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.