Please, Dane County Wi, stop using that racial equity lens!

The City of Madison has its Police Civilian Oversight Board to hold police accountable for their many crimes. Dane County is following suit with a Department of Justice Reform. This is in addition to the county’s Office of Equity & Inclusion.

Apparently, justice must be reformed. One might wish the Federal Bureau of Investigation would be reformed so that it would quit filing fake FISA court applications against Hillary Clinton’s political enemies, but that’s not what Dane County has in mind.

Dave Mahoney has been appointed to get the Department of Justice Reform up and running. Which is odd, when you think about it. Dave Mahoney was sheriff of Dane County from 2006 to 2021. You’d think in those 15 years as sheriff he might have reformed justice in Dane County but maybe he was too busy enforcing the law.

Dave did endorse Ali Muldrow for Madison school board over David Blaska four years ago, which the Head Groundskeeper has never forgiven. Ali expelled school resource police officers from Madison’s troubled high schools. Guess that counts as justice reform.

The absence of police makes it less likely malefactors will be arrested. That should help the county “reduce racial disparities and disproportionate incarceration in the criminal justice system” — the stated goal of the new agency. Duties? The small print begins with the most important five words in Madison-area government:

“Using a racial equity lens, 

serves as a liaison for criminal justice partners across county, municipal and state criminal justice agencies and departments, treatment providers, administrative departments, tribal communities, and concerned residents, bringing together resources that differ broadly in character and purpose to improve the criminal justice system; Connects and facilitates communication between governmental and non-governmental agencies including but not limited to police, prosecution, defense, probation, courts, public health, community services, offender assistance, victim assistance, alcohol and drug treatment educators, and mental health service providers while expanding partnerships and increasing opportunities for system improvements; Facilitates communication with justice stakeholders and local communities to promote an understanding of the administration of criminal justice in Dane County and the public safety issues and challenges facing the county; Identifies opportunities and recommend adjustments in criminal justice policies, procedures, and programs, based on empirical research, evidence-based practices, and state and federal laws; Identifies and pursues external federal, state and foundation grants; Develops and disseminates information to promote the understanding of criminal justice programs, services, activities, regulations, objectives, and administrative proceedings to a wide variety of audiences including the general public, community groups, public agencies, and private organizations; Identifies opportunities and recommends improvements in criminal justice practices, procedures, programs, and policies based on evidence-based practices, data driven decision making, performance and outcome measures and evaluation standards; Enables data development, coordination and linkages with various agencies including development of performance measures and assessment tools to measure progress toward endorsed priorities; Oversees collection of data from criminal justice agencies for the purpose of identifying and researching policy and programmatic changes to enhance the efficiency of the criminal justice based on data sharing memoranda of understanding; Facilitates meetings, leads work groups and coordinates special projects as directed by the County to support OCJR goals and objectives; Identifies points of opportunity among OCJR partners, facilitates collaboration and problem solving that maximize partnerships while actualizing the priorities of the OCJR.”

No justice reform squad car?

The former sheriff gets four assistants. At $76.92/hour, the job pays roughly $160,000 a year — which is about what he made as sheriff when he supervised 590 employees, not 4. Plus health insurance, life insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, employee assistance program, something called a “flexible spending account,” paid time off, parental leave, and a retirement plan.

Even at that, reforming justice doesn’t pay as well as disrupting school board meetings. Freedom Inc. paid its co-executive director in 2021, the disputatious M Adams. $545,038! That’s according to the non-profit’s IRS-required 990 form, unearthed by the Werkes’ CPA. Up from $116,115 the prior year on income of $8.3 million.  

Blaska’s Bottom Line: Irony is Freedom Inc. picketed Mahoney’s residence during the push to expel police from our high schools. Unless one believes local law enforcement is targeting minorities for spitting on the sidewalk, we observe (once again) that correlation is not causation. 

Do Madison and Dane County have their own Deep State?