The Milwaukee Press Club just conducted a photo contest to select a representative photo of Milwaukee for the City’s 162nd Birthday Party. More than 200 photos were submitted, and the photo selected was the photo of "Milwaukee in a Fog!"
It is a very interesting photo taken on a warm April morning, but does it say something more – a picture is worth a 1,000 words, right?
Is Milwaukee in a fog politically, economically, socially, educationally and "leadership-ally" (new word, I know)? Let’s look at a "weather report" on the conditions facing our city.
- Economic Forecast – Significant job losses over the past three decades. Severe shortage of a skilled labor force – carpenters, plumbers, welders, truck drivers, electricians, construction workers, etc. Environmental protection and development of our water assets (lake, port and three rivers).
- Political Forecast – Lack of leadership in city, county and region. Milwaukee 7 seems to be struggling for direction and action plans. City and county seem to continue to feud and duplicate efforts and costs! Time for one metro government?
- Social Forecast – Crime rates continue to trend the wrong way. Unemployment in the inner city is at high levels. Teenage pregnancy rates are unacceptable. Homelessness and hunger are life-threatening issues to be addressed.
- Educational Forecast – Milwaukee Public Schools continues to struggle with low performance levels, high dropout rates, violence in schools and unacceptable attendance rates. Lack of effective career counseling to help students and parents focus young people on real careers with high earning potential, i.e. skilled trade careers, where the shortage is critical.
- Leadership Forecast (Public & Private) – Lack of effective, inspirational leadership in government, corporations, schools, nonprofit agencies, etc. There is a lack of vision and "action plans" to meaningfully address the other four forecasts above.
Whether or not Milwaukee gets out of the fog and into the sunlight of the 21st century requires that the city, county and region all:
1. Understand the real forecasts!
2. Develop "action plans" to prepare for the rain, snow, wind, etc. facing us.
3. Implement the plans in an efficient and effective way.
We are not the sunbelt, but we don’t need to live in the "fog belt" or leave a legacy of fog for our children and grandchildren to cope with.
In the end, it requires a "financial forecast." How do we regenerate our economic system to produce wealth for individuals, families, schools, arts/culture, infrastructure, restoration, health care, safety/security, etc. for Milwaukee – City, County + 7? To be great, we must get out of the fog and back into the bright lights of Milwaukee’s rich heritage!
Ted Hutton is community activist and a retired executive of Allen-Bradley Co. and Rockwell Automation Inc. in Milwaukee.
