Can’t they read?
(Well, maybe they really can’t)
It’s like passing that ordinance early in Reagan’s term proclaiming Madison WI a nuclear-free zone. That’s how the Head Groundskeeper feels about the signage on S. Whitney Way announcing, in solar-powered electricity, the speed limit is now 25 miles per hour. On a four-lane thoroughfare divided by a grassy median strip.
NOW do we feel so much safer!
Neighbor Bob W. here in Orchard Ridge reports that “I was going toward the Beltline on Gilbert [Road] and coming up to the stop sign at Hammersley [Road]. As I slowed to stop a car from the right going towards Whitney came through the stop sign going at least 60 mph.”
Can’t they read the signs?!
Terrell S. chimed in, via social media: “I’ve seen two cars drag racing down Hammersley, one coming straight at me in the wrong lane! The other passed a car by driving in the bike lane! Someone is going to get killed.”
Over in the Jamestown neighborhood, Cliff R. responded, “Oh, didn’t you hear? Stop signs and red lights have become optional in Madison. I see it everyday! Pretty stupid and dangerous. I’ve already been T-boned once and feel pretty lucky I wasn’t seriously hurt.”
Mike T. at Orchard Ridge also reports “narrowly escap[ing] being T-boned twice this summer at Raymond Rd and Whitney Way. It’s totally ridiculous.”
Susan B. in next-door Greentree encouraged them to file a police report. “The ones the moron mayor supported defunding?” asked Brad from Military Ridge.
A Midvale Heights neighbor proposed a police stake out to catch the speeders. At this point, a certain much-banned troublemaker in Orchard Ridge could restrain himself no longer. He posted:
“How quaint. The police are going to do a stake out for speeders.
Madison’s defunded police.”
Far as we can tell, the Squire of the Stately Manor retains his NextDoor posting privileges. Even got a couple hearts and a smattering of smiley faces for his effrontery.
25 mph on Whitney Way, a four-lane divided highway?
Driver’s ed for car thieves?
Over on the East Side of town Wednesday 09-22-21 a police officer noticed a dark gray Mercedes, with no registration plates, in the 3500 block of Milwaukee Street driving recklessly and speeding, eventually colliding with an innocent motorist near Walter Street. Three kids fled on foot but were eventually retrieved. Yeah, the Mercedes was stolen (they don’t steal junk). The kids were aged 16, 15, and 15.
About the same time, a sheriff’s deputy located a stolen vehicle on the Beltline near Fish Hatchery Road. Tried to stop it, gave chase but then gave up. Last seen on Willy Street downtown.
Early this Friday morning, shortly before 1 a.m., man arrives home in the newly constructed Glacier Ridge neighborhood on the city’s far, far SW side, south of McKee Road. He is greeted by “two suspects who were brandishing handguns,” according to the police report.
The only suspect description is that one suspect was short, the other tall. The suspects demanded money and then struck the victim in the back of his head with one of the handguns, causing significant injury. The suspects stole the victim’s wallet, keys, and vehicle. The victim was transported to a local hospital by Madison Fire where he was treated and released.
Blaska’s Bottom Line: But Mayor Satya is lowering the speed limit on S. Whitney Way and numerous other streets around town so we’ll feel safe. The judges are spinning the revolving door faster than an Iranian nuclear centrifuge. And progressive alders Nikki Conklin and Yanette Figueroa Cole are “reimagining policing.”
Education
Blaska Policy Werkes 
This is all Donald Trumps. Fault.
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One of these days, these criminals are going to meet a victim with a 9mm Glock. Game over.
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Just committed a crime and don’t want to get caught? MPD and Dane County sheriff have educated you …. drive away from them ABOVE the speed limit. Who would be stupid enough to pull over ? Oh that’s right …. the citizen doing 10 over in a ridiculous 25 mph zone.
As usual voters have only themselves to blame.
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Yet these voters will continue to elect the same people then wonder why they’re not getting different results.
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Pass all the laws you want, BUT – “Laws unenforced are laws unobserved.” You can take THAT to the bank!
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Or the southern border.
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Oh David you have expressed how I feel since they changed the speed limit on Whitney Way! One of the stupidest things the city leaders have done. What I see since I use Whitney Way on a regular basis is some people are trying to drive 25 but most are ignoring it. What a waste of money. People know there aren’t going to be consequences because the police are understaffed & unable to enforce traffic laws. The mayor & her
minions own all the accidents & deaths that have occurred on our streets. Dangerous driving practices are not going to stop with lowered speed limits or reconfigured streets(Odana Road at Whitney & Whitney way north of Odana.
I am planning on contacting the mayor & city council concerning this stupidity & their cutting funds to police. I hope others will do the same.
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I say take the signs down and have no speed limit. It would be just like the Autobahn. I personally disregard these ridiculous lowered speed limits and just drive at the old rate of speed. Mayor Sativa is not going to slow my progress and the ratchets have to be laughing their asses off. For the ratchets know they won’t be intercepted and it would take 2-3 units and spike strips etc just to get these dangerous morons off the road. In addition, that would endanger the public even more giving chase and the reckless drivers are already doing a stellar job of putting the public in danger. This idiocy has a ripple effect as I see young urban professional types blowing red lights while applying makeup and so on. When you don’t enforce the laws, the laws become unenforceable grasshoppers! I would laugh at the officer who pulled my current, insured and fully functioning vehicle over for going 10 over while some clown in a plate less Buick with the windshield tinted careens by. I don’t think so…
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ohhh geez…my old stomping grounds gone to hell in the proverbial … saw this coming ten years ago. I hope some of those crims are caught and taught how to read signage. Perhaps they could use the extra money saved by decreasing police coverage for yet another special program FOR FREE OF COURSE to the little bleeders. My condolences to all my former neighbors.
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Clearly we need to outlaw private car ownership.
At the very least let’s listen to led “bussies” like our mayor, cry harder and lower the speed limit to 5mph on E.Wash. — because “safety”. And climate change. And to address racial disparities.
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There ARE no more speed limits and stop lights are optional.
I spoke with a MPD officer who said they are too busy to enforce traffic laws anymore.
Driving in Milwaukee, especially certain sections, is taking your life in your hands.
(not to mention the tons of trash they throw out of their cars, streets are turning into dumps)
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It’s all of a piece now: Guns, Fleeing Police, Hijacking, Stolen cars. Read further B/C Chief Barnes has the solution. SPEEDING seems to be one of the more benign occurrences, at least if the car isn’t stolen or hijacked… Apparently radar and pulling over responsible drivers during daylight hours for over 25 MPH is the REACHABLE LEO priority. Meantime early this AM: Channel 15 reports:
MPD says officers were sent to the 3600 block of Sabertooth Trail for a carjacking around 12:47 a.m. Friday morning. According to the report, the victim was getting out of his car after arriving at home, when he was approached by two suspects POINTING GUNS at him.
The Chief’s Blog posted this about that incident:
“The vehicle was OBSERVED by another law enforcement agency, Dane County), who attempted a traffic stop. The VEHICLE/SUSPECTS FLED and remain at-large. Incident Report on MPD’s website completed.”
What the Heck, 1 AM onna weeknight and the cops break off a pursuit ?
But fear not B/C Chief Barnes is using “tools from the community” now, and a turnaround will happen soon:
MADISON (WKOW) — Madison’s police chief says tools from the community, law enforcement stakeholders and technology are being ramped up as he tries to continue a trend of SLIGHTLY, (Their words, my CAPS), decreasing gun crime in the city.
Read it & weep -What an absolute load…
https://wkow.com/2021/09/23/response-efforts-ramped-up-as-madisons-gun-crimes-decrease/
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You should hear what Madison rank and file officers really think about their police leadership. Last three minutes.
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/139-vicki-mckenna-27246267/episode/the-vicki-mckenna-show-thank-84805567/
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They just don’t get it, do they? Must be nice living in a bubble.
“Susan B. in next-door Greentree encouraged them to file a police report. “The ones the moron mayor supported defunding?” asked Brad from Military Ridge.
“A Midvale Heights neighbor proposed a police stake out to catch the speeders.”
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The 25 mph limit is on the divided portion of Whitney Way from the Beltline to Raymond Road. Going south from Raymond Road, the 3 blocks of Whitney Way in Madison is no longer divided, but a normal two lane street. Here the speed limit is still 30 mph. Does this make sense???
There are plenty of cars going 50 mph on this stretch of road every day. Many of these speeders, no doubt, are coming from the apartment complexes in Fitchburg.
Before Fitchburg developed, South Whitney Way was a dead end street. I wish it still was.
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It will only take a few people adhering to the new speed limit rather than the natural flow of traffic to create a very dangerous situation. Let’s keep an eye on the accident statistics. The rate has been 0.0 near as I can tell.
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What I can’t understand is what our exalted leaders and those who voted for them think will happen when you make cuts to law enforcement and further refuse to prosecute those who break the law?
When I think of the five Mafia families that almost ran New York City back in the day, they offered protection for a price. You pay me so much money on a regular basis and I’ll make sure your business or your family is safe. It was extortion plain and simple.
Now, we have a similar situation right here in Madison WI. We have been told by our exalted leaders, “Pay your taxes and we’ll protect you.” But alas, our exalted leaders are doing nothing to protect us and even taking away the protection we had.
So my question is a real simple one: Fellow Madisonian’s, why are we “the people” paying for our leaders to extort us?
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“What I can’t understand is what our exalted leaders and those who voted for them think will happen when you make cuts to law enforcement and further refuse to prosecute those who break the law?”
They don’t think. They’re enamored with their own ideology and unable to form independent thought. Have you ever tried having a rational, grownup conversation with any of them? It’s bizarro,
I could kind of understand how impressionable young people can be like this, but people in their 40s,50s, and above who should hopefully know better?
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Any reason why everyone is dancing around the fact that all these feral little thugs are black (please note small ‘b’)?
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An inconvenient truth.
We have ONE black leader in Madison, Kaleem Caire. He is actually doing something about the problem with black youth.
All the rest are bowing down to white progressives. Spineless.
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Why is everyone dancing around the fact that all these feral little thugs are black?
Good question, Gary.
I’ve a theory, … it’s what “social justice” and “tolerance” has wrought.
We’ve become cowards afraid to state an inconvenient truth.
Besides, … no one wants to be called a racist.
Thanks to morons of all (both) sexes, colors and creeds, tolerance has become a synonym for cowardice and stupidity. Many self-appointed, enlightened elites excuse evil behavior in the name of tolerance and non-judgmentalism.
They think rationalizing a worthy goal.
It’s not. It’s simple enabling.
This won’t end well.
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