An Exposé - Hog Wild Institutional Racism in Milwaukee by Elected Officials - Part I

Backstory - April 14, 2008 7:12 PM EDT

MILWAUKEE - FRIDAY, March 2, 2012
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Two societies, one black, one white -- separate and unequal" in Milwaukee -

Below is a copy of the OPEN LETTER sent to Mayor Tom Barrett Friday, April 11, 2008.

CN-CFNBA
CAMPAIGN NEIGHBORHOOD – www.cncfnbamilwaukee.newsvine.com

April 11, 2008
Open Letter

TO: Mayor Tom Barrett
City of Milwaukee

FROM: MARY GLASS - Chair/CEO

SUBJECT:
Hog Wild Institutional Racism in Milwaukee by Elected Officials
Two societies, one black, one white -- separate and unequal" in Milwaukee

40 Years After Kerner

The City of Milwaukee has received approximately $319 Million over the last four years in state and federal funds. People of Color make up the majority population (58.8% - 2000 census) of Milwaukee. People of Color and the Working Poor bring to the city coffers the bulk of federal dollars; and, sizable residential and commercial property taxes. From time to time, they are mandated to pay "special taxes".

Yet, they are the brunt of chronic poor ratings in studies, lack of quality of life issues; and, economic development opportunities.

They are not valued in "decision making", best practices and quality customer care. In fact, most often are the last to be informed, if at all informed.

There is something inherently discriminatory and wrong here.

Mary Glass – Milwaukeean, Chair/CEO, Campaign Neighborhood – CFNBA

FULL story, CLICK
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In the series of reports for DEMOCRACY Campaign to validate "Enduring Concentrated Poverty 'by-design' in Milwaukee, this is Part I.
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The focus of the reports is on the present mayoral and common council administration. Their laws, links-connects to issues/themes that ask the following questions:

** WHAT have you done for the half-million population of Milwaukee to promote education-technology-employment attainment (access-literacy-fluency)?
** WHAT reports/information was available for change and REFORM?
** WHAT has been done since 2008 to correct the problems?
** WHAT factors are associated with the development and persisitence of concentrated poverty in Milwaukee? [taken from 2008 Federal Reserve case study]
** WHAT challenges does concentrated poverty pose for affected families and neighborhoods? [Taken from 2008 Federal Reserve case study]
** WHAT is the capacity of local organizations to address the issues assoicated with concentrated poverty? [Taken from 2008 Federal Reserve case study]

** WHAT strategies are the public and private sectors employing to ameliorate concentrated poverty and its effects? [Taken from 2008 Federal Reserve case study]

** WHAT has the Milwaukee 7, Greater Milwaukee Committee, Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce, Milwaukee Economic Development Committee, Community Develoopment Block Grant, Small Business Administration, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District, WI Department of Commerce, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, WI Economic Development Corporation, WI Workforce Development, Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board, Milwaukee Water Council (U.S. Department of Commerce), UW-M Freshwater Science, UW-M Innovation, UW-M School of Nursing, UW-M Day Care, UW-M Honors College, UW-M School of Social Welfare, UW-M Volunteer Program, UW-M Employment, UW-M Real Estate, UW-M Neeskay, UW-M Kenwood, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Milwaukee Public Schools done for the majority population - African American, other People of Color and the Work Challenged (un-, under-employed; un-, under-degreed and certificated; un-, under-financed neighborhood-level business; disabled; and re-entry - especially those returning from WAR, INCARCERATION, BOOMERANG EMPLOYMENT, BOOMERANG RETIREMENT and DEGREED students without employment) to promote improved quality of life and economic development issues?
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Background
2008, four (4) years ago, we are worse off now in 2012.
You only need to look at the myraid of reports that have surfaced by studies, reports, blogs, etc. They include:
-- The Color of Money, Atlanta Journal CLICK

-- The Enduring Challenge of Concentrated Poverty - Federal Reserve and Brookings Institution, 2008CLICK

-- The Disparity Study Informational Meeting - City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District, August 28, 2009
CLICK

-- The Disparity Study for the City of Milwaukee, DWilson Consulting Group, 2009-2010 CLICK

-- Employment of black men drops drastically, UWM study of 2010 census data finds record low in Milwaukee CLICK

-- Marc Levine, Center for Economic Development - UWM study of 2010CLICK