Ha Ha WTF?: Iowa Town Raffles Off Chance to Tase Official

Dunking booths are just too passe when it comes to fundraising for a new police cruiser.

Van Meter

The Atlantic's Citylab reports that the cash-strapped town of Van Meter, Iowa is selling $5.00 raffle tickets for the chance to apply a Taser to the city administrator or a town councilman (depending on who gets the most votes).

The city says it needs the money to replace a crashed patrol car.

"It's about fundraising," [Van Meter's police chief] says. "It's not about 'We've got to tase somebody.'"

What a relief. Indeed, the raffle winner can elect not to tase the unlucky official.

About 1,000 people live in the town, according to the Census, and it's unclear whether out-of-towners can buy raffle tickets.

If so, perhaps family members and friends of 540-plus people who have died after being tasered by U.S. police since 2001 will want to work out some anger issues on Van Meter's Jake Anderson or Bob Lacy.

Tasers are supposed to be (and in the vast majority of cases are) non-lethal, but it's clear that they can also cause serious injury and death (Taser International argues that these things only happen when cops misuse the device, which seems to be often).

I can appreciate the financial straits of Van Meter, but it seems to me that electroshocking a city official (or worse, not electroshocking a city official) is a pretty screwed up way of fundraising that not only trivializes local government but, more troublingly, police abuse.

In 2012, Reason TV asked "Who's Lethal?: Police or Tasers." Watch below.

Comments

[Rich]

Tasers are supposed to be (and in the vast majority of cases are) non-lethal, but it's clear that they can also cause serious injury and death

For the next fundraiser, $5.00 raffle tickets for the chance to apply a Russian-roulette revolver to the city administrator or a town councilman.

[Dark Lord of the wood chipper]

I think I just figured out how to fund the federal government without coercive taxation.

[Jay Dubya]

Vonus points if they tase his teeth or fingernails or something else equally excruciating.

[The Shrubber's Woodchipper]

'Set tasers to 'tingle.''

[Agammamon]

I would call this story amusing, but not outrageous.

[Brochettaward]

They are going to rig it.

Gillespie needs to stop pretending he is hip and with it.

[BigT]

Van Meter, Iowa. Formerly famous as birthplace of Bob Feller, now famous for another heater.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

"Give me my money, or I'll tase the city manager!"

"He's crazy! Do what he say, do what he say!"

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

Human sacrifice would raise a lot more money. Public officials don't quite fall into the "human" category though.

[Free Society]

I can appreciate the financial straits of Van Meter, but it seems to me that electroshocking a city official (or worse, not electroshocking a city official) is a pretty screwed up way of fundraising that not only trivializes local government but, more troublingly, police abuse.

To be more sensitive to victims of police abuse, perhaps instead the winner can shoot a pellet gun at the police chief as he walks a tight rope that's stretched over a row of woodchippers.

[Jayburd]

"To be more sensitive to victims of police abuse, perhaps instead the winner can shoot a pellet gun at the police chief as he walks a tight rope that's stretched over a row of woodchippers."

I'd 'chip in' for that.