SEWRPC Caves, Will Send Stimulus Poverty Funds To Rich Communities

The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission is signalling it will reverse course and greenlight millions in stimulus transportation dollars for three projects in upscale areas - - though the clear intent of stimulus funds for transportation purposes in the region is to assist economically-distressed areas.

So River Hills, one of the wealthiest communities in the entire state - - with two families below the poverty line, according to the US Census Bureau - - will receive the only first-round stimulus road spending in Milwaukee County.

SEWRPC talked a good game ten days ago when it took off the list the three projects - - all in Republican State Sen. Alberta Darling (River Hills) District - - but maybe the tantrum she threw in response about legislative prerogatives and the power of the Committee on Joint Finance spooked SEWRPC's reversal.

Ah, stimulus-worth River Hills - - where the official village website says 85% of the houses in the 100% residential community are on lots of five acres or more, and where the median home value is close to $900,000, and household median income is $181,000.

Wealth measured in multiples of the statewide demographic averages, and certainly lower-income Milwaukee's - - median household income, $35,000/median housing value, $133,000, according to the US Census Bureau.

Yes, River Hills, which will save a grand total of $67,000 in local property tax dollars when stimulus funds cover state and local costs to repair the River Road Bridge.

No doubt saving River Hills from municipal bankruptcy.

The other two communities seeing stimulus money invested - - this time in the millions - - for repairs and upgrades to Highways Q and Y in Washington County, and at the Waukesha County border, are a) the upscale Village of Germantown, and b) the Town of Addison outside of West Bend, with an official website extolling its quiet, rural lifestyle.

But miles from Milwaukee's core, which apparently is the real criteria for this round of stimulus road spending, and about which the ACLU of Wisconsin has already warned.

The capitulation by SEWRPC comes Friday morning - - meeting details here - - at the Milwaukee County Downtown Transit Center; travel there from any direction will take you across city/urban streets, avenues, boulevards and highways that need more attention - - in economically-distressed neighborhoods - - than the three projects that will walk off unjustifiably with $7.5 million dollars.

This now becomes exhibit "A" in the case for dismantling the agency, permitting Milwaukee to form an urban-focused planning agency, and withdrawing Milwaukee County's self-destructive $800,000 annual property tax payment to the Pewaukee-based, seven-county agency.