The Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee is a nonprofit interfaith agency that represents 13 judicatories and faith denominations in the Milwaukee area. The organization strives to address social issues affecting the quality of life in the Milwaukee area. The 13 denominations represented have approximately 500 congregations of different faiths in the Milwaukee region.

Walker's budget repair bill and proposed state budget would result in a decrease in funding for local transit systems in the state, which will likely prompt service cuts and fare increases, said Kerry Thomas, executive director of Transit Now, an advocacy group for mass transit in southeastern Wisconsin.

Milwaukee's commercial real estate professionals are enthusiastic about Walker's "Wisconsin is open for business" agenda and are glad to see that he is trying to balance the budget without raising taxes, according to Jim Villa, president and chief executive officer of the Commercial Association of Realtors Wisconsin (CARW).

Southeastern Wisconsin manufacturers are overwhelmingly supportive of Walker's proposed budget, says Jeff Hoffman, vice president of Pewaukee-based commercial real estate brokerage firm Judson & Associates. Hoffman, the former president of the Independent Business Association of Wisconsin, primarily handles industrial real estate deals.

The next state biennial budget will cut funding to the Milwaukee Area Technical College by $7.5 million each year, on top of a $5 million budget cut for 2010 that it was handed in October, according to Michael Burke, president of MATC.

Construction on the new University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Public Health is scheduled to begin in a few months. While changes to the university's budget may slow the intended growth of the new school, UWM officials are excited to move forward on the initiative.

When we discuss protecting our eyes at work, we often think of the workers who are exposed to debris, chemicals, wood chips, metal fragments, etc. These individuals require specific eye protection, such as safety glasses or goggles, to keep their eyes safe from injury while on the job.

While the debate between private sector and government control will rage on in Washington, D.C., the marketplace and its consumers will be most impacted by increasing costs and, in some cases, reduced access.

I had an interesting conversation on a recent flight. It concerned the annual review of an under-performing employee.

Question: "In your Feb. 4 column in BizTimes Milwaukee, you wrote about the need for leaders to...

A couple of recent experiences inspire me to write about that wise – and quirky – adviser we have with us at all times, the unconscious mind.