How’s It Going Down There?

Today’s a big day in Wisconsin. The Republican governor is facing recall for having cut state taxes and expenses, increased business, lowered unemployment, turned a budget deficit into a surplus, and for reducing the power of the public sector unions. We’ll all be following that, I’m sure. But to take a break, let’s look south to Barack Obama’s home state.

In Illinois taxes have gone up along with expenses, business is fleeing, tax revenues are down, unemployment is rising and the biggest power in town is the gangs. Quite a contrast, wouldn't you say?

The greatest civil unrest in Wisconsin in the recent past was the brief takeover of the state capitol building by angry union members protesting the governor’s cuts. In Illinois, and particularly Chicago, the Democrats are in charge and there’s no need for the unions to storm the public buildings. Largely because they’re too busy ducking gunfire with the rest of the hapless populace.

Obama confidante Rahm Emanuel left the White House to become mayor of Chicago. Rahmbo made reducing violent crime in Chicago one of his major political planks during the election. Like his former boss Obama, Emanuel is great at promising, weak at delivering. Over the three-day Memorial Day weekend, Chicago celebrated by producing ten dead bodies and forty-three serious injuries resulting from increased gang violence.

Since becoming mayor, Emanuel has presided over a 50% increase in the murder rate in Chicago. In 2011, there were 134 homicides. So far in 2012, there have been about 200. Clearly, this is not the mayor’s fault. Just look at some of the draconian measures he has taken to stop the violence (see accompanying illustration of the harshly-worded signs he has put up all over the South Side). Emanuel knows his stuff. He learned from Obama. Blame previous administrations and deflect the real issue by stating the obvious as if that will help.

In a statement to the Chicago Tribune, Emanuel said: “On a percentage basis—and this is just data—about 70% to 80% of the increase in both shootings and homicides are gang-on-gang violence. We have to interject ourselves to stop the shootings, which is the only way you can stop the homicide rate.” Well, that’s a statement that reviews what everybody already knows, but how is it in any way an action plan?

Tio Hardiman, a community organizer, head of violence-prevention group CeaseFire, and an ally of Emanuel’s said: “Chicago is a different beast when it comes down to the issue of violence. You have outbreaks of violence in the same way you have outbreaks of disease in countries throughout the world. Some people are going to sleep in Chicago thinking about who they’re going to shoot the next day.” No kidding!

Good thing nothing like that ever happens in Los Angeles, Detroit and New York City. Somehow, I don’t think treating gang violence as some sort of natural epidemic like the flu is going to solve the problem. Both the mayor and CeaseFire propose that the locals intervene with the gangs. San Francisco tried that under former mayor Willie Brown. He put former gang members on the violence-ridden city buses South of Market to “mediate.” Several stabbings and a few shootings later, the plan was abandoned.

The mayor also blamed the number of liquor stores in gang territory for part of the violence. He called them “a cancer on the community.” Well—why not ban them? It worked so well in the 1920s that Al Capone became a national figure. I’m a little unclear on how having to walk or ride a few extra blocks to get to the booze is going to reduce violent crime. Better to ban the crack and heroin trade that the gangs compete over. Oh, wait, they already did that.

Emanuel simply can’t or won’t admit that the gang violence is largely attributable to historic Democratic policies. Welfare and general relief money (something for nothing) keep otherwise able-bodied young men and women on the public dole, on the streets, and off the real employment rolls. Illegitimacy and single-parent households (adult males nearly always among the missing) produce disaffected and alienated children looking for a close-knit family. Say, the Crips, the Bloods, or MS13. Public school social-welfare indoctrination rather than education produces high drop-out rates and uneducated masses with no genuine prospects for getting a legitimate job.

Tolerance of bad behavior resulting from “black rage” has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Excusing violence because of the “victimization” of minorities by the white power structure in order to gain votes for Democratic giveaways and unearned entitlements is simply reprehensible. Chicago Democrats also instituted some of the most stringent gun control laws in the nation, proving the adage that when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. Many of the South Side gang homes make the local National Guard Armory look like a Sunday school classroom. In fact, the gangs actually raided one armory and took most of the weapons with them a few years ago.

When those “angry union members” go into the voting booths today in Wisconsin, I hope they consider what happens to bankrupt states like Illinois and violence-ridden cities like Chicago when you toss out the good guys and replace them with Democratic hacks.

NOTE: If you get any early voting info or interesting news about Wisconsin, feel free to let us know here.