Here's an Idea

Stop paying cops who aren't working. I can guarantee the state of Wisconsin will have a heck of a lot more resources available to hire additional police officers.

Alright. So I guess I jumped the gun with the commentary there.

This is what I'm talking about, from the JSonline:

City would get more for cops under measure

Madison - Legislators voted to give Milwaukee $250,000 more a year to hire additional police officers in each of the next two years, although that was $500,000 less than what Gov. Jim Doyle had recommended.

Some members of the Joint Finance Committee said they were uncomfortable with Doyle's recommendation of $750,00 a year for the next two years to hire city police officers.

Then there's this beauty from crime specialist Rep. Steve Kestell (R-Elkhart Lake)

"If Milwaukee gets $1.5 million more over the next two years, Kestell said, "there's going to be less money available for everything else."

Yep. I'm afraid so sir. But ask yourself this. How do you define "everything else"? Is it discretionary spending? Pat on the back spending? Love me sum-sum spending? Handouts in the form of Social programs?

I'm sure there have been many times throughout history where the word priority came in.

Start with cutting the purse strings from the cops who aren't working.