MILWAUKEE DELEGATION
SATURDAY, April 20, 2013
Reps. Jon Richards, Sandy Pasch, LaTonya Johnson, Mandela Barnes, Evan Goyke, Christine Sinicki, JoCasta Zamarripa & Leon Young
Sens. Chris Larson, Nikiya Harris, Tim Carpenter & Bob Wirch
Place: Milwaukee Public School Administration Auditorium
5225 W. Vilet Street
Milwaukee, WI 53208
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| Mary Glass - Chair/CEO |
Greetings and thank you to our host legislators of the Milwaukee Delegation for today’s Public Hearing on the 2013-2015 Biennial Budget!
We especially thank Representative Jon Richards, 19th District – member of the Milwaukee Delegation and Joint Finance Committee, for Chairing today’s public hearing; and, Senator Bob Wirch from the 22nd District, also a member of the Joint Finance Committee for honoring your Oath of Office.
I am here to speak and inform on behalf of the over half-million Milwaukeeans that are in need of budget funding that takes a “POPULATION” approach for funding and reform for the Greater Good.
Our support today is 150% behind budgeted items that will help prepare our state for a more seamless preparedness for the Affordable Health Care law that is scheduled for “full implementation” on January 1, 2014.
We think Health Care should be a NO. 1 priority for the 2013-2015 state budget since it is during the time of the full implementation and it will impact ALL Wisconsinites – like it or not. The other reasons are basic to survival and leadership.
Right now, Health Care is the largest budget item of the state.
Research and statistics continue to share the impact of “population” valuing – demographics, gender and age groups – chronic diseases, use of technology, self-sufficiency, global competitiveness and growing cost.
My points speaks to valuing and prioritizing our infrastructure focus for channel development, economic pipelines and pathway development that is offline and online for now and long-term sustainability at the neighborhood level for growing for-profit, non-profit organizations and public institutions.
We must empower our top two (2) revenue streams to the Wisconsin state budget.
They are: General Purpose Revenue (42-50%) and Federal funding (28%). Our investment of funds must seek health care, education, technology and information preparedness to support a return on investment for the citizenry. The GPR is 42% and Federal Funding 28% - according to the WI Legislative Fiscal Bureau’s 2009-11 Budget Summary Information. The GPR cannot improve if it does not receive donated tax funds from the citizenry. The citizens cannot donate/pay if they do not have the funds due to high un- and under-employment, lack of business development, lack of financial investment in business development at the Urban neighborhood level where poverty is so severe.
The Federal funding is severely hampered if there are not giant returns when it provides a “funding stimulus”. We are defeating our efforts when we choose to take the funding available and use it to duplicate services and/or create services that are not vetted by the population it says it will serve, it is not household and neighborhood-driven; and, is not neighborhood accountable.
In fact, one of Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC Action groups, MPA LLC CONSUMER PROTECTION COUNCIL, is laying the foundation for a privately-operated Watch Group to help monitor and enforce preparedness of the consumer, active and responsible use of our General Purpose funds and federal funds; and, enforcement of our laws that are tied to regulatory concerns for self-sustainability. Special attention is given to Health Care and all levels of fraud – in and outside of government, private and non-profit.
We support the idealism recently shared by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke in his April 12, 2013, 8th Biennial speech, that promotes "Resilience and Rebuilding for Low-Income Communities: Research to Inform Policy and Practice". To hear and see Speech: CLICK
Yes. Funding is the oil that greases the operations of our state government and its connected neighborhoods – most if not all, of which are experiencing some type of economic deficit due to a lack of revenue, high un- and under-employment, lack of critical mass of business development and sustainability at the neighborhood level, financial wherewithal for housing, safety, health care, judicial reform and education. Too often we are so caught up in the competitiveness of the fight and greed, we do more harm than good. The 2013-2015 biennial budget for Wisconsin should be about the Greater Good.
We feel that it is a big mistake for the powerful WI Joint Committee on Finance to pit Wisconsinites against each other (cities, racial groups, income, class, age groups and family structures). To avoid its responsibility in improving the economic forecast of the largest city of the state, Milwaukee, is a violation of the Oath of Office each one took to serve. They must be held accountable with loud voices, media, internet and vote.
The city of Milwaukee brings to the coffers via population $$$BILLIONS each year to help drive up quality of life and economic development – yet it remains in Concentrated Poverty. The problem has been the oversight and management of these dollars for the greater good when it arrives at its destination from the appropriations. So, I say to you legislators here today, it is great to lobby, call for input from the citizenry and call for more funding, we ask that you provide enforcement of the funding with INCLUSION rather than DISCRIMINATION, transparency rather than bureaucracy, best practices rather than oligopoly and monopoly control and accountability for self, fellow legislators, the governor and All you serve.
Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC is a "premier" Affordable Health Care for-profit supporter.
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