2008 Inaugural Address of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett
Delivered Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Thank you all. I will make my comments brief or else it’ll be time to start on the next
inauguration.
Fellow Milwaukeeans and special guests, I am honored to stand before you today as I
begin my second term as your mayor.
Serving as Milwaukee’s 40th mayor – your mayor – has been the greatest honor of my
life. I want to thank my wife Kris and my children Tommy, Annie, Erin and Kate for
being here today and for their support. I also want to thank my brother John and my
niece and nephew who are also here with me.
When I took office four years ago, I gave you my promise to make Milwaukee a safer,
stronger city for every resident. I promised to address our issues head on – from
economic development to public safety – and to lead regional cooperation efforts on
issues such as job creation and protecting our environment.
Together we’ve made incredible progress. I’m proud of the accomplishments and strides
made over the past four years. From the 11,000 jobs we’ve been able to leverage to the
public spaces we’ve reclaimed for our neighbors, Milwaukee is growing stronger every
day.
We are making differences in the lives of Milwaukeeans block-by-block. And our efforts
have just begun.
Public Safety
I’ve worked hard to build partnerships among law enforcement, community groups,
residents and businesses to reduce crime in Milwaukee’s neighborhoods. I’ve said it
before and I’ll say it again: For anyone who wants to work to address the issue of public
safety in our city, there is a seat for you at my table.
Last week I called for a special session in Madison to address the issue of violent crime,
specifically to request action on the issues of illegal guns, tougher sentencing and
resources for prosecutors. Action on these items is critical to our efforts.
- How many more children will be at either end of a gun?
- How many more officers will be shot at?
- How many more funerals will there be in this city before action is taken to stem
the tide of illegal guns in our city?
We have got to have stiffer penalties for felons and others who think little of selling,
carrying or using illegal guns to terrorize our residents. We must find out where these
guns are coming from and give law enforcement, prosecutors and courts the resources
they need to get the illegal guns and the people who use them out of this community.
And we must do so soon. We cannot wait.
Jobs and Economic Development
As we work to make our city safer, we must make sure that there are family-supporting
jobs for every resident. And we simply must do a better job of ending the poverty that
afflicts too many in our community, including children.
That is why we will continue to tailor job training and placement through the Milwaukee
Area Workforce Investment Board and to make strategic use of our available land to
grow and expand business opportunities in the City that will create more jobs.
I want to mirror our success in the Menomonee Valley in the 30th Street Industrial
Corridor. I want to continue the progress in the Park East where we currently have the
“bookends” – the new Manpower Headquarters and the Flatiron Building to the east and
the Brewery Project to the west.
I want to continue to grow our Youth Employment program because as adults we have a
moral responsibility to create hope in the lives of our young people. And I will continue
to look to create more green jobs so that residents for generations to come will have
gainful employment opportunities in Milwaukee.
Property Tax Relief
With gainful employment comes economic prosperity, including the opportunity to have
a piece of the American dream – home ownership.
We have kept our promise to hold the line on property taxes – our annual levy has
increased less than the state average and less than Milwaukee County in recent years.
But still, City of Milwaukee homeowners are paying 20 percent more of the property tax
burden than they were 30 years ago.
I know that there are budget problems at the state and federal level but it’s time to look at
options besides raising taxes and fees on our own residents to pay for municipal programs
and services.
I will continue to do my part and fight for Milwaukee taxpayers.
We were finally able to pass state legislation to stop paying fired police officers charged
with crimes – a practice that was costing Milwaukee taxpayers millions of dollars. Now
we can focus on the best of the best in our Police Department, not the worst of the worst.
We must do the same and finally fix the school choice funding flaw, which is currently
costing property taxpayers in Milwaukee about $200 more a year. No matter your
feelings on the merits of the Choice program, there is no question that the financing of it
has brought additional undue burden to homeowners in Milwaukee.
This is not about school choice, it’s about equitable funding for education and REAL
property tax relief. It is time to do right by our residents and fix the funding flaw.
We have so much going for us, but we have many needs. We must look outside
government to fund those pressing needs. There are a great many individuals and
foundations prepared to invest resources to strengthen our community. For months I
have worked behind the scenes with these entities.
My mission is to mobilize them with good ideas, strong proposals and the promise that
our shared commitment to our great City will yield positive results. In the coming weeks
we can expect announcements on significant private investments in Milwaukee.
Education
Never before in our city’s history has education mattered more than it does today.
Last week I was at Masterlock where I was told that within five years, one-third of its
workforce will retire.
A competitive Milwaukee demands a ready, prepared workforce that can meet the needs
of the companies already located here and those we wish to bring in the future. We need
to do a better job ensuring our young people are prepared to fill those positions if
Milwaukee is to thrive in a competitive, global economy.
We have some really good schools in Milwaukee with dedicated teachers committed to
creating a better future for our students. But we can’t sugarcoat the situation. Too many
students are not progressing as they should be.
We already have a high MPS property tax levy. There is a fundamental question that
needs to be addressed about how MPS and other large systems fundamentally adapt and
serve educational needs that are far different today than they were 30 years ago.
We also have to do a better job of working with parents to provide better, more
supportive households for children. We need stronger families and a clearer moral
compass. That means reducing teen pregnancies and getting fathers more involved in
their children’s lives.
Conclusion
As we move forward today, each of us must commit ourselves to a better, stronger
Milwaukee. This is the best job I’ve ever had. It is the most rewarding job I’ve ever had.
But it’s also the most challenging.
Serving the men and women of this community – my home and the city I love – is an
honor and a privilege.
Thank you for your trust and your partnership in moving our city forward.
