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Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Real Janesville Embodies Red State Values


As predicted, the Janesville city council unanimously endorsed a council policy "update" (Council Policy #77) underwritten by Gov. Scott Walker's local booster club, Forward Janesville, the "Divide and Conquer" red-state cash-cow group, Rock County 5.0, and their public sector liaison, Rock County Alliance.

To be fair, at least one of their representatives in attendance spoke up to promote the red state group's update agenda. Council Member Richard Gruber, who also happens to be a ranking member of Forward Janesville, said everything the city of Janesville has done over the past several years embodies the new directives of their recommended update and the council's unanimous approval will essentially memorialize its acceptance. I have to admit, watching Gruber and the city's corporate welfare director, Gale Price, put words in each other's mouth without choking or coughing provided some comical entertainment.

But Gruber is right. I couldn't have said it better myself. Welcome to Red State Janesville! We're conquered and united!!

On another red state front, council members grappled over a resolution meant to force the city’s two most diverse neighborhoods to vote in a police station. That's right.

The polling location change is temporary due to remodeling at the city’s municipal building. But moving the voting location to a police station has had a chilling effect on minority communities in the cities.

Three council members, Gruber and Janesville's council "odd couple," Doug Marklein and Jens Jorgensen, were united in their belief that ethnically diverse and woefully underrepresented voters in the city should be able to easily set aside generations of indifference they have experienced from law enforcement. Marklein and Jorgensen in particular seemed to think that Election Day presents itself as a unique opportunity for police outreach and that disenfranchised voters should be willing to accept those circumstances without reservation. They implied anyone thinking different insults the Janesville Police Department.

During the discussion, City Manager Mark Freitag offered another option. He suggested that with the addition of some light and portable heaters, the City Hall parking garage could be converted into a polling place for 3rd and 4th Ward voters.

Of note, Jorgensen was the only council member to vote "no" to two questions on seeking an alternate polling location, leaving bewildered viewers with the impression that he strongly believes it was wrong for the council to even consider options to the police station polling place venue.

ADDITIONAL:

Urban Milwaukee - Congressional Candidate Calls On Janesville City Council To Reject Police Station Polling Place

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