Wednesday, July 18, 2007

It is about Milwaukee and only about Milwaukee

Now do not get me wrong, when I read this editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Sunday, I was not surprised. Of course, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is in Milwaukee and it is to be expected that they would demand more money for Milwaukee in this next state budget.

That being said, some of what the MJS is stating in this editorial is flat out disrespectful to all of the rest of Wisconsin.

In defending the Assembly plan to reallocate local shared revenue, Huebsch stated: "This is not the Milwaukee and Madison budget. This is the state budget."

Well, of course, but where is the greatest need, Mr. Speaker? It is in the state's urban areas, and that costs more money.


This statement is insulting to the 90% of us who do not live in Milwaukee.

We all have needs.

In fact, it is a safe bet that every single community in the state of Wisconsin could make the same arguments that the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel did in Sunday’s paper. Each community leader could state- “We need more than our fair share of tax dollars because of (insert request here)”.

No doubt about it, every community has needs, but why are Milwaukee’s needs more important than any other community does?

Right here in Kenosha, residents are faced with a school referendum to build a new high school. Total new taxes going to referendum next April is about $57 million.

Why are the needs of Milwaukee more important than the needs of Kenosha? Why are the kids and the families of Milwaukee more important than the kids and families in Kenosha?

For Milwaukee to continue to insist they deserve more than their fair share of tax dollars is certainly egotistical, but it is also disrespectful to Wisconsin’s communities.

Hey Milwaukee- we are people too!

By the way, since we are on subject of communities receiving more than there fair share- what is up with the all the whining about four democratic communities receiving cuts under the Republican assembly budget?

It unfairly slashes aid to four Democratic-leaning communities, including Milwaukee. The city would lose $28 million, which would force painful choices on a city already hurting. It's unfair and seems almost spiteful. The Milwaukee delegation needs to show some backbone and fight this partisan swipe.

We already know that Milwaukee has been receiving more than there fair share of revenue, is this also true with the other three democratic leaning communities?

For how long have these democratic leaning communities been getting extra perks from their elected democratic officials?

It is amazing how that door swings both ways.

The democrats want to know why their communities have been targeted and Republicans want to know why the extra perks for democratic leaning communities.

Grow up Democrats! Nobody is treating your communities unfairly.

We are all in this together.

It is important that we all do what we can to take care of each other. However for Milwaukee to continue to insist that the rest of us must bow to their wishes- is very disrespectful to everyone else.

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