Your note of wonder about the “bubble” of Madison has provoked this response. It is more lengthy than either of us wish but it will offer a point of view which you might appreciate and perhaps share. Thank you for your interest. We are like many other places, I’m sure, but at the same time kind of unique.
There is a supplement to our Thursday paper called “77 Square” which is the area around the Capital city which seems to embody the eccentricity of this domain. Others have said, “77 square miles surrounded by reality”.
Let me begin with attention to the Circuit Court Judge about whom you remarked. Judge Juan Colas is the person in question who has ruled the Governor’s challenge to collective bargaining to be unconstitutional. Judges is Dane County are generally appointed, not elected. They are supposed to be elected officials but they arrange to retire congenial to the term of a sitting Governor who is of their political ilk so he can appoint another of their kind. We have had two elections in the past 35 years.
There are 19 branches of the Circuit Court of Dane County. Only one judge is moderate (she was appointed about 60 days ago upon the retirement of the only other moderate, by the current Governor). One must remember all actions against the State or the Governor must begin in the Circuit Court of the county of the Capital----Dane. That means any action will be heard by a liberal judge. I have a close friend who went on the court in ’87 and stayed there until two years ago when he retired (and was replace by a liberal by a Dem Governor). My friend is a moderate (his wife bathes in Obama’s sweat). The only moderate judge of recent days left the bench at 60 to join a law firm here. He accepted a mediation case with the University and Addis’s being the clients and he made more in 3 months with that case (it was published) that he did in two years being a judge and he only worked 2 ½ days a week mediating. He was replaced by a Walker appointee and his term was up three months after he resigned. Walker appointed a judge and a woman campaigned against him as “being a Walker appointee” (the curse of death in this county) and won. She of course accepted Walker’s appointment of her to begin 4 months before her elected term began. Every whore has a price, just set the price. She too came from a state agency………no firm would ever consider her. Look up the word “mouthy” in the dictionary and her picture is there. Her brain is 100xs smaller than her mouth.
About ½ of the judiciary of this county are women and being a judge is a second income to their family. This law firm starts associates right out of law school at $125-135k a year. Judges are paid $145…all judges,---- in this state, without regard to case load, size of county, seniority. No attorney in private practice in this city makes less than $180. In this firm there are 7 who are over a million and about 20 who are paid around $700-$800. Not one judge in this county has ever spent one day in private practice. They’d simply not make it. Most judges come from state agencies…..such is the case of Judge Colas. He was appointed because of his Hispanic heritage…not because of his ability. One of our associates here at the firm was his assistant in a state agency and she loves to tell the stories of how limited he is intellectually.
So our Governor is appealing the ruling. It will go to the Court of Appeals of this area. Four judges –none of whom ever practiced in a firm……all who came from state agencies will hear it or bounce it (which they often do) to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is a horse of a different color. They are elected state-wide. Three leftists….really lefties and four conservatives. In state-wide elections bringing in some of the “reality” conservatives often have a voice. Both houses of the legislature here are heavily Republican and the Governor is conservative. The Attorney General is Republican and of course, his staff is there to assist him and his agenda.
Now let me talk about the Madison City Council. There is not one moderate and has not been for over 40 years. There has not been a moderate Mayor for over 30 years and not one has understood business. The current Mayor is in his 4th term (intersected by times away when he “wasn’t sure he wanted to serve again”—took a break and then ran again. In the last run (he has a law degree and has never practiced) he was asked, “what are you?” and his response was “I am a Mayor”. That flip side of that (and this has been verified) no one would hire him and when he has been employed elsewhere…………………it didn’t work out.
The County Board is about like the City Council……although once in a while a moderate will get elected from one of the more rural parts. They don’t last….usually serve a term or two and they have had it. The County Executive is a Madison native and he left the legislature to take this job as it paid 100% plus more than he made as an Assemblyman.
The Madison Metropolitan School District is a mess. All Board members are liberal………very liberal. The last election a wild card was elected. She’s single, rich (family owns Trek Bicycle) and paid for her own campaign and is beholden to no one. Has been a hard animal to cage. Says moderate things but seldom makes waves…….we’ll see. The school board has been liberal for over 30 years. There most recent decree is that the school district should provide dinner for the kids of two schools as they come from homes where they may not have a warm meal. The system already provides breakfasts and lunches…….and now dinner. The Board said they were going to ask for Federal funds to provide this………not just the food and preparation but extra help to serve and clean up as teachers cannot be tasked beyond their contract. So “government must provide” and take all personal responsibility out of the equation. I have a client whose spouse is a school nurse and he told me that his wife indicates that the school must provide feminine hygiene products for the students like they would toilet paper…..and the girls grow up from menarche on thinking the government must/will provide such things…..always have. Parents again have no awareness that it is their job to provide such as the “schools have always done it”. What does this say to my granddaughters whose families will provide such?
The “Town-Gown” gap which generally exists with Universities and cites doesn’t exist much here as the community is so small. The intellectuals are “kept” people as they are on grants as the State budget couldn’t afford them. They interact a lot with the townies. Health Care needs the community hospitals as there is not enough material to teach with without the community institutions. UW Hospital ran an ad this last week-end saying they have been trying to “work with Meriter more” but there isn’t much co-operation and they just might have to “take it over”.
We have a retiring Senator, (Kohl). The Congresswoman from Madison (has THE most liberal voting record of anyone in Congress today) is running against former 4 term Governor and Bush’s Secy of Health and Human Services. She is getting mucho money from out of state to take him out. He’s a relentless campaigner. Time will tell…….should be his to lose but she is 24-7 with some nasty TV spots. He’ll do well in the rest of the state, certainly. These 77 square miles…………we’ll you see where we are.
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