Stamper Calls It Correctly

Long story short: In Milwaukee, the plutocrats and oligarchs are desperately trying to figure out a way to blackmail taxpayers to build them a new arena and support their downtown businesses, even while they feel that the same taxpayers shouldn't be allowed to get a living wage or basic governmental services.

Fortunately, there are still some civic-minded leaders willing to take a stand.

One such leader is Milwaukee County Supervisor Russell Stamper II. From my inbox is a press release he issued pointing out that instead of just worrying about their playgrounds, they should focus on the needs of the people, such a viable and stable mass transit system:

SUPERVISOR RUSSELL STAMPER II CALLS FOR TRANSIT

TO BE PART OF CAPITAL NEEDS DISCUSSION

Says Arena and Cultural Amenities Should Not Be Only Focus of Discussion

Supervisor Russell Stamper II said today that the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce’s Task Force on Cultural and Entertainment Capital Needs should consider transit as part of its charge to protect and improve the region’s economy.

“Transit remains an important economic issue not only for Milwaukee County, but for the entire region,” Stamper said. “We need to get people to where the jobs are, and federal funding cuts have hurt our existing transit system.

“I urge the Task Force to consider improvements to transit as it deliberates over the region’s cultural and capital needs. While I believe the Task Force has an important job in identifying and addressing the needs of amenities such as parks, museums, performing arts and a new arena, we should not forget that transit improvements are crucial to the economic health not only of Milwaukee County but the entire region.”

Stamper said his district, which stretches from Fond du Lac Avenue and Townsend Street to downtown, the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Third Ward, is one of the most diverse districts in Milwaukee County.

“I understand the need to protect our valuable cultural amenities, and I support construction of a new downtown arena, but there are residents of my district who have never been to the BMO Harris Bradley Center, the Milwaukee Art Museum or even the lakefront. Many of them do not own automobiles. Their concerns are not for a new arena, it is for getting to their jobs, the grocery store and the doctor.

“We cannot be successful as a community if people cannot find a way to get to where the jobs are located. This is a regional issue. Without effective transit, we could be sentencing those who cannot get to jobs to lives of poverty and despair. It is absolutely critical that the Task Force consider transit improvements as part of the discussion.

“Yes, it’s important that we keep the Milwaukee Bucks here in Milwaukee, and if a new arena is needed I am in support of finding a funding mechanism to build it. But it is just as important that we have a transit system that serves the people who are most in need.”

The 48-member committee met in December and is scheduled to meet again in February. It is charged with making its recommendations by the fourth quarter of 2014.

I will write about this in more detail in due time, but this is a perfect example of what's wrong with our society. It's bad enough that the wealthy want to get even wealthier but to do so while denying basic needs to so many is unconscionable.

Vulture Capitalism Versus The Transit Rider

Last month, an Ohio-based company called Developers Diversified Realty told the Milwaukee Transit County System that they had to move three bus stops which were located in the parking lots of property they own.  The reason for this sudden demand was made obvious in the reporting of the news (emphasis mine):

Milwaukee County last month reluctantly removed bus stops from three large area shopping centers at the request of the property manager.

That manager, Ohio-based Developers Diversified Realty, asked that the bus stops be removed and argued buses damage roadways and interfere with the commercial development of the areas, according to a report to the Milwaukee County Board. The request pertained to the Shoppers World of Brookfield on West Capitol Drive, West Allis Center on Highway 100 and Marketplace of Brown Deer on North Green Bay Road.*

Milwaukee County Transit System officials responded to questions about the routes with a printed statement.

“We are disappointed that we had to re-route buses at these locations, causing inconvenience to our customers, especially those with limited mobility,” the statement said. “Over the years, as shopping centers renovate, we have worked diligently to maintain public transit access. Being asked to totally vacate a property is rare, especially at locations where there are hundreds of riders per day benefiting from the service.”

The article goes on to say that MCTS has found a solution at one site due to the cooperation of a Pick'N'Save store allowing the buses to park along the side of their building. They've moved the other two sites to temporary sites while they try to find something more workable.

I am familiar with the West Allis Center.  It is a large strip mall that holds a Dollar Store, Marshall's, Pick'N'Save, Kohl's and a Menard's store.  Along the sidewalk is a BMO Harris Bank; a UW Credit Union which they had just built on the spot where a Blockbusters store stood; a Walgreens pharmacy; and a Panda Express, which had also been built in the last year or two.  They often have a Christmas tree stand there during the holidays as well.

It's fairly obvious that the realtors are looking to maximize their income and profits by kissing the public good good-bye and developing the remaining open spots, including where the buses would lay over.

The problem lies that by moving these bus stops, it's preventing people that are dependent on mass transit from having easy access to the stores in the area.  This not only hurts the people that use the buses, but the businesses that these people would patronize.  And if business drops off, that means even more people will have to take pay cuts and/or lose their jobs.

At least one Milwaukee County elected official, Supervisor Michael Mayo, isn't sitting around.  He issued a press release on Wednesday, condemning these moves:

“Re-routing those buses away from these commercial strips is not only a big inconvenience for all riders, it represents a severe disadvantage for elderly and disabled riders,” Mayo said. “Those with limited mobility will now be forced to travel further to get to their destinations.

“Moving bus routes by even two-tenths of a mile may not seem like much to an able-bodied person, but to a disabled or elderly person it represents a significant handicap.”

Mayo questioned why the manager of the shopping centers, Developers Diversified Realty, removed the stops, saying that it appeared to be a maneuver to keep some people away.

“Those routes carry hundreds of people every day,” Mayo said. “Why would they want to remove those stops when people use them to shop at their stores?”

Mayo praised commercial property owners who work with MTS to make their stores readily accessible to all members of the public.

“Most commercial property owners realize that having a bus route leading to their establishment is a significant advantage for their business,” he said. “I applaud them for knowing that transit is key to our economy, and all customers should have access to their establishments.”

It should be noted that Milwaukee County Emperor had nothing to say about this. Then again, it shouldn't be surprising. He's already shown he doesn't really give a darn about the transit system or who might be harmed if the system isn't being operated correctly.

*It should be noted that I have heard reports that the owner of Southridge Mall is also forcing the bus stops off their property.

Wisconsin In Bottom Half For Business Climate

Site Selection, a leading magazine for corporate real estate and economic development, like most of us, doesn't think too much about what Scott Walker and his Republican cohorts have been doing to our state. They don't even think Fitzwalkerstan ranks in the top half of the states when it comes to doing business:

Apparently, the editors at Site Selection magazine have not heard that Wisconsin is open for business.

The leading corporate real estate and economic development publication has again left Wisconsin off its list of Top 25 States for Business Climate.

Site Selection released its 2011 rankings this week, with Texas slotting in at No. 1 after being runner-up to North Carolina for the past nine years. North Carolina fell to No. 3 behind Georgia.

B-b-b-but Scott Walker said Wisconsin was open for business! He even spent tax payer dollars to make signs saying as much! So what could be wrong?

So how can Wisconsin improve?

"Hanging an open sign is only the first step in encouraging new business," says Ken Harwood, editor of Wisconsin Development News and former mayor of Neenah. "We need to stock the shelves with products businesses want, like, great employees, good schools, continuing education, infrastructure improvements, and a stable tax environment."

Oh.

So maybe slashing school funding, cutting funding for technical colleges, attacking and attempting to demoralize the work force, rejecting high speed rail and crippling mass transit weren't good ideas after all.  Who'd have thought of that?  I mean besides almost everyone that hasn't drank of the Kool-Aid.

If you want to bring jobs back to the state and if you want to restart the state's economy, the only thing you can do is get rid of Walker and put into office someone who has the savvy to do the job the correct way.  Or at least someone who is in touch with reality.  That would be an improvement too.

Walker simply doesn't have a clue to what he is doing and needs to go, the sooner the better.