It’s on the agenda!

We see that the boy mayor of Minneapolis has been booed off the stage. Jacob Frey was elected two years ago on promises to fix the police. That was so two years ago. Not Good Enough Any More.

Mayor Frey retreated on Saturday [06-06-2020] through a sea of protesters yelling, “Go home, Jacob, go home!” and “Shame! Shame!” after he refused to commit to defunding the Police Department. — the New York Times reports.

Memorial to police killed in line of duty on Madison’s Capitol grounds

Madison’s mayor wants to avoid that fate. That is why she took the bleach bit to a video praising the police, intended for their eyes only. Wanted to forestall their vote of no confidence. 

Madison city government is inching ever closer to defunding the police. That and other “demands” of the George Floyd anarchists is actually on the agenda of the city’s Public Safety Review Committee at 5 p.m. this Wednesday, June 10. (The committee is advisory to the Common Council.) From that agenda:

• Defund Police — seize and abolish police force powers and acknowledge safety structures that are pro-Black, pro-woman and girls, pro-youth, pro-LGBTQI, pro-disabled, pro-immigrant, and refugee community. 
• Invest in life-affirming infrastructure for Black people. Fund pro-Black and anti-oppression community-led projects and services.
• Free all incarcerated people and stop all projects to rebuild or renew the jail. 
• Drop all charges against people, including protesters and freedomfighters. 
• Suspend all probation holds. 

“Stop murdering black people, and your glass will be safe,” Monica Adams, co-executive director for Freedom Inc.

The race-based Progressive Dane agenda

Madame Brenda

Who chairs said Public Safety Review Committee? Brenda Konkel, the former alder who was so anti-cop the police union put up billboards urging her defeat for re-election several years ago. She chairs Progressive Dane, whose platform is Cops out of Schools and Derail the Jail. Appointed by Mayor Satya Rhodes Conway, also Progressive Dane. As are two more members of Konkel’s committee: Alds. Patrick Heck and Christian Albouras. 

But wait, there’s more! Also on the committee agenda: “Answers to questions raised from Alder Kemble (Progressive Dane) and others in their letter to the chief.” Death by a thousand paper cuts.

A riot of identity politics

Greased for likely passage is another agenda item: MPD Civilian Oversight Board. (The proposal in full.) Even though Madison already has a Police & Fire Commission. Which civilians would oversee the police?

African-American, Asian, Latino, Native American and LGBTQ communities as well as a diversity of ages, socio-economic status, work experiences, gender, geographic residence, and organizations in the fields of mental health, youth advocacy and AODA, and including individuals with arrest or conviction records. A majority of the members of the board shall be nominated by a designated set of community-based organizations that have an interest in civil rights, immigrant rights, disability rights/mental health, racial equity, and social justice, and that also have an interest in the safety of the city.

They will decide membership on police oversight committee

Expect the approved “community-based orgs” allowed to vet the appointees to include Freedom Inc., Urban Triage, and the Party of Socialism and Liberation — leaders of last week’s protests and condoners of the riots.

Appoint the cop haters

Additionally, 25% to 40% of the Board shall be composed of members with lived experience with homelessness, mental health, substance abuse and/or arrest or conviction records. The composition of the Board shall be run through the City’s Racial Equity and Social Justice Initiative process to ensure equity and inclusion.

Blaska’s Bottom Line: In other words, no Republicans.

Wednesday’s 5 p.m. virtual meeting (agenda here) will be held  
via telephone: 877-853-5257 (Webinar ID: 915 4833 7093).
Send comments to PDPSRB@cityofmadison.com

Why hasn’t Mayor Satya pledged
to stand by the police?