Uppity Wisconsin
Making Wisconsin Progressive Again
Kathleen Falk, Democrats and Louis Brandeis
Sun, 02/15/2009 - 6:02pm | mal contends
Update: Related piece by Adam Cohen warns that the Supreme Court May Be About to Kill Off the Exclusionary Rule (NYT)
"They conferred, as against the Government, the right to be let alone - the most comprehensive of rights, and the right most valued by civilized men. To protect that right, every unjustifiable intrusion by the Government upon the privacy of the individual, whatever the means employed, must be deemed a violation of the Fourth Amendment."
- Justice Louis Dembitz Brandeis, (the "People's Attorney") dissenting opinion in Olmstead v. United States (1928)
The American electorate is regularly treated to examples of Democrats and liberals going along to get along with the powers that be.
Too often this going along involves complicity in appalling violations of our liberties at home, and inhumanity abroad as we loose our killing machine upon innocents.
"They conferred, as against the Government, the right to be let alone - the most comprehensive of rights, and the right most valued by civilized men. To protect that right, every unjustifiable intrusion by the Government upon the privacy of the individual, whatever the means employed, must be deemed a violation of the Fourth Amendment."
- Justice Louis Dembitz Brandeis, (the "People's Attorney") dissenting opinion in Olmstead v. United States (1928)
The American electorate is regularly treated to examples of Democrats and liberals going along to get along with the powers that be.
Too often this going along involves complicity in appalling violations of our liberties at home, and inhumanity abroad as we loose our killing machine upon innocents.
Tags: Civil Liberties, Yes
Thu, 02/05/2009 - 7:15am | mal contends
It's about time someone spoke up against Kathleen Falk's bone-headed approach to addressing the issue of operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI) and the non-issue of Wisconsin's alleged drinking "culture" problem.
Falk's criminalization and anti-civil liberties OWI agenda drew reproach from her opponent, Nancy Mistele, at the first debate (January) between the two likely candidates for Dane County Executive in the general election in April.
Mistele hit the statist, heavy-handed Falk program by pointing out that personal responsibility and private action were critical vis a vis government's involvement of changing the "culture," to a round of groans from Falk supporters.
Yesterday's Captial Times hits Falk's approach, though not naming Falk as a leading advocate; [wish they had].
Falk's criminalization and anti-civil liberties OWI agenda drew reproach from her opponent, Nancy Mistele, at the first debate (January) between the two likely candidates for Dane County Executive in the general election in April.
Mistele hit the statist, heavy-handed Falk program by pointing out that personal responsibility and private action were critical vis a vis government's involvement of changing the "culture," to a round of groans from Falk supporters.
Yesterday's Captial Times hits Falk's approach, though not naming Falk as a leading advocate; [wish they had].
Falk Is Hostile to Privacy and Liberty
Thu, 01/29/2009 - 2:30pm | mal contends
In 1989-90, I covered an area controversy for the Capital Times about a bunch of farmers and landowners in Dane and Green counties who took exception to the plans of a wholly owned subsidiary of the Houston-based Enron Corporation [now infamous for its iconic lies and fraud].
Enron’s Northern Natural Gas Co. wanted to build a natural gas pipeline through peoples’ private properties but didn’t bother to consult with the people.
The landowners’ reaction was swift and furious.
Enlisting politicians of all stripes from Denise Solie and the late Lyman F. Anderson, to Chuck Chvala, Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl, the landowners successfully waged a fight to change the route of the pipeline with the legal assistance of attorneys Mike Bauer and Ed Garvey.
The message was clear: Don’t tread on us and get your hands off of our private property. In person, some of the angry landowners were more colorful in their suggestions of where Enron’s pipeline could be sited.
In Dane County, there is an innate sentiment that neither government, nor large corporations nor anyone else should take a heavy hand in intruding on citizens’ privacy; not in their homes and not in their persons.
Enron’s Northern Natural Gas Co. wanted to build a natural gas pipeline through peoples’ private properties but didn’t bother to consult with the people.
The landowners’ reaction was swift and furious.
Enlisting politicians of all stripes from Denise Solie and the late Lyman F. Anderson, to Chuck Chvala, Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl, the landowners successfully waged a fight to change the route of the pipeline with the legal assistance of attorneys Mike Bauer and Ed Garvey.
The message was clear: Don’t tread on us and get your hands off of our private property. In person, some of the angry landowners were more colorful in their suggestions of where Enron’s pipeline could be sited.
In Dane County, there is an innate sentiment that neither government, nor large corporations nor anyone else should take a heavy hand in intruding on citizens’ privacy; not in their homes and not in their persons.
Nancy Mistele's Challenge to Falk
Thu, 01/29/2009 - 7:25am | mal contends
Update: Mills: "(Q)uite frankly, I have been unimpressed with Falk's leadership, and am deeply concerned by the glaring holes left in her record by the massive fuck-ups with the 911 center."
Rath: Falk dodges as Mistele fires
The Dane County Executive race is off and running with the first debate between Nancy Mistele and Kathleen Falk sponsored by the Dane County Public Affairs Council.
Though the political winds of Dane County blow left, this may prove to be a very interesting race in the face of a host of endorsements of Falk and Falk's 911 Center scandal.
Rath: Falk dodges as Mistele fires
The Dane County Executive race is off and running with the first debate between Nancy Mistele and Kathleen Falk sponsored by the Dane County Public Affairs Council.
Though the political winds of Dane County blow left, this may prove to be a very interesting race in the face of a host of endorsements of Falk and Falk's 911 Center scandal.
Falk Is Shameless Now
Fri, 01/23/2009 - 9:21pm | mal contends
Dane County dispatcher Nathan Waite is a hero.
In the Capital Times we read that Waite is being recognized for some superlative work.
From Mike Miller:
In the Capital Times we read that Waite is being recognized for some superlative work.
From Mike Miller:
Dane County officials were happy Friday for something positive to celebrate at the 911 Center when they honored dispatcher Nathan Waite for the key role he played in the safe premature birth of a girl on Jan. 12.
Waite was on duty in the 911 Center when Brent and Kimberly Lodewyk of McFarland were rushing to a Madison hospital because Kimberly was facing the imminent birth of their child.
The Lodewyks were forced to pull off the road when the birth was about to occur. A call to the 911 Center was taken by Waite, who calmly instructed Brent Lodewyk on how to help with the birth and baby Katarina before medical help would arrive.
Nice work, Mr. Waite.
But don't forget what's really important here: Kathleen Falk's political career.
Falk jumped right into the picture of-course.
"This is just one of the countless stories of the heroic work our well-trained and dedicated dispatchers do everyday," Falk said.
But don't forget what's really important here: Kathleen Falk's political career.
Falk jumped right into the picture of-course.
"This is just one of the countless stories of the heroic work our well-trained and dedicated dispatchers do everyday," Falk said.
Dane County Exec Kathleen Falk’s Tenure Should End
Fri, 01/16/2009 - 9:30am | mal contends
Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk has joined the let’s-set-up-police-roadblocks-(sobriety checkpoints) bandwagon.
See, Falk—she of the let’s-cover-our-asses-fast reaction to the Dane County 911 Center’s widely reported screw-ups leading to the murder of Brittany Zimmermann—says she wants to change the attitudes towards and culture of Wisconsin drinking.
Gee, changing the culture, that's an interesting if unenlightened, proposed role for politicians and elected officeholders.
Anyway, let’s set up “checkpoints,” she advises our governor.
After thinking you see, Falk “… quickly realized that steps must be taken on the level of state policy to help curb the tide of alcohol abuse," Falk writes to Gov. Doyle, it is reported in the State Journal (Matthew DeFour) this morning.
A “tide” in the culture that we must address by draconian measures like "checkpoints" and criminalization?