Mayor Kabat opts to bypass Human Rights Commission in addressing discrimination complaints

Sending complaints to federal regulators will be more efficient 

There is nothing sinister about a new plan to bypass the La Crosse Human Rights Commission in addressing some discrimination complaints.

La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat wants those complaints to bypass his commission and go instead to state and federal regulators, which regulate the authority.

Kabat believes that’s much more efficient.

“It makes more sense to have those complaints directed right to the source, as far as getting them resolved,” Kabat said.

Since the housing authority is funded by the feds, chances are any discrimination complaints would wind up there anyway.

“I think we’re seeing a greater number of complaints here,” Kabat said. “We want to try and address those as quickly as possible, and I think, rather than having more steps, to have fewer steps just makes more sense to me.”

Kabat agrees that there simply be more housing complaints because the relatively new human rights group empowers people to make those complaints.

Kabat was the genesis behind the Human Rights Commission. He says it wasn’t his intention to undercut the group’s work in addressing other discrimination issues.