One Way Cooperation

Mayor Barrett sure seems mighty concerned about how people in other cities and counties spend their tax money.  First there was this story:

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is urging Waukesha County officials to not cut the Route 9 bus in the Menomonee Falls and Butler area because it is an important part in combating rising poverty.

[...]

A modern integrated transit system that connects workers to their jobs is an important part of the effort to combat poverty and the social issues that accompany it,” Barrett said in the letter. “Route No. 9 epitomizes the regional integration needed: It connects neighborhoods on Milwaukee’s northwest side to places like Menomonee Falls, Butler and Brookfield; and it operated through contracts that bring together the Waukesha County Transit System, Waukesha County and Waukesha Metro Transit.”

Then this.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett this afternoon sent a letter to officials in Germantown, Cedarburg, Mequon and the Ozaukee County Board of Supervisors urging them to drop any possible discussions of seceding from the Milwaukee Area Technical College District in favor of a lower-taxing district.

[...]

“I write today to urge leaders in Germantown and Cedarburg to drop consideration of withdrawing from the Milwaukee Area Technical College District, and to maintain a commitment to regional cooperation under the MATC umbrella,” Barrett wrote in his letter. “This cooperation is absolutely essential to the growth, development and prosperity of all of Southeastern Wisconsin, and to secede from the MATC district would represent a step backwards.”

Hmmmm…. I sense a theme.  Barrett wants the taxpayers of Waukesha County to subsidize the transportation of Milwaukee residents and he wants the taxpayers of Germantown, Mequon, Cedarburg, and Ozaukee County to subsidize a tech school in Milwaukee that they barely use.  The theme is that Barrett wants to keep the money flowing from the suburbs into Milwaukee. 

For example, let’s examine this quote from Barrett about the tech schools: 

“This cooperation is absolutely essential to the growth, development and prosperity of all of Southeastern Wisconsin, and to secede from the MATC district would represent a step backwards.”

Both Cedarburg and Germantown are thinking about leaving MATC and going to… Moraine Park Technical College.  MPTC has a campus in West Bend and serves the northern part of SE Wisconsin.  So why, in Barret’s mind, does supporting MPTC instead of MATC represent a “step backwards?”  Isn’t the point that the kids get a good education to benefit the community?  Not for Barrett.  His only concern is that communities like Germantown and Cedarburg continue to pump money into a system that primarily benefits Milwaukee even though they have no control over that system.

For Milwaukee liberals like Barrett, “regional cooperation” just means that everyone in the region should send money to Milwaukee and shut the hell up. 

1. For Milwaukee liberals like Barrett, “regional cooperation” just means that everyone in the region should send money to Milwaukee and shut the hell up.

   One edit:

   It ain’t just MILWAUKEE liberals.  Madistan liberals often help a lot.  See MMSD.

   Posted by dad29 on September 04, 2007 at 2051 hrs




2. Owen-

   Wasn’t it you that was concerned that Milwaukee County residents might get a voice on whether they want to raise the sales tax?  But that was OK, because it was you.  Barrett apparently doesn’t have that right.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 04, 2007 at 2110 hrs




3. And again… what does that have to do with the state budget negotiations?  Any opinion on them, because that’s what my column was about.

   Posted by Owen on September 04, 2007 at 2115 hrs




4. Oops!  Wrong post.  Now your comment makes more sense… kinda.

   Posted by Owen on September 04, 2007 at 2115 hrs




5. BTW, I did not question Barrett’s right to offer his opinion.  I was illustrating the theme underneath his opinions.

   Posted by Owen on September 04, 2007 at 2117 hrs




6. Barrett wants to keep the money flowing from the suburbs into Milwaukee.

   Why not?  isn’t that what’s happening in reverse?  I’m one of a gazillion middle-income people who commute into Milwaukee every morning to earn my living…then I drive home to Waukesha to spend it and pay my taxes.

   Posted by scott on September 04, 2007 at 2122 hrs




7. Yeah, and it was the same as yours.  You expressed concern because the sales tax could hurt people from outside of the county that wanted to come into Milwaukee to enjoy the amenities.  Barret is looking out for his community, just as you are saying you are looking out for yours.

   So why is he wrong and you’re not?

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 04, 2007 at 2123 hrs




8. Scott,

   How many Milwaukeans drive out to Waukesha to work?  Heck, even in this story, Barrett admits that he wants the bus so that Milwaukeans can go to Waukesha County for work.  Personally, I commute between Washington County and Waukesha County. 

   Capper,

   Actually, my real concern was that I thought the sales tax would be bad for Milwaukee and bad for the region.  It probably would have been a net benefit for surrounding counties.  You’re thinking of a point I made that the concept that people from outside the county should be made to pay for services is unfair and misguided.  My opposition to the referendum was that it was a meaningless exercise because it was non-binding.  If it were a binding referendum, I likely would have supported the election, but opposed the new tax.  But, as I said before, this one was a close call for me.  I can talk myself into either side.

   Posted by Owen on September 04, 2007 at 2138 hrs




9. In the absence of County-wide leadership from Scott “No-no” Walker Barrett is reaching out to see that his constituency is taken care of.  It’s called “governance.”

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 04, 2007 at 2153 hrs




10. Ah yes, because supporting more government spending and taxes is “leadership” while opposing it is not. 

    I get it.

    Posted by Owen on September 04, 2007 at 2156 hrs




11. I think the word you’re looking for is “hegemon”.

    Posted by Tony Turner on September 04, 2007 at 2200 hrs




12. Owen-

    Sometimes, spending is necessary.  Look at the stories about the Winnebago Mental Health Center or the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex.  People are dying, Owen.  Dying needlessly.  Granted, there are many areas in government spending that could and should be eliminated due to their wastefulness, but that does not eliminate the need, or the cost, to provide the care for those that cannot (not will not, but can not) provide for themselves.

    It is not a bad thing to value human life over a buck two eighty in taxes.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 04, 2007 at 2203 hrs




13. “How many Milwaukeans drive out to Waukesha to work?  Heck, even in this story, Barrett admits that he wants the bus so that Milwaukeans can go to Waukesha County for work.”

    Actually, a study was published some years ago now that counted cars both ways on I-94 between Milwaukee and Waukesha and found almost as many going west as go east.  Maybe they’re not Milwaukeeans going west, though—maybe they’re folks like you, Owen, if you head south and then west?

    As for why more Milwaukeeans may need a bus to get to Waukesha County to work: (1) there are more Milwaukeeans, (2) more need work, (3) that’s where work is, and (4) fewer have cars.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 04, 2007 at 2223 hrs




14. Oh, and if Barrett didn’t write this letter, he would have been criticized for that here.  We know he’s the Rodney Dangerfield of B&S;, where the man just can’t do anything right.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 04, 2007 at 2224 hrs




15. hmmm how about subsidizing the burbs with $20 million in state taxes (how much is city money) going to fund a new interchange for Pabst Farms?

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 05, 2007 at 1123 hrs




16. Owen said,

    “My opposition to the referendum was that it was a meaningless exercise because it was non-binding.”

    No it isn’t. Just a year ago you were lauding a non-binding referendum:

    http://www.bootsandsabers.com/index.php/weblog/perma link/death_penalty_advisory_referendum_goes_to_voters/

    Notice at the end you said, “Now it is up to the people”. What changed in the last year that the people shouldn’t decide? Or are you saying the people of Milwaukee County aren’t to be trusted while the people of the entire state are?

    Quite the conundrum.

    WRT transit, it’s time we here in Wisconsin figured out what most major metro areas learned in the 1960s: transit service crosses jurisdictional lines. Create a district, carve out a portion of the existing sales tax, and be done with it. You’ll never hear about the transit budget again unless you need a life.

    Unfortunately we as a state have barely progressed past 1850 when it comes to government, so I think it’s going to be a while.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 05, 2007 at 1700 hrs




17. That “One-Way Cooperation” is already part of the KRM Rail Plan.  The Mayor can use the RTA to tax other communities $4.4 million per year to cover losses they plan to for the train to have.  That includes another $800,000 out of the pockets of Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington County taxpayers.  You may not get a train, but you get to pay for one!  That’s cooperation.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 06, 2007 at 1301 hrs




18. Thought so.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 06, 2007 at 1911 hrs




19. Another Tosa Voter makes a good point.  I think many of us wold like to know ‘what changed?’

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 07, 2007 at 0710 hrs