MPA LLC - Coming 2015 Preview List

This is MPA LLC Preview Calendar for the 1st and 2nd Quarter.

Forums for strategic engagement for change and REFORM at the census tract and neighborhood level.  We are entering the fifth year of the 2010-2020 All Hands on Deck, WE CAN Initiative.  An initiative focused on the CORE CONSTITUENTS of the city of Milwaukee to help eradicate Enduring Concentrated Poverty.  It is an Initiative to unleash HIDDEN TALENT and VETTED Businesses at the census tract and neighborhood level.  So many of whom that do not have an opportunity to share their greatness, their god-given talents and their acquired skills on the battle-field of life and in the academic rooms of schools.

We will continue with themes of Economic Development, Environmental Awareness, Urban Health Care, Quality of Life and Due Process.

                                       PUBLIC FORUMS 2015

• JANUARY 17                    -          SMART GROWTH - VISION 2050
• Southeastern WI Regional Planning Commission
• WISDOT
• BORN FREES & MILLENNIALS
• JANUARY 19                    -         DR. MARTIN L. KING JR. BIRTHDAY
• IMANI - Faith
• FEBRUARY   (1-7)           -         AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY (Family)
• UMOJA - Unity
• FEBRUARY (8-14)           -         AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY (Ourselves)
• KUJICHAGULIA (Self-Determination)
• UJAMAA - Cooperative Economics
• Milwaukee Incarceration & Sentencing Project - Steering Team
• FEBRUARY (15-21)         -         AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY (Community)
• UJIMA (Collective Work and Responsibility)
• KUUMBA - Creativity
• FEBRUARY 21                 -         SMART GROWTH - VISION 2050
• Southeastern WI Regional Planning Commission
• WISDOT
• MILLENNIALS
• FEBRUARY (22-28)         -         AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY (Vocation)  
• NIA - Purpose       
• MARCH 2-8                      -          CONSUMER PROTECTION WEEK - U.S. JUSTICE                                                                                       DEPARTMENT
• MARCH 21                       -          SMART GROWTH - VISION 2050
• Southeastern WI Regional Planning Commission
• WISDOT
• MILLENNIALS
•  APRIL 4 to AUGUST      -          2015 INVOKED ATONEMENT & REPARATION                                                                                   ASSESSMENT

KWANZAA Principles are sought and embellished during year 2015.
Year 2015 is the fifth year in the 2010-2020 All Hands on Deck, WE CAN Initiative of Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC.

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The seven (7) principles are:

• Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
• Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.
• Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems, and to solve them together.
• Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
• Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
• Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
• Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our lleaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.  Wikipedia

Happy New Year Everybody!

JANUARY 1, 2015 -- Happy New Year - MPA LLC

NEW YEAR

City Center Milwaukee |  DAY 122  |  January 1, 2015

1. New Year's Day

   Feast day
2. New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar. Wikipedia
3. =====
4. The Gregorian calendar, also called the Western calendar and the Christian calendar, is internationally the most widely used civil calendar. It is named for Pope Gregory XIII, who introduced it in 1582.
5. 
   
6. The Julian calendar, introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC (708 AUC), was a reform of the Roman calendar.^[1] It took effect in 45 BC (709 AUC), shortly after the Roman conquest of Egypt.
7. 
   

Happy New Year!
The Family of Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC

Evidentiary Hearing for Core Constituents on the Couture project - When were they held in the neighbors?

Rick Barrett - Developer and ex-Baseball player

CITY CENTER MILWAUKEE | DAY 118 -  Invoked Atonement & Reparation, Phase II (2014) | The Core Constituents are the ones that must have information to justify the Vegas Downtown co-projects of The Couture and Streetcar, 2-4-one investment - so it is being presented.

Rick Barrett, developer and ex-baseball player, is seeking to build a NEW development in the Milwaukee County Transit center on Michigan in Milwaukee.  He wishes to use his development of The Moderne as a springboard for The Couture and the Streetcar projects to embellish and foundate his next $$$million dollar project.  He seems to have spoken to everyone but the owners of the city coffers - Milwaukeeans, Core Constituents at the top of the city of Milwaukee Organization chart.  

Enduring Concentrated Poverty

This is the way that business in Milwaukee must change.  It ensures the status quo.  It disrespects the owners.  It fails to provide a model that will create the environment that brings the Core Constituents to the table with their DNA in all INFRASTRUCTURE business modeling in their city.

Therefore, Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC will extend opportunities for this developer to "do the right thing" while attempting to sell his development idea for support.

As is, we are against the sale of the Milwaukee County Transit center and the streetcar project.  We respect and support Supervisor Michael Mayor responses in a recent article in Urban Milwaukee because he remembered why he was around the table of leadership as a Milwaukee County Supervisor and his Oath of Office to his constituents.

Milwaukee County Supervisor Michael Mayo, Sr. Announces Opposition to Downtown Transit Center and O’Donnell Park Sales

Says Proposals Amount to “Fire Sale” by County

“It’s not a good deal and Milwaukee County is not better off for it,” Mayo said. “The choo-choo train is nothing but a tourist trap. It will not benefit my constituents, and it will not benefit most residents of Milwaukee County. We should be spending money on the Milwaukee County Transit System, not a choo-choo train that goes nowhere and benefits no one.

“How is any of this a win-win for Milwaukee County? We need to come up with another plan for the Downtown Transit Center, one that benefits everyone in Milwaukee County, not just a developer and streetcar supporters. And we need to negotiate a new deal at O’Donnell Park.”

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 THE COUTURE AT A GLANCE

• $122 MILLION TOTAL PROJECT COST 
• 44 STORIES / 700,000 SQUARE FEET
• PUBLIC PLAZAS, PARK & PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES
• 302 MARKET RATE APARTMENTS
• 54,893 SQUARE FEET OF DESTINATION 
• RESTAURANT & RETAIL SPACE 
• 570 PARKING SPACES (147 PUBLIC SPACES)
• 26% OF THE TOTAL SPACE IS FOR PUBLIC USE
• 2,074 JOBS (1,120 IN CONSTRUCTION)
• 150 PERMANENT JOBS
• CURRENT ANNUAL TAX REVENUE: $0
• (CURRENT TRANSIT CENTER IS A COST TO TAX PAYERS TO MAINTAIN)
• $68,158,864 NEW TAX REVENUE 
• OVER 30 YEARS FOR PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND OTHER PUBLIC INVESTMENTS
• CREATE A NEW DEMAND BY OFFERING A VITAL HOUSING OPTION FOR 600 NEW DOWNTOWN RESIDENTS 
• 1 MILLION ANNUAL VISITORS

What do the CORE CONSTITUENTS get from this project that will provide specifics of employment that guarantee family supporting employment to Milwaukeeans? We need to eradicate Enduring Concentrated Poverty and reclaim our neighborhoods from the risks of empoverish behavior.

Two thousand seventy-four jobs (1,120 in construction) - What does this translate into that this project will provide market wages and is a guarantee for Milwaukeeans - Core Constituents?

What is the distribution of the Restaurant & Retail Space?  What has the Common Council, mayor and the developer Barrett put together to remove the Disparity label (DWilson report).  Opportunities that allows hidden talent and vetted businesses to become emerging entrepreneurs that does not require a Certification barrier?   

What is the parking space - 570 (147 public spaces)?  

What is the difference between 150 permanent jobs and 2,074 jobs?

What is the $68,158,864 new tax revenue, explain?

What is 30 years for public infrastructure?

What are the "other public investments"?

Where are the 600 NEW residents coming from?

1 million annual visitors - based on what?

Where are the Core Constituents' DNA in this project for legacy, historic presence and strategic partners?

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"We, the Core Constituents, need answers straight from Rick Barrett as to what he is/is not proposing in the Couture project.  We need to know what he is willing to convey over the next 30 years to the people.  Yes.  30 years", said  Mary Glass, Chair/CEO/CVO, Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC.

MPA LLC thanks you!

Click to Enlarge

Hello Everybody!

As we close out 2014, my office is outreaching to those of you that we had the honor and privilege of conversation with action over the last 11 months.

We WELCOME our new friends, partners and neighbors.

Our efforts of stewardship-citizenship-ownership-mentorship-apprenticeship-scholarship-partnership-entrepreneurship-fellowship-leadership for engagement are part of our domestic agenda for upgrade at the census tract and neighborhood level.  We work for the people, Core Constituents, especially hidden talent and vetted businesses at the neighborhood level.

The family of Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC thanks you for your individual and group commitment in justice for all and speaking out against the status quo of complacency.

This year, All Hands on Deck, WE CAN offered many NEW ideas and actions for growth.  Three (3) of which are:

1. MPA LLC Invoked Atonement and Reparation – an assessment project.
2. MPA LLC Body of Work – an assessment of you about us for the moment, year and years.
3. MPA LLC War on Incarceration – A case study for change.

We have added them as part of our regular agenda for 2015.

We know that the world, our country, our state and our local public policies are in dire need of our address in unity.  MPA LLC speak-out in the public square for the right of human-civil-legal rights that are guaranteed through our Amendments of the U. S. Constitution.

We see racial justice as a cornerstone to a better world in which we live.

We have much to do and MPA LLC is about the business of leadership in this arena of differences – privileges – disparity – inequity – arrogance and a huge gap in human potential.

We support but hold accountable – ask that you speak up and out to those who are elected-appointed-hired-volunteer in the implementation of government services.  No one is exempt.

We ask your support in 2015 for a more robust investigation-research, quality assurance in our outreach, and reporting information.

We wish you an Enlightened Kwanzaa and a very safe and prosperous New Year.

Mary Glass – Chair/CEO/CVO

mpapublicpolicyreview@gmail.com

A Response by Mary Glass to U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore support letter for Milwaukee Streetcar

Article on Urban Milwaukee
Click Photo to Enlarge

MARY GLASS says:

December 24, 2014 at 3:37 pm

December 24, 2014

Happy Kwanzaa!

U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore, 4th District
“I support your vision to revitalize our downtown, create jobs, expand the tax base, and enhance and increase mobility in Milwaukee for workers, tourists, and others with the addition of a streetcar. This project has been thoroughly studied and debated for a number of years and deserves to move forward. If it does not, these federal funds will be lost, along with the resulting benefits to our city.

As you know, it was only a few years ago that members of the Wisconsin delegation in Congress worked to ensure that federal funds that had been targeted to improve transportation options in Milwaukee were not lost. After nearly twenty years of debate, a decision was made to split up $91 million in federal funds remaining from a pot originally allocated to help improve transportation in our community in the early 1990′s.”
===============

As one of the six or seven businesses in the city of Milwaukee that took the voice of the people to the United States Federal Transportation in Washington, DC, in a class-action suit and locked-the-funds – the reason we did so, Congresswoman Moore, was to seek benefits in transportation for the Core Constituents, the People – Milwaukeeans – many of whom seeking transportation benefits to employment and travel issues using federal funding – just like now. They needed transportation to/for employment and quality of life facilities. They wanted the transportation to have their DNA on it. Not every Tom, Dick, Harry-Sue-Sally-Jane that do not represent them. Yes. 20 years ago.

Fast forward, 2014, the only difference now – on your watch, I might add – is less of the original hundred-millions going for everyone but the Core Constituents. It is for the downtown Vegas plan of mayor Tom Barrett, the haves and the wanna-be.

How can we put our heads around bait-n-switch promises – create jobs, expand the tax base and enhance and increase mobility in Milwaukee for workers – without specifics? The last part of your first sentence is correct, “tourists, and others with the addition of a streetcar”.

The People, Milwaukeeans of the 4th Congressional District, do not need a Streetcar that fails to give upfront and posted true agreements – contracts – oversight that says they will have family supporting jobs for the long haul with quality of life benefits. A street car that runs to Midtown – down Fond du Lac and connect to defined points-of travel for the people and visitors (i.e., North Avenue, Holton, Capitol Drive, MLKing Drive, Atkinson, Cesar Chavez, Green Bay) as the first arm with an expanded plan. This is REVITALIZATION. This is the People seeing commerce being brought to and through their business neighborhood arteries that force other necessary changes that will help remove Enduring Concentrated Poverty. This might be worthy of support.

There must be vetted Core Constituent individuals and businesses in-the-lead of the creation/construction of this project – planners, designers, attorneys, prime contractors, engineers, architects, apprenticeship programs with DNA details, subcontractors, work agreements, People of Color neighborhoods in the start-up and an expanded plan as well as Core Constituents accountability not appointed by the mayor and his posse.

We need the Core Constituents “fingerprints” here – the ones the money is for.

We are tired of our elected officials, especially African Americans, appearing to carry water for projects that do absolutely nothing for the People they represent.

We are disappointed with your letter that speaks to fluff. You can do better. The bait-n-switch T-shirt does not become you. This is “Do-nothing” politics for your constituents.

Mary Glass – Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC

CLICK - Urban Milwaukee

KWANZAA - 2014 -- 7 Days of African American Culture in a festival theme

December 26, 2014 - January 1, 2014

Kwanzaa Founder

City Center Milwaukee |  DAY 116 | Today is the first day of Kwanzaa 2014 - An annual celebration of African American culture in a festival of 7 days - December 26, 2014 - January 1, 2015.  The originator of Kwanzaa is Dr. Maulana Karenga.

Kwanzaa symbols include a decorative mat (Mkeka) on which other symbols are placed, corn (Muhindi) and other crops, a candle holder kinara with seven candles (Mishumaa Saba), a communal cup for pouring libation (Kikimbe cha Umoja), gifts (Zawadi), a poster of the seven principles, and a black, red, and green flag.

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Umoja is the Swahili word for "unity".

The seven (7) principles are:

• Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
• Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.
• Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems, and to solve them together.
• Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
• Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
• Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
• Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.  Wikipedia

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Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC

The Baby is Born - December 25, 2014

Click to Enlarge

¹ And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

² (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

³ And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

⁵ To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

⁶ And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.  King James Version

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Merry Christmas Everyone!

Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC

Merry Christmas - The Whispers and Friends

The Whispers - 50 years
Nicholas Caldwell, Walter Scott, Wallace Scotty, Leaveil Degree

THE WHISPERS

CLICK and enjoy.

There are 26 songs in this mix of holiday songs.

Caroling tonight.

- The Temptation
-  Boyz II Men
-  Luther Vandross
-  Donny Hathaway
-  The Emotions
-   Otis Redding
-  Charles Brown
-   Ojays
-  Stevie Wonder
-  Jackson 5
-  Marvin Gaye
-  Johnny Gill
-  Sounds of Blackness
-  Jennifer Holiday
-  Mariah Carey
-  R. Kelly
-  Brian McKnight
-  Babyface

Oh Holy Night - Patti Labelle, Susan Boyle, Gladys Knight & Celine Dion

PATTIE LABELLE



 SUSAN BOYLE



GLADYS KNIGHT



 
 CELINE DION

It is Xmas Eve, December 24, 2014

ENJOY!

Johnny Mathis - Christmas Caroling

December 23, 20114
Center Milwaukee | Day 114 |  Listen to Johnny Mathis renditions of three (3) Xmas favorites. They are:

• It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
• It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
• Have Yourself a Merry Little Xmas

1. John Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums ... Wikipedia
3. Born: September 30, 1935 (age 79), Gilmer, TX
4. Nationality: American
5. Parents: Clem Mathis, Mildred Boyd

Where are the Core Constituents - neighborhoods in this taxpayers funding of the streetcar?

City Center Milwaukee | Day 107 | Today the Common Council is voting on the passage of Mayor Tom Barrett's  $123.9 million "cart-before-the horse" leadership for spending of public funds for bells and whistle transportation for monopoly-oligopoly individuals or those that carry their water.  The mayor says he wants the streetcar to match the $$$billions downtown.  Excuse me?  There is a disconnect here.

On September 23, 2014, Barrett asked the Core Constituents for an increase in the 2015 budget.  He claimed an interest in helping the hardest hit neighborhoods.  

If that is true, the emphasis must be on consistently replacing "dispair" and "hard-times" with quality of life issues at the infrastructural level.  The yield benefit will become organic and begin to replace disparity with HOPE; and, the removal of breeding grounds for crime and risky behavior in the neighborhoods of Milwaukee.  

The people see less-and-less restoration and innovation at the census tract and neighborhood level coming from their tax dollars and the leadership of the city of Milwaukee.

"Common Council President Michael Murphy, Alderman Nik Kovac (standing committees) and each member of the Common Council has NO BUSINESS supporting a streetcar-drain on funds when the Core Constituents have infrastructure needs of transportation that deals with day-to-day transport from one location in the city of Milwaukee to another place in the city and/or southeastern wisconsin for employment and quality of life best practices".  

"Core Constituents that do not have access to vehicles and a driver's license depend on public transit.  Bells-n-whistle tickering by the charter officers is unacceptable.  Our transportation funds should be substantive.   The shuck-n-jive promise of 'jobs', without date-time-position-wages-full time-benefits specific for credibility, is a sure sign that Milwaukeeans are headed for bait-n-switch."

"Transportation enhancement in the urban city of Milwaukee must help grow the city out of Enduring Concentrated Poverty, the culprit that drives up crime.  We must be wise, beef-up the economy with Smart Growth and 2050 Vision - seek to balance mobility, access, safety, economic, social and environmental elements to produce urban development that meets community objectives and enhances quality of life.  It creates a sense of community (Smart Growth 2002)"

"The whimiscal fantasy would be laughable if it was not so irresponsible," said Mary Glass, Chair/CEO/CVO, Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC.

Why aren't Aldermen DAVIS, DONOVAN, BOHL, WADE and BAUMAN connecting a route to their districts?

Public Works vote - 3-2

Aldermen Joe Davis, Bob Donovan and James Bohl voted against the resolution supporting the streetcar.  Contrary, Aldermen Bob Bauman and Willie Wade voted to support it.  Why?

Both Wade and Bauman represent heavy Core Constituents in need of employment and infrastructure transportation to grow their district.  When is it OK for them to throw their Core constituents under the bus for a project that does NOTHING for their district Core Constituents, but ask that they pay for it. STOP IT.

Take care of home first and then we can all take a look at what the rationale would be for maybe including the downtown.  Alderman Bauman wanted to know why not fund the project.

The exclusion of Core Constituents from the "Get-Go" DNA footprint is why you do not fund it Alderman Bauman.  You and the other 14 members need to indulge leadership in infrastructure transportation. Stop the "privilege" wrongness on the backs of your Core constituents.  And, NO we do not give you the authority of putting us on the back burner. 

What happened to Fond du lac to Midtown - across the 16th bridge to Cesar Chavez - MLKing to Capitol Drive - or, west on Walnut Avenue?

Tourism, hospitality, and economic development is for ALL neighborhoods - not just lower east side, UW-Milwaukee, lake front and downtown.

2014 MPA LLC Season's Greeting

City Center Milwaukee | Day 106 |  Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC wishes each of you a safe and happy holiday season with cherishable memories.  We appreciate your support and interest in the services we provide the public square for a better outreach at the census tract and neighborhood level.

Be Rejoiceful.
MPA LLC Family

Christmas Songs - PANDORA's Treat

Joy to the World

City Center Milwaukee | DAY 101 | will kick off this year's song treats.  We start with Nat King Cole Holiday.  Sign on to Pandora - www.pandora.com, if not a member, become one and select: 
Nat King Cole (Holidays).

The songs are jazzy, slow and yule tide vintage.  You can sing along, dance along, learn, remember or just enjoy while enjoying a glass of juice, cider, chocolate, water, beer, wine or your favorite, favorite.

It is also nice to have on in the office, house, apartment, car as you complete your day.

NAT COLE

Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer and musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. He was widely noted for his soft, baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres.

Cole was one of the first African Americans to host a television variety show, The Nat King Cole Show, and has maintained worldwide popularity since his death in February 1965.  Wikipedia

Here is Nat's Christmas Song, Enjoy.

Christmas Song lyrics - click

Call for ACTION - DAY 101 - Association filed Ethics Complaint - Stamper, Charter officers, city officer, appointed, non-profit & local church

156 Days since Certified
- 51 days, NO DECISION - October, November or December
Scheduled for January 6, 2015

City Center Milwaukee | DAY 101 |  Mary Glass, Chair/CEO/CVO, Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC filed a Verified copy of  a Formal Complaint to the city of Milwaukee Ethics Board.

MC COLE is the client of Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC who is seeking a Class B License.  He has been in FULL COMPLIANCE since Early October, 2014.  Was in FULL COMPLIANCE for October 20, 2014 License Committee Meeting.  His file was placed "on HOLD" by newly elected Alderman Russell Stamper II.

It was placed "on HOLD" due to Conflict of Interest with certain members of the neighborhood and failure to respect his Oath of Office and ALL members within the 15th District.

"The decision to submit a Formal Complaint was decided back in October, 2014; however; in discoveries it was felt addition information should be added.  The additions were as a result of information disclosed from involvement of members on the 15th district - namely, Sharon Adams - Walnut Way - Lindsey Heights, Virginia Dupriest - YMCA-CDC, Sharon Adams and Board of BID #32 andd Tabernacle Baptist Church, 2500 W. Medford, Milwaukee, WI."

"We have asked this body to address their Mission regarding Conflict of Interest and Breach of Public Trust.  We especially interested in the bartering/coercing and vigilante social engineering seen during the Application process of a Class B License for MC COLE, my client", said Glass.

To Enlarge, click photo

We await their decision for their Investigation.
In the meantime, due to the breadth of wrongdoing, we will file additional Complaints to help rid the Hospitality Industry and the License process of insidious Code of Conduct by charter, city officers, appointees to boards/commissions and members of the neighborhood-at large that is against the 14th Amendment as well as the INFRASTRUCTURAL growth of Urban Milwaukee.

CLICK

December 8, 2014 - EMMACULATE CONCEPTION Day

City Center Milwaukee | DAY 99 | Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the Emmaculate Conception - It refers to the day Mary was conceived and is referenced to the day of Grace when Mary conceived Jesus.  It is a day of Obligation for Catholics.

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As we (Christians) move toward another timeframe of the birth of Christ, it is important to remember the importance of remembering Jesus's birth - his mother Mary and his earthly father, Joseph; but, most of all he was born - born in a stable.  Perhaps it will help us focus on the humanity of it all.

Blessed Mary full of Grace.
Happy Holidays!

cYBER MONDAY - Monday, December 1, 2014

December 1, 2014

City Center Milwaukee | DAY 92 | Cyber Monday in America allows "online BARGAINS".  The Big Box retailers have their merchandise prices as "bargains".  It is the third day of a trio of Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday for shopping.

Susanna Kim, ABC Digital Reporter, gives (5) reasons Cyber Monday is different from Black Friday.  They are:

1. More People Buy Later in the Day

Maybe America’s worker bees can’t sneak in time to shop online during Cyber Monday. Last year, Cyber Monday online sales peaked between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Eastern time, with sales that hour totaling $150 million, according to Adobe Digital Index Market Research. On Black Friday last year, online shopping sales peaked from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., bringing in the same $150 million for retailers.

2. Shoppers Do More Research

According to an AOL survey, 83 percent of Cyber Monday shoppers reported researching online before shopping, compared with 64 percent of Black Friday shoppers.

3. Fewer Ads

While retailers notify shoppers and the media of their Black Friday deals days or sometimes weeks in advance, there is less notice on Cyber Monday deals.

“Retailers want to tempt you with as many deals as possible, without discouraging early shopping,” writes Josie Rubio of DealNews.

4. People May Spend More

The average shopper spends $468 on Cyber Monday, compared with $309 on Black Friday, according to an AOL survey.

5. Slightly More People May Shop, With Gender Differences 

According to a Nielsen study, 52 percent of all survey respondents said they plan to shop on Black Friday this year, with men slightly more enthusiastic than women: 53 percent of men said they plan to shop in-store, compared with 50 percent of women. The 1,150 respondents were 18 years and older.

Slightly more shoppers (55 percent) plan to shop on Cyber Monday this year than Black Friday. But women will be more active on Cyber Monday: 60 percent of women plan to shop Cyber Monday versus 50 percent of men.

Are you out buying today?