Excuse me if I sound like a chamber of commerce or the welcome wagon. But I love Madison and think those who call this place home have big hearts and a set of standards and principles that have clearly been demonstrated over and over again. We care about policy, get energized over our beliefs, and step up to help when the occasion allows for us to make a difference.
Such is the case with the possibility of roughly 200 undocumented children coming to this city as the process unfolds as to how they should be dealt with following their journeys from Central America. The federal Department of Health and Human Services has asked all cities with more than 200,000 people to consider hosting children.
We all can be proud of Mayor Paul Soglin for making it clear that finding a place to make sure these children are housed and cared for is the right thing to, and with that he and city staff have been looking for the appropriate sized location to meet the needs at this time.
I thought it telling when Soglin noted that he did not foresee the protests and antics should Madison host these children that have occurred in other places around the nation.
On July 6th I posted how Madison would react to any such outlandish display.
There is no way that the heartless display that took place in Murrieta would have ever happened in the city where I live, Madison, Wisconsin. And if there had been any such attempt of hatred and bigotry I know with every fiber of my being that within hours a protest march from the good-hearted folks of this city would have turned out to underscore our revulsion over such behavior.
There very well may not be the location of needed size to assist in this national cause, but I hope Madison can find a way to lend a hand, as I know that is our nature and temperament as a city.
In the end we all know what it was like to be young and at times scared for a variety of reasons. We also can recall with warmth how it felt when people came to our rescue and made us feel secure again.
I know should Madison be fortunate to have a hand at making the process smoother and more stable for some of these undocumented children it would be a citywide goal of doing it with humility and tender care.
I hope we have a chance to show others how we should treat one another in times of stress and upheaval.
CAFFEINATED POLITICS 
Not hatred and bigotry, Deke. Prudence. We have an overloaded welfare system here in Madison as it is. Just come on down to Meadowood, I’ll drive you around Section 8-Food Stamp-social services land.
First and foremost the kids need to be cared for and federal aid would take care of all costs. The fact is they are here in the states and need the same humanity that any other child deserves. Most of them will not remain in the United States pending a review, and we can pony up the assistance until that time. I think the national GOP response to this matter is not one that serves the party well prior to the mid-terms…..this is not the face the GOP wants to advance as campaign fodder.