Wisconsin Reading

City Will Borrow For Police Settlement
Six Reasons To Eliminate Wisconsin's Costly, Ineffective Manufacturing Tax Credit
Latest WEDC Audit Finds Gap Between Jobs Pledged And Jobs Produced
$5 Million Proposed For Milwaukee Streetcar Plaza Near Convention Center
River Falls Plans To Remove Dams And Restore It Rapids. Will Minneapolis And St. Paul Be Next?
Stung By Trump's Trade Wars, Wisconsin's Milk Farmers Face Extinction
Wisconsin's Economic Development Corporation Gave Taxpayer Funds To Businesses That Created Jobs In Other States, Audit Finds

Wisconsin Reading

The Incoherence Of Scott Walker
Milwaukee County On A Crash Course
Scott Walker's Economic Record In Wisconsin: Nothing To Brag About
New Development Plans For Streetcar
Who Pays In Wisconsin? Not The Rich, Unlike Minnesota
For Some Wisconsin Voters, Road Quality Is A Major Concern
State Jobs Agency Still A Failure
Schimel Suit Cost Workers $23 Million
Rewarding Corporations That Cut Jobs
WEDC, Foxconn And The Need For The Return Of Good Government In Wisconsin
New Memo On "Big Giveaway" To Rich Makes Evers Plans Look Even Better

Wisconsin Reading

Wisconsin Ranked 29th In Job Growth During 2nd Quarter
Should Milwaukee Annex Part Of Racine County For Foxconn-Related Housing?
Hey, Scott Walker: I Have A Few Ideas About Why Millennials Don't Want To Live In Wisconsin
Foxconn Subsidy Now Exceeds $4 Billion
Seattle Adds People Without Adding Traffic

Is This Amateur Hour?

Never one to miss the latest cause celebre, Alderman Zielinski calls for city employees to undergo sexual harassment training.

Speaking informatively and passionately about public safety and harassment are worthy, just and necessary endeavors.

Using these topics to gain yourself attention and to score some political points is not mayoral. Every idea you think of and every policy you develop doesn't need to be covered in the local paper or webzine. As an alderman, you should want to do the best for your constituents everyday, no matter who notices. If your body of work is commendable, it speaks for itself.

It's a great idea, as an Alderman, to say " Hey, let's have each department do a refresher on what is expected in the workplace and what anti-harassment policies and procedures are in place."

But, instead, to introduce this directly after announcing a your mayoral intentions, to seemingly bring attention to yourself more so than to the issue, reeks of self-centered opportunism.

For Further Reading:

Streetcars, Safety and Hucksters
Safety, Guns and Opportunists
Streetcar or Safety

Quit Playin' Games

As I surmised back in June, one of "The Backdrop Boys," Tony Zielinski is planning on challenging Tom Barrett for mayor.

For Further Reading:

Streetcars, Safety and Hucksters
Safety, Guns and Opportunists
Streetcar or Safety

Weekend Reading

Another Budget Trick From Lyin Ryan And Company
What Red States Are Passing Up As Blue States Get Billions
More Guns Do Not Stop More Crimes...Why Do So Many Americans Believe The Opposite?
The Theory Behind Trump's Tax Cuts Is Exactly What Gave Us The Failed Bush Economy
Gov. Walker Endorses The Federal Tax Scam That Favors The Rich
Making America More Like Scandinavia
Who Wants To Market The Streetcar?
Don't Be Fooled By GOP Tax Reform Promises
Milwaukee's Riverwalk Earns Prestigious International Award
What More Evidence Of Collusion Do You Need?
Slippery Scott Is At It Again
GOP Bill Cuts Taxes For Private Jet Owners, Hikes Taxes On Students

Statement From Chief of Staff Patrick Curley

“Attempting to toss aside 100 years of good government and progressive policies is absurd. As Alderman Borkowski said, the file to gut the citizen member Fire and Police Commission powers was for show. I understand why Alds. Zielinski and Borkowski want to put on a show at a time the City needs to address an $83 million pension payment and escalating salaries and budgets for public safety. As members of the County Board they both voted for the infamous county pension backdrops that have cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. The last thing these two backdrop boys want to do is take on another pension issue, do their jobs and protect the taxpayers. Putting on a show is so much easier.” [source]

Streetcars, Safety and Hucksters

Constituents of City of Milwaukee Alderman Tony Zielinski may want to read his recent bloviating regarding the Mayor’s 2018 City of Milwaukee Budget.

He’s wholeheartedly opposed to the City’s streetcar project. Yet, and this shows his desperation to develop a coherent rebuttal, Zielinski is presenting this as a choice between either funding the streetcar project or eliminating some police and fire fighter positions.

Because that’s the only two choices we have as a City – streetcars or safety? More appropriately, it’s a safe political road to getting Zielinski some attention – playing off the misplaced fears of citizens to continually funnel more and more money to police and militaristic options. 

For some context, Wisconsin has spent over a billion dollars on new stadiums for the Brewers, Bucks and Packers in the last decade. Private sport structures whose benefits go to their private owners. The State and the City has also doled out millions in subsidies to businesses for years and years.

But here comes Zielinski with numerous press releases condemning the Mayor and the streetcar.

Where were all of Zielinksi’s press releases condemning the millions of dollars in giveaways to stadiums, developers and other corporate interests?

Milwaukee is spending $128 million on a streetcar to be used by residents, tourists and businesses.

How is this a waste?

Every other major city has some sort of streetcar, light rail or similar. So, it seems more like Milwaukee is behind the curve as far as what businesses and workers want in amenities and infrastructure. Local infrastructure is what creates jobs and draws businesses, residents and tourists.

As an alderman supposedly so concerned with constituents’ tax dollars being spent efficiently, how much of the entire Milwaukee budget does Mr. Zielinksi want going to police and fire?

As Bruce Murphy highlighted in a recent article, “In 2004, when Barrett started as mayor, the police and fire budget represented 62.7 percent of the city’s combined shared revenue and property tax levy; by 2017 the police and fire budget accounted for 87.7 percent. Increasingly, it’s become difficult for the city to pay for anything but police and fire services…Today, police and fire workers account for 77 percent of all taxpayer contributions to city employee pensions.”

So, Mr. Zielinski, how much more of the City of Milwaukee budget should go to just police officers and fire fighters?

How much more do we need to spend on public safety Mr. Zielinksi? How many police officers does Milwaukee need? Let’s see the numbers. Let’s see your analysis. How are you arriving at your conclusions?

Milwaukee has 42 police employees for every 10,000 people in the City of Milwaukee. Ranking Milwaukee 14th in the U.S. The average in the U.S. for cities with a population over 500,000 is 24 police employees for every 10,000 people. The population of the City of Milwaukee ranks 30th among the 100 largest cities in America.

Milwaukee already has almost twice as many police employees as other similar-sized cities.

To pretend to be concerned about the budget or to present this as acting fiscally responsible is deceitful. Just like when federal politicians complain about the federal budget while simultaneously pumping more money into the Pentagon. For Zielinski to talk of City budget woes, yet he wants to throw more money at the two most heavily-funded departments, he cannot be taken seriously.

Maybe if we focused more on infrastructure to attract businesses we could create more jobs, alleviating some of the poverty and inequality in Milwaukee and, thus, reducing the need to spend a majority of the City of Milwaukee budget on police officers.

As City of Milwaukee resident who voted for Zielinski as my representative, I am extremely disappointed by his position. It is incredibly short-sighted.

Maybe Tony should do some reading about urban infrastructure, transit, connectivity and smart growth. Does Mr. Zielinksi not realize that his Bay View neighborhood benefits from the growth in downtown Milwaukee? Does he not understand that the construction, new restaurants and positive developments occurring in Bay View are related to the boom that is taking place in downtown Milwaukee? It’s partially because of the FIRE industries located in the downtown, where many Bay View residents work, that Bay View residents have the disposable income to spend on bars, restaurants and other attractions. (Not to mention all the workers involved in the construction and/or renovation of these projects.) To hamper the streetcar, and thus the potential and attractiveness of the downtown, is to hamper Bay View. The investment in the streetcar is an investment in all of Milwaukee, including Bay View.

To start, the streetcar will connect the downtown – its employment centers, the lakefront and the major attractions (Summerfest, Art Museum, the Bucks arena, etc.). Hopefully, if Milwaukee can be as forward thinking as every other city its size, we will expand the system…connecting to Miller Park, UWM, Marquette and Mitchell airport, to name a few.

Zielinski’s latest press release - October 2, 2017 - proposed eliminating $208,000 for two streetcar management positions and instead moving that money to police officer positions. Since police officers average around $65,000 per year, this would equate to roughly three police officer positions. Which, of course, makes no sense. Are these just political ploys to introduce Zielinski to a wider audience within the City for a possible mayoral run? Plus, eliminating management from the streetcar only burdens its potential. Citizens, businesses and tourists will benefit from a well-run streetcar.

The City of Milwaukee has made repeated cuts to other departments and vital community services while, up to this point, leaving untouched the fire and police department. This cannot continue. Should the Mayor continue to allow the police and fire departments to strong-arm the City of Milwaukee budget? Why should every other department, worker, and/or project continue to accept less, while the police officers and fire fighters continue to get more and more?

The Mayor is functioning with less and less. And, in the face of such adversity, his budget seems practical and reasonable.

Where were Zielinski's press releases when other vital departments’ budgets were being cut and their employees were getting furloughs, laid-off, not getting raises, paying more for health care and contributing more to retirement? Was he bashing the Mayor then for not funding those departments? Other departments’ budgets haven't seen increases in years, many have seen cuts, yet the police and fire fighters keep getting theirs. They always do. And that’s why they take up 88% of the entire budget!

Zielinski's comments and position on the streetcar should definitely be in the forefront of his constituents' minds during his next re-election campaign. His short-sighted outlook will have negative long-term consequences for Bay View, Milwaukee and the citizens.

For Further Reading:
Infrastructure Financing Options for Transit-Oriented Development
Measuring Benefits of Transit-Oriented Development
Impact of Transit Cuts On Access To Jobs In Metropolitan Milwaukee
Light Rail In Milwaukee: An Analysis Of The Potential Impact On Economic Development
Strategic Value Creation In Infrastructure Projects
Why America's Public Transportation Is Crumbling

Aside:
Alderman Zielinski has just released yet another press release.

A driver ran a red light the other day and killed a woman and her daughter. The accident is terribly saddening (any avoidable accident such as this always is).

Zielinski is now demanding city-wide installation of red-light cameras.

Here, again, we have a situation that will cost the taxpayers money. The red-light cameras will need to be purchased, installed, monitored, repaired and occasionally upgraded.

I'm not against such technology. I'm just saying, this, too, costs money.

For Zielinski, the money spent on cameras would be fine. But spending on a streetcar, which would also benefit local citizens, is too much. Even though a streetcar would mean less people having to drive and, thus, less people possibly blowing through red lights.

It should also be noted that red-light cameras will not prevent accidents. They don't stop cars that have gone through red lights. If you're not noticing the red light and blowing through it, you're also not going to notice the camera.

Streetcar Or Safety

Looks like Milwaukee Alderman Tony Zielinkski might be setting himself up as a challenger in a run to be the Mayor of Milwaukee.

Current Mayor Tom Barrett recently announced he might have to eliminate some safety-worker positions (police officers, firefighters,nurses, code inspectors) due to budgetary constraints.

Zielinkski immediately ridiculed the Mayor, saying even mentioning the possibility of cutting positions as "reckless" and "unreasonable".

Zielinkski framed the discussion as being between keeping the positions and building the streetcar. Because those are the only two budgetary choices that can be made - keep safety positions or build a streetcar?

And, just for some context, Wisconsin has spent over a billion dollars on new stadiums for the Brewers, Bucks and Packers in the last decade. Private sport structures whose benefits go to their private owners. But Milwaukee spending $128 million on a streetcar to be used by residents, tourists and businesses is a waste?

Barrett, himself, even stated that cutting those positions is not what he wants. But sometimes, as Mayor, you have to make choices that won't please everyone.

I get that the streetcar is a bit of a lightning rod and certain persons with access to the media love to pile on about what a waste the streetcar is. Although every other major city has some sort of streetcar, light rail or similar. So, it seems more like, as usual, Milwaukee is behind the curve as far as what businesses and workers want in amenities and infrastructure. Local infrastructure is what creates jobs and draws businesses, residents and tourists.

In our current police-state era, funding for defense/police/safety can never be diminished. More officers and more guns, always. In 2013, 59% of the City of Milwaukee budget went to just the police (41%) and fire (18%) departments.

We've been doing this for decades now, it hasn't worked. To keep funding this imaginary, more-cops-is-the-answer paradigm, is simply throwing away money. Why, when it comes to defense or safety, is there no limit on the amount of people needed or the amount of money that should be spent? At the local, state and federal level, America's defense/safety budgets dwarf those of other nations. Yet, we're no safer. What is all this money being spent on? Seems like there is obviously a lot of efficiency that can be made.

The Police Association's President Michael Crivello stated, "We're going to do everything to keep this community safe, but we won't be as effective as we otherwise would be should we be properly staffed."  How is this quantified? What does "properly staffed" mean? What metrics is the Association using to determine safety, effectiveness, staffing, etc.?

Maybe we do need to keep the positions. But using fear and emotion to guide a decision is definitely not how policy should be made.

We should start by making a more scientific basis for these discussions and decisions. Platitudes and bumper-sticker slogans sound great, but they typically don't have the nuance and depth required for good public policy.

We could remove some exemptions, raise the local sales tax, add fees for certain services, collect more taxes, provide less incentives to private developers and businesses, and on and on. There are numerous ways fund the many services we all count on from our local government.

The saddest thing is that this is being pitted as a streetcar versus safety debate. It shouldn't be. These are not the only choices.

Midweek Reading

How Much Does Gov. Scott Walker Affect The Wisconsin Economy? Less Than You Might Think
Why Is CEO Pay Still Soaring?
The $400 Million, Pension Problem
These 8 U.S. Streetcar Projects Could Break Ground By 2020
Labor's Declining Share: A Primer
Discrimination Is Not De Facto
Tackling The 'Nastiest, Hardest Problem In Finance'
How Conservatives Betrayed Virtue For Donald Trump
Want To Fix The Budget? Collect Taxes
Trump And Congress Are About To Ruin America's $220 Billion Economic Secret Weapon

Wisconsin Reading

Amid 1,000 Layoffs In Wisconsin, Scott Walker Gets No Love From U.S. Chamber 

Other critics, though, say the job cuts suggest that waging war on public-sector worker unions, cutting funding for public education and proclaiming the state “open for business” won’t magically turn Wisconsin into a new economy powerhouse. 

“What it says to me is that political rhetoric is irrelevant,” says Jack Norman, past research director at the Institute for Wisconsin’s Future. 

Norman says companies make hiring and other decisions based on demand for their products and whether they can do business better in a different location. The effect of government policies is somewhere on the fringe, he says. 

On the other hand, Norman says one could argue the cuts to public worker take-home pay and other cost-savings measures under Walker have actually made Wisconsin’s economy worse. Here is a graphic showing job growth in Wisconsin before and after he took office. 

“I think we’re seeing a local version of the austerity vs. investment debate going on across the capitalist world,” says Norman. “And right now, some countries are getting rid of their austerity policies because they aren’t working.” 

Wisconsin Business Tax Burden Ranked No. 35

Just Follow The Streetcar Track Of Money

Republicans Move To Kill Milwaukee Streetcar

Light rail from downtown Milwaukee to Waukesha? Republicans at the state killed it. 

Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee (KRM) commuter rail? Republicans at the state killed it. 

Extending the Amtrak Hiawatha Service to Madison at 110 mph (with stops in Brookfield and Watertown)? Republicans at the state killed it. 

Building a maintenance base for trainsets the state had already purchased from Talgo? Republicans at the state killed it. 

Rebuilding the train shed at Milwaukee Intermodal Station? Republicans rejected federal funds to fix the non-ADA compliant shed and are now left with a situation that will cost Wisconsinites millions. 

A streetcar starter system in downtown Milwaukee? Republicans killed it. 

The common link? All the projects were proposed by Democrats, had a presence in the City of Milwaukee, and involved steel wheels on steel rails. 

Since becoming Governor in 2010, Scott Walker will have effectively rejected over $1 billion in federal money for rail transportation projects. The loss of high-speed rail funds to connect Chicago, Madison, and Milwaukee represent $823 million. The KRM funds would have beenat least $140 million. Assuming Walker (who has made clear his opposition to the Milwaukee streetcar) ultimately supports the amendment proposed by the Joint Finance Committee, he will also be rejecting $54.9 million for the Milwaukee Streetcar, which is the last of a $289 million 1991 federal grant.

In Rail-Free Wisconsin, More Good News Selling-Points

Alternatives Offered To Gov. Scott Walker's Proposal To End Residency Rules

The Fiscal Bureau reports that case law is on the side of Milwaukee on the subject of residency, noting that the U.S. Supreme Court and various state courts "have tended to uphold the constitutionality of the municipal residency requirements, generally siding with the public interests of governments and its policy reasons for such requirements."

State Budget Panel OKs Residency Rule Based On Distance

Sweeping aside a 75-year-old City of Milwaukee residency ordinance and others like it, Republicans on the Legislature's budget committee voted Thursday to allow police and firefighters to live at least 15 miles outside of any community in the state and bar utility ratepayers from having to bear any costs for a proposed streetcar in the city - potentially killing the project. 

On several votes Thursday, the Joint Finance Committee loaded up the state budget with policy items that had little to do with Wisconsin's finances. Many of the other policy items also limited the powers of local governments, such as a measure barring them from regulating the size of sodas.

GOP fakes up a controversy over the UW system's financial reserves

Opposition Group Zones In On Walmart's New Berlin Plans (Other Walmart reading: 1, 2, 3, 4)

The Facts Are In And Paul Ryan Is Wrong

Boundless Republican Delusion

I continue to be amused by all of Scott Walker's talk of job creation. In a recent Journal Sentinel article, Walker drones on about his bold moves, his concern with economic development and job creation, how he wants everyone to get along, how he never points fingers, his opposition to the Milwaukee streetcar and an assault weapons ban, and how Milwaukee will eventually thank him for his visionary work.

"I'm a friend of the taxpayers, I'm a friend of the people, I'm a friend of the job creators," Walker said during a wide-ranging interview with Journal Sentinel editors and reporters. He added that even though he is not aligned politically with some city leaders, "in the end, the people in Milwaukee will fare better because of my tenure as governor, hands down."

He added, "I'd spend more time focusing on helping develop jobs and improving the (economic) climate, streamline the processes, as opposed to picking battles at either the state or federal level . . . finding ways to invest particularly in corridors where there is high unemployment."

Luckily, Patrick Curley, the Mayor's chief of staff, was able to respond:

Barrett did not respond to a request for comment, but Patrick Curley, his chief of staff, issued a statement. Curley said he was happy to hear the governor was in Milwaukee, adding that he hoped Walker had toured the Amani, Metcalfe Park and Washington Park neighborhoods. Those three north side neighborhoods have been hit hard by the foreclosure crisis and violent crime.

"There he would see neighborhoods hit hard by foreclosures, an issue he continues to ignore," Curley said. 

"It would have been great if he had gone a bit further north to see the old Tower Automotive site (where the Talgo train factory sits) because that's an area that we have invested millions in and would certainly appreciate an infusion of his promised Transform Milwaukee funds."

Yes, I'm sure Milwaukee is very happy that Walker has diverted federal funds for foreclosure to the general account so Walker can spend it as he wants rather than on what the money was intended for - foreclosures. Walker's refusal of other federal funding, which killed millions in investment and has caused the train manufacturer Talgo to leave town (and they're also suing the state), also doesn't bode well for jobs and economic development. And, don't forget the millions in state aid that has been stripped from Milwaukee in Walker's recent budgets. Sure, what better way to ignite growth than to cut the economic engine of the state - Milwaukee - off at the knees.

In Wisconsin, we've actually seen jobs leaving, millions in disinvestment, and some of the worst job growth among all the states. But, for Walker, this is streamlining processes and improving the economic climate and quality of life. Yes, because when the opposite of what you claimed was supposed to happen is happening, Walker thinks his plan is still on track, things are going as planned, and the people will be thankful. Republican delusion has no bounds.

A Streetcar Named Insufficient

This is a nice start, but why not just begin with a light-rail system. Come on! Let's be bold. This is no time for trepidation. We need leaders willing to take on vested interests and get big projects done for the sake of our citizens (creating jobs) and our region's future (competitive infrastructure).