Barrett mayor of Milwaukee celebrates with everyone but CORE CONSTITUENTS - WHY?

Photo Gallery by Michael Horne - Urban Milwaukee
Do you see CORE CONSTITUENTS?
L-R:  Charter officers Wade, Bauman, Barrett (signing), Hamilton, Perez, Murphy, Kovak, Coggs;  Milw. County Dimitrijevic,Couture Barrett, Bauman and Donor-for-Hire Cudahy.
 Row 2,  L-R:  city Tabak, Gilbane Grunau, GMC Taylor, Milw Business Journal Ryan and DPW Korban.

Row 3, L-R:  DPW Korban and city Casanova, BID 21 Weirick, DCD Marcoux and Alderman Wade - 7th District

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The mayor, business leaders and pols toasted the streetcar in Cudahy's Irish Pub, with Michael Cudahy on hand.

 “It is not often you as a mayor get to say this is truly an historic day.”

  

–Milwaukee Tom Barrett, prior to signing the Streetcar legislation on February 10th, 2015 at Cudahy’s Irish Pub in the Pabst Theater

The most debated public works project in the history of the City of Milwaukee was passed into law on Tuesday, February 10th, 2015 when Mayor Tom Barrett signed legislation authorizing the city to proceed with its 25-year old plan to develop a streetcar line. The mayor affixed his signature with a stationery store’s worth of pens which he handed out with abandon to commemorate the event.

It was in 1990 that the city received its federal appropriation to construct a fixed rail transit system in Milwaukee. For over two decades the project has sustained AM talk radio station opposition, received support from forward-looking citizens and underwent over 40 Common Council committee hearings.

The streetcar survived legislative meddling, a raid on a portion of its appropriation, a last-minute shadowy petition drive to force a referendum and a host of other indignities.

Yet, nothing derailed the project, so it was in a celebratory mood that the doors of the Pabst Theater were opened to the public as the mayor signed the legislation just hours after it had (finally) garnered Common Council approval.

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Below are the comments of Mary Glass regarding Michael Horne's Streetcar Celebration article.

February 14, 2015

The problems with the celebration in this article by Michael Horne, Urban Milwaukee, “Celebration”; include:

•  It identifies 3 misguided African Americans – Spencer Coggs – Treasurer, Alderman Ashanti Hamilton – District 1, and Alderman Willie Wade, District 7 at the signing.  To give the impression that these 3 African American men represents the CORE CONSTITUENTS.
• In the gallery of photos, Wade is called Spencer Coggs.  The population of African American is over 40% in Milwaukee.  They are not there. They brought the federal transportation funding to Milwaukee.
• It identifies and praise front and center INSTITUTIONAL RACISM in the city of Milwaukee.
• It shows the ongoing, in-your-face, by-design SEGREGATION and DISCRIMINATION.
• It shows Caucasians laughing it up at the expense of CORE CONSTITUENTS of Milwaukee as evident by “who are not celebrating” – African American, other People of Color and the Work Challenged - the ones that brought the money to the city of Milwaukee; and, the folk that will jumpstart the 20 plus year TID(s) for the Rick Barrett Couture $2,300 average rent project (seen at the celebration).
•  It speaks to how Mayor Barrett and like-minds were able to twist-arms and call-in markers.
• It speaks to Tom Barrett, mayor, scoring a victory in DIVISIVENESS and winning BAIT-N-SWITCH – IT WILL NOT PLAY WELL now or in 2016.
• It is absent of The Help - African American “A” list in the gallery of photos CLICK
• It speaks to Barrett’s monopoly-oligopoly cronies’ take-over – GMC Julia Taylor, Gary Grunau, Michael Cudahy, Beth Weick, Kevin Hardman and others.
• It speaks to vetting the positions of support of Bill Sell and Bruce Speight to the CORE CONSTITUENTS of the city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County Transit.
• It says some that were not here are looking at the Bradley Center and not wanting to alienate – just saying.
•  It gives Michael Cudahy an opportunity to host the event at the Pabst Theater, Cudahy’s Irish Pub – The $1.00 gift (Pabst Theater) to him by the city of Milwaukee.
•  It speaks to Alderman Bob Bauman, CC President Michael Murphy, Alderman Jose Perez, and Alderman Nik Kovac sell-out of the CORE CONSTITUENTS. 
•  It says the People must be in touch with the federal government in transportation and the U.S. Justice Department - review of laws, regs and by all means look to 2016 Change of Guard.
• It says that the People should run and walk fast to sign the Referendum for Direct Legislation.   CLICK

It asks if you, Mr. Horne, represents an extension for the public relations for Tom Barrett’s office?

As one of the individuals/organizations that mounted the Class-Action suit over 20 years ago for the transportation funding, I do not consider this a DONE-DEAL and the celebration is premature.   It is really in bad taste with the real history being what it is for the need of Transportation for the CORE CONSTITUENTS in the city of Milwaukee using public transportation.

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