Stories continue to circulate about police officers in Wisconsin obstructing the lawful efforts of ordinary citizens to exercise their First Amendment right to “petition the government for a redress of grievances.”  Members of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association (MPPA) have chosen sides with their public sector union comrades against the hard-working taxpaying citizens of their state, the very people who pay the salaries of those who are sworn to uphold the law. 

The Journal Sentinel brings us a story about one of Milwaukee’s finest.  Five year police veteran (and WPPA member) Lymon L. Taylor was in court Wednesday facing charges of felony identity theft.  The 33 year-old officer has been charged with stealing the Social Security number of a 7 year-old Racine boy and using it to purchase a 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550.  An MPD spokesperson told the Journal Sentinel that Officer Taylor has been suspended from the department.

According to the criminal complaint:

 

Milwaukee detectives were investigating identity theft by another man, Lee Ellis, who led them to Taylor.  Ellis is charged in Milwaukee County with identity theft and possession of cocaine.  He has pleaded not guilty and is set to go on trial.

 

Ellis told detectives he and Taylor discussed how to improve their credit ratings and found a company in California that promised to fix credit for $2,500 a person, according to the complaint.

 

The two men plus a third, who has not been charged, received what looked like Social Security numbers.  They were told to use their own name and the number as their Social Security number.  But they were told to use an address other than their own because addresses are associated with a person’s credit rating, which in their cases was bad.

While Lymon Taylor was appearing in court on Wednesday, the executive director of the MPPA was showing his true colors as well.  The Journal Sentinel reports that MPAA union boss James Palmer said that he is encouraging his 11,000 members to punish Wisconsin businesses who support Governor Walker’s reform measures through “voluntary consumer activism.” 

The MPPA and a number of other public sector unions across Wisconsin have sent intimidating letters to M&I Bank and Kwik Trip Inc., in an attempt to pressure them into opposing Governor Walker’s “budget repair bill.”  The reform bill is expected to be published on March 25 and would take effect the following day, unless the unions and their Democrat allies can force through a court order.

M&I Bank, which has been the primary focus of the anti-taxpayer assault by the public sector unions, said that it has not taken a stance either for or against the law and that the bank did not make any direct contributions to either of the gubernatorial candidates in last November’s election.  The bank defends the right of their employees to support any candidate of their choice and will not infringe on those rights. 

In a statement, Governor Walker said:

“While unions have chosen to boycott businesses that create Wisconsin jobs and employ hardworking Wisconsin middle-class citizens, Gov. Walker has chosen to promote the private-sector job creators that are going to help get Wisconsin working again.  Gov. Walker will continue to stand up and fight for the middle-class taxpayers that are employed at these businesses all across our state.”

Governor Walker, the state’s Republican Party, M&I Bank and the loyal citizens who are expressing their peaceful effort to restore representative government, continue to take the high road in the struggle for fiscal responsibility.   The public sector unions, their Democrat allies and outside agitators like Organizing For America and CPUSA continue to intimidate, threaten and bully the taxpayers in a last ditch effort to maintain their death grip on the state. 

March 18, 2011

paboehmke@yahoo.com