as a result of illegal immigration. After speaking this morning with the sponsor of the new law in Arizona, State Senator Russell Pearce, I'm satisfied that the amended bill provides adequate protections against racial profiling and discrimination. A police officer may only inquire about the immigration status of persons they have stopped, detained, or arrested for other reasons.
In addition, earlier decisions by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals satisfy my concern about any conflicts with the 10th Amendment. If I were Governor of Arizona, I too would sign the Arizona immigration bill.
As Governor of Wisconsin, I will sign legislation that strengthens our protection against illegal immigration and ensures that taxpayer funded benefits like Badger Care and drivers licenses are not available to those who are here illegally.
Americans say this:
A poll conducted by the Pew Research Center and released last week shows that 59 percent of Americans approve of Arizona's new law cracking down on illegal immigrants while only 32 percent disapprove. Specific provisions of the law enacted last month draw even more support: Fully 73 percent endorse its provisions requiring people to show police officers documents proving their legal status when asked. And 67 percent approve of police detaining anyone who can't prove their legal status.
Here is what Arizona is up against
We may criticize Arizona ... but Phoenix is the nation's capitol of kidnappings -- A 13-year-old girl was grabbed off the street and thrown into an SUV by Mexican kidnappers who mistakenly believed she was the niece of a drug dealer who helped steal 55 pounds of marijuana.
With 368 reported kidnappings in 2008 (and just over 300 in 2009), Phoenix has swiftly become the nation's kidnapping capital. Abductions have become such a persistent problem that police created a special squad of anti-kidnapping officers. Phoenix police say the reported kidnappings account for just one-third of the reported kidnappings taking place in the metropolitan area. People are just not reporting all the kidnappings.
The National Drug Threat Assessment 2009, from the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC), reports that "Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) are the greatest drug trafficking threat to the United States. They control most of the U.S. drug market and have established varied transportation routes, advanced communications capabilities, and strong affiliations with gangs in the United States."
Communists for Peace
Leave it to the likes of Dennis Coyier and Buzz Davis, two of the more paranoid conspiracists you will find, to ascribe sinister motives to the much-anticipated event honoring, belatedly, our servicemen returned from the Vietnam War. It's called LZ Lambeau (for Landing Zone) at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on May 21-23 in Green Bay. The event is being sponsored by the Wisconsin Historical Society, the state Department of Veterans Affairs, Wisconsin Public Television, and several veterans organizations. But not to hear Coyier, Davis, and Co. tell it. No, LZ Lambeau "is more intended to promote militarism, support for the war on terror, and to boost military recruitment than to honor Vietnam veterans."
So says the communique from Veterans for Peace, Clarence Kailin Chapter 25. Yep, they named their group after a self-confessed Communist. Tells you what you need to know. Now, if those veterans had returned from fighting on behalf of Ho Chi Minh, well, that would be a different story.
Today's chuckle:
TEACHER: Maria, go to the map and find North America.
MARIA: Here it is.
TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America?
CLASS: Maria.
