Budget season means it’s time for Governor Evers to propose a bunch of things that sound good, wait for Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to laugh and say “nah,” then shrug and dump more public resources into voucher schools and charter schools, rounding it up to a progressive win in Evers’ press release.

In 2018, Governor Evers ran on reducing the prison population by 50%, but the population is now climbing fastest it has since before 2000. Instead of taking concrete and decisive action, he he’s choosing to float a reform plan to a legislature long determined to sink everything he does.

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

Silence in the face of racist murder is a form of violence. The convention media spectacle eclipsing the national spotlight Mr Crump and D’Vontaye’s family are drawing unto his death is an example of this silencing violence already occurring here thanks to the RNC.

All who know the inner workings of the present WI DOC want to see it embrace its true mission to rehabilitate the prisoners and keep the public safe. That mission has been largely abandoned and what we see is mere warehousing. You know all this, have been part of the decision making, and now have the opportunity to help the DOC strike out on a new healthy path.