Thursday, May 23, 2013

Fresh Population Growth In Milwaukee; Walker's Goal Is Otherwise

Good indeed to see 4,000 residents added to the city's recent count.

The city, local groups and people of goodwill work hard every day to improve and remake Milwaukee - - a mission long made more difficult by a state law freezing Milwaukee's borders in the 50's, 100% publicly-subsidized highway expansion into sprawl zones as transit dwindles, and now by an added stick in the spokes:

The Walker administration's partisan and anti-urban intrusive overturn of local residency rules.

So Milwaukee is adding residents just as the Walker administration and its foot-soldiers on the legislature's Joint Finance Committee are encouraging people working for the city to move out.

Mean-spirited, contradictory misuse of political power.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

While I disagree with ending the residency rules, nobody is going to force city workers to move if they don't want to. Long term turnover and new employees not moving into the city is the more important issue.

Anonymous said...

I don't understand how any politician can ignore an economic engine as large as Milwaukee. Even if you take away all the manufacturing, you still have the events, professional sports, the arts, 2 universities and a beautiful natural setting. It could rival Seattle for tourism and business development. Instead, we have made sure that it will decline, using highways as barriers and derision to drive people away. What a waste - Milwaukee deserves better.

Anonymous said...

Two universities? In the city proper, I count eight private universities and one technical college. Add in the immediate suburbs and you get 12 private, 2 tech. Plus about a dozen for-profit schools.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the correction.

Anonymous said...

Anyone else notice the number of Illinois license plates in Milwaukee as-of-late? What's with that?