Sunday, May 15, 2011

Capitol Security

It appears that the trip down memory lane that gripped the state Capitol for a month or so did cost north of 7.5 million dollars, although not as a result of damage.

I am struck, though, by the Democrats' suggestion that the GOP has placed the Capitol in some type of security lockdown. I have had meetings at the Capitol twice in the past month or so. It is no harder to get into the Capitol than it is to enter the federal or county courthouses in Milwaukee.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

"I have had meetings at the Capitol twice in the past month or so."

What are you up to now?

Display Name said...

Any honest and rational discussion of recent changes in Capitol security would necessarily require us to recall how open it was before, and how different it is now. Care to begin?

Anony, maybe Prof. Shh 'n Shh is helping Capitol security write their best policy for wanding and frisking a school-bus-worth of ten-year-olds on a field trip from Portage.

Or maybe he's helping the FitzWalkers refine the message as to why concealed-carry shouldn't be allowed within the legislators' workplace, but encouraged elsewhere.

You know, the usual stuff any ordinary citizen might be doing. It's not like he's a political operative.

Anonymous said...

I've also noticed the Capitol is significantly easier to enter than just about any military facility that stores nuclear weapons. Where's the problem again?

Anonymous said...

"honest and rational discussion"

You must be lost. Check the URL.

Anonymous said...

Professor, so what if exercising one's political rights cost millions of dollars. One cannot put a price tab on citizens who, for the most part, peacefully assembled in Madison. It is apparent that a segment of a population believed in what they deemed as a worthwhile cause--the assault on collective bargaining that had been fought a hundred years earlier by their union brethren. This situation is akin to the demonstrations held by Tea Partiers against "Obamacare" that required a police presence. I support their First Amendment rights, and have no problem if taxpayers end up footing the bill because of their passionate display of patriotism. Good for them--even if I may disagree with some of their overall points.

Now, regarding security of the Capitol. It is a PUBLIC building. Taxpayers have every right, within reason, to be able to gain access to it. Just because some on the right felt the protests were "children having temper tantrums" does not mean draconian measures should be implemented to keep out the "riff raff". Any demonstration will have their "thugs", and for those on the right to make generalizations regarding the conduct of those who participated is downright deplorable.

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Most overused (and misused) word in political commentary these days: draconian.

Dad29 said...

This situation is akin to the demonstrations held by Tea Partiers against "Obamacare" that required a police presence

.....differing only by several orders of magnitude in cost, of course.

Anonymous said...

----One cannot put a price tab on citizens who, for the most part, peacefully assembled in Madison.


of course there were physical assaults elsewhere and hundreds of death threats.

http://gatewaypundit.rightnetwork.com/2011/05/wi-attorney-general-releases-100-pages-of-documented-threats-against-lawmakers-during-the-budget-negotiations/

Female Senators were spat upon and there was significant physical intimidation.

Oh and most people speak of price tags not price tabs. Liberals would probably prefer "tabs" as they spend other people's money.