How’s this for writing for the community you’re supposed to serve? Patrick McIlheran finally comes out and says what many conservatives have been implying for years: “Flee” from Milwaukee County and run to Waukesha County where rainbows abound and the rivers run with honey.
What is an individual to do? This lies at the nexus of so many arguments. The conventional, liberal prescription is that people are swine for living in suburbs: They’re just trying to escape paying for public goods via taxes. They should instead live next to and ride a trolley with lots of poor people so they develop sympathy and grow willing to pay for do-gooder plans.
If you don’t buy the premises – the taxes are well spent, proximity yields harmony, the do-gooders know what they’re doing – then another course would make sense: Flee. Obey the law yourself and seek a community where the crime stats say that others do, too. MJS
McIlheran has always tried to claim some sort of moral authority on issues regarding Milwaukee County by constantly pointing out that not only does he live in Milwaukee County, he rides the bus to work! In his mind, that means he’s got the green light to constantly compare our county with those that represent the suburbs, and the quote above is just the next logical step in his flawed logic.
It seems that he’s finally given into the people who he really writes his column for – those in mostly conservative communities outside of Milwaukee – and is now advocating a full out retreat of “decent” people to the suburbs. Flee to Waukesha! There’s no crime there, and it’s a conservative wonderland where no one pays taxes!
The premise is ridiculous of course as is McIlherans rallying cry of: Retreat!
One quick side note. It’s interesting how McIlheran labels anyone as a coward who wants U.S. troops to leave Iraq, but anyone who wants to abandon their community in Milwaukee County is making the logical choice. I guess that makes him part of the “Flee first crowd”?
I don’t buy this argument for a number of reasons, the most important of which is that his logic, as always, is fundamentally flawed. Crime exists in every County, as do taxes. If you’re entire quality of life is based on how much in taxes you pay, that doesn’t make sense to me.
Nor does advocating an attitude of abandonment because of the challenges we face as a community. Instead, we need dedicated people in this County – and State for that matter – who will stay and fight to make our community a better place. We only stand to lose Wisconsin’s largest County to the very people McIlheran and conservatives like him are afraid of if we do in fact abandon our community.
It’s interesting to note that the only plan the “Flee-first crowd” have ever advocated to help Milwaukee County, or any County for that matters, is to run. They may be great at criticizing and pointing out flaws and picking and choosing the examples they use as evidence in their arguments for abandonment, but they have never been able to put forward a positive message or plan for how to get things done.
As for myself, I love living in Milwaukee County and am one of the many many people who are committed to not only holding down the fort, but working together to effect positive change in the community we love.
I live in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Milwaukee, WI with my wife Jen, our daughter Emerson, and son Carter.
First of all, let ‘em go. I for one would be happy to see Pat leave the county and take his column with him. The thing about whiners is its always better when they’re not around.
However, I find your defense of Milwaukee defensive and half-hearted at best. I live in the city and I am not “fighting” to make it better. It is not a battle, it is not a war, it is a city like all cities with problems and opportunities, wonderful things and pains in the ass.
It is also not for everyone. Parents, for instance, don’t like our public schools. Other people are afraid of poor people on trolleys. That these people came out of their millenium bunkers to write columns for newspapers is a mystery, but not a particularly interesting one. Let them go. Buy them a cat. They’ll be back for the water anyway.
McIlheran’s logic is not flawed, it is the analysis of his article that is. Most of us in the “Stop Raising My Taxes” crowd don’t make our quality of life decisions on how much we pay in taxes; we instead make them on what are we getting for our taxes. This is where Pat’s argument takes shape. I do agree there is crime everywhere, but there is less in Waukesha county. Waukesha county taxes their citizens, just not nearly as much as Milwaukee county. The other difference is that services are as good or better in Waukesha than Milwaukee county.
I have lived in Milwaukee county 37 out of my 38 years, and every time I encounter someone outside the area, I try and defend it, but it is getting increasingly difficult every year. People looking to move to the Milwaukee county area for job transfers, or the like, look at what area can I get the best standard of living, for a reasonable price, and Milwaukee county is making that more and more difficult all of the time. If I am looking for a house, I look at many factors, specifically, how much are my taxes, how will that effect my monthly mortgage payment, and what am I getting for my taxes. Couple that with other “problems” in this county and it would be very difficult for someone to choose Milwaukee county as their place of residence.
I do not think leaving Milwaukee county at this point in time can or should be considered abandonment. Quite honestly the county supervisors, now and in the past, abandoned us. This is not a flee first call, this is an understanding that Milwaukee county has no intent on lowering taxes, or even holding the line, and there is no reason why anybody should have to shoulder increases to their pocketbook on the hope that things will get better. Our supervisors have proven that, over and over again, they are unwilling or unable to do what it takes to make this county better.
I would love for my voice, my opinions, my positive message to improve Milwaukee county, to be heard, but that’s not going to happen. Every time someone, whether they be the County Executive or the Pat McIlheran’s of the world, suggest not increasing taxes, or coming up with alternatives to fix the problems, they are lambasted and given no validity whatsoever. Crime is up, taxes are up, county supervisors are ineffectual (at best), and there is has not been any light at the end of that tunnel for many, many years. What has this county done to make the average citizen want to move here, or at the very minimum, done to keep people here? The answer is NOTHING! Hence the yearly negative net migration in Milwaukee, and Milwaukee county.
Hi Sean, as always, I appreciate your considerable feedback… Few things:
The other difference is that services are as good or better in Waukesha than Milwaukee county.
I have to take exception to that. Waukesha doesn’t have anywhere near the level of support for a number of services that Milwaukee does. Health and family services for the disabled, elderly, delinquent, and those with behavioral needs to start. Our parks system also vastly outpaces what Waukesha County offers, and at a cheaper price to boot. We operate the states largest airport and the facilitate the largest county court system and house of corrections in the State. The 15 golf courses Milwaukee has also fall under “County Services”.
I could go on, but I think you get the point. By the way, I have nothing against what Waukesha DOES offer to the residents of it’s county. I don’t think you can compare the two however.
One thing that Waukesha County does do better than Milwaukee County is operate it’s financial and HR benefits in a much more efficient and reasonable manner. However, it’s odd to me that in a County that has a heavy proportion of citizens who believe in “smaller government” that the County Board is so large at 35 members!
Finally, a quick point about your comment, “we instead make them on what are we getting for our taxes”. I think that’s the primary difference between us sometimes. Personally, I don’t get a lot of benefit out of the taxes I pay that go towards programs I don’t use, or bus routes I don’t ride. But I believe that it’s in the general interest of this community to keep those programs and services maintained, even though I personally don’t use them. I see the benefit that having a strong mental health program has for our community, and understand that an efficient and strong transit system is important for economic growth and creating new jobs in Milwaukee County.
It seems to me that by saying “we instead make them on what are we getting for our taxes” you’re saying that unless you see some direct benefit, penny for penny, out of what you pay in taxes, or that it directly affects you, your tax dollars shouldn’t have to go to providing those services. Maybe I’m wrong on that.
And for the most part, I agree with you about the complete lack of leadership, competence, or effective governance from some of our County board members.
I’m a little curious Dan — who do you believe is an effective County Supervisor right now? I see you said “from some of our County board members”. Who are those who aren’t part of the “some”?
I can’t say I live in the city but when I bought my house I discussed with my wife the fact that I wanted to at least stay in the county. Regardless of what others say, it’s still a great place to live with more recreational and cultural opportunities than anywhere else in the region.
Jim, I think Sup. Dimitrijevic showed a lot of leadership with her “greenprint” proposal, something that was long overdue in my opinion. I think Sup. Broderick also makes important points about corporate tax collections by the state, or the lack thereof, and how that translates directly into fewer services and higher property taxes. Sup. Weishan also has been effective at generating discussion with regards to alternative funding structures.
There are a few others that are generally effective leaders for their districts and represent their constituents very well that I didn’t mention, those above are some just off the top of my head.