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