Mayor Johnson is making a cynical calculus that is unfortunately typical with liberals: that tacking to the right’s benefits outweigh the political costs. He’s doing what the Milwaukee Police Association and Republican legislators want, maybe gaining him a bit of credibility with Wisconsin’s power structure –but losing only a few principled, abolitionist voters/elected officials/organizations/etc in the process.

Another faultline has recently opened up in the maybe too big, big tent Democratic Party (imagine the fault line is opening up under a circus –this metaphor is actually really good, shut up.) On the one hand, you have reasonable, empathetic people who understand that the unhoused and housing insecure among us deserve dignified treatment, kindless –and housing, if it’s wanted.

This edition:

Democrats Do Spend Public Money on Actual Public Services

Democrats Don’t Imprison People for Mental Illness

Public financing is complicated, in part because some people would rather not have any public financing at all. If it were as simple as Milwaukee collecting tax revenue then spending that  revenue on public infrastructure, the Milwaukee Public School (MPS) district might not be in the godawful mess it’s in –unfortunately, the reality is complicated and stupid, just like most bureaucracies.

This edition:

Democrats Do Defend Public Education

Democrats Don't Commit Fraud to Privatize Schools

Beginnings are hard. Some of them you’re forced into: being born, your first day at school, the first time you have to pay your own rent. This is different: we’re voluntarily starting something new, we aren’t sure how it will go, but we hope it’s worth the effort.