New Berlin Stumble - - Ramifications Elsewhere

New Berlin, I predict, is in a world of hurt unless it can figure out a way to keep a housing plan on track where units were pegged to working people otherwise priced out of most other housing there.

The city gets dinged by bad press and created for itself a reputation for intolerance.

And the message to the rest of the region is - - you lower-income people (many of whom will be minorities) - - stay out.

Meaning, in large measure, stay in Milwaukee.

To Milwaukee, which agreed in 2008 to sell water to New Berlin after the smaller suburban Waukesha city made pledges of cooperation on the larger socio-economic issues in the area, it's a complete slap in the face.

Will we hear from the regional collaborative M7 on this situation? Or see some big-picture leadership?

I doubt it.

Or from the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, out in the bunker in Pewaukee, only now writing its first set of housing recommendations for the region - - including all of Waukesha County - - since Gerald Ford was President?

Don't make me laugh?

Milwaukee's city leaders will surely keep the New Berlin situation in mind as Waukesha approaches Milwaukee for an even larger water deal.

And has plans to send that water into a large area of open space to its west and south, including portions of three other municipalities, where workforce housing is certainly not on the drawing board.

So what will Waukesha's commitment be, post- New Berlin, to the issues laid out as conditions for water sales in Milwaukee's controlling Commoun Council resolution. Text here.

I know New Berlin and Waukesha are different cities, so I am avoiding too big a generalization.

But remember: Milwaukee aldermen - - I recall Ald. Wade, for example - - justifying the New Berlin water deal because it was an existing customer, with a record of relationships that bode well for the future connections between the two cities.

Doesn't look that way, today - - so I expect that some of the fallout here is that New Berlin has just made Waukesha's problematic road to Milwaukee water even harder.