January 11, 2010

Wanggaard criticizes Lehman's support of 'Felon Early Release' program

Van Wanggaard, Republican candidate for state Senate, criticized Sen. John Lehman over the weekend for supporting the state's "early release" program for felons.

Gov. Jim Doyle proposed the program in his last state budget as a way to reduce the state's $5.7 billion budget deficit. The program allows felons convicted of non-violent crimes to earn a day off of their prison sentence for every two days they serve without violating prison rules.

Twenty-one inmates released last week were the first inmates released under the program. Their crimes include retail theft, driving while intoxicated, operating a vehicle without consent, forgery, burglary, drug possession and disorderly conduct, according to a Green Bay Post-Gazette story.

Wanggaard, a former police officer, said the program jeopardizes public safety. he noted Lehman voted for the budget, which contained the proposal.

Wanggaard said in a press release:
This policy was snuck into the budget bill without public debate, and it directly undermines the justice system by taking sentencing power out of the hands of judges and placing it in the hands of government bureaucrats.
[Snip]
As a former police officer, I am concerned that these dangerous criminals will return to their communities and end up committing the same crimes, a concern shared by Racine’s own police chief. With the city of Racine facing the second highest unemployment rate in the state, and the county of Racine struggling with nearly 10% unemployment, sending felons back to the community where law-abiding citizens are having trouble finding work is a recipe for disaster and an invitation for them to reoffend.
Wanggaard encouraged Lehman to support efforts to repeal the early-release program.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, a Democrat, repealed a similar program in Illinois last month after it was discovered at least 50 early-release felons committed crimes or parole violations shortly after getting out of prison.

Quinn is now taking heat for the program, which was passed to help offset his state's budget deficit.

31 comments:

  1. If you do a crime you must do the time. What a bunch of BS. Move them into the house next to Lehman's, because I don't want them near my family. Soon it will be like the movie Mad Max, complete chaos.

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  2. Wandggard should check out what is going on in his county. As a Racine County Supervisor, he should know that the Racine County jail has early release programs for for non violent offenders. If you listen to what he is saying it is the "pot calling the kettle black". I bet you he has voted for many of the Racine County programs.

    You can not trust a person who is "milking" the Wisconsin Retirement System for everything he can get. Wandggard is an unethical idiot!

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  3. *;28

    Check the records of those the State is letting out. Would you like them next door? However since they will be moving back to the slums of Milwaukee and Racine will not affect you much.
    Please Dickert Trolls try and issues to run on.

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  4. I thought this was for non-violent felons? If so, I'm fine with it. Passing a bad check is a felony; I'd live next to someone who did that without worry.

    Non violent offender does not equal "dangerous criminal".

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  5. 9:13AM
    Would your comfort level drop if your house was burglarized for your check books and anything else a crack head could get money for to support their habit?
    I live next door to a young man who has lost his way in life through drug use (Crack Cocaine) and has committed several burglaries, bounced checks, fraudulently used credit cards and has not been convected. I don't feel comfortable with him living next door. I find no comfort in the fact that "SO FAR" his crimes have not been violent "YET". I also find no comfort in leaving my house alone and empty when I leave for work in the morning.

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  6. Stealing is violence. Stop releasing criminals over and over again into our community. As the post above attests, they commit 20 crimes before they are caught for one. Then it is plea bargained down by the useless DA and tut-tutted by the even more useless judges. Over and over and over. How can you expect a community to heal itself when you keep injecting the same poison that we eject?

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  7. "The early release program includes crimes such as armed robbery, carjacking, and child abuse as felonies that are eligible for sentencing modification." - http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/article_d9bc0de0-fece-11de-8fca-001cc4c03286.html?mode=story

    Right, they sneak a provision into the BUDGET that may release armed robbers on us, and then politicians expect us to vote for them. Right.

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  8. Without programs like this your taxes will continue to increase each year in order to have more of your money to build prisons.

    You may be surprised to find out who you already have living next door.

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  9. Yeah, there's alredy criminals living in Racine, so it's OK to add more.

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  10. Van has been a part of the "Law enforcement / imprisonment" scam all his adult life, So how can he be part of the solution to the outrageous incarceration rates that we have to support. Why are we imprisoning people for "paper" crimes like parking violations, license / plate renewals and the like? Why? Because it justifies more cops, more judges, more jailers, more cells, more squad cars, more attorneys and more more more business for all of them.
    Don't even get me started on early retirements and disability!

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  11. Cite one example of someone serving prison time for parking violations or license plate renewal infractions please.

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  12. Non-issue. Move on

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  13. ^ Translated: "I live in a good neighborhood."

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  14. Lehman and all his back door dealing, socialist friends need to go!!! It is sad that we live in a community plagued with high unemployment, high crime and the never ending liberal programs that reward laziness. I say lynch them all, as an independent my votes locally and nationally are going to the Republicans for the next several elections. It is time to remove those that rape our freedoms and try to oppress our constitutional rights. People as was said by Thomas Jefferson, that tryrant and patriot together ever 200 years should revolt to take back what is ours and to keep government in check and to preserve our freedom!

    "Wanggaard For Wisconsin, Wanggaard for Racine, Wanggaard for Assmbly!!!"

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  15. Lehman's time in Madison on the taxpayers dime is ending. Hopefully someone comes out and runs against Mason too. These two have done nothing but carry Doyle's dirty water for years. Lehman and Mason do nothing for Racine County just talk like they do. Lehman talks like he will support things like KRM right up to the point he has to make a vote. These two brought us record high state debt and failed programs.

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  16. Anon: 1:43; besides your grammar and spelling errors, Van is running for State Senate.

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  17. To the person who always writes about Dickert Trolls. What is the obsession with Trolls? It is a fetish? Please...if it is about Dickert make your comments. If not, let intelligent people comment on the rest.

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  18. Dickert's Trolls are the last defense of a desperate man.

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  19. 2:03 = Dickert Troll

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  20. Dickert is toast!

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  21. Dickert , Lehman, Mason....they all must go, they are the same. They have accomplished nothing of value or substance.

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  22. the only problem with attacking lehman and wangarrd firing off his self righteous salvo is......where will the money come from to keep these guys in jail? anyone want to tackle that little problem?

    c'mon don't be shy. speak up.

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  23. I say lynch them all, as an independent my votes locally and nationally are going to the Republicans for the next several elections.
    1/11/2010 1:43 PM


    now here is some rational thought NOT!!!

    wasn't it the overweight tommy thompson who left this state mess with his work relief program that had people coming here from pother swtates? didn't he bequeath his "house to his lt only to have him fail in the election and give us doyle?

    good choice. declare now that you want the same party that gave us un-budgeted war programs on the national level that helped cause inflation. maybe you might want cheny and rove to run this state?

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  24. You should probably sober up a little. Your ramblings are difficult to understand.

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  25. Firefly,
    As we can tell by your Blogs you are a "Liberal", and as the rest of your pack clueless! It takes about $165.00/ day to house one in mate, it cost $285.00/ day to pay a police officer to catch these "farts" on society when they violate again. That being said is this not a savings of $120.00? Times that number by the amout of felons released early due to this bill and the savings is huge. The amount that it cost to house these felons as opposed to may help to pay for some of your parties entitlements, such as cell phones for welfare recipients. In closing thank you and your hand out party members for totally Fing up our country.

    Best of luck and all the love to Van Wanggaard in his run for Senate

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  26. Is Afghanistan a budgeted war? Wasn't it brought to us by Obama? Is obama a Democrat or Republican?
    Nice try "firefry"!!!! Drink a little more of that "Liberal Tea"!!

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  27. Leave them in jail where they belong - cut all the socialist state programs we have and we'll have money for prisons.

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  28. Anon 9:01 took the words right out of my mouth. The answer is to put an end to the waste and the un-checked handouts. Then there would be a hell of a lot more hard earned taxpayer dollars available to keeping these scumbags in jail, and maybe even put a few more of the welfare fraud criminals there as well.

    It's obvious that Firefly is indeed a liberal and incapable of rational thought. But, Anon 6:49 should get his history straight before chastising someone about theirs. Anon 6:49, Obama did not start the war in Afghanistan, it was started by Bush after the 9/11 attack. Obama didn't really have much to say about it because he was only a state senator in Illinois for 150 days before being nominated for the presidency. However, he is wrongly continuing to perpetrate it.

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  29. So, I guess we should be looking forward to Willie Horton ads soon?
    You people need to research that scam attack ad before you shoot your mouths off here.
    Plenty of states are doing this nowadays.
    I live in nice, quiet Waterford. Where just recently a mother was arrested for giving her 16 yr old son a fatal drug overdose. Neighborhood has little to do with many crimes in todays' world.

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  30. THIS WAS SO GOOD IT HAS TO BE RE-POSTED---> THANK YOU!!! Randolph

    I want a strong defense for my country … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want my garbage picked up … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want the police to come when I call … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want kids to go to school … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want people to have enough to eat … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want homeless people off my street … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want kids to get health care … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want old people secure … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want sick old people cared for … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want bad guys locked up … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want streets and roads … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want more jobs … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want disabled people helped … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want college for smart kids … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want natural disasters fixed … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want more teachers … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want more police officers … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want safer food … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want sewers … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want clean water … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want clean air … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want a strong economy … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want peace … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want snow and ice cleared … but I don’t want to pay for it.
    I want everything I have now and more … but I don’t want to pay for it.

    Tea, anyone?

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  31. Wanggaard is clearly the better of the two candidates.
    If he is all about creating jobs as he has stated (as I believe based on my observations), then I say vote for the guy.

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