Having festered for more than five months, a proposal to grant Madison workers paid sick leave is once again rearing its ugly head as it makes its way through the Madison Common Council.

The proposed ordinance, which would force local entrepreneurs to give employees a paid hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked, is yet another symptom of the Common Council's chronic lack of common sense.

Introduced by Ald. Austin King, District 8, and pushed by the euphemistic "Healthy Families, Healthy City Coalition," the mandatory sick-leave proposal embodies the mindset all too prevalent here in Planet Madison. The measure, especially given some of its backers, raises a few eyebrows — as any ordinance backed by SLAC and the Progressive Dane machine should.

Unfortunately, Madisonians have not been able to take a clear look at the thrust of the sick-leave mandate and see it for the ploy it is.

Sadly, an admittedly flawed study more than a month ago by NorthStar Economics has muddied the water surrounding the sick leave issue. The faulty analysis, which ultimately took issue with the proposal provided mandate backers with plenty of fodder. King and others attacked the study's credibility, impugning the motives of the Madison Chamber of Commerce. The attacks successfully distracted attention from the merits of the proposal and instead focused on the character of the opposition.

Regrettably, Mr. King and others have successfully wagged the dog, shifting the debate. Now, to combat the proposed proposal, opponents must first hurdle the NorthStar wreckage to defend against the Common Council's latest campaign in the war on business. As much as Austin King and Co. would have you think otherwise, one shoddy study does not mean the proposed ordinance is suddenly acceptable.

While the alders are undoubtedly motivated by good intentions, good intentions alone cannot justify the city sticking its nose where it does not belong. Businesses in the city proper are still reeling from the implementation of repressive policies like the smoking ban and inclusionary zoning.

For someone who whines when the state government doesn't respect home rule, Austin King is certainly an interesting figure to advocate micromanagement and the denial of local control at an even more fundamental level — that of the private-business owner. Capitalism, it seems, is a quaint notion in the enlightened minds of the alders. The arc of their recent actions shows a predilection for creeping socialism that reeks of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Instead of recognizing the difficulties small-business owners face in addressing mounting health-care costs, a group of alders has decided to pile additional restrictions on businesses. Such regulations impose rigidity on businesses precisely when they need more flexibility.

The scope of the legislation is particularly questionable. Even employees who work only 12 hours per week are eligible for the special benefit. While some individuals might work several small jobs, making business owners provide sick leave for such minimal output seems impractical. The ordinance's provisions, to be sure, would affect some breadwinners who work 25 hours or fewer per week. But the low threshold seems more likely to cover high school kids carrying out groceries.

Another important point, as Madison economist Tom Bozzo pointed out on his blog, is that many Madison businesses already provide leave, in the form of vacation and the like, sufficient to meet the requirements the law would demand. Some might see this as an argument for enacting the law.

It is not, however. Instead, it's an indication that the market can and does work by its own devices. By shoving rules down the throats of businesses, the alders dilute the very goals they seek to achieve, intruding where they should not.

Furthermore, while many were quick to bring out the guillotine following NorthStar's botched study, the ordinance's proponents have yet to produce a respectable study in defense of their proposal. Such a study is desperately needed, as a mandatory sick-leave policy is unprecedented in the state of Wisconsin.

At introduction, the mandate legislation had nine alders behind it. The support of 11 alders is necessary for the bill to become law. Even if two more alders emerge from the woodwork, Mayor Dave retains the right to veto.

While the future of the sick-leave mandate is still up in the air, it is encouraging to note that the legislation did not get railroaded through immediately following its introduction. Thankfully, some people on the council rightly recognize King's proposal as a political tool designed primarily to play on "progressive" notions and bolster his chances of attaining higher office.

The proposed ordinance is not about sick people. It's a panacea, a cure-all elixir. Austin King is just peddling snake oil. Don't buy it.

Brad Vogel ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in political science and journalism.