From the Associated Press. Thanks to IPR reader “ATM” for contacting us with the news.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin lawmaker was arrested on charges of drunken driving and marijuana possession after smashing his car into a highway sign and a snowbank, according to a report released Monday.
State Rep. Jeffrey Wood apologized Monday for acting irresponsibly, saying there was “no excuse for my actions.”
A truck driver reported Wood to police after watching his vehicle weave for several miles on an interstate highway. Wood’s car then went airborne and smashed into a caution sign and a snowbank before returning to the road, the report said.
He was arrested early Friday in south-central Wisconsin, far from the northwestern district he represents in Bloomer. His blood-alcohol content was nearly twice the legal limit, the report said.
Wood told WAYY radio in Eau Claire that he had no plans to step down.
He also told the station how marijuana ended up in his car: “Somebody offered me some and I took it, and for whatever stupid reason got in my car and decided to drive home.”
Wood was elected to the Wisconsin Assembly in 2002 as a Republican but quit the GOP this year and was re-elected as an independent.
He is due in court next month.
ATM writes:
Wisconsin’s only independent state legislator in 70 years, Jeff Wood, got busted for driving drunk with a .15 BAC and marijuana and other drug paraphernalia in the car. He would have been chair of Ways and Means by caucusing with the Dems but has now resigned this chair. At this point, he is not resigning his seat.
I knew a Wisconsinite who was a superb driver aftr a sixpack. Scientists call it” state-dependent learning” if you get good with practice doing something while on drugs. They sent drunk rats down treadmills a lot to demonstrate the phenomenon.
Anyhow, this’s awfully sobering news. I’m glad he’s ok.
““Public safety†has no rights.”
Libertarian Joe is GE’s other account?
He quit the GOP. You can’t get elected on a Third party ticket, unless you are a celebrity or a millionaire, or both.
If he’s with the LP, then, why in hell is he an elected indie?
Wood is a member of the LPWI and supported both Ed Thompson and Ron Paul.
Mike:
“Your attitude seems to be that I should be able to walk down the center of a mall firing a gun indiscriminately and that I’m not doing anything wrong provided that I don’t hit anyone.”
The mall’s owner wouldn’t like you doing that. You would be liable for damages.
Can a nation perform naval exercises just outside a country’s waters? Yes. So, why not the same for individuals? You might get scared, but that’s not a crime.
You need to post a manifesto, CT. I’m curious
The Catholic Trotskyist Party also supports and agrees with Libertarian Joseph and GE about the abolition of traffic laws and drunk driving laws. Drinking alcohol is an important part of both Catholicism and communism, and it is most likely that the traffic laws don’t significantly decrease the amounts of accidents. People should be punished if they hit someone, but if they don’t, it doesn’t matter. Drug laws should also be overturned.
On the other hand, this scandal over independent Jeff Wood will definitely punish the independent/third party movement, and will lead to a consolidation of the two-party system.
Does anyone know why Wood quit the GOP? Was he a Ron Paul supporter?
Wisconsin has one of the lowest highway death rates in the nation, but the highest drinking rate.
That’s because most drunk driving accidents are caused by seasonal or occassional drinkers, those with low tolerance. Wood falls into that catagory, he hardly ever drinks, and the booze affected his brain.
I ain’t no scholar.
🙂
Pacem en Terris
You’re signature doesn’t have the right grammar, Steven! Therefore, you’re wrong.
Most traffic deaths are caused by sober drivers. I can assure you that dead people don’t care whether the driver was sober or drunk.
That said, we can lay to rest the notion that Dr. Kevin Barrett the complaints of Barrett’s critics. Like Bob Barr, Libertarian Jeff Wood blew it, and he is a friend of mine.
Am I agreeing with LJ??
Not unless you think getting fucked up and driving is “living your life to the fullest,” or that I am a syndicalist or fascist of some sort.
His behavior endangered PUBLIC safety. Your attitude seems to be that I should be able to walk down the center of a mall firing a gun indiscriminately and that I’m not doing anything wrong provided that I don’t hit anyone.
This analogy is ludicrous. The mall owner might have a problem with bullet holes in the ceiling of his mall. He might also have a problem with loud frightening noises disrupting his Christmas sales season.
OTOH, there are a lot of reasons why a person should not be behind the wheel, lack of sleep or medical problems come to mind.
It is nobodies business, except possibly the legislators insurance company, what substance was found in his car. Or what his level of sobriety was.
Under any libertarian model I have ever seen discussed, the legislator is responsible for his actions, however. It doesn’t matter if he had a heart attack or was sleepy or was drunker than a skunk. He is responsible for any damages.
The legislator (and his insurance company) should be held responsible for hitting the sign, and should pay to replace it.
egad. Am I agreeing with LJ??
Pacem en Terris
I agree with you, GE. It’s ok, I’m just opposed to it being centrally planned by regulators
BTW: I think speeding laws are some of the “best” laws in terms of undermining the legitimacy of the state. No one follows them. Everyone knows that what the state says isn’t the REAL speeding limit; it’s what the state says +5 or 10. The negative is that this also leads to a disrespect for legitimate laws, i.e. ones protecting life and property.
LJ: I wasn’t disagreeing with you. Personally, I’d prefer roads with an anti-intoxicated use policy, but that should be set by the market, not by communist central planners.
having to be limited by speed limitations and outdated transportation technology, the damage to the economy has been in the trillions
Private owners could… but it isn’t like he hurt anyone. Why should you respect public speeding laws? If he wants to slap the state in the face, all the power to him.
The owners of private roads would be well within their rights to prohibit drinking and driving. As it is, it is a statist non-crime; an opinion crime.
“Public safety” has no rights.
Perhaps the free market risk would lead to innovation in car safety. You statists never learn
I met many libertarians [most] that oppose speed laws. You’re just an ignorant nanny stater
Joseph, seriously. You’re an ass.
His behavior endangered PUBLIC safety. Your attitude seems to be that I should be able to walk down the center of a mall firing a gun indiscriminately and that I’m not doing anything wrong provided that I don’t hit anyone.
That’s moronic.
I could care less about this guy drinking or smoking pot. That’s his right, as far as I’m concerned. He’s only affecting himself.
But when you get drunk or high and get behind the wheel of a car, you’re putting other people in danger. You could very easily destroy someone else’s property, if not their body or their loved one.
Saying that we shouldn’t have laws against this sort of thing isn’t libertarian or anarchist.
It’s simply lunacy. And you’re a troll. Buzz off.
Thwen you would be mistakened. I am a libertarian, in fact, I’m an anarchist.
Paulie, however, is an anarcho-syndicalist aka fascist
It seems like your first guess might be right.
I guess freedom is not popular here. It should be a crime to smoke weed and drive recklessly? He didn’t hit anyone.
What is wrong with you, seriously?
My current guess? Anti-libertarian troll here to make libertarians look thoughtless and moronic.
But it might just be congenital – some combination of multi-generational fetal alcohol syndrome and being repeatedly dribbled head first like a basketball by his parents when he was a baby while chewing on lead paint chips and glue. I don’t know, your guess is as good as mine.
Why are you so opposed to freedom? tyrant
What is wrong with you, seriously?
Why did he apologize? He was living his life to the fullest, nothing wrong with that.
What a jerk.