Letting Madmen like Sheriff David Clarke Win!

My conservative friend in Milwaukee told me how much he admires what Sheriff David Clarke is doing. No one pushes Clarke around, and Milwaukeean's love him for it. At least, that's what my friend jovially told me. But is that possible? I'm trying to imagine our state where first responders don't obey our laws or care about dangerous health conditions. Insane chaos?

Milwaukee County Jail’s medical unit is dangerously understaffed, thanks to Milwaukee County Sheriff Clarke, who appears be holding inmates hostage as he attempts to privatize services. Out and out black mail.

Yet the system seems to tolerate and entertain this madman’s demands. Should taxpayers and the legal system “ask” for a temporary solution when government has already come up with one? And what is it about conservative whack jobs in this state that want to continue to outsource work and corporate profits to other states.

jsonline: A judge Friday ordered Clarke and inmate advocates to submit plans for temporarily filling key vacant posts in the county's jail medical unit. The proposals likely will include outsourcing the care to a private Florida company, the route Clarke has long advocated but the County Board has resisted.

The county is desperate they’re seeking help from nearby counties. How is this tolerated?

Milwaukee County also is exploring whether any nearby counties would be willing to accept about 20 to 50 Milwaukee County inmates with serious medical needs to ensure they get proper care as another alternative.

Clarke’s not about to let a court order stop him from privatization, even if it’s at the expense of the health of inmates, because it’s all conservatives think about.

The county and Clarke are out of compliance with a court-ordered decree governing inmate care because of long-standing vacancies of a medical director, a chief psychiatrist and a program administrator, according to a lawsuit … seeking to have Clarke cited for contempt for what they called chaotic conditions regarding medical, mental and dental care at the county jail downtown and the County Correctional Facility-South in Franklin.

Ronald Shansky, a court-appointed jail monitor, issued a report in September that found the county's inmate health care system "puts sick prisoners in serious jeopardy." Inmates are waiting as long as four weeks for medication needed for psychiatric problems … two pregnant women inmates being fed Nutraloaf, a baked concoction that includes chopped vegetables, beans, chicken and biscuit mix and is used to feed inmates who misbehave. A former jail inmate who claimed he got violently ill from Nutraloaf sued the county and won a settlement from the county's insurance company earlier this year. A nurse practitioner who quit her job … she quit because she didn't feel inmates, particularly pregnant women, were getting proper care.

Clarke would be happy to turn us into a third world state.

Michael Whitcomb, an attorney for Clarke, said the sheriff would likely resubmit his privatization proposal to the judge. 

Around and around we go, and crazy Clarke is looking more and more like the winner.