Falk Sees Mandate for Police Roadblocks

The race between Democrat Kathleen Falk and Republican Nancy Mistele for Dane County Executive was in many ways business as usual.

The Madison second and sixth aldermanic districts (comprising proud and traditionally progressive populations) went overwhelmingly for Falk, giving her 83 percent and 91 percent of the vote respectively.

Madison Alder District 2 - Votes for Mistele - Falk

0111 C MADISON WD 37 ----------------94-------- 492
0112 C MADISON WD 38 ---------------54--------- 454
0113 C MADISON WD 39 ---------------114 --------431
0114 C MADISON WD 40 ---------------40--------- 183


*Total Votes-------------------------- 302-------- 1,560

Madison Alder District 6 - Votes for Mistele - Falk

0107 C MADISON WD 33---------------108 --------1,084
0108 C MADISON WD 34 ---------------97 --------1,110
0109 C MADISON WD 35 ---------------42--------- 578
0110 C MADISON WD 36 ---------------27--------- 124

*Total Votes -------------------------274--------- 2,896

* Unofficial results

As Matthew DeFour notes in the State Journal, rural Dane County went for Mistele who "won in Sun Prairie, Waunakee and the vast majority of the rural towns and villages, but not by as much as she needed to keep the race close" when the Madison isthmus wards began reporting.

What is not traditional here is Falk's acclaiming a mandate from a pro-civil liberties electorate for installing police roadblocks to catch drunk drivers [see Michigan Department of State Police v. Sitz (1988); Rehnquist says police roadblocks are fine; Brennan, Marshall and Stevens dissent].

Citizens calling for police roadblocks? Not the Dane County I know.

Yet Falk spent a lot of television time on election night talking about how the victory means no more "alcohol misuse" in the name of "public safety." And this means it's time to install police roadblocks, says Falk, without mentioning police roadblocks by name in her victory interviews. One has to read the fine print in her "alcohol initiative" in which she refers to "checkpoints".

Makes search and seizure seem so much more palatable, though, again, where is the outcry for eviscerating the Fourth Amendment from Madison and rural Dane County?

Does Falk really believe police roadblocks are what Madison and Dane County want?

I'm betting that Falk might actually get around to reading the late authoritarian jurist William Rehnquist's opinion on roadblocks and back off. But who knows?

Let's hope that the necessary state legislation, already floated by Gov. Jim Doyle, dies fast.

Mistele Sounds Like Green GOPer of Old

Nancy Mistele, candidate for Dane County executive, is sounding a lot like the Republicans of the 1970s.

Independent and innovative GOP thinkers such as the late former Governor Lee Sherman Dreyfus (1926–2008), Bill Kraus and others animated the Wisconsin political scene in the 1970s looking for practical solutions integrating the environment and business climate.

I had more or less given up hope that non-doctrinaire conservatives were still around. But Mistele is turning some heads.

Mistele put out her Protecting Our Environment, Protecting Our Jobs position paper today echoing her statement in an e-mail interview last month on the environment:

Like most others in Dane County, I am concerned about preservation, open spaces, clean air and clean water. We’ve got a proud tradition in Wisconsin, and particularly in Dane County, of respecting our Natural Resources, and I intend to respect and continue this tradition.

I think there are legitimate discussions we can have about how you balance the need for environmental preservation with the need for communities to grow and develop. If elected, I would not make an effort to immediately 'clean house' at our regulatory bodies, such as CARPC [Capital Area Regional Planning Commission], because I think we need to respect the experience and expertise many of these employees carry. Instead, I would ensure that members of my Administration support appropriate regulations for reasonable growth.

The Falk Campaign folks are already trying to caricature me as an anti-environment extremist. Not true. I’m an avid road biker and think there’s no better way to relax than to spend some time hiking in the woods or kayaking on one of our beautiful lakes. I can assure everyone concerned about the environment that as County Executive, my decision-making would be guided by my deep respect for the environment.

---
Mistele's press release is below:

(Middleton) – Dane County must protect our environment and our job climate. County Executive Candidate Nancy Mistele is unveiling her environmental agenda which will protect the environment and jobs at the same time. Mistele says for too long, Dane County has been closed for business.

'I believe that we can, that we must protect the environment and protect the rights of property owners,' Mistele said, 'Being an environmentalist doesn’t have to mean putting up roadblocks to better paying jobs, safer roads and public safety.'

Mistele’s Environmental Agenda Includes:

· Save on cars that save at the pump - Eliminate County Sales tax on Hybrid/Electric Cars

· Green Business Czar - Create a business advocate that will help employers with permits so that they follow the rules, but don’t get overwhelmed or scared off with paperwork.

· Green Stamp of Approval - Follow the lead of local communities and streamline permitting and review process for businesses who follow green LEEDS standards which promote environmentally responsible construction and lower energy costs for builder.

· Put the brakes on Falk’s commuter rail - a $250 million amusement ride will pollute the environment with increased congestion, reduce public safety and sink them county in future debt. Instead, comprehensively evaluate extended county bus routes to all surrounding communities. Also explore expanding passenger rail routes from Madison to Chicago , Milwaukee and Minneapolis

· Respect our land and taxpayers - Applaud municipalities that protect land within their jurisdiction. Respect taxpayers by not purchasing land that is already protected. Taxpayers don’t need to own land to keep it green.

· Fair Market Value for Land - In today’s economy, taxpayers shouldn’t be expected to pay more for land than the market value. We must use proper comparables and independent appraisals when establishing purchase prices for land we do want to buy.

· Fair Notice - Establish a policy that requires county notification to property owners (business or residential) of potential zoning changes that may affect their property value or use.

· Cost Analysis - Require a fiscal impact study prior to any land use decisions.

· Public Access for Public Lands – If taxpayers are expected to pay for protecting land, they should have the right to enjoy those properties. Protected public lands must have public access.

· Green Awards - Reward and honor County Employees and citizens who come up with recommendations to streamline permitting process and maintain our high standard for environmental protection.

'We have a proud tradition in Dane County of respecting and preserving our environment—my agenda extends and builds on that tradition,' Mistele says.

'Personally, I have a deep respect for our environment, and my agenda balances this respect with the need for a county to grow, expand and create more high paying jobs.'

# # #