% LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR MANDELA
% BARNES JOINED MARISA WOJCIK TO
% TALK ABOUT POLICE REFORM,
% REALLOCATING POLICE BUDGETS.
% >> EVERY OTHER BUDGET THAT GETS
% CUT IT SEEMS LIKE OH, WELL, YOU
% KNOW, WE HAD TO CUT THIS BUDGET,
% DO WHAT WE HAD TO DO, TIGHTEN UP
% THE PURSE STRINGS, TIGHTEN UP
% OUR BELT.
% BUT THE MINUTE YOU TALK ABOUT
% REDUCING A POLICE DEPARTMENT'S
% BUDGET, IT'S LIKE ALL HELL
% BREAKS LOOSE AND EVERYBODY ACTS
% LIKE YOU ARE SIGNALLING
% ARMAGEDDON.
% BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
% IT'S ABOUT REALLOCATING FUNDS IN
% A WAY THAT PROMOTES SAFETY AND
% WHEN VIRTUALLY EVERY LEVEL OF
% GOVERNMENT SEES THE SWEEPING
% CUTS THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN POLICE
% OFFICERS ARE BEING ATTACKED
% BECAUSE THEY ARE BEING ASKED TO
% DO THE SAME THING AS EVERYBODY
% ELSE IN GOVERNMENT, AND
% ESPECIALLY AT TIMES LIKE NOW
% REVENUES ARE DOWN, GIVEN THE
% ECONOMIC DEVASTATION THAT
% COVID-19 HAS BROUGHT ABOUT, YOU
% KNOW, CITIES ARE GOING TO BE
% STRAPPED FOR CASH, COUNTIES
% STRAPPED FOR CASH, THE STATE IS
% STRAPPED FOR CASH, TAKE A HARD
% LOOK AT WHAT IS BEING FUNDED AT
% WHAT LEVEL AND YOU KNOW, WHAT IS
% GOING TO MAKE THE SENSE.
% WHAT IS GOING TO MAKE THE MOST
% SENSE TO SEE A FULL RECOVERY IN
% WISCONSIN.
% AND NOT JUST BACK TO NORMAL, BUT
% BECAUSE LIFE AFTER COVID IS MUCH
% DIFFERENT THAN LIFE AFTER COVID,
% THAT'S A REALITY I THINK PEOPLE
% ARE NOT NECESSARILY -- HAVE NOT
% NECESSARILY GRASPED BECAUSE IT'S
% A TOUGH ONE.
% IT'S A TOUGH ONE TO NOT IMAGINE
% THINGS GOING BACK TO THE WAY
% THEY WERE, BUT WE SHOULDN'T LET
% THINGS GO BACK TO THE WAY THEY
% WERE, WE SHOULD WANT THINGS TO
% BE MUCH BETTER AND MORE
% EQUITABLE.
% >> YOU'VE WORKED ON THESE ISSUES
% FOR A LONG TIME AND YOU'VE SAID
% YOU'RE TIRED OF DISREGARD FOR
% BLACK LIVES.
% WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THOSE WHO ARE
% LIKE YOU WHO ARE EXPERIENCING
% THIS FATIGUE IN THIS TIME?
% >> THAT IS -- THAT IS A REALLY
% GOOD QUESTION BECAUSE FOLKS ARE
% EXPERIENCING FATIGUE, AND NOW
% THAT WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF
% THIS, OF MASS DEMONSTRATIONS
% ACROSS THE COUNTRY, I THINK THAT
% OUR MENTAL HEALTH IS EVEN MORE
% IMPORTANT BECAUSE WITH EVERY
% SPEECH, EVERY SIGN, EVERY LIST
% OF DEMANDS LAID OUT BY
% PROTESTORS AND ORGANIZERS, WE
% SEE THINGS WITHIN OUR OWN LIVES
% THAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THAT WE
% PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO,
% THINGS THAT FOLKS HAVE BRUSHED
% OFF, ADVERSITY THAT WOULD, YOU
% KNOW, UNDUE AND UNJUST AND THAT
% CAN WEIGH HEAVILY.
% BECAUSE YOU CARRY A DIFFERENT
% BURDEN.
% AND MYSELF IN THIS POSITION, I'M
% HONORED TO HAVE THIS POSITION,
% ESPECIALLY AT A TIME LIKE THIS,
% BUT THERE ARE SO MANY FOLKS WHO
% ARE JUST KIND OF COMFORTABLE AND
% THAT COMFORT IS AGAIN ONE OF THE
% MANY REASONS WHY WE ARE WHERE WE
% ARE AND THERE'S A BURDEN THAT I
% NOTICE THAT A LOT OF FOLK, TOO
% MANY PEOPLE IN ELECTED OFFICE
% DON'T HAVE TO CARRY.
% SOME PEOPLE, AND IT'S AMAZING,
% TOO, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW
% MANY ELECTED OFFICIALS WERE ABLE
% TO GET INTO OFFICE WITHOUT EVER
% CONSIDERING THE ISSUE OF RACIAL
% JUSTICE, NEVER HAVING TO TALK
% ABOUT THE ISSUE OF RACIAL
% JUSTICE, NEVER HAVING TO
% CONFRONT THEIR OWN BIAS, NEVER
% HAVING TO CONFRONT THEIR OWN
% COMFORT WITH RACISM, AND THEY
% HAVE GOTTEN PRETTY FAR.
% A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST
% FINE AND SOME PEOPLE WHO, YOU
% KNOW, MIGHT SIT BACK AND NOW
% LOOK AT THE POLLING DATA AND SEE
% THEM SEND OUT AN EMAIL THAT
% TALKS ABOUT THE ISSUES OF THE
% DAY, BECAUSE THE POLLING DATA IS
% IN FAVOR OF THE PLIGHT OF
% AFRICAN AMERICANS, MARGINALIZED
% COMMUNITIES, PEOPLE OF COLOR
% ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND SEND OUT
% A TWEET AND THAT WILL BE IT, AND
% THEY GO HOME AND REST
% COMFORTABLY.
% AND SOMETIMES I WISH I HAD THE
% SAME COMFORT.
% BUT THESE THINGS REMAIN IN MY
% LIFE BECAUSE I THINK ABOUT MY
% OWN FAMILY MEMBERS WHO GOT MIXED
% UP IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE
% SYSTEM, MY OWN FAMILY MEMBERS
% WHO EXPERIENCED POLICY VIOLENCE,
% MY OWN FRIENDS AND FAMILY
% MEMBERS THAT HAVE HAD VIOLENCE,
% TOO.
% AND NOT EVERYBODY SHARED THE
% GOVERNING PART THE SAME WHEN IT
% COMES TO AN ISSUE THAT IS THIS
% HEAVY.