Regionalism, Yes, But Our Suburbs Are Not Denver's

I appreciated today's Journal Sentinel editorial on the need for regional cooperation in the era of Scott Walker-imposed chain saw adjustments to local budgets.

The editorial also cites a fascinating Sunday op-ed by planner Peter Kenney about Denver's productive, collaborative "caucus" of area officials.

But is regional Denver relevant as a model for the region surrounding and encompassing Milwaukee?

This section of Kenney's op-ed caught my eye (emphasis added):

One of the "toughest calls" was the caucus' decision in 2004 to support a regionwide sales tax increase to fund a $4.7 billion expansion of rail transit. Many of the mayors were from jurisdictions that would not have stations on the expanded system.

Nevertheless, they recognized that the entire region, including their municipality, would benefit. The fact that 32 mayors could agree on anything, much less such a significant tax increase, received broad coverage around the country.

Over the years, the caucus has reached consensus on many items just as difficult, including the Mile High Compact, an intergovernmental contract voluntarily binding the member cities to Metro Vision 2020, the region's growth plan and the accompanying urban growth boundary.

Can you image these items even being debated in Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington Counties?

I've been in and around Denver several times in the last two years and you can see the importance of its expanding rail system.

On one trip, I was trapped for hours in a blizzard on I-70, inching along through the city as the trains zipped by.

The Journal Sentinel was kind enough to let me reprise the suburbs' demolition of light rail planning in the 1990's - - even when they were dropped from plan.

Unfortunately, the city-suburban divide in our region is corroded by race, and economic segregation, usually rated the worst in America.

I'm not saying it's hopeless, but I cannot see how regional rail transit and tax increases to pay for - - or the notion of "growth boundaries" which is off the table in Waukesha water diversion planning - - it is anything but a non-starter.

And so-called tax-base sharing, where development gains can be shared if resources - - like water - - are used to create that growth?

State Sen. Mary Lazich, (R-New Berlin), a Waukesha County legislator, has called those notions "extortion."

So you see that the road to regionalism is uphill.

We can't even operate regional bus systems around here, and it's still difficult to get by bus from downtown Milwaukee to New Berlin's Industrial Park, let alone to job sites farther west where growth has been enabled by highway expansion.

When it's up on-line, I will post a link to a wonderful essay in Milwaukee Magazine's new edition about the links Milwaukee should be making with Chicago - - author Marc Eisen arguing convincingly that Milwaukee's real regional growth opportunity is with Chicago.

I'd love for the powers that be in our area to bring in Peter Park for a continuing discussion.

Peter is Denver's planning director, having been hired away from Milwaukee after a successful stint as Mayor John Norquist's New Urbanist city planner.

If Denver has lessons for us, Peter might be the person to spot them.