Saturday, December 29, 2012

Water Business Group Disses Milwaukee

Remember the Milwaukee Water Council, the business booster group that touted the region and which city officials helped to acquire a sweet piece of land near the Harley-Davidson Museum for an office park and showcase world headquarters?

All to enhance our opportunities as a water hub and help give Milwaukee a cutting-edge, fresh, clean and green brand?

Well, you can call it just the Milwaukee Water Council now. Break out your bowling shirts and bring back Laverne and Shirley, aina:

The Milwaukee Water Council, the trade group that aims to coax new jobs and investment from the water technology industries of southeastern Wisconsin and change the region's rust belt image in the process, quietly has dropped the word "Milwaukee" from its formal name.
...the work of the Water Council has become global in its nature and the organization wants to jettison anything that smacks of provincialism, [Executive Director Dean] Amhaus said.

13 comments:

Say What? said...

It's an interesting rebrand so to speak. So a google search will reveal that it's located in Milwaukee Wisconsin. The Water Council. WTF is that? So they search. Look if Lake Michigan keeps drying up it won't matter.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the striking irony of Milwaukee's solution to regional water management issues in an old school methodology of running pipes from Lake Michigan to other communities. I believe this non-solution solution had some influence in this decision.

You cannot claim to have world class technology based businesses for communities dealing with "future water shortages" such as Waukesha and hide the fact of this is how we do it here in our own back yard.

Smart move by the organization.

Carlos said...

Water is becoming a real issue to American farmers - while the Chinese are buying up water. Some crops consume too much, like cotton - while others, like hemp, which was grown in Wisconsin and most other states, and used for the first US flag - consume much less - and less pesticides to boot. Wisconsin farmers could bendfit much from hemp - already, Canadian farmers are reapding $100 million from it - so with all this in mind, there is a petition about it to the White House, up at www.minawear.com/about-us/
For more info on hemp check out www.hempforvictory.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Anon above has it wrong -- when the stink of John Doe finally hits Walker and the truth be known about the depravity and extent of his theft from Milwaukee County so that the media would fraudulently hoist him onto the national stage as a "rock star", groups that largely consist of right-wing corporate welfare hacks and pay-for-play will all drip Milwaukee from their names.

The new budget comes into the DA's office in a few days, so indictments are coming.

Walker may hope all he wants. Dan Bice can proclaim it "dead as a doornail". But eventually we are going to find out WHO'S JOHN DOE!

And then we will see fundraising activities for his criminal defense fund really pick up -- make the recall election money-grab look like a child's lemonade stand.

Or should I have said a KOCH SALE!

Anonymous said...

Anon 4:16 -

What does your rant have to do with the Water Council?

Say What? said...

@anon - WALKER IS DEFINED BY WAUKESHA

Anonymous said...

Ummm...Governor Walker is for a Lake Michigan water supply to Waukesha.
Still not at all sure what the rant is relative to the post.

Anonymous said...

Anon

If you can't connect walker, waukesha, and the hacks selling water. I will key this real slow so you might understand or at least be able to furrow your brows and squint, pretending to do so:

walker will need and endless stream of in 2013. His criminal defense lawyers are going to get very expensive.

Walker and the media will need major distractions and manufactured crisis to rally for "unity" and moving "forward"

Expect more "divide and conquer" and the hacks involved in stealing Milwaukee's water will play a big role.

Anonymous said...

I say let walkersha drink walker pee!

When he gets indicted, walker's body will produce massive volumes that he will have a hard time controlling.

Especially if the koch brothers decide he is not longer useful and throw him under the bus.

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:46,

You have a very limited knowledge of the lake Michigan diversion exception and who approves it.

Recognize that Tom Barrett and the Milwaukee Common Council WANT to sell (sell as in get paid for vs. your assertion that Waukesha would steal as plunder) water to Waukesha IF Waukesha limits it's Utility Service area to it's current customer base?

Even so, all the Governors of the Great Lakes Council of Governors must approve Waukesha's application, not just Governor Walker. In my opinion, that's very, very unlikely.

Let me point this out again just for you because anyone else reading your comments see it too.

Your irrelevant rant is that of an obsessed man filled with hatred and fantasy. Unsubstantiated, un-researched, factually incorrect, and incoherent rambling make your statements simply HATE SPEECH.

Boxer said...

"the work of the Water Council has become global in its nature and the organization wants to jettison anything that smacks of provincialism, [Executive Director Dean] Amhaus"

What a joke! These local yokels belong on the international stage to the same degree George W. Bush belongs at MENSA convention. The thing that most smacks of provincialism is their attitude and ideas for water resources straight out of the 19th century. Whether you're in Milwaukee or Timbuktu, you EARN your place on the international stage by being innovative and daring, by being LEADERS, not by clambering onto said stage and declaring yourself now global.

If the Water Council spent half as much time thinking of ways to innovate, instead of what name to call themselves, they might actually get somewhere in a few decades.

Anonymous said...

anon 7:243

Can't handle the truth!

walkersha needs the water, Walker needs the diversion, Walker and his gang of thugs need to distance themselves from the crimes in MILWAUKEE.

Barrett DOES NOT support water to walkersha on walkersha's terms. Milwaukee needs to get something back from it -- this is why there has been NO deal and there was even an attempt by WALKERSHA to divert water from Oak Creek.

You aren't gonna be a happy camper when the indictments come, but facts never matter to folks like you.

Anonymous said...

Boxer is correct, this idea of being a water capital is vague and should be a brand thats earned not self-appointed. I applaud the effort to capitalize on the one bargaining chip Milwaukee has left, but why would a company that produces pumps or filters need to move here? To expect companies to relocate to the city with their employees is unrealistic. Especially in this economy, and especially in a city without an highly educated workforce, but high tax rates and a lousy climate.

They are selling this on people as if it will make Milwaukee what Houston is to big oil. But, theres no exploration for water, or construction of massive water wells requiring hundreds of laborers, or a massive financial and engineering workforce. Put a pipe in a lake, pump it, treat it, pump it to the city. It's highly automated.

What water problems are there? How more efficient can the toilets get? Water treatment technology is very good, people aren't dying from contamination. The real way to profit off this would be bottling it, hiring low skill people to work at the plant, and people to manage the company. Water will remain cheaper than oil for a long while, this council needs a reality check.

If anything they should embrace this rust belt image and be the leader in infrastructure replacement technology. Replacing pipes brings real jobs. Fancy street names dont.