The Other Sheriff Dave

We have grown accustomed to the controversy raging in the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s office where David A. Clarke, Jr. has proven himself to be a lighting rod of dissent, especially with the deputies he rules with a whim of iron.

There is another Sheriff Dave just two counties to the south, in Kenosha, and he is facing a rematch with former sheriff Larry Zarletti, whom he beat in 2002. The race was a rather hot one then, and some of the issues raised bear revisiting today.

Sheriff David Beth is an actual Republican, unlike his Milwaukee counterpart who simply walks and talks like one. Zarletti, the former sheriff, is an actual registered Democratic party member, something Milwaukee County’s chief law enforcement officer could never bring himself to be.

But, just as in the case of Milwaukee’s sheriff, the issues are more personal than partisan, and it is instructive to review a few elements of Beth’s 2002 campaign against Zarletti. Beth made a number of allegations about Zarletti that would be hard for any office holder to counter. For example, “Dave’s Top 10 List as Sheriff” says he would not “perpetuate the air of intimidation at the sheriff’s department.” That is a rather broad statement, to be sure.

However, Beth made a couple of other, more easily quantifiable claims about what the voters might expect during his tenure. With hindsight as our handmaiden, Milwaukeeworld made a public records request to the Sheriff’s office to see how well his words matched his deeds, four years later.

Sheriff Swathed in Luxurious Fabrics at Taxpayer Expense

Beth told the voters he would not “spend $1000 on each uniform for myself at the taxpayer’s expense.” Indeed, he did not. Sheriff Beth spent $1,199.95 on his regalia – 20 percent more than $1000. His finery includes a $40.95 long sleeve white shirt, and a $38.95 short sleeve shirt in a luxurious 65% Dacron / 35% Rayon blend. (The sheriff wears a 16-1/2 inch collar and a 34 inch sleeve.)

His “blouse” (that’s what the receipt from Badger Uniforms calls it) is “Brown Elastique” “with notch lapel, 4 button front, 2 button cuff, center vent, pleated breast pockets w/ scalloped flaps – hip scalloped only – epaulets – no belt hooks.” The taxpayers shelled out $315 for that bit of foppery.

The sheriff’s trousers are also of the favored “Brown Elastique” with “1/4 top pockets – button-thru left rear pkt – 1”x2” loops No Stripe – Waist 35 – Seat 42 – Inseam 29-1/2.” A steal, at $95. Taxpayers paid $323.45 for a series of badges with the sheriff’s name in black, and the Kenosha county seal in full color. In fact, there are numerous purchases of the sheriff’s name in all sorts of badges ($42.95), pins ($69.50) and pocket slides. About the only things not embroidered on Beth’s person are his shoes – “Men’s high gloss Oxford Black 10-1/2 D” ($69.95)

Fever for Salary Freeze Cools

The matter of wardrobe aside, the sheriff made some claims while he was running to “’cut’ [the] sheriff’s salary to save taxpayers money,” as he said in a campaign advertisement.

He elaborated on this in an interview in the Kenosha News. “Beth said not only would he refuse the increase if elected, he would slash the pay so that it was closer to what he earns as a deputy. Last year Beth made $58,420, including more than $10,000 in overtime pay.

“Beth, who said he plans to hit on budget shortfalls in his campaign, has not yet settled on the exact figure he would accept if elected.

“’I’d like to make a little more (than a deputy) because I have to campaign,’ he said. ‘I have to pay that back.’”

The “Payback”

In fact, the record does not show a salary “cut” for Sheriff Beth. His 2003 salary of $78,139 was, in fact, a 2 percent increase from Zarletti’s 2002 salary. He was content with that amount through 2004. His 2005 salary of $79,398 was a 2 percent increase from 2004, and is the same amount he receives this year. Since taking office, he has pocketed some $80,000 that he implied would have been returned to the taxpayers. That money could have bought orange “elastique” jumpsuits for every prisoner in the county, along with any number of badges and pins.

Although 2 percent raises every other year seem modest, it should be remembered that Beth slammed Zarletti for taking a virtually identical 1 percent annual raise during his term. At the time, Zarletti called Beth’s salary-reduction claim “grandstanding” and a “political ploy.” The verdict of history will prove him right in this case.

“He’s going to need to find something more substantial than that to run on,” Zarletti said about Beth in 2002, using words that echo today.

[Note: additional records from the Kenosha Sheriff’s Department have just been released to milwaukeeworld today. Another report will follow. Did David Beth keep his promise to not “have two county owned cell phones & a pager at the taxpayer’s expense”? Who has pagers nowadays, anyway? – Ed.]

This article was originally published by Milwaukee World.