Sunday, March 15, 2009

Paying For Licenses in Milwaukee

Want a license?  Pay up.

Bar owners, food-mart magnates and gas-station operators are making a champagne splash in funding Milwaukee aldermanic campaigns.

In the roll call of heaviest givers since 2007, these sellers of booze, food and fuel rival big-name developers, city contractors and lobbyists. They rely on City Hall, and their local alderman, for annual licenses that allow sale of alcohol or permit late-night hours.

The leading recipient in the past two years of these license-related donations, Ald. James Witkowiak, got more than enough from these interests to support a credible aldermanic bid without any other help.

And many of the licensees - or those seeking a license - are writing attention-getting checks at or near the maximum allowed in a four-year campaign cycle.

Those are among the findings from a new database of aldermanic contributions compiled by the Journal Sentinel in the wake of former Ald. Michael McGee’s criminal conviction.

McGee’s repeated shakedown of foreign-born liquor and food sellers and others has renewed debate about how much control aldermen should have over licensing in their districts. It has also put a spotlight on contacts between aldermen and license applicants, including campaign fund raising. McGee demanded large sums of cash outside the legal campaign finance system.

Milwaukee’s politics looks a lot like Chicago’ from here.

(3) Comments
Posted by Owen at 0919 hrs
Politics + Politics - Wisconsin

  1. It should be noted that Ald. James Witkowiak hasn’t sat on the License Committee since the last election cycle.

    Posted by Dave Reid on March 15, 2009 at 0946 hrs


  2. Since Witkowiak doesn’t sit on the licensing board it doesn’t happen?  Note the data was 2007.  You can bet it still happens.  Just like The Mob, “F*** you, pay me”.

    Posted by Steve on March 16, 2009 at 0456 hrs


  3. Alderman Witkowiak is one of the hardest working alder persons,  I know. He has fought to ensure that the south side would florish with business expansions and quality of life.  He was not an alderman for four years but he has always been a southsider and devoted human being. Not mentioned in the article is that he is no longer the chair of the licensing committee because alderman Dnato retired and he was a natural replacement for the chairman of Zoning and Neighborhood development.  Mr Witkowiak has alot of friends, and we believe in him and he has not let us down.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 17, 2009 at 1407 hrs


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