Friday, January 20, 2006

If it's Friday, this must be my veto pen

I don't know how many Friday vetoes we've had from Governor Doyle, but this idea of always vetoing popular legislation when the news is going to get buried over the weekend has become a little heavy handed. Governor: We understand that you don't think that this stuff can bear public scrutiny. But to paraphase a rather prominent pundit, you ought to proclaim in the light what you have heard in the dark. (Matt: 10:27) If you think you are doing the right thing, try it on a Monday.

In putting the kibosh on concealed carry, Doyle helpfully explained that it " does not create a single job, help a single Wisconsin citizen afford health care or improve schools for a single Wisconsin child ...." This is, of course, a bit of a non sequitur, sort of like saying I shouldn't paint my house because it won't fix my car's transmission. Actually, it's worse because concealed carry doesn't even take away revenue that could be devoted to whatever Doyle thinks it should be devoted to.

Concealed carry is not my issue, but the evidence seems to clearly indicate that it does not increase crime and suggests, perhaps not as clearly, that it will reduce it.
If the latter is true, concealed carry may well do everything that the Governor says it will not. If it reduces violent crime, it may well make it possible for businesses to invest in areas that are now no-go zones. If a small child's mother avoids becoming the victim of street violence, she may well continue to work and provide health care for her family. If the Governor is under the impression that education thrives in areas where street gangs rule the streets and are, therefore, the authority figures that kids are going to strive to emulate, then he's been spending way too much time shaking down Indian tribes.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Concealed carry may well do everything that the Governor says it will not. If it reduces violent crime, it may well make it possible for businesses to invest in areas that are now no-go zones. If a small child's mother avoids becoming the the [sic] victim of street violence, she may well continue to work and provide health care for her family."

Just think: "concealed carry" is the solution to all of urban America's social ills. Out with Medicaid and W2, in with guns! If the cops can't beat the gangs, maybe armed single mothers can.

Hey, professor: proofread your blog!

Rick Esenberg said...

I may not be the world's worst proof reader, but I have to be in the mix.

I actually don't know how much difference concealed carry will make. But Doyle said it won't make any. If you are a single mother who is being mugged and the cops aren't there, it may make all the difference in the world.