Violating Logic

What exactly do 'Conservative Principles' entail these days? Is there really such a thing?

How can supposed 'conservatives' be for smaller government, yet support the most costly government programs and even push for growing those?

How can 'conservatives' continually blast bureaucrats and the government as inefficient, wasteful and incompetent, and then turn around and call for more and more money funneled to certain pet governmental units?

Enter our favorite wingnut sheriff.

Sheriff David Clarke Jr. Calls on City to Hire 400 New Police Officers

Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. is calling on the city to hire 400 new police officers. 

Clarke, while speaking Friday before the city's Public Safety Committee, also urged Milwaukee County to hire an additional 200 sheriff's deputies... 

He urged for "stop, question and frisk" policing, 100 searches per night of homes where those on parole are living and aggressive traffic stops targeting repeat offenders. 

"We need to rain holy hell on these individuals — lawfully," Clarke said. "We don't need to violate anybody's rights to do this." 

During Friday's meeting, Ald. Terry Witkowski asked Clarke how the city would pay for 400 new officers, estimating it would cost Milwaukee about $40 million annually. Witkowski also noted that state officials have limited the city's ability to increase taxes...

Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn called Clarke "irrelevant to my work." 

"I'd love to have 400 more cops, if somebody could come up with a way to pay for them without breaking the backs of Milwaukee taxpayers," Flynn said. "There's no there there." 

He suggested Clarke talk to "his good friend" Gov. Scott Walker about restoring money that's been cut from Milwaukee's shared revenue payments. 

"Just restore state aid and we'll have a discussion," Flynn said. 

Christopher Ahmuty, executive director of the ACLU of Wisconsin, said Clarke's presentation promoted "largely discredited theories" and shows he is "out of step with the best ideas in current debates over improving public safety." 

"Predictably, his principal recommendation is 'more boots on the ground,'" Ahmuty said. "Hopefully, the majority of the Public Safety Committee will take his views for what they are worth, antiquated and unhelpful." 

Clarke makes regular appearances on Fox News and other television and radio news shows —often wearing one of his signature cowboy hats — where he sounds off on a variety of issues, including Beyoncé, the Black Lives Matter movement, presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama.

We can clearly see why Clarke has so many issues with his County budget. Apparently he's not much of a numbers guy.

(And, the "stop, question and frisk" policing - searching 100 homes per night where those on parole are living along with aggressive traffic stops targeting repeat offenders. "Raining holy hell — lawfully. We don't need to violate anybody's rights to do this." How do you "rain hell" and not violate people?)

Wouldn't it be great to have more teachers and better schools? How about better public transportation and roads? Maybe replacing all the lead water pipes in the City?

But where to get the money to pay for any of it? With the State cutting shared revenue and limiting the City's ability raise additional revenues, coming up with the money for anything is increasingly more and more of a problem.

And, I guess, according to Clarke, the answer is making blustery speeches without any consideration of the details. "This, that and the other should be done...someone else figure out how to pay for it!"

WOW! What a visionary! I can see why FOX News lets him spout his wisdom regularly.