Thumbs up/down: Political "robocalls," playing in floodwaters, Van Hollen and the crime labs
(Published Monday, August 27, 2007 12:09:19 PM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
To political "robocalls." Nearly 800,000 Wisconsin households enjoy silent suppers after registering with the Wisconsin No Call List. It prevents telemarketers from subjecting you with unwanted calls. The law went into effect Jan. 1, 2003, but you must re-register every two years. The deadline to do so is Sept. 1. Call 1-866-966-2255 or click on nocall.wisconsin.gov/web/home.asp. Unfortunately, signing up won't prevent annoying, prerecorded political robocalls. Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, has introduced Assembly Bill 311 to ban robocalls. Black's legislation would require human beings to place such calls and ask for permission to play recorded messages. Robocalls are a significant and excessive invasion of privacy. In congressional elections, one party has used them to call homes up to 20 times a day. The calls are disguised to look like they are coming from the opposing party and are intended to annoy people enough to change their votes. After sealing a state budget, the Legislature should get moving on Black's bill.
To Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen and the crime labs. The state crime labs are getting a handle on the huge backlog of DNA tests needed to solve crimes and seal convictions. When he took office in January, Van Hollen promised to slow the backlog's growth. The labs are on pace to finish 57 percent more tests this year than in 2006. They also have brought robotic testing online, encouraged local police to reduce the evidence they send in for testing and have put a fresh emphasis on finishing tests. Even though the backlog is larger than the nearly 1,700 cases sitting on shelves at the start of the year, the changes have dramatically slowed the growth of that backlog. The murders of three members of the Lentz family have made Rock County residents well aware of how delays in getting results can handcuff investigations and prosecutions. The Legislature has agreed to Van Hollen's request to hire 30 new analysts and lab technicians. All are in training. When they start working on live cases, they should help the labs march toward Van Hollen's goal of eliminating the backlog by 2010.
To playing in floodwaters. Too many kids in southern Wisconsin are finding flooded land and raging streams too tempting. Not only can these contain raw sewage, but hidden holes, brush and other debris can pose bigger hazards. Likewise, culverts and storm sewers can act like vacuums and trap unsuspecting youngsters. Parents should warn their kids about such risks. Police in Edgerton had to warn children to stop jumping off a bridge into the currents of Saunders Creek last week. Still, authorities were called because a boy was reported missing and thought to have possibly gone under water. The boy managed to get out of the creek himself. Besides routine work, authorities have too many other things to do in responding to flooding problems. They shouldn't need to lecture kids to wise up, as well.
To Sens. Judy Robson and Jon Erpenbach. These Democrats reportedly mingled campaign funds and money from special-interest groups to conduct a poll gauging public views about the "Healthy Wisconsin" plan. The trouble is, using money from groups not authorized to make political contributions might have violated campaign finance laws. The State Elections Board is investigating. If lawmakers got copies of the analysis that goes with the poll of likely voters in the 2008 general election, "then there is definitely concern they got more than what they paid for, which means nonpolitical money is benefiting their campaign," Kevin Kennedy, executive director of the State Elections Board, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Erpenbach told the newspaper that opponents of Healthy Wisconsin were trying to discredit the poll and the Democrats' reform plan. It's questionable whether Robson of Beloit and Erpenbach of Middleton will be found guilty of breaking the law. Still, these two have been around long enough to know better.
To political "robocalls." Nearly 800,000 Wisconsin households enjoy silent suppers after registering with the Wisconsin No Call List. It prevents telemarketers from subjecting you with unwanted calls. The law went into effect Jan. 1, 2003, but you must re-register every two years. The deadline to do so is Sept. 1. Call 1-866-966-2255 or click on nocall.wisconsin.gov/web/home.asp. Unfortunately, signing up won't prevent annoying, prerecorded political robocalls. Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, has introduced Assembly Bill 311 to ban robocalls. Black's legislation would require human beings to place such calls and ask for permission to play recorded messages. Robocalls are a significant and excessive invasion of privacy. In congressional elections, one party has used them to call homes up to 20 times a day. The calls are disguised to look like they are coming from the opposing party and are intended to annoy people enough to change their votes. After sealing a state budget, the Legislature should get moving on Black's bill.
To Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen and the crime labs. The state crime labs are getting a handle on the huge backlog of DNA tests needed to solve crimes and seal convictions. When he took office in January, Van Hollen promised to slow the backlog's growth. The labs are on pace to finish 57 percent more tests this year than in 2006. They also have brought robotic testing online, encouraged local police to reduce the evidence they send in for testing and have put a fresh emphasis on finishing tests. Even though the backlog is larger than the nearly 1,700 cases sitting on shelves at the start of the year, the changes have dramatically slowed the growth of that backlog. The murders of three members of the Lentz family have made Rock County residents well aware of how delays in getting results can handcuff investigations and prosecutions. The Legislature has agreed to Van Hollen's request to hire 30 new analysts and lab technicians. All are in training. When they start working on live cases, they should help the labs march toward Van Hollen's goal of eliminating the backlog by 2010.
