Crime Helps Lower Madison to 89th in Money Magazines Best Places To Live

Well look who’s complaining, our friendly neighborhood conservative newspaper, the Wisconsin State Journal.

They seem to be complaining about Money magazine's high-profile "Best Places to Live " list. Madison ranked as the 89th best mid-sized city in America. How could that have happened?

“According to this year’s Money rankings, Madison has higher rates of personal and property crime than the average cities on its list. Madison needs to control crime and property taxes. Back in 1996, when Money ranked Madison No. 1 in America, the magazine highlighted our city's low crime rate. Money even quoted a Madison business executive emphatically stating: "We don't have a crime problem."

I wonder what happened. Let’s go back to last year. According to a Capital Times Editorial from August 14, 2007:

The Wisconsin Professional Police Association is going after Assembly Republicans, who control the chamber, for advancing a budget that threatens to impair the quality of public safety in Wisconsin counties, cities, villages and towns.

"According to the Office of Justice Assistance, violent crimes and assaults on law enforcement officers are growing at troubling rates. Rather than investing in public safety services, the Assembly chose to make significant cuts to the funding necessary for our law enforcement community to effectively meet its service demands. These cuts will result in fewer officers and more crime." The Assembly move(d) to cut $58 million in state aid to local units of government and its almost 50 percent reduction in funding for a supplemental grant program for law enforcement officers.”

Ooops! Lower taxes mean fewer officers. In the words of Assembly speaker Mike Huebsch and Grover Norquest, let's push for more tax cuts! Even though people may not want to move here, and they may not be secure in their home or on the street, at least they got their tax cut.

I’m not sure the funding cuts made it into the budget, and in the end, it doesn’t really matter. It’s the intent of the legislation and the Party pushing it that matters. Hey, maybe if we arm every citizen with concealed carry requirment, we wouldn’t even need the cops?

Nice work Republicans.