"The budget passed by the JFC makes unprecedented cuts to the Department of Justice for each year of the biennium as follows:
§$830,700 as a 1% across the board cut
§$2,702,500 as an additional 5% cut across the board
§$690,600 as a 5% cut to programs funded by the penalty
assessment fund. These programs at DOJ include officer training,
crime labs and crime victim services.
§$1 million for budget efficiencies
§$50,000 in supplies and services to the Bureau of Computing
Services
§$1 million to fund raises for assistant district attorneys and public
defenders (second year of the biennium only)
These cuts amount to $13.5 million over the biennium and represent about 10% of our budget. Most surprising and
disappointing is that the Department was subjected to a new 5% cut affecting most agency operations just a week after JFC
leaders announced that new cuts would protect public safety. This cut amounts to $2.7 million annually. Meanwhile,
agencies such as Corrections, Military Affairs, Office of Justice Assistance, District Attorneys, Public Defenders, Children &
Families and Health Services and the UW were entirely exempt from this cut. The fact is that the JFC ignored our public
safety mission and services to law enforcement, crime victims and citizens across this state. We never imagined that
the Justice Department would be treated so inequitably and in such a seemingly partisan manner."
It is readily apparent to me that the Democrats did this for one reason: the Attorney General is a Republican. The tragedy is that services to the public (and safety) will suffer. As you are well aware, DOJ serves so many important functions, from running Crime Laboratories, to providing crime victim services, to defending criminal convictions, to defending the state in civil suits, to setting training standards for law enforcement, to handling sex predator prosecutions...the list goes on.
Joint Finance's decisions also demonstrate a profound contempt for prosecutors and public protection in this state. While cutting the DOJ and district attorney's budgets, Joint Finance agreed to fund over 30 new public defenders. What does Sen Taylor say about this? It will "restore the balance." The irony is that the Legislature's on Audit Bureau has identified the need for 100 additional prosecutors in this state. No such study has been done supporting the need for additional defense attorneys.
I hope that you take the time to tell your listeners about this grave assault on public safety. "
To be sure, I've had some differences with Republican Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen since he took office. Whatever our differences may have been though, both the Attorney General and I have always been united in our belief in the fundamental importance of the State Department of Justice. To this end, it is reprehensible to punish DOJ employees, the law enforcement community in general and the people of the State of Wisconsin simply because the AG is a Republican and it is Democrats who are drawing up the budget.
It is, of course, an indication of how out of control things are in Madison that "Screaming Lena" Taylor (a former Public Defender herself) and her cohorts on the Joint Finance Committee believe that we should fund more public defenders while simultaneously crippling the Department of Justice. As a resident of Milwaukee County (but not one of Taylor's constituents), I can only apologize to the rest of the State. I will however point out that Taylor couldn't cause all this havoc if she didn't have a lot of help.
By the way, I take no position on whether the Public Defender's Office deserves more money. It just shouldn't come at the expense of those who represent the rest of us.
Anti-business, anti-taxpayer and pro-criminal. This budget really is a disaster of epic proportion. Hopefully something will be left of the State by the time the new Administration takes over in January of 2011.
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