A past chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin says Capitol Police Chief David Erwin should be stripped of his job for the arrests of hundreds of protesters, mainly for gathering without permits.
“This guy doesn’t deserve a raise, he deserves to be fired,” says Joe Wineke.
Erwin was recently given an 11.7 percent raise to more than $111,000. Deputy Chief Dan Blackdeer also received a similar percentage raise. Both were reportedly moved on paper to fake jobs in a different department, then back to their real posts in order to skirt civil service salary limits.
Since the crackdown began last month, approximately 300 citations have been handed out to participants in the noontime singing protests against Governor Scott Walker. A Madison alderman, a 14-year-old girl and a journalist were arrested last week.
Wineke, who is also a former state senator, says the uptick in arrests has him considering joining the singalong.
“I haven’t made my first appearance, but it’s coming because I’m one of those [who] was getting bored a little bit by the Solidarity Singers,” Wineke says. “(The Capitol Police) have upped the ante and now we’re arresting 14-year-olds and members of the press and the clergy over singing a song at noon.”
Wineke appeared on Friday morning’s Week in Review with Wausau City Council member Keene Winters. Winters says Erwin should be commended for his tough approach to the lunchtime demonstrators.
“I think he’s done a difficult job in difficult circumstances,” says Winters. “In terms of the type of year – or last three years that he’s had in terms of performance - sometimes people need a merit increase.”
Winters also says the protesters’ behavior is not going over well outside of Madison.
“The Capitol singers, not only are they boring people, but people think it’s ridiculous that they can’t get permits and are constantly wasting the taxpayers’ dollars by essentially baiting the police into having to arrest them.”
