whoanellie: I agree with you (about time, huh ... LOL). People tell me what you and I believe should be done would be "entrapment," but I disagree. If a person is drunk and driving, it does not matter how we keep them off the roads; I just want them off the roads!

I still think that the police should be able to park outside the bars and pick up the drunks before they can get out on the open road.(after they get in there car and drive out the drive). That would take care of some of them,and I know people are going to disagree with me. But if you are going to the bar for a nice cold one be responsible and you won't get arressted!I'm tired of all the drunks getting so many chances, I think first time you get your license taken away,after that jail time!!!

"Crackdown" -- yeah right. And through Labor Day, no less. More PR fluff. We haven't put a dent in drunk driving in WI (or domestic violence, drugs and drive-bys either).
Feel-good crap. When they legislate mandatory blood draws, OWI check-points, ignition interlocks and car seizures on second offense and above, and convicts do real jail time, not jail diversion and home monitoring, for FIFTH OFFENSE OWI (not to mention 2nd, 3rd and 4th!), maybe we'll show we're a little more serious than just putting out press releases and operating with the same staffing levels.
In the mean time, the tavern league wins this argument, and gets video gambling thrown in as a chaser (those poor bar owners)!
Get real.

msleo:

You're right is is a joke. There are no consequences for driving drunk in this state. The legislature lacks the common sense and will to do anything meaningful about it.

Some guy almost hit me last night at the intersection of Milton Ave and Memorial Dr. He blew right through the red light as I was turning out in front of him. The guy didn't look at me when I flipped him the bird, he was hunched over his wheel in a daze. He was headed in the direction of downtown...

Between the idiots peeling out and weaving in traffic in their pickup trucks on Milton Ave and the drunks driving away from the downtown bars, Janesville is not safe place to drive late at night!

Not to downplay even one tiny bit the need to catch drunk drivers before more people are hurt, but I also hope that increased local coverage takes a big bite out of idiots racing down South Main Street (Janesville) at highway speeds. Drivers late at night appear to be routinely reaching speeds of 50 mph or higher. God help anybody trying to cross the street, riding a bike or trying to park their car on the side of the road.

Pssst. Hint to authorities. Keep it under your radar screen, but I suggest a sting over in Spring Grove Township...Mount Hope Road. There is a guy over there eager to score #8 DUI. Goforit. Good luck, and you did not hear it from me.
*
P.S. Your welcome.

Equating the number of liquor licenses to the rate of drunk driving is like saying the number of fast food places correlates to the rate of obesity.

In reality...the fewer number of outlets of either one just means more business for the remaining ones.

They're still gonna drink and they're still gonna eat.

A process based in punishment for supposed moral failings of drunk drivers is bound to fail. We have been increasing penalties for 25 years (I remember when MADD was considered a little bit of a fringe group). It has had far less effect on highway fatalities than, for instance, changed vehicle design to incorporate modern safety features. We have to realize that drunk drivers are alcoholics and create a treatment-based process, and we have to reduce the availability of alcohol in drive-away environments. Wisconsin has one of the highest rates of liquor licenses per capita, and one of the highest rates of drunk driving fatalities. Somehow, I doubt that's a coincidence.

In Fridays public record ::: 26 year old was arrested for 4th owi... thats an average of 0.8 per year... way to go!!!

What would they call the intense education and law enforcement effort over the past 25 or so years? A non-crackdown? How come they're only doing this until Labor Day? Is it okay, then, after labor day to go drive drunk?

If they want to get serious, start amputating feet for 1st-offense drunk driving. Soon it might be covered under national health anyway.

mespl: Not sure about this situation, but many times what issue/law is targeted has to do with grants issued to a law enforcement agency.

How is this any different from cops setting up speed traps, every once in a while they get an urge to enforce one law more than the others for a little while, most likely it comes from political pressure higher up the ladder. Next month they will be focusing on another law more.

off topic-I am seeing Thursday's gazette on the e-edition...is anyone able to get today's gazette on e-edition?

Nice diatribe, but in a society with legal limits and jury trials you need a set clear limit to enforce the law. Hence the .08 PAC, and the .00 PAC limit for drivers under the legal limit.
As far as ending all prohibitions- are you speaking specifically of only substance use or all laws? Cuz I know you have kids, but I doubt you want your tax dollars going to set up NAMBLA recruiting stations in your schools.
And again, this 'crackdown" is absolute cruh-ap. So what if they arrest more drunk drivers. There is no real punishment for drunk driving in WI anyways.

"Police say a Brodhead man was intoxicated when he crashed an ATV on Saturday, two days after he was arrested on a charge of seventh-offense drunken driving."
Yeah WI sure is cracking down on drunk drivers!! What a joke!!

we take certain risks in a free society to allow people the freedom of choice. drunk driving deaths are the inherent risk in allowing legal tax paying responsible adults the choice to drink alcohol. there are things we can do to minimize the negatives...but the FACTS are that the positives of allowing americans the freedom to choose outweigh the potential negative outcomes of allowing that choice. even if the potential negative is death to an innocent victim. it is not uncle sams position to tell free americans what they can do to their body and when they can do it. in the interest of public safety they can only say where you can do such things. we need to end all prohibitions and let americans choose.