Special interests help set judicial spending record

It's not exactly "hold the presses!" news anymore, but the most recent state Supreme Court race set records for spending. And most of it, to no surprise, was spent by special interest groups. The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign reports that in the spring race between Louis Butler and Michael Gableman, $5.96 million was spent, $4.8 million of it by special interests.

Candidates and third party groups spent $5.8 million in 2007. WDC called the race more "lopsided" this year since the candidates themselves spent only $1.2 million.

According to the report, among the biggest spenders among issue ad groups, which don't have to report the source of their funds, were:

• Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, $1.8 million, in support of Gableman.
• Greater Wisconsin Committee, $1.5 million, supporting Butler.
• Coalition for America's Families and Club for Growth Wisconsin, $1 million, supporting Gableman.

And among the biggest independent expenditures, which do have to declare the sources of their money:

• Wisconsin Education Association Council, $349,325, supporting Butler.
• Greater Wisconsin Committee's political action committee, $104,823, for Butler.
• National Rifle Association, $73,458, for Gableman.

Dishing Out Blame: In the wake of the Independence Day massacre, when four people were killed in a gang hit, Milwaukee Ald. Bob Donovan wants to impose his sense of justice -- on judges. The alderman is calling for a "court watch" of citizen volunteers to monitor courtrooms and influence judges to hand down stiffer sentences.

Donovan previously pointed out that the accused in the July 4 murders were convicted felons.

"We in Milwaukee County have a weak link in our criminal justice system and it is very clearly our judges and our corrections system," Donovan said. "These clowns and thugs are released from prison after serving ridiculously short sentences and start committing crimes almost immediately."

It's not clear exactly what the citizenry can do to influence sentences, but Donovan isn't deterred.

"These judges are routinely throwing our neighborhoods into chaos by releasing dangerous criminals onto our streets before they've been even remotely punished for their crimes," he said, offering that judges don't face similar community responsibility because they rarely have opponents in their re-election efforts.

"Common Council members -- myself included -- and other elected officials routinely meet with residents and constituents to hear what their concerns are and to find out firsthand the conditions they have in their neighborhoods," he said. "Rarely -- if ever -- have I seen our elected judges out listening to the people."

The Guv on Favre: Everyone's got an opinion on Brett Favre these days, even the Guv. For Jim Doyle, it was a weighty issue of the day, at least to a press corps with nothing better to do.

When asked for his opinion on a possible solution to the Favre unretirement saga, Doyle played it right down the middle of the goal post and told the press, "I guess I'm like so many people in Wisconsin right now ... I'm going to be happy either way. Except I'm not going to be happy if it ends bad with Brett Favre. He's too much about what the Green Bay Packers have been about."

And, to score an extra point with the electorate, Doyle added, "We all ought to put this in a little bit of perspective -- a lot of teams are wondering where they're going to even get a quarterback. Compared to being a Bears fan or a Vikings fan, where they never know who the next quarterback is going to be, here we have two good quarterbacks."

Repeating the Grade: The state teachers' union is now a bit more focused and articulate on a perennial issue. The Wisconsin Education Association Council wants the state to hold private and religious schools participating in the voucher program to the same oversight and standards to which public schools are held.

Makes sense, since, after all, private schools catering to low income students in Milwaukee get tax dollars; $120 million in the last year. Taxpayers should be able to protect their investment, one argument goes.

In its latest proposal WEAC throws a bunch of ideas out for legislators to ponder and perhaps put in a new bill. As long as Republicans control the Assembly, however, it's unlikely anything will pass regarding this longstanding issue.

Among the proposed standards for schools are:

• Minimum hours of instruction.
• Licensing for all instructional staff.
• Background checks on teachers.
• Grade advancement, high school graduation, attendance and parental involvement requirements and standards.
• Administration of state standardized tests and testing required under the so-called "No Child Left Behind" law, including public reporting.
• No forced religious activity.
• Follow nondiscrimination laws.
• Allow the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to enforce rules and regulations.
• Require certified reading specialists and reading programs.

WEAC says it's about time that this be done since more and more schools are being barred from the program due to financial and other problems. Last year the state banned 11 schools from the program.

The Legislature has taken some accountability steps. The state Legislature enacted some fiscal accountability measures in 2003 Wisconsin Act 155, requiring schools to provide evidence of sound fiscal practices and financial viability. In 2005 the Legislature required voucher schools to become accredited, administer a standardized test in reading, math and science to pupils in the fourth, eighth and 10th grades, and provide test scores to the School Choice Demonstration Project, a pro-voucher think tank.