Milwaukee still badly lags in job growth. Evers supporting MKE can change that

  When Tony Evers takes office in January, one thing that he should emphasize is that the state's largest city has to be allowed to thrive. Because it is certainly not doing that under the thumb of Scott ("Walkersha") Walker and the GOP Legislature.

Right before the election, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released their numbers for all metro areas in the country, and Milwaukee fared awfully compared to the US and the rest of the nation.

Not only was the Milwaukee metro among the bottom of US large metro areas with a 12-month job increase of less than 1%, but it was DEAD LAST for the amount of jobs added in larger metro areas in the Midwest. The Milwaukee metro even trailed Madison, despite having less than half the jobs that the Mad City Metro has.

Job growth, Midwest Metros, Sept 2017- Sept 2018

Chicago +35,100
Twin Cities +33,400
Cleveland +28,500
Indianapolis +22,900
Columbus, OH +15,200
Cincinnati +15,000
Detroit +14,000
Des Moines +11,100
Madison +8,100
Milwaukee +5,700 

Looking at it from rate of growth, Milwaukee is still dead last.

Des Moines +3.0%
Cleveland +2.7%
Indianapolis +2.1%
Madison +2.0%
Twin Cities, MN +1.7%
Columbus, OH +1.4%
Cincinnati +1.4%
Chicago +0.74%
Detroit +0.70%
Milwaukee +0.66% 

And yet, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce thought things were going so well in southeastern Wisconsin that it thanked Scott Walker with $1.5 million in donations through 2017, and gave $1.3 million to a Leah Vukmir SuperPAC this year.  (what a great choice of investment THAT was). Tim Sheehy and the rest of those mediocrities at the MMAC need to be sent to the kids; table and let some people with a clue about a 21st Century economy come up with a better strategy.

 Longtime Milwaukee Alder Michael Murphy said Evers’ election allows for Milwaukee to have a better chance at thriving as a partner with state government. 

The election results also create hope for a better relationship between the City of Milwaukee and state policy makers in Madison. As Wisconsin’s economic engine, the City of Milwaukee has long been a net contributor to state coffers; therefore, the time has come for the City to be treated equally and have its seat at the table.

Milwaukee Alder Khalif Rainey echoed those thoughts, and said the Evers Administration presented a great opportunity to restore local control that the GOP Legislature has consistently taken away from Milwaukee and Milwaukee County in recent years.

While there has been a concerted effort, especially in recent years, to devalue the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County, our galvanized electorate has shown how much of a true power we are. By exercising our right to vote, we found empowerment in the face of demoralizing policies such as lifting the Milwaukee residency requirement and eviscerating the power and pay of the County Board.    

The election results also present a great opportunity for my fellow City and County elected officials. Not only can we possibly begin to roll back these punitive measures, but also address major disparity issues such as a minimum wage increase. 

     Additionally, as the City’s net contributions to state coffers far exceed what we receive in return, it is past due time to reform our shared revenue system. 

I agree, it is far beyond time to take the handcuffs off of Milwaukee and realize that beating up on your largest city is not a workable economic strategy. Voters in Milwaukee and most of Milwaukee County's suburbs were a big reason behind Evers’ victory, and just like how Walker and the 262-led Legislature allowed the burbs to impose petty restrictions on the Cream City, it’s now time for the Big City to get the respect and freedom it has long deserved.  

WOW county regressives at the Capitol won’t like that fact, but a better Milwaukee helps their constituents too, so it's time for the GOPs in the 262 to be adults and stop the "divide and conquer" game. Or else they'll lose more elections like they lost on Tuesday, especially once they their gerrymanders end for 2022.