Madison's Mike Verveer Should Not Be Smeared

I am troubled over how the incident concerning Dane County Assistant District Attorney, and City Alderman Mike Verveer has been handled.  In this day and age when a mere allegation can bloom within hours to a perception of a  crime, and in this case, also a lack of sound judgement, I  think it is important that the facts be looked at. 

Mike Vereer was at Zanders, which is located on Madison’s eclectic State Street to eat dinner and watch a Badger hockey game on TV.  He says that he went to the public room upstairs for a few minutes to speak with the owner.  It was then that a police officer who was conducting a routine check of the newly licensed restaurant saw the city alder, who is also a member of the Alcohol License Review Committee.  At that time, according to the police report she filed after the incident, there appeared to be the smell of marijuana.

To me the most troubling aspect is that if the police officer who was  conducting the check felt that there was a reason to pursue what she thought was a crime, then why did she not follow through?  To file a report after the incident, and thereby foster allegations, without any evidence in hand, is a horrible way to conduct police matters.  We must have better procedures for this type of thing than what was exhibited with this police report.

Isn’t this what third-rate countries do when trying to smear someone that they want to bring down?

I also take great umbrage that there is necessarily a collision of interests when a city alder merely visits with a person who has business in front of a city council committee on which that alder sits.   That is after all the other part to this story. 

Some would like to paint Vereer, as they have in the past, as having a conflict of interests.  But to make a statement of that kind, or even to infer that, as some are now doing,  is a slap to the honor of Mike Vereer.  If one thing is certain from watching Mike Vereer all these years as he has worked and fought  hard to make Madison a better place to live and do business, it is that he has honor.   That is not to say Vereer is not fallible.  He certainly is.   But to allow this event, or non-event as the case appears to be, to tarnish his name in any way is absolutely the most ridiculous thing I have seen in a long time.  For others to use this ‘incident’ for their own narrow political purposes is unconscionable.