Pubdate: Mon, 25 Mar 2002 Source: Waukesha Freeman (WI) Copyright: 2002 The Waukesha Freeman Contact: (262) 542-8259 Website: http://www.freemanol.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/770 Author: Jim Hilden JAIL EXPANSION OPPOSITION SHOULD MAKE SOME NOISE It seems fruitless to be in opposition to a jail expansion because it is like a tree in the forest - many are falling but nobody in the county or city leadership position can hear, or maybe they do hear and choose to ignore all the warnings. Here are a few: * Just this week I heard statements that 90 percent of prisoners are drug and alcohol related, many in need of mental care. The new jail will not only be a place of incarceration but also a medical facility and vocational center, duplicating services already available. * The county jail also becomes a weekend hotel for bar fights and disorderly conduct (40 on my visit), only to be arraigned Monday morning and released for a trial date. Maybe towns, villages and cities should lodge them at a much cheaper cost. * The zero tolerance policy, which is filling our jails, needs to be examined when it gets to the point of incarcerating the criminal behavior of failure to return late library books. * Thirty percent of our prisoners come from outside the county when there are prisons sitting empty. Why should we be the dumping ground for Milwaukee County's problems? * There is a decline occurring in prison population which would seem like this is not the time to be looking at a $60 million expansion when a state budget is calling for everyone to tighten their belts. It is time to stop looking at incarceration as a revenue-generating business at the expense of the taxpayers and return to the purpose for which they were created. We do not need to reduce our revenue by throwing people out of their homes and eliminating a revenue-producing golf course which not only generates the operating costs of Moore Downs, but spills profits over to the other county golf courses. Finally, here are the words of Mayor Paul Vrakas in 1972 when the golf course was negotiated to the county for the forgiveness of taxes to the city of Waukesha: "The county, in addition to acquiring additional office space at a good price, which is in the interest of all who reside in the county, our residents included, will also be adding a fine nine-hole golf course to the county system. Our municipality, of course, will directly benefit because of the location of the course. The continuation of 60 acres of open green space within the community is a benefit to those who do not use the golf course, as well as to those who do." Contrary to articles in the newspapers, not all aldermen sign on to what is perceived as a "done deal" by the mayor and county executive. Alderman Jim Hilden Waukesha - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens