Doug Moe, The Capital Times:
A Halloween fee to get on State Street?
IT APPEARS the city of Madison is close to settling on a State Street/Halloween strategy that will gate the street and charge admission to Halloween revelers.
On Thursday, George Twigg, spokesman for Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, said the plan is "not soup yet" but added it has been seriously discussed as an option, with an eye toward reducing the hundreds of thousands of dollars the city pays for police, fire and sanitation each year to keep the Halloween party more or less under control
The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances, the right to assemble on a the public sidewalk or street, free of intimidation and tariff is still cherished and defended by most Americans.
Article I, Section 4 of the Wisconsin Constitution:
The right of the people peaceably to assemble, to consult for the common good, and to petition the government, or any department thereof, shall never be abridged.
Attacks on the right to assemble.
Over the years, exceptions were carved out, some reasonable, some not. Portions of public parks can be roped off and admission charged. Toll roads are proof that fees can be charged for using the public right of way. Plazas facing public buildings are cordoned.
But no matter how vicious the assault from Selma politicians, the Birmingham sheriff, New York City police raids, or Federal troops, or police rioting in Chicago, the right to gather is still largely intact despite the worst efforts of reactionary judges and justices appointed by George W. Bush.
Madison's Legacy
Now comes a city where its leaders strive to make it the most progressive in the United States. Madison, Wisconsin, from the days of the Abolitionists to the War Resisters, and SANE, the Civil Rights and the Anti War Movement, and even famed for its Mifflin Street Block Party, plans to crush the right to assemble.
Those who read my posts know that I find the annual Halloween festivities inane and sophomoric. I do not stand by idly criticizing, but offering solutions and alternatives to lower the cost of an event that sucks $500,000 from local government- funds that can be better used for child care and community health.
Madison's New Legacy
In one sense, it no longer matters what the outcome. The effort to charge to walk down State Street, the most important street in Wisconsin, speaks volumes.
Progressive Madison is leading the effort to compromise the right to assemble, and may do more damage than Bush and all of his tainted jurists. All from self righteous chest beaters who decry the Patriot Act. As conservatives would put it: This comes from a bunch of latte sipping, quiche eating, bicycle peddling, tree hugging, Birkenstock clad, soup-slurping fascists.
From Dane101
The Mayor's Communications Director George Twigg replied, "the mayor has been saying for awhile now that he'd like to see a way to offset some of the $500k-plus cost for the event, and gating/ticketing the event is something we're taking a very serious look at. But at this point, it's not soup quite yet."
Past Posts on Halloween:
Halloween, Madison Style October 30, 2005:The city of Madison is starting to get control of events but so long as it focuses on the Halloween weekend without looking at some larger problems that require year around attention, the troubles will continue...Come on Madison, does this mean we should get these kids back in the bars where they belong?
Halloween II November 1, 2005
Do read Gustave Le Bon, The Crowd. It is not the final authority, but very insightful.
Do remember that while year-long, pre-Halloween planning went into controlling mobs and crowds, no planning was devoted to reminding people they are individuals. That becomes critical at the end of the evening, when it is necessary to separate the crazies from the rest of the crowd.
Don't compare Madison's Halloween to Mardi Gras in NOLA. The latter is mostly people getting drunk looking for a good time and a little kiss face, the former includes some morons getting drunk looking to get their asses busted. Containment of the two events requires different strategies.
Halloween III November 7, 2005 Instead of spending a year figuring out how to contain the event with a military approach, why don't we try something novel like welcoming the celebrants?
Welcome them and make it clear that we all want to have fun.
Continue two major programs during the year. Have an ongoing crackdown on the private beer parties where the booze is sold for rent money. Secondly, maintain a constant propaganda stream pandering to the best instincts of the revelers. Remind them that the over the top rowdy behavior not only leads to death (One death this year, one critical head injury) and property damage but it costs a half million dollars to control, money that could be better spent on health care for the indigent.
The question then: why should welcoming the pranksters change their behavior? Quiet simple. Most people behave as they are expected to behave. Most of the people are coming for an adventure, not necessarily for a head cracking bash. Set reasonable positive expectations for the 99% and not only will they not participate in the dangerous chicanery, but they will turn on the crazies who spoil the fun for them.
Halloween IV November 13, 2005..Only 50 more weekends until the next Madtown Halloween.
Halloween V November 16, 2005:Like a creep that can't be killed, Madison's trashing of the US and the State Constitution keeps reappearing with no apology or shame.
The mayor's spokesman (That means the mayor and no one else.) is now floating the idea of charging admission to State Street for next Halloween...Yes, it may take the ACLU to slay this Halloween Nightmare on State Street.
Halloween VI January 23, 2006 We are down to 40 weekends until the festivities break out. Nothing has changed. The consumption of alcohol at the private apartment parties has not abated. It is the drinking of large quantities of alcohol, mostly underage transgressions, that is the fundamental source of the problem. Until this year-round practice is abated, the flash point will occur every year.
Get the kids back in the bars where they belong. Either that, or force the underage violators to imbibe in speakeasies so quiet that the police can't find them.