July 13, 2016
Public Transportation for the city of Milwaukee population is in need of honest dialog to empower the huge ridership, the thousands of African American, other People of Color and Work Challenged (re-entry vets, ex-incarcerated, ex-retirees, disabled, homeless, and graduates with degrees but not a degreed position) that are “co-dependent” for Mobility.
It is more than the “Who’s Who” list of elected-appointed-hired and well-connected cronies for funding and appointments in this article – As evident by the huge un- and under-EMPLOYMENT of the densely populated ridership located in the North/South corridors/routes in Milwaukee.
Further, we would not have some of the organizations on this list part of protest groups and class-action suits starting with Karyn Rotker/ACLU, Dennis Grzezinski/Attorney at Law, Rev. Willie Brisco and members of Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied for Hope (MICAH) against WisDOT and others if all was well in the city of Milwaukee when dealing with public transportation.
This is a time of “crisis” for the families living in the North/South corridors and routes. They are trapped in social ills driven by lack of economic wealth which starts with employment. They make-up the largest ridership grossly dependent on short and long-distance public transportation - lack driver's license, car, dependable car, and disposable income for Uber, Lyft or taxi.
This is not a time for hyperbole by County Executive Abele who has shown where his loyalties and support lie when talking about the use of the People's resources. Furthermore, I did not see James Macon and his members of the Amalgamated Transit Union 998 on his Who’s Who list for swaying the People,” said Mary Glass, Chief Visionary Officer, Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC.
Several of the comments of this article speak of what it could be long-term. We have a crisis RIGHT NOW of thousands of folk devastated and immersed in Enduring Concentrated Poverty.
As far as the mix-n-match that is on the list in this article, we take issue with comments shared by those who have a vision, mission, receiving federal funding, partnerships and resources that say they support those mired in Enduring Concentrated Poverty but allow their organization to surface with platitudes signifying nothing and indicting those dependent on public transportation. It is most disturbing when we see African American professionals that should know better carrying the muddy water.
We must call out in this article Eve Hall and members of African American Chamber of Commerce, Ralph Holman and staff of the Urban League, Donsia Strong Hill and the staff of LISC, Bob Simi and the six organizations (Children's Hospital, Froedtert Hospital-Medical College, Medical College of Wisconsin, Blood Center, Curative Care, and Milwaukee County Behavioral Health), and Ken Yunker and staff of SEWRPC.
We will give those listed on this list and other members of the Stakeholders Advisory Group (SAG) – Milwaukee County Insider Group for vetting the East/West Feasibility Study with oversight by Caron Kloser, consultant, HNTB – an opportunity to provide clarity here.
The problem with the “built-in” vetting group, 29 in total, called SAG and the others on this list, they are like “hired guns” for endorsements – Letters of Recommendation, smoke-n-mirror rhetoric that has weight in the public square based on their name, who they are supposed to represent and their brand in the public square.
But let’s be clear, that is not what time it is here. Milwaukeeans (North/South Corridor) on the merits and guidelines from the Federal Transit, Department of Transportation and US Department of Transportation are entitled to the funding designated by the signature of President Barack Obama for Transportation that is state-of-the-art public transportation rooted in need, ridership, employment, business development and carbon print.
Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC will host MPA LLC LUNCH & LEARN w/Stewart McKenzie, Federal Transit Administration, Region 5, August 4, 2016, 12-2:00pm, Grace Center, 250 E. Juneau Avenue, $25.00 per person, to address the East/West Feasibility Study, Bublr Bike and Milwaukee Street car failure to be INCLUSIVE. Do not miss this update.
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Written by Mary Glass as a Comment on Urban Milwaukee
PRESS RELEASE
Milwaukee County BRT Project Receives Wide Ranging Support from Community Leaders, Advocates, Business Groups and Riders
County Board and Milwaukee Common Council Committees Expected to Vote on BRT This Week
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