MAYOR'S OFFICE and COMMON COUNCIL provides ATM to haves, privileged opportunities that are first seen and . . . .

City of Milwaukee Mayor and Common Council
Top, L-R:  Mayor-Tom Barrett, Vacancy 7th District, Alderman 14 - Anthony Zielinski, Alderman 13 -Terry Witkowski, Alderman 2 - Joe Davis, L-Down:  Alderman 15 - Russell Stamper, Alderman 1 - Ashanti Hamilton, Alderman 5 - James Bohl Bottom L-R:  Alderman 9 - Robert Puente, Alderman 8 - Robert Donovan, Alderman/Common Council President Michael Murphy, Alderman 4 - Robert Bauman, Alderman 11 - Mark Borkowski
TOP/Right/down:  Alderman 3 - Nik Kovac, Alderwoman 6 - Milele Coggs, Alderman 12 - Jose Perez

DCD- Department of City Development
L-R:  Rocky Marcoux - DCD Commissioner, Robert Rondini Board, Martha Brown, Deputy Commissioner
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MARCH 16, 2016

MILWAUKEE | CALL OUT | This Call Out reference the MEGA-FEED of the Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation office and its built-in questionable ties and authority with RACM - Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee.

Election of Mayor and Common Council

IT is the time of transparency, accountability, CLEANING HOUSE of the fat cats, the wheeler-dealers, the bloodsuckers, the welfare cows and bulls as well as the boll weevils blocking economic development for Milwaukee's CORE CONSTITUENTS.

Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC review finds the office of MEDC to be an ATM for Caucasian-bias hiring and fulfilling its declared Mission.  We see "Patterns and Practices" to VIOLATE due process procedures, evoke ongoing discrimination, and disenfranchise African American, other People of Color and Cultures and Work Challenged Milwaukeeans located in the only first-class city of Wisconsin.

We see patterns and practices of misconduct of use of funds with the administration and staff members of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; i.e., Word-of-Mouth $10,000 charrette subversive funding of DCD to UW-M via Tom Barrett, Russell Stamper, Rocky Marcoux, Carolyn Esswein, Mark Mone-Chancellor, Jacqueline Ward and Sharon Adams-BID 32 engagement that failed to include the Amani neighborhood stakeholders.  In fact, the project was MISNAMED (Lindsay Heights), the NEW owner of Milwaukee Mall - Lenny Chu was given a Gag order.  Lena's Foods on Oak, St. Ann's and other land space was engaged without CITIZEN PARTICIPATION (A way to EXCLUDE African American, BID participants and other stakeholders of the Amani Neighborhood. St. Ann (Sister Edna Lonergan )was given top space for $1 after 19 years of misuse by Irgens Development, DCD, Willie Hines Alderman, Willie Wade - Zoning and Common Council vote.  

The misuse of power project with UW-M using a charrette process with improper participants is a development project (HGA, Mayer-Helminiak, Korb + Associates, Quorum Architects, Inc., Engberg Anderson, Toki & Associates, BC Management LLC) that is on HOLD until AFTER THE ELECTION.  In fact, we want this to be the largest Class-action suit to come to the city of Milwaukee in recent times.

The misconduct of Mayor Barrett, Alderman Russell Stamper, Rocky Marcoux, Sharon Adams, Lindsey Heights, the Commons, St. Ann and the team of developers put together without the NOTICE and AUTHORIZATION of the People of Amani.

We see patterns and practices of appointed and hired staff of DCD conspiring with cronies to misrepresent mission and expectation of the public; and, the government funding that they are allowed to process on behalf of the People.  This is EXTORTION. We are certain when others in the city are asked to "bear witness", the many, many other wrongdoings will come forward.

We see patterns and practices - we have allowed several opportunities for Rocky Marcoux and Martha Brown to provide best practices and appropriate behavior in public office, they have repeatedly failed to respond.   We have also had an opportunity to request that Robert Rondini appear for his role as a representative of the people appointment.  HE FAILED TO RESPOND.

Since Tom Barrett, mayor, is seeking re-election on April 5, 2016, we hold him responsible - especially since he has been notified of misconduct and NO CHANGE.  In fact, NO response to inquiries or cc.  Do you think his Endorser, President Barack Obama will feel good hearing about his great Endorsement of Tom Barrett and all his good work in the city of Milwaukee?

This is his best time to address the many foibles and "in-your-face" disregards of his office and his appointees that ARE discriminatory, authoritarian, MISUSE OF POWER and disenfranchising to African American, other People of Color, Cultures and Work Challenged - 3/4 to 95 per cent of the population of Milwaukee.

We have a Constitution.  President Barack Hussein Obama was a student-attorney-professor of the Constitution. We have CIVIL-HUMAN-LEGAL right.

Break-up

DCD has too many departments within the one department that are ran by a very few folk that are not equipped with the expertise and temperament to drive the No. 1 DEVELOPMENT HOUSE OF AN URBAN CITY OF MILWAUKEE FAIRLY AND APPROPRIATELY - by experience.

We want THE arrogance, avoidance, stealing of funds of African American and People of Color given to Caucasians, the haves and those who live outside of Milwaukee and failure to respond with efficiency to eradicate Enduring Concentrated Poverty to STOP.

President Obama

Since President Obama thinks Tom Barrett is worth his ENDORSEMENT; He should be willing to MAKE GOOD on his ENDORSEMENT of good ole Tom.  Here are some points submitted for President Obama, USDOJ, and other federal oversight organizations.  They are:

1. Selection of MEDC Board and staff - Caucasian-based, top-heavy with banks, banks are not directly or otherwise connected with services to the CORE CONSTITUENTS (African American, other People of Color and Cultures for neighborhood investment and in-the-neighborhood business development), banks receiving ARRA funding and board members remaining on board until death.
2. TIM SHEEHY, President of MEDC, lives in Whitefish Bay, has a carte blanche - huge advantage, privilege and repeated appearance of Conflict of Interest as the NO. 1 person driving the Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce/ MMAC-Greater Milwaukee Committee/GMC and background creator of the Milwaukee 7 (all that are Caucasian-based, but seek, take, lobby and get mega resources of all kind - resolution, federal funding, revenue strategic planning access to federal, regional, state and local financial revenue streams; and, first-to-know what is coming down the pike).   He must go.  We have talent of color and culture that can fit the bill around this table OR dissolve it in the first 100 days after April 5, 2016.
3. Double-dipping and again huge privileges AND ADVANTAGES for the greedy haves i.e, Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company at the MEDC board (David D. Clark (2, 4) Retired Senior Vice President, Real Estate Northwestern Mutual AND   Thomas D. Zale (1) Vice President, Real Estate Northwestern Mutual); WHAT IS THAT ABOUT?
4. Real Estate barons are created and have been created in the city of Milwaukee by those high rollers with 1st-hand advantages and access to city hall - from the city website to the CORE CONSTITUENTS federal resources - tax credits - city staff - contingency funds, city budget - NEWLY CREATED resolutions by RACM (Rocky Marcoux - Executive Director).
5. Real Estate development for the DOWNTOWN RENAISSANCE do-nothing for gainful employment, mobility and upward mobility of the CORE CONSTITUENTS to re-define, re-brand and UN-trap the citizenry.
6. Real Estate development is ONLY seen for PRIVATE INVESTORS, big time law firms that have been able to suck-the-life out of poverty programs through Tom Barrett's appointments to boards (such as MEDC) his signing off and the Common Council signing off to the haves - remember Marc Lasry, Wes Edens and Jamie Dinan of the Milwaukee Bucks?
7. We see how Mandel, Gorman, General Capital Group, J.H. Findorff & Son Inc, HGA, CG SCHMIDT, J P Cullen, Graef, American Design and other barracudas of the real estate industry have trumped the RE-construction industry.  They are the ones that you find on many of the construction sites around town.  Where are the African American PRIME CONTRACTORS with partnerships with all those banks sitting around the MEDC table?  Those yet owning President Obama's bail out through ARRA.
8. JULIE PENMAN and CARLA CROSS have been given a free ride for their personal business development - just as the attorneys, financial consultants, real estate investors, banks and retired board member Perfecto Rivera.  
9. Rocky Marcoux and Martha Brown have shown that they do not have the temperament for INCLUSION of African American decision making and fingerprinting of economic development and quality of life issues.  Both have shown a level of arrogance and disrespect for the continued outreach for clarity of policies and procedures.  This type of behavior is also seen in the way business is conducted throughout the Department of City Development.  There is the strong and erroneous behavior that they - Marcoux and Brown - are not accountable for misconduct in office.  They are to appropriately and quickly be REPLACED starting the 2016-2020 term by whoever is Mayor.  They have exhibited misconduct in the services of their office through refusal to honor their role and responsibility to the People of Milwaukee, obvious and deplorable discrimination of economic development in African American and People of Color neighborhoods - 3/4 of the population of Milwaukee.
10. We see MEDC (tax credits) and Tax Increment District/TID as two of the major links and FAST-TRACKS for breathing life in Only Caucasian-bias projects that fail to show that African Americans and other People of Color are the recipients of.

About MEDC
 80 Op. Att'y Gen. 129, 129 (1991)

Open Meeting; Words And Phrases;

The term "quasi-governmental corporation" in section 19.82(1), Stats., includes private corporations which closely resemble governmental corporations in function, effect or status. As currently organized, the Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation and Metropolitan Milwaukee Enterprise Corporation constitute "quasi-governmental" corporations within the meaning of section 19.82(1) and are, therefore, subject to the open meetings law. OAG 20-91

November 18, 1991

80 Op. Att'y Gen. 129, 129 (1991)

ROBERT G. OTT, Corporation Counsel

Milwaukee County

80 Op. Att'y Gen. 129, 129 (1991)

  You have asked for my opinion on the applicability of the open meetings law, sections 19.81-19.98, Stats., to the Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation and the Metropolitan Milwaukee Enterprise Corporation.

80 Op. Att'y Gen. 129, 129 (1991)

  The Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation was originally incorporated in 1971, under the name Milwaukee Model Cities Development Corporation ("MMCDC"), as a chapter 181 nonstock, nonprofit corporation. Two of MMCDC's incorporators were private citizens and one was the assistant director of the City of Milwaukee, Department of City Development ("Department of City Development"). The purpose of the corporation, apparently, was to provide economic development loans to private citizens with funds the City of Milwaukee ("city") obtained under the Federal Model Cities Program.

80 Op. Att'y Gen. 129, 129-130 (1991)

  In 1974, MMCDC changed its name to the Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation ("MEDC"). In 1975, the federal government phased-out the model cities program. Pursuant to a phase-out plan, the Milwaukee City Council authorized the mayor to execute a contract with MEDC permitting MEDC to retain the assets and interest it derived from model cities program funds provided that MEDC maintain a management agreement with the city.

See

City of Milwaukee Resolution, file number 73-1948-j.

80 Op. Att'y Gen. 129, 130 (1991)

  MEDC currently operates under restated articles of incorporation, filed with the Secretary of State on December 5, 1985, which state that the purpose of the corporation is to "further the economic development of the City of Milwaukee and to promote job creation in the metropolitan Milwaukee area." The 1989 annual report for MEDC, which was published by the Department of City Development, describes MEDC as a "City-sponsored corporation" which provides financing to businesses that promise to create job opportunities and new investment in Milwaukee. MEDC currently has a contract with the city to administer funds the city obtains under the federal Community Development Block Grant and Urban Development Action Grant programs. City of Milwaukee, Contract No. 88-26 (CM), dated August 23, 1988. Although MEDC has obtained some money from commercial sources, the vast majority of money MEDC uses to make loans is derived from public funds.

80 Op. Att'y Gen. 129, 130 (1991)

  The bylaws for MEDC set the number of directors of the corporation at nine. The bylaws reserve four of the nine directors positions for specified city officials: 1) the mayor, 2) the comptroller, 3) the president of the common council and 4) a member of the common council, other than the president.

80 Op. Att'y Gen. 129, 130 (1991)

  The bylaws for MEDC also provide that the corporation shall have six officers: 1) chairman of the board, 2) vice chairman of the board, 3) president, 4) vice president, 5) secretary and 6) treasurer. The bylaws state that the chairman and vice-chairman of the board cannot be directly affiliated with the city government. The bylaws also state that the president, vice president, secretary and treasurer may be selected by the city pursuant to a contract between the city and MEDC, and that the city shall determine the salary for MEDC officers selected by the city. MEDC's bylaws and articles of incorporation list the address for the Department of City Development as MEDC's principal office.

80 Op. Att'y Gen. 129, 131 (1991)

  All of MEDC's offices are located in city-owned buildings. Pursuant to the contract MEDC currently has with the city, the Commissioner of the Department of City Development selected the current president, vice president, secretary and treasurer of the corporation. All of those officers are city employes. Some of MEDC's staff members are also city employes. The officers and staff are permitted to conduct MEDC business during the hours for which they are paid a city salary. The city provides MEDC with all of the office space, equipment and supplies needed by the corporation. Under the terms of the contract, MEDC is responsible for reimbursing the city for the salaries and benefits the city pays for the time city employes spend working for MEDC, and the cost of providing office space, equipment and supplies to MEDC. MEDC's obligation to reimburse the city is offset against grants MEDC receives from the city.

80 Op. Att'y Gen. 129, 131 (1991)

  The Metropolitan Milwaukee Enterprise Corporation ("MMEC") is a chapter 181 nonstock, nonprofit corporation created in 1985. MMEC provides economic development loans with funds the city obtains under the federal Small Business Administration loan program. The articles of incorporation for MMEC, which were filed with the Secretary of State on November 1, 1985, set the number of directors of the corporation at fourteen. Neither MMEC's articles of incorporation nor its bylaws reserve any directors positions for city officials or employes. However, two of MMEC's current directors are city council members and one is a city employe.

80 Op. Att'y Gen. 129, 131-132 (1991)

  In all other relevant respects, MMEC's relationship to the city is similar to that of MEDC. MMEC's articles of incorporation and bylaws list the Department of City Development as MMEC's principal office. All of MMEC's offices are located in city-owned buildings. MMEC's bylaws state that its president, vice president, secretary and treasurer may be selected by the city under a contract between the city and MMEC. Pursuant to that provision, a city official selected all of MMEC's current officers. All of MMEC's officers and some of its staff members are city employes. The city provides all office space, equipment and supplies needed by MMEC. The cost the city incurs in supplying staff and other resources to MMEC is offset against grants MMEC receives from the city.

80 Op. Att'y Gen. 129, 132 (1991)

  The open meetings law applies to MEDC and MMEC if they are "governmental bod[ies]" within the meaning of section 19.82(1), which provides:

80 Op. Att'y Gen. 129, 132 (1991)

  "Governmental body" means a state or local agency, board, commission, committee, council, department or public body corporate and politic created by constitution, statute, ordinance, rule or order; a governmental or quasi-governmental corporation except for the Bradley center sports and entertainment corporation created under ch. 232; any public purpose corporation, as defined in s. 181.79(1); a nonprofit corporation operating an ice rink which is owned by the state; or a formally constituted subunit of any of the foregoing, but excludes any such body or committee or subunit of such body which is formed for or meeting for the purpose of collective bargaining under subch. IV or V of ch. 111.

80 Op. Att'y Gen. 129, 132 (1991)

  You ask three questions regarding the proper interpretation of the phrase "governmental or quasi-governmental corporation." Those questions can best be answered by directly addressing the question whether MEDC and MMEC are "quasi-governmental" corporations within the meaning of section 19.82(1).

80 Op. Att'y Gen. 129, 132 (1991)

  The open meetings law does not define "governmental or quasi-governmental corporation." The drafting file for chapter 426, Laws of 1976, which created the current open meetings law, contains no information on the intended meaning of "governmental or quasi-governmental corporation." There is no Wisconsin case law interpreting that phrase.

80 Op. Att'y Gen. 129, 132-133 (1991)

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