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UPDATE, July 26, 2011: Aldermen balk at changing name of Fire Department___________________
Milwaukee Alderman Terry Witkowski wants to rename the Milwaukee Fire Department to Milwaukee Emergency Response Services.
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:The Milwaukee Common Council is considering a proposal by Ald. Terry Witkowski to rename the Milwaukee Fire Department as Milwaukee Emergency Response Services.
Witkowski said the change would better reflect the work of the department. He said only 7% of the department's calls are related to fire; the remainder range from paramedic services to chemical cleanups. The new name would save the department from criticism that it responds to relatively few fires, making the department less of a target during the city's next round of budget cuts, Witkowski said.
"A part of what makes me bring this forward is that every time we go through budget cuts, we hear about this 7%," Witkowski said Wednesday.
Witkowski added that the name change would cost very little - uniforms, engines and stationery with the new name would be ordered only as equipment wears out.
Fire Chief Mark Rohlfing agreed that the department was "a multiservice organization," but he remains wary of the way the alderman is pursuing the change. Rohlfing hoped that a name change would be accompanied by a larger discussion of the department's role in responding to the city's emergencies.
"Let's talk about it, you know, look at our mission, our vision, and look at what we want to change our name to, what best reflects what we do," Rohlfing said Tuesday. "One of the reasons they hang on to that name is tradition, pride and all those kind of things."
Rohlfing said he expects the firefighters union to oppose the name change.
...The ordinance will be considered at Thursday's meeting of the council's Public Safety Committee. If approved by the committee and the council, the name change will be effective in 60 days, although the department will continue to be officially chartered as a "fire department organization."
With all due respect, this is a lame idea, an utter waste, weird politics.
Does Witkowski really believe that a name change for the department would make it less of a target when it comes to budget concerns?
"Milwaukee Emergency Response Services" wouldn't be immune from budget cuts.
What an ineffective smokescreen!
Witkowski's plan to have "uniforms, engines and stationery with the new name... ordered only as equipment wears out" is ridiculous.
A name change would involve more than altering uniforms, engines, and stationery. Witkowksi doesn't consider other things such as equipment and signs and the fire stations themselves.
The process would take years, possibly decades.
Ask firefighters if they want to be called "emergency response service workers," since they really don't spend a lot of time responding to fires.
I don't think it would go over too well.
Should the Milwaukee Public Schools be renamed Milwaukee Public Child Warehouses, Meal Halls, and Leftist Indoctrination Centers, to better reflect the reality of what happens there?
Wisconsin DEMOCRAT Rep. Jason Fields, while addressing the State Assembly, conducted himself more like a thug than a lawmaker.
Jason Fields, not shouting obscenities or throwing microphones
Of course, passions run high on certain issues, but that doesn't mean an elected official, like Fields from Milwaukee, should use profanity to degrade his colleagues.
During a heated debate on expanding the school choice program, Fields lost it. He acted like a thug, throwing the microphone after shouting to the Assembly, "You all are full of sh-t."
Here's the audio, from Wisconsin Radio Network:AUDIO: Rep. Jason Fields – language warning (5:24)
Milwaukee-area lawmakers heaped heavy criticism on a bill expanding the city’s Parental Choice program, during debate on the bill Tuesday night. The legislation removes the enrollment cap for vouchers and expands the program to private schools in all of Milwaukee County.
Milwaukee Democrat Jason Fields (D-Milwaukee) accused lawmakers from both parties of playing with the lives of kids, angrily telling them to “knock it off.” Fields questioned why lawmakers have a problem with kids in MPS, before saying “you’re all full of (expletive)” and throwing his microphone.
Here's video of Fields being interviewed by Mike Gousha in March 2009.
It shows he's capable of conducting himself in an appropriate manner.
Clearly, Fields is very passionate about the issue of school choice and the plight of black kids in Milwaukee. It's a shame he couldn't control himself. Rather than delivering powerful remarks, they become lost in his anger and language. His message gets lost in his poor conduct.
I suppose Fields succumbed to frustration yesterday, but that's absolutely no excuse to yell at the Assembly, "You all are full of sh-t."
That's debate in Madison?
All members of the Assembly should have jumped to their feet and shouted in unison, "SHAME, SHAME, SHAME!"________________
Transcript of Jason Fields' remarks to the Assembly, May 10, 2011REP. JASON FIELDS: You know, I wasn't gonna talk on this kinda stuff because, quite honestly, I feel like it's futile. We've been here before. We do this all the time. And some of you are starting to piss me off. You couldn't just keep me cool. You're pissing me off with your tactics.
It's funny to me how you all have a say-so when it come to children in Milwaukee. You all got a say-so. I don't like the talk on this floor because, quite honestly, I don't even think the intellectual capital is that high.
We doin' this and at the end of the day, what is it about? What is it about?
Everybody, look at my face: You're pissing me off. Because it means NOTHING to you.
(Shouts)
NONE of you! You don't have kids in your house, you haven't taken care of 'em. But you got the morale. Really? Show me how many black men you've taken care of. YOU HAVEN'T. YOU HAVEN'T! I HAVE!
FOUR YOUNG BLACK MEN. NOBODY TOOK CARE OF NONE OF 'EM! BUT YOU GOT THE AUDACITY TO SIT HERE LIKE YOU DOIN' SOMETHING!?!? FOR REAL? FOR REAL!
WHERE ARE YOU? ALL OF YOU, where are you?
(Lowers his voice, but still angry)
You're quick to send 'em to jail. So let me get somethin' straight, because again, I don't like to talk about this kind of stuff because I, I... honestly, it ticks me off.
I think you have an amendment comin' from me. Y'all, y'all playin' with black kids, man, y'all playin'. All of you, you're playin'. Knock it off. Knock it off. You're playin'.
(Raises his voice)
The same people on my side of the aisle, you're, you know, with all due respect, knock it off. KNOCK IT OFF!
YOU DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THESE KIDS! And y'all has high morals. You ain't took none of 'em in! Where were they? Did they go to your house?
HELL NO! SO KNOCK IT OFF, WITH YOUR HIGH MORALS!
And with all due respect to my friends on that side of the aisle, I gotta say this: You can't show up and be like, you know, 'I'm gonna be cool with black kids today.'
You ALL are wrong! And you have been!
YOU DON'T SLEEP WITH 'EM! YOU DON'T SEE THE PAIN THEY GO THROUGH! I DO! Because I'm there. I'm there. They in my house. I feed them. I put 'em in dress shirts.
So which one of you will tell me that I'm wrong?
Stand up. Which one of you?
That's what I thought.
It's easy to pretend to be like this. It's easy, but honestly, I gotta be honest with all of you. I'm tired. Because I'm fighting for young black men and I'm tired. And you're not helping me, none of you. You're not helpin'.
You get caught up in school choice, MPS. Really? Did y'all notice that they all black kids? Did you all notice that? Guess what? The kids in MPS don't have a problem with the kids at the Milwaukee Parental Choice program. They don't have a problem with each other. So why do you?
Y'all are full of sh-t!
(Throws microphone down and walks away)
