Republican State Senators Vukmir, Darling Should Move To The False Piety Party

That would be one step to the right of the Tea Party, and a long way from the old-timey Republican Party, where local control and home rule barriers to Big Government are heresies now.

Leah Vukmir stands up principally for her hometown of Wauwatosa, and yet she is pushing legislation to lift residency requirements that apply only to City of Milwaukee fire fighters and police offices.

And has piled her rationalizations into a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel op-ed, here, that ranks as one of the most politically-obfuscatory and intellectually-dishonest solipsisms, ever.

Vukmir mentions that Alberta Darling, a suburban Republican and fellow legislative meddler into Milwaukee affairs had earlier initiated a similar bill lifting residency for Milwaukee teachers.

These Senators are full of piety about the needs of Milwaukee school kids, but the real agenda is partisan - - using state legislative power to weaken the Milwaukee Teachers Union and its Democratic Party support.

And a belief in once-dear Republican values, like local control, or home rule?

Vukmir says in her op-ed that those ideas are "relics of a bygone era."

Translation: it's all about power now. Partisan power aimed at public employee unions and the City of Milwaukee.

Milwaukee Common Council President Willie Hines, Jr, has a companion oped, and makes the case for home rule.

It wasn't that long ago that even the conservative Milwaukee Sentinel thought that home rule and public employee bargaining - - another level of local control - - trumped outside, legislative interference, but apparently that's a bygone notion, too.

And speaking or relics - - how would Vukmir feel about getting rid of another restriction from a bygone era - - the law that prevents Milwaukee from expanding its borders?

And speaking further of bygone notions, how about that title of "Senator" in front of Darling's name.

Or adding "recalled" to it?