Discerning Whitewater

I hate politics. I don’t know whether I hate local or federal politics more. I try to follow as little as possible. I do this with more success than most. Right or wrong, I simply feel I have more important things to do than run other people’s lives.

Unfortunately, more often than not, particularly with the progressive acolytes in leadership in Whitewater, there is a need to push back.

While the City Council has been hiding in their basements, much like Joe Biden, they have been passing many ordinances, such as a mask mandate that is going to run until the end of the year, an “equal opportunity” committee whose supporters want to defund the police, and now … they want to take away the right for college kids to gather.

I can’t help but ask ….are they hiding from their constituents, or are they hiding from COVID-19? I have seen them out and about plenty…. Walmart, downtown, Home Depot in Janesville… so make of that what you will…

Early last week, I saw the post by Lynn Binnie on the #FakeNews Whitewater Banner with the latest local COVID-19 numbers. When I saw the article, my thoughts were maybe Binnie was going to address the New York Times Article stating that the testing was horribly flawed (NYT Article Link here).

And I thought maybe Binnie was addressing the new admission by the CDC that 94% of COVID-19 deaths included another significant factor.

But no …. when you have an agenda…. war is peace, freedom is slavery, and ignorance is power….

I was a bit taken back by this…. no mention whatsoever of the new facts mentioned above with regard to COVID-19. The article initially contained a grainy photo, probably taken from a couple football fields away, of college kids partying on a lawn. After much mocking on facebook, this photo seems to have been removed.

Eight additional people in the city limits (with several additional thousand students now in town)….

In the immortal words of Rahm Emanuel, never let a good crisis go to waste. Binnie jumped on this like a dog in heat.

Shortly after Lynn Binnie’s post on his blog (Whitewater Banner), Binnie and the rest of the Whitewater City Council added a discussion to ban lawn parties in Whitewater.

For your own good.

I finally got around to listening to the September 1st meeting from the basements of the city council members. (I, of course, mean this in jest as they can go to Walmart and get coffee, but can’t face their constituents in person).

The panic and the concern was breathtaking. I couldn’t listen to the whole thing, but wow …. true liberal craziness.

Here is the meeting… their grave concern over parties is right up front.

My buddy (inside joke 🙂 ), city attorney Wally McDonell said he was comfortable with the city passing the ordinance, knowing that it was likely to be challenged and could be pulled by a court in a matter of a week.

Jim Allen made some comments about bars …. I didn’t quite understand his logic, but I did appreciate his concern. Seriously, how is the City Council going to ban corn hole games in the front yard of some kids, but not ban church gatherings and people hanging out at 841 or Rick’s???

So much panic.

For our own good.

I will write … Police Chief Aaron Raap seemed to be the voice of reason (as usual), saying that this would have an immediate effect on relations with the students. (that is my interpretation). He did have one quote that bothered me:

“Now, I will be the first to tell you, I would love to limit the amount of people gathered and partying in houses, front lawns, or rear lawns, or sidewalks.  I would love it.  It would make my job and my officer’s job much easier. “

I am going to assume he means that kids partying means more work for his officers, and not that he wants to override the U.S. Constitution and people’s right to gather.

I also found it ironic that Binnie and the City Council want to continue to push on the very cops they are looking into defunding.

The big factor to me is that …. I don’t care if the kids party. Twenty-five years ago, I was one of those kids (at a different college). Their classes are virtual, and if the city does try this crazy move, then the kids will be in basements and have shades shut (as Jim Allen said). And I don’t blame them. They don’t get all that sick from this.

Binnie and Brown appear to be the matriarchal nannies here. Wally has done his homework and imho is assuming this is going to pass, based on his comments. If I am wrong, they are welcome to come out of their basements and tell me. Will be interesting to see where this goes.

Just blows me away how some people are so damned concerned about the behavior of law-abiding, generally good kids.

And I leave you with the prophetic words of the Beastie Boys (kinda looks like Brown and Allen 🙂 ):

Peace out,

-mike