Bobot for Sheriff
Assistant City Attorney, and former Municipal Judge, Vincent Bobot is challenging Sheriff David A Clarke, jr., for the Democratic nomination for that position. A comparison of the records of the two candidates shows why Bobot should replace Clarke.
David Clarke was appointed Sheriff of Milwaukee County by Acting Governor Scott McCallum in the spring of 2002, after the resignation of former Sheriff Leverett Baldwin. Although McCallum is a Republican, he reportedly urged Clarke to run as a Democrat. He did and won a full term. Here are few highlights of that term:
Arrogance. Clarke sent his deputies to patrol the streets of parts of Milwaukee and several suburbs, without the request or consent of local police or municipal authorities. Although Clarke was within his legal powers to do this, it was unnecessary and created needless conflict with local officials. This is not the job of the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Deparment.
Abuse of Deputies. Clarke has a well-deserved reputation for vindictiveness, bordering on malevolence, toward his deputies. Those who have dared to speak or write critically of the Sheriff have found themselves transferred to undesirable duties, such as foot-patrol on the North Side, which is not even the responsibility of the Sheriff’s Department.
Religious Indoctrination. Sheriff Clarke has introduced Christian proselytizing and preaching into deputy roll-calls, and some deputies have filed suit against the practice. Although this activity could be subsumed under the rubric of Abuse of Deputies (above), it merits a designation of its own, due to the violation of the principle of separation of Church and State.
Less than two years after becoming Sheriff, Clarke ran for Mayor of Milwaukee, but was eliminated in the primary. Although there is nothing inherently wrong with running for another office, it is a sign that Clarke views his job as a stepping stone to a more desirable position.
His Op-Ed piece in the Journal Sentinel in May of last year indicates that he is opposed to both the W-2 Program and the welfare system it was intended to replace. Clarke would give the poor nothing, a particularly harsh policy in view of the dearth of low-skilled jobs in Milwaukee today
Fortunately, Vince Bobot offers a viable alternative to four more years of Clarke. He is a former Milwaukee police officer for over 20 years who obtained a law degree after being injured in the line of duty and subsequently became an Assistant City Attorney and then Municipal Judge. Bobot also ran for Mayor of Milwaukee in 2004, but unlike Clarke, he quit his judicial job to do so.
Bobot has attracted substantial support from deputy sheriffs miffed at Clarke’s authoritarian ways. His moderate positions on public policy make him the more suitable candidate for the Democratic nomination for Sheriff in the September primary.
David Clarke was appointed Sheriff of Milwaukee County by Acting Governor Scott McCallum in the spring of 2002, after the resignation of former Sheriff Leverett Baldwin. Although McCallum is a Republican, he reportedly urged Clarke to run as a Democrat. He did and won a full term. Here are few highlights of that term:
Arrogance. Clarke sent his deputies to patrol the streets of parts of Milwaukee and several suburbs, without the request or consent of local police or municipal authorities. Although Clarke was within his legal powers to do this, it was unnecessary and created needless conflict with local officials. This is not the job of the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Deparment.
Abuse of Deputies. Clarke has a well-deserved reputation for vindictiveness, bordering on malevolence, toward his deputies. Those who have dared to speak or write critically of the Sheriff have found themselves transferred to undesirable duties, such as foot-patrol on the North Side, which is not even the responsibility of the Sheriff’s Department.
Religious Indoctrination. Sheriff Clarke has introduced Christian proselytizing and preaching into deputy roll-calls, and some deputies have filed suit against the practice. Although this activity could be subsumed under the rubric of Abuse of Deputies (above), it merits a designation of its own, due to the violation of the principle of separation of Church and State.
Less than two years after becoming Sheriff, Clarke ran for Mayor of Milwaukee, but was eliminated in the primary. Although there is nothing inherently wrong with running for another office, it is a sign that Clarke views his job as a stepping stone to a more desirable position.
His Op-Ed piece in the Journal Sentinel in May of last year indicates that he is opposed to both the W-2 Program and the welfare system it was intended to replace. Clarke would give the poor nothing, a particularly harsh policy in view of the dearth of low-skilled jobs in Milwaukee today
Fortunately, Vince Bobot offers a viable alternative to four more years of Clarke. He is a former Milwaukee police officer for over 20 years who obtained a law degree after being injured in the line of duty and subsequently became an Assistant City Attorney and then Municipal Judge. Bobot also ran for Mayor of Milwaukee in 2004, but unlike Clarke, he quit his judicial job to do so.
Bobot has attracted substantial support from deputy sheriffs miffed at Clarke’s authoritarian ways. His moderate positions on public policy make him the more suitable candidate for the Democratic nomination for Sheriff in the September primary.
posted by Gerald S Glazer at 3:29 PM
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