Sherman Park SWELLING Aftermath - Optics

Click to Enlarge

EARLY EDITION - Day 30

September 12, 2016 - We are Day 30th since the unrest in Sherman Park - sparked by the shooting death of Sylville K. Smith, 23 years of age, by a Milwaukee police officer.  

The Swelling

"The Swelling" is the generational increase of disrespect from those in our city hall government structure - mayor and joint common council; neglect from appropriate areas of human development for existence in quality of life and economic development.  

It is an outgrowth of Enduring Concentrated Poverty, long-suffering, and the breakup of family; rooted discrimination that is institutional; an influx of drugs, risky behavior in use/sell of drugs; influx of guns, risky behaviors with guns, homicides; profiled and capricious arrests; murder by law enforcement; unfairness in the justice system; lack of legal representation, intimidation and cover-up of misuse of the law;  massive incarceration due to lack of fairness in the enforcement of laws; risky behavior due to lack of aspiration and downright hopelessness.  

The kind of raw pent-up emotion that will explode into rage - burning and destruction of property.

SHERMAN PARK

Sherman Park is one of the 19 Neighborhood Strategic Planning areas of the city of Milwaukee with historic value and promise for the future of Milwaukee.  It has a rich makeup of people with diversity in racial, professional and economic make-up.

Click to Enlarge
City of Milwaukee Neighborhood Strategic Planning Areas

Over the years of late, Sherman Park (the neighborhood) has been left to despair - just as with Amani(9) Harambee(6), Granville/Walnut Hill(11)* Metcalfe(8), Midtown(12), Sherman Park(5), United Community(4), WAICO Y(10), as a result of the lack of transparency and accountability of leadership of the Neighborhood leaders at the NSP sites and the take-over of the funding by elected-appointed-hired and donor for hire groups-authorities-committees and boards.   *  Was called LAND.

The funding of Community Development Block Grant/CDBG funding has lost its purpose-goal and reason for being.

The mayor's office - cabinet administrations and the Common Council routinely and continuously rape the CDBG funds for pet projects and fulfilling deals without the knowledge, input, support of the citizenry.  It is so widely used that it is the status quo that has took the decision-making from the Neighborhood Strategic Planning process in-the-neighborhood.  It is dictated and controlled by hired staff within the CDBG office.  Further, it is authorized and/or condoned by those within the HUD office in Milwaukee and Regional in Chicago, without due process and due diligence.

Therefore, we see what we see - the powerless become more in despair with unrest continuous without economic development and BEAUTIFICATION with OPPORTUNITIES.  We must replace the risky behavior by the citizenry and city leaders, out-of-control hiring of police with nothing to show for it but exorbitant  figures in the budget, bullying, high fees for risky behavior and murders while the hired Caucasian police live in outer towns, villages and counties.  

MPA LLC

So, Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC calls for "HOUSE CLEANING".  We recently had an election.  Now is the time to exercise leadership and stewardship with commitment.  We must keep score, regularly report findings, contact oversight and monitoring agencies, put the fire under those elected and appointed by contacting their offices, posting their record AND recalling their seat before the next election. 

Demand more from the "media" as a member of the city and its role in GROWTH of all parts of the city.

And, forge a legal team to take issues to the court on a REGULAR basis until there is change.

We have a "racket" in play - an illegal or dishonest scheme for obtaining money.  We must FOLLOW THE MONEY.

*************************************

So, what can we do after the UNREST at Sherman Park? CLEAN-UP.  BUILD.  CONNECT NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT.  COME TOGETHER and cut out the divisiveness. 

MMAC

Tim Sheehy, President of Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce and Chairman of Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation made an interesting comment in an Urban Milwaukee article recently.  He spoke of the stand-offish attitude of the corporations that say they are Fortune this and that.  How they are "overseers" - investment mostly in foreign companies as oppose to Milwaukee - How once upon a time they took an interest in the advent of "despair" - such an upheaval seen on Saturday, August 13, 2016, in Sherman Park.  He mentioned Manpower for example.

ManpowerGroup is where we will start with the transparent, accountability and storytelling for history sake.  This is a company that the city of Milwaukee gave refuge for its corporate office on Milwaukee River and a million dollar garage for out-of-town employees.  Let's see what Jonas Prising/CEO and Jeff Joerres/Chairman have to say.  Why isn't Milwaukee No. 1 in Employment given these two men have a corporate office here in Milwaukee and their RANK in staffing services across the world?