10 People Shot in Milwaukee

Milwaukee.

One night.

Ten people shot.

TEN PEOPLE WERE SHOT IN MILWAUKEE ON ONE NIGHT.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Ten people were injured, two of them critically, in five separate shootings in Milwaukee overnight. Police said Sunday they are still investigating the incidents:

About 10:30 p.m. Saturday, a 20-year-old man was driven to a hospital in a private vehicle. He was injured at N. 27th St. and W. Burleigh St. and was treated for a gunshot wound. Police have a suspect in custody.

At 11:50 p.m. two people were shot in the 5700 block of N. 94th St. The victims, 23 and 25, suffered nonlife-threatening injuries. Police said they are familiar with the victims.

At 11:55 p.m., two women were shot at a bar in the 3700 block of W. National Ave. The victims, who are 49 and 35, are being treated for their injuries. The 49-year-old was listed in critical condition early Sunday. The 35-year-old suffered nonlife-threatening injuries. No one is in custody.

At 11:55 p.m., four people were shot in the 2400 block of W. Keefe Ave., leaving a 19-year-old woman in critical condition. Two men, ages 24 and 22, have nonlife-threatening injuries. An 18-year-old woman was treated and released.

At 3 a.m. Sunday, an 18-year-old man walked into a hospital after he said he was shot at Judy's Red Hots at 48th and Lisbon Ave. His injury is not life-threatening.

Not good.

Is Mayor Tom Barrett outraged over all this gun violence?

Is this the new normal for Milwaukee?
_____________________

TMJ4 video.

Milwaukee Streetcar Line

It would be nice if a streetcar line in Milwaukee would spark development, increase business, and improve the overall quality of life in the city.

That would be nice, but it's a pipe dream.

This is a major time warp.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

After nearly 20 years of debate, Milwaukee aldermen voted 10-5 Tuesday to build a modern streetcar line downtown.

They stopped short of final approval, however. In response to concerns raised by Comptroller W. Martin "Wally" Morics, the Common Council agreed to limit spending to engineering expenses for now, and to seek a review by the comptroller before releasing money for construction.

Still ahead in the next year are key decisions about how to run the line, how to pay its operating costs and how to resolve concerns raised by utility companies about moving their underground lines out of the way of the streetcar tracks.

The measure now heads to Mayor Tom Barrett, the plan's chief advocate, for signing.

"We know there's a lot of work to be done," Barrett said. "I view this as a significant step, but by no means do I view this as the end of the road."

Plans call for a 2.1-mile line, from the lower east side to the downtown Amtrak-Greyhound station, starting in 2014. Streetcars would run every 10 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes on weekends and during late-night and early-morning hours.

Modern streetcars, resembling light rail vehicles, would run on rails laid in streets, draw power from overhead wires and operate in traffic.

Rails laid in streets, overhead wires.

This would be a step in the right direction, if this were the 19th CENTURY.

...Utilities have warned it could cost $50 million or more to move utility lines along the initial route, but utility and city representatives have agreed those early projections are likely to come down with design adjustments and possibly even a route change. The council voted to cap the initial segment at $64.6 million and trim costs if needed.

Barrett has said he wants the streetcars to be operated by the nonprofit company that runs the Milwaukee County Transit System, but no formal deal is on the table.

Downtown Ald. Bob Bauman said the streetcar line would stimulate development, expand the tax base, create jobs and improve mobility for downtown workers, residents and visitors.

City officials predict the project will create 680 jobs at construction and supply contractors with the initial route, or 1,080 if the extensions are included. The extensions also would raise the number of permanent operating and maintenance jobs from 20 to 35.

The council voted 12-3 to reject south side Ald. Bob Donovan's move to subject the project to a referendum in the spring 2012 elections. Donovan cited the potential utility costs and Morics' concerns about insufficient information, while deriding predictions of economic development along the line as "incredibly rosy."

Of course, it will cost more than projected. That's certain. Additional costs will pile up. They always do.

I think Donovan's idea of having a referendum on this is an excellent idea.

Let the people of Milwaukee decide if they want a streetcar line.

It shouldn't be jammed down their throats.

Council members are probably afraid of a referendum because they know people don't want a streetcar line.

So, in their arrogance, they're bypassing the people, acting like they know what's best for the community.

They view residents as dolts, incapable of choosing the proper means of transportation to suit their needs.

...[Mayor Tom] Barrett, Kovac and Bauman said they viewed the initial line as a starter system that could be expanded if it is successful, with potential extensions to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Marquette University, Mitchell International Airport and various neighborhoods.

"This will remain controversial until people start riding it," and then begin clamoring for extensions to other parts of the city, following the pattern of similar systems elsewhere, Barrett said.

People are going to be "clamoring for extensions to other parts of the city"?

Yeah, right.

Back in the 1800s, streetcars replaced horses. That was progress.

This isn't progress.

It's a waste.

I'd rather have horses than streetcars.

Milwaukee Mob Attacks: Beatings, Looting (Video)

UPDATE, July 7, 2011: Response to Riverwest attack not Police Department's 'finest hour,' Flynn says
_______________

It's taken a while for the police and the media to fully report on what happened in Milwaukee on the night of July 3rd and into the early morning hours of the 4th, but finally we're learning the extent of the crime and disorder.

At first, there was a definite effort to downplay the size of the mob and its thuggery.

Jeff Wagner writes:

Early in the morning of July 4th, a gang of approximately 50 teenagers looted a convenience store at the corner of North Avenue and Humboldt. Shortly afterwards, the mob attacked groups of people hanging out at Reservoir Park after the July 3rd fireworks.

A surveillance video shows the convenience store being looted. Televised interviews with victims of the attacks in the park confirm the wildings. Residents in the area say that the mob has been running around the Riverwest neighborhood for weeks.

Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary however, the Milwaukee Police Department says that reports of a "mob" are not accurate! Huh?

Chief Flynn seems to be saying: "Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes and ears"? In this case, with all due respect to Chief Flynn, I think I'll believe the photographic evidence and eyewitness accounts.

Reality eventually has forced officials to acknowledge the truth.

A mob went on a criminal rampage in Riverwest. Innocent people were victimized.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Shaina Perry remembers the punch to her face, blood streaming from a cut over her eye, her backpack with her asthma inhaler, debit card and cell phone stolen and then the laughter.

"They just said 'Oh, white girl bleeds a lot," said Perry, 22, who was attacked at Kilbourn Reservoir Park over the 4th of July holiday weekend.

Though Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn noted Tuesday that crime is color blind, he called the Sunday night looting of a convenience store near the park and beatings of a group of people who had gone to the park disturbing, outrageous and barbaric.

Police would not go quite as far as others in connecting the events; Flynn said several youths "might" be involved in both.

"We're not going to let any group of individuals terrorize or bully any of our neighborhoods," said Flynn.

Perry was among several who were injured by a mob they said beat and robbed them and threw full beer bottles while making racial taunts. The injured were white; the attackers were African-American.

Store video of the BP station at E. North Ave. and N. Humboldt Blvd. shows the business being ransacked. A clerk at BP confirmed to the Journal Sentinel that he was busy waiting on customers when one or two people held the door open to let others rush in and steal snacks and candy.

Not far away, a group of 20 to 25 friends from Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood had gathered at the park shortly before midnight to watch some fireworks set off by a neighbor. In interviews with 11 people who said they were attacked or witnessed the attack, a larger group of youths appeared in another section of the park around midnight and were joined by more young people running up the park's stairs.

At some point the group of friends and the group of youths intersected; those interviewed said the attack appeared to be unprovoked.

"I saw people dancing and I figured they were just having a good time," said Jessica Bublitz, 28, who lives in Riverwest.

Minutes later Bublitz saw a male friend hit in the temple and fall down. Her fiancée told her to run to safety. James Zajackowski, 28, said things suddenly turned chaotic.

"Within 30 seconds to a minute, bottles were flying and people started getting punched. I was in shock. I thought 'Really? Is this really happening?' I was on the ground, people were trying to get into my pockets, I could feel their hands but I held on to my cell phone and my wallet," said Zajackowski, a census worker.

Emily Mowrer, 27, was not hurt but saw her friends beaten and punched and full beer bottles thrown at them. Her boyfriend was punched. She saw Perry lying down with blood on her face, not moving. She called 911 on her cell phone.

"I saw some of my friends on the ground getting beat pretty severely. They got away with one of my friend's bikes. Some people had their wallets stolen," said Mowrer, who owns a house with her boyfriend in Riverwest. "It didn't seem like it was a mugging - it seemed like an attack. Like they weren't after anything - just violence."

Good Lord!

Racial slurs?

Whites were beaten by blacks in totally unprovoked assaults.

"They just said 'Oh, white girl bleeds a lot.'"

These are hate crimes.

Calling Al Sharpton... Calling Jesse Jackson...

Crickets.

The police should not have misled the public as they originally did.

The public deserves to know the truth.

Perry needed three stitches to close a cut above her eye. She said she saw a friend getting kicked and when she walked up to ask what was happening a man punched her in the face.

"I heard laughing as they were beating everybody up. They were eating chips like it was a picnic," said Perry, a restaurant cashier. "All I remember is seeing bright lights (after the punch), then my backpack was gone and blood was spurting out of my head."

A police spokeswoman on Monday said police received no reports of mobs of people committing crimes in the Riverwest area other than the reports of two armed robberies.

At the Tuesday press conference, Flynn attempted to defuse reports that mobs of youth were running through the Riverwest neighborhood attacking citizens. However, he did admit that those responsible for the BP store looting and attacks at Kilbourn Reservoir Park had mob-like characteristics.

"Clearly we had mob-like behavior in the incidents involving the robberies at Reservoir Park as well as the ransacking of the BP station….Certainly we had elements of mob-like behavior that challenged us on July 3," said Flynn.

This wasn't "mob-like behavior." It was mob behavior.

Thugs terrorized innocents. There was a racial element in the attacks.

This is very troubling:

Most of the 11 people who told the Journal Sentinel they were attacked or witnessed the attacks on their friends said that police did not take their complaints seriously. They each said police responded to the scene very quickly and tended to the injured but officers did not take statements from them and told them to leave the area.

"You've got 20 plus people giving eyewitness accounts. I'm very surprised that they said it wasn't a mob," said Mowrer.

Lange said he told a police officer about the beatings but noticed the officer didn't write anything down or note his name. Bublitz tried to tell an officer that her three-speed bicycle had been stolen and that one of her friends was hurt but said the officer told her he was looking for evidence.

"About 20 of us stayed to give statements and make sure everyone was accounted for. The police wouldn't listen to us, they wouldn't take our names or statements. They told us to leave. It was completely infuriating," Bublitz said.

The police want cooperation from the public.

When victims are treated like this by officers, the police aren't doing what's necessary to build a good relationship with the community. They aren't doing their jobs, protecting the public.

I would have been horrified if I or a family member or a friend had been beaten and robbed and the crimes were dismissed by the police.

If the accounts by victims are accurate, the behavior of the police must be considered inexcusable, a dereliction of duty.

There are a number of issues that need to be addressed here.

---The thugs need to be apprehended and punished. At present, they are in control. Order must be restored.

---City officials must reassure the public that they will be protected and this criminal activity will not be tolerated.

---The police need to explain what the attempt to downplay the thugs' crimes was about.

---The police need to explain why they didn't take the victims' complaints seriously.

Here's raw video of Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn's news conference on the chaos, the rash of robberies and beatings, that took place after the July 3rd fireworks.

 

FOX 6 News has posted still photos of people from the Riverwest BP surveillance video here.

Help Milwaukee Police identify the people in these photos taken from gas station surveillance cameras. This gas station was looted by a mob of teenagers on July 3rd in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood. If you see someone you know, police want you to contact them at 414-933-4444. [These are people of interest NOT suspects]

I really hope decent people identify the individuals in these photos and contact police to give them the information they need to bring the thugs involved in the crimes to justice.

More video, from FOX 6 News:

 

 

Did the police try to cover up what happened because city officials didn't want to scare away visitors to Milwaukee?

Was there concern that reports of such random and such extreme lawlessness would hurt Summerfest and other events in the city?

I want to know why the public was kept in the dark about the attacks. It was an utterly irresponsible decision.

Who made the decision to mislead?
____________________

UPDATE: Flynn defends police response to Riverwest beatings

Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn dismissed accusations Wednesday that police tried to cover up or minimize the looting of a BP store near Reservoir Park and several beatings associated with robberies in the city's Riverwest neighborhood Sunday.

Police simply weren't fully informed when they responded to media inquiries Monday about the incidents, which led police to deny mob-like activity, he said.

"We were wrong," Flynn told reporters Wednesday. "There were reports that were filed that night… There was not an intent to do anything nefarious… I had the data. I didn't have the details. Nobody had reported it as a separate report."

Flynn said he and others in the department looked Monday at an online log of police activity in the neighborhood near the park. The log indicated there were three robberies but didn't include a mention of the beatings or mob-like behavior.

"Our initial reaction was 'OK, we had a series of robberies. We don't have any reports of mob-like activity.'" Flynn said.

...The full police reports include details about other crimes that happened at the time of the robberies, Flynn said. Once he and others read that information, they passed it along to the media, he said.

"It wasn't an attempt to downplay or minimize or deny the concern about what we ultimately learned," Flynn said.

Police Capt. Patrick Mitchell said Wednesday that police have reports from five victims in the incidents.

Flynn added Wednesday that the first priority for police at the scene of the beating Sunday had not been to make arrests, but to disperse the crowd and tend to victims.

"The priority is moving people along and treating the wounded," he said.

Making arrests would have taken much-needed police officers off the streets and away from the areas where they were needed, he said.

Nearly a dozen readers complained to the Journal Sentinel that officers didn't take reports, or took incomplete reports, from them after beatings. Flynn indicated the officers were outnumbered and didn't have time to get every detail from each person who approached them. He encouraged people who have additional details to contact district 5 at 935-7253.

"It's certainly plausible we missed victims," he said. "We have competing priorities. I'd love to have the details."

Flynn said he understands some victims might have been frustrated, but said officers did take reports of the robberies.

"I understand the frustration of some people who were involved . . . The situation wasn't as smooth and as calm as every victim might have liked," he said in an interview Wednesday on WTMJ-AM (620). "I do know by the end of that evening we made three separate robbery arrests. We did follow proper protocol in terms of having the reports done and the investigation commenced that night."

The chief said more witnesses had come forward since media published photos and video of the looting of the BP station.

OK.

So, Flynn says there wasn't any cover-up, nothing nefarious about the department's initial denial of the "mob" activity.

It was just incompetence apparently.

That's reassuring, isn't it?

Regarding the racial component:

[Flynn] also said it was important to challenge commentary in some blogs and reader comments on news stories that emphasize the race of the victims and suspects.

"We can't allow this activity to divide this community because ultimately, it's this community standing together that will identify these individuals and ultimately bring them to justice."

Facts are facts.

Yesterday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported:

Perry was among several who were injured by a mob they said beat and robbed them and threw full beer bottles while making racial taunts. The injured were white; the attackers were African-American.

"The injured were white; the attackers were African-American."

Today, that sentence has been slightly altered:

"The injured people were white; the attackers were African-American, witnesses said."

So the facts become a little diluted. "Witnesses" claim the attackers were African-American.

The Journal Sentinel is no longer declaring that to be the case.

It should be noted that the racial element wasn't something conjured up by bloggers or commenters on online news articles, at least in the case of the Journal Sentinel.

That media outlet put out the racial information in a very clear manner in yesterday's report. There were no qualifiers.

Victims were white. Attackers were black. Period.

The Journal Sentinel should take responsibility for the information it relays to the public.

Flynn should acknowledge that the media cited the racial component.

(Flynn does admit that JSOnline brought up race in its reporting. Listen to Flynn address the matter, 620 WTMJ.)

I don't understand why stating someone's race divides the community.

There are responsible, law-abiding people and there are thugs.

Their skin color isn't the issue. Public safety is the issue.

However, let's not apply a double standard. If, as victims report, there were racial taunts during the beatings, it's wrong to dismiss that.

It certainly wouldn't be dismissed if the victims were black and the attackers were white.

Let's deal with the reality of the situation and not soften the hard facts.

We have to know the truth to solve the problem.

MMSD, Sewage, and Illegal Dumping

What does heavy rainfall in the Milwaukee area mean?

It means the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District will be dumping sewage into rivers and Lake Michigan. Lots of it.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Two waves of heavy rains and high winds downed trees and power lines and flooded roadways throughout the Milwaukee area Tuesday afternoon and evening.

...Tuesday's second wave of rain hit about 8 p.m. Within 20 minutes 3-4 inches had accumulated on the roadway of the Zoo Interchange, the National Weather Service said. In Milwaukee Sewer grates were reported overflowing at S. 43rd St. and W. Lincoln Ave. Street flooding lifted manhole covers at N. Port Washington Road at Capitol Drive. There also were estimates of rainwater two-feet deep on roads two miles southeast of Miller Park, the weather service said.

...Flooding also was reported at Mayfair and Blue Mound roads in Wauwatosa and at Lily and Burleigh roads in Brookfield.

The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District started combined sanitary and storm sewer overflows into local rivers and Lake Michigan in central Milwaukee and eastern Shorewood around 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday was a second day of heavy rain and it overwhelmed regional sewers and started filling the district's deep tunnel. It was the first sewer overflow to waterways reported by the district this year.

...MMSD Executive Director Kevin Shafer said he ordered closing of gates connecting combined sewers to the deep tunnel during a Tuesday evening downpour to prevent sewage backups into basements and to reserve space in the tunnel for flows from the majority of the district served by separated sanitary sewers. Overflows from combined sewers likely started as gates closed.

The main deep tunnel already was more than half full from combined sewer flows when Shafer ordered the combined sewer overflows. Another reason for the emergency measure is to prevent overflows from separate sewers. The district's state permits allows up to 6 combined sewer overflows in a year but generally prohibits separate sanitary sewer overflows except under extreme conditions.

By late Tuesday night, the City of Milwaukee said it had received about 150 complaints of backwater in basements and water flowing into basements through basement windows. At least a half dozen manhole covers were displaced.

Of course.

MMSD is fouling Lake Michigan and rivers again.

Are we supposed to be impressed that this is the first time this year that MMSD has dumped sewage into Milwaukee's source of drinking water?

In an interesting twist, news of the sewage dumping comes on the same day that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and other city officials held a news conference about the problem of illegal dumping.

From FOX 6 News:

This is the season for a lot of outdoor fun, but unfortunately it is also a time when the City of Milwaukee sees an increase of illegal dumping.

The City of Milwaukee is asking for help from citizens to stop these culprits, and this growing problem.

Sanitation Services Manager Wanda Book said, "There are over 3,000 city owned vacant lots across the city that unscrupulous characters have been using as their private dumping grounds."

Last year, the city spent $175,000 clearing illegally dumped debris and the problem is getting worse.

City leaders say citizen reporting is the key.

"We need citizens who are tired," Alderwoman Milele Coggs said. "Who are sick and tired of their neighborhoods being used as a garbage dumping ground and we need them to be the eyes and ears on the streets for us."

Common Council President Willie Hines witnessed illegal dumping in his district and he took action.

Hines said "Write [their] drivers license plate down, the name of the company and forward it to the police department of which we were able to cite him."

...If you see illegal dumping in progress, call the Milwaukee Police Department's non-emergency number.

Also, you should call the We Tip hot-line number at 1-800-78-CRIME. You can be rewarded up to a thousand dollars if your information leads to prosecution.

 

Illegal dumping on city or private property is a serious problem. It shouldn't be tolerated.

Citizens should report this crime if they see their neighborhood being abused as a dumping ground.

A thousand dollars in reward money is quite an incentive to get involved.

Too bad Mayor Tom Barrett and city officials tolerate dumping sewage in Lake Michigan. I wish they'd take a strong stand against that.

Prepare for Milwaukee area beaches to prohibit swimming due to contaminated water.

Same old, same old.

Ceasefire Sabbath

Will Milwaukee's gun-toting murderers, thugs, and assorted criminals be in church this Sunday?

It's the 7th annual Ceasefire Sabbath.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Scores of area congregations are expected to join with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and city and county law enforcement officials to promote nonviolence as part of the 7th annual Cease Fire Sabbath this weekend.

Barrett, Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn and Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm will kick off the initiative at breakfast with faith leaders Thursday at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, 128 W. Burleigh. And Barrett and Chisholm will speak at six area churches on Sunday.

"The police department and district attorney have done a magnificent job in reducing violent crime in Milwaukee and Milwaukee County. But in all honesty, we can't do this alone," Barrett said at a Wednesday news conference at City Hall.

"We need the cooperation of faith leaders and the community."

Chisholm said strong families and faith communities play an important role in keeping young people from becoming involved in crime. "The more mentors and faith-based relationships we have, the better we'll succeed as a community," he said.

...Barrett and Chisholm will speak at the following churches on Sunday:

Barrett will be at New Covenant Church, 2315 N. 38th St. at 9:30 a.m.; Greater Galilee Missionary Baptist Church at 2432 N. Teutonia Ave. at 10:30 a.m.; St. Patrick Parish, 723 W. Washington St., at 11:20 a.m.; and St. Adalbert Parish, 1923 W. Becher St. at 12:45 p.m.

Chisholm will appear at Parklawn Assembly of God, 3725 N. Sherman Blvd., at 7:50 a.m.; and Jerusalem Missionary Baptist church, 2505 W. Cornell St., at 11 a.m.

Although the thugs most likely won't be in church today, people who know them may be. The good people might be able to encourage the thugs to follow a nonviolent path.

Also, children, the next generation of thugs, may be attending today's church services and be influenced by hearing the messages of Barrett and Chisholm and faith leaders in the community.

Who knows?

It's better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.
_________________

Here's Tom Barrett's May 20, 2011, e-mail message on the topic:

Dear Friends,

This weekend marks my 7th Annual “Ceasefire Sabbath” in which I ask clergy and faith leaders to promote a common message of peace and non-violence in their weekend services. I believe faith is the cornerstone of a healthy and productive community and, as history has shown us, it is often religious leaders who lead the charge for social justice and change. I believe the same holds true today.

Just this week, District Attorney John Chisholm, Police Chief Flynn and I met with more than 100 pastors and other faith leaders who serve our city. We agreed that violence prevention and community building comes in many forms. Mentoring a young family, providing summer jobs to teens, extending a hand to a reentering ex-offender and recommitting our efforts to stem the flow of illegal guns are among just a few of the many strategies offered that will make a difference in the lives of Milwaukee residents.

Everyone who cares about keeping our neighborhoods safe in this City has a role to play. A full-on community effort in cooperation with the police department is essential to the success of our common goal to strengthen the community, reduce crime and promote peace. We need to show strength and unity in spreading the message that violence will not be tolerated in our neighborhoods.

Below is the schedule of churches that I will be visiting:

8:45 am - 9:50 am Greater New Birth Church
10:30 am - 11:50 am Greater Galilee MBC
11:20 am – 11:50 am St. Patrick Parish
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm St. Adalbert Parish

District Attorney Chisholm will be visiting the following churches:

8:00 am Parklawn Assembly of God
10:20 am Canaan Missionary Baptist Church

I’m pleased we have made great progress in making our communities safer and I’m grateful to the police department, District Attorney Chisholm and the countless community members who have helped in our efforts.

Sincerely,

Tom Barrett
Mayor, City of Milwaukee

Milwaukee's Dirty Restaurants

In the last year, 37 percent of Milwaukee restaurants were cited for at least one serious health code violation.

Unappetizing to say the least.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Editorial Board calls for increased inspections, but funds aren't available.

Most people, Milwaukee Ald. Michael Murphy points out, judge restaurants by their food, service and prices and assume that government is taking care of things such as cleanliness.

Unfortunately, that assumption can be risky in light of a Journal Sentinel review of city records showing more than one-third of city restaurants were cited last year by the Milwaukee Health Department for at least one critical health code violation (www.jsonline.com/744060). That disclosure by investigative reporter Ellen Gabler should make people in City Hall and in the restaurant business realize something is very wrong and needs fixing.

Murphy, who once worked for a restaurant, realizes, as we do, that the restaurant business is very labor-intensive and that even the best-run places and their most trusted, conscientious employees can have lapses. Given that Milwaukee has 1,650 restaurants and only 16 field inspectors, we believe the Health Department is doing the best job it can.

But the "critical violations" cited by health inspectors are a serious matter. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these are the types of violations that put patrons at risk of getting sick. And since 37% of the city's restaurants were cited for such violations, more scrutiny is needed.

Milwaukee typically inspects restaurants once a year, the minimum required by the state. Federal guidelines suggest three inspections a year, and some cities try to do four. Until the early '90s, Milwaukee did two to three a year, but that's no longer possible because budget cuts have reduced the number of inspectors, officials say. With money tight, hiring more help isn't going to be easy. While also faced with budget constraints, West Allis Health Commissioner Terry Brandenburg says his department has been able to inspect about 20% of the eating places in West Allis and West Milwaukee at least twice a year by tying the number of inspections to such things as a restaurant's volume and the consequent level of public risk - a sensible approach.

The Board concludes that inspections need to be done more frequently.

Where will the money come from to fund these inspections? The Board offers no solutions.

Maybe Mayor Tom Barrett can put in place a "Clean Restaurant" fee. He could tack it on to customers' food bills.

It wouldn't be a tax. It would be a fee.

Problem solved without raising taxes.

I Don't Think Tom Barrett Would Say This

Marquette's Problem is Milwaukee's Problem

The rash of armed robberies of Marquette University students is not good.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Two Marquette University students as well as a 47-year-old man may have been victims to the same suspect when they were robbed on the city streets early today, according to Milwaukee police.

Police said all three victims gave the same description of a man they said was a black male in his early 20s, about 5-feet-8-inches to 5-feet-9-inches and 175 pounds. All three victims said the suspect wore a black baseball cap, black puffy coat with a hood and carried a black semi-automatic pistol. He was clean shaven.

None of the victims was hurt.

The first robbery occurred about 2:45 a.m. in the 600 block of N. 17th St., where a 22-year-old man was approached by the man with a gun. He demanded money and took the victim's wallet.

Ten minutes later, a 24-year-old woman was approached by a man with a gun who demanded her property in the 500 block of N. 18th St., police said. Police believe she fled without handing over anything to the robber.

...Police do not believe the most recent robberies of the Marquette students are linked to two weekend robberies also involving Marquette students.

One suspect remains in custody in the case of two robberies that occurred just after midnight on Friday. The case has been referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office for charges.

The first weekend robbery occurred in the 2100 block of W. Kilbourn Ave, according to a safety alert issued earlier this week by the university's Department of Public Safety. A second robbery occurred about 15 minutes later in the 700 block of N. 18th St.

The public safety alert noted that one suspect is still at large, however, Milwaukee police who are investigating the case have not provided information about a possible second suspect in recent days.

This couldn't be happening at a worse time, just as members of the high school graduating class of 2008 are making their final decisions about where to go to school in the fall.

Milwaukee must restore order to the city.

I still cannot believe that Mayor Tom Barrett is running unopposed.

Police Investigation into Voter Fraud in Milwaukee

UPDATE: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's spin is in:

The report, which covers many issues first reported by the Journal Sentinel in early 2005, provides a look at the level to which police investigated the problems, which included a gap of several thousand more votes counted than people recorded as having voted.

The report comes long after criminal investigations by the Milwaukee County district attorney's office and the U.S. attorney's office have been closed. Thus, instead of providing further guidance to prosecutors, the 67-page document may be more useful to election officials in identifying problems with the system heading into this fall's presidential election.

Neil Albrecht, the deputy director of the city Election Commission, said the report "validates" the efforts by a city task force, appointed by Mayor Tom Barrett, to review election procedures. All recommendations of that task force have been implemented, he said.

U.S. Attorney Steve Biskupic has said investigators found no evidence of widespread fraud. About a dozen cases, including felons who illegally voted or people who allegedly voted twice, were prosecuted, with spotty results.

In some cases, the report highlights sloppiness by poll workers, or in clerks entering data.

Translation: CYA mission complete.

My take: CYA mission is an embarrassment as well as a failure.
________________

What is the 67 page "Report of the Investigation into the November 2, 2004 General Election in Milwaukee"?

---It is proof that voter fraud in Milwaukee is very, very real.

---It is proof that instances of voter fraud in Milwaukee in the November 2, 2004 election were not rare.

---It is proof that Milwaukee citizens are disenfranchised by a state government that permits same day, on-site, no photo ID voter registration.

---It is proof that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is clueless and/or crooked.

---It is proof that U.S. Representative Gwen Moore is clueless and/or crooked.

---It is proof that Democrat Wisconsin state representatives and senators are clueless and/or crooked.

---It is proof that Governor Jim Doyle, who VETOED a bill that provided for FREE voter photo IDs, is clueless and/or crooked.

---It is proof that the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Editorial Board is a shill for Democrats and complicit in the disenfranchisement of Milwaukeeans and Wisconsinites by consistently objecting to proposals to ensure the integrity of Wisconsin’s elections.

Most importantly, the "Report of the Investigation into the November 2, 2004 General Election in Milwaukee" is an invitation.

It is an invitation to all interested in stealing elections.

Give us your felons, your frauds, your fakes, yearning to vote free and frequently.

Some tidbits from the report:

The majority of the issues cited in the report seem to be record keeping issues, which makes the possibility for voter fraud that much greater.

The report indicates 5,300 more ballots were cast than voters recorded, and it cites 1,305 unenterable on-site registration cards in Milwaukee as a possible reason for this voter gap.

Some of the onsite cards didn't have addresses in Milwaukee. Some weren't signed, and some didn't even have names.

...It states that 785 on-site registered voters had cards registered without dates of birth.

1305 people were found with "un-enterable" on-site registration cards due to valid addresses, names, identifications, signatures, voter numbers, illegibilities or lack of home in the City of Milwaukee.

41% of them voted.

55 people on the "un-enterable" list were found to live outside the city of Milwaukee on the date of the election. The investigation says that even if there was no criminal intent on any part of these people to vote incorrectly, it still proved that election inspectors were not following state laws properly in these cases.

One case involved someone from Chicago who registered to vote by simply placing on their registration card an address of a friend with whom they were staying on West Pierce Street in Milwaukee.

Another used a Journal Sentinel newspaper as proof of residency. Others placed suburbs of Wauwatosa and Greenfield on their address listing, but poll inspectors allowed them to vote in Milwaukee.

...Investigators discovered that 220 felons voted in the city of Milwaukee during the 2004 elections.

...The MPD investigation also found five felons who worked as election inspectors. It says that Kimberly Prude, one of the felons indicted by the U.S. Attorney's ofice, actually registered on-site voters. Additionally, the election commission gave the names of 18 convicted felons who worked as deputy registrars.

Shocked?

You shouldn't be.

The report recommends some simple solutions:

1. Eliminate on-site same day voter registration.

2. Require government-issued identification, such as a photo ID or a social security card, to vote.

Bottom line: I’m mad as hell.

My vote was stolen on November 2, 2004.

My civil rights are being violated by government officials refusing to take measures to prevent voter fraud in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin's November 2, 2004 election was dirty. It is highly likely that other elections have been and will be similarly soiled. Wisconsin’s Democrat elected officials are actively blocking attempts to clean up the mess.

Wisconsin Democrat elected officials, especially Governor Jim Doyle, should not be allowed to disenfranchise all Americans by failing to ensure the integrity of election results in Wisconsin in national elections.

The findings of the "Report of the Investigation into the November 2, 2004 General Election in Milwaukee" reveal that Wisconsin is a disgrace to the United States and democracy.

Most disturbing: Wisconsin Democrat elected officials, while maybe a bit embarrassed by the report, aren’t going to do a damn thing to rectify the situation.

Latin Kings Gang House on Far South Side

It's so often said that crime in Milwaukee is relegated to neighborhoods on the north side and the near south side.

Mayor Tom Barrett and Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm like to say how safe most of the city is. Chisholm has called the city "remarkably safe."

While the news of police busting a Latin Kings gang house is positive, the location of the house is extremely disturbing.

From TMJ4:

Milwaukee leaders vowed to crack down on the Latin Kings and they take another step.

Police busted a Latin Kings house near 8th and Grange.

It was described as a hub for drug dealing and stolen items.

Police will release more info on those items Friday at 1:00 p.m.

Investigators believe gang members traded lawn equipment for drugs.

Police will unveil details about how they linked a home in a family neighborhood here on Milwaukee’s south side to the dangerous Latin Kings.

"It was terribly surprising," Patricia Ptak said.

It's the kind of quiet, well-kept street where Patricia Ptak wants to raise a family.

"I have two small children. There's a lot of kids in the neighborhood," Ptak said.

So you can imagine the alarm when she found out that the notoriously violent Latin Kings were trading snow blowers for drugs at a home just a few doors down the block.

"We had no idea the employees or anyone there had anything to do with the Latin Kings," Ptak said.

Clearly, the tentacles of the Latin Kings reach into so-called safe areas of Milwaukee.

Barrett and other city leaders have to quit touting Milwaukee as a remarkably safe city.

It's not. It's irresponsible for them to give residents that false impression. In the long run, it puts them at risk.

The police do deserve credit for busting the gang house. As I said, that is good news. It seems that Police Chief Ed Flynn is serious about restoring law and order in Milwaukee.

He's fighting an uphill battle because of years of neglect and inexcusable denial by the city's leaders.

Obama at the Midwest Airlines Center

Yesterday morning, thousands attended a Barack Obama rally at the Midwest Airlines Center in Milwaukee.

According to the Obama campaign, 6000 people were there to bask in Obama's glory.

Musings of a Thoughtful Conservative was at the rally and provides a good account of the event, including photos.

Samantha Hernandez notes: "Mayor Tom Barrett, U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, and Oprah Winfrey's mother, Vernita Lee, were also at the rally."

Oprah's mom? Is Oprah's mom supposed to qualify as a celebrity endorsement? I mean no offense to Vernita Lee, but it seems the Obama campaign didn't feel the need to bring the big guns to Milwaukee.

From WISN:

In a speech punctuated by chants of "Obama, Obama!" the U.S. senator from Illinois told a crowd of hundreds that change in America happens from the bottom up and not the top down. Obama said that it starts first with hard work by the American people.

Responding to criticism from rival Hillary Rodham Clinton, he said that just because he has hope doesn't make him naive.

Speaking at the Midwest Express Center downtown, Obama said that he's running for president not because it's owed to him, but because of the urgency of our times, with a nation at war, a planet in peril and the lagging economy.

He said that he knows it will take hard work to address problems in health care, the economy and Iraq, but he's hopeful he can.

The senator also said that the country must do "whatever it takes" to eradicate gun violence, but he believes in the right to bear arms.

...The senator, a former constitutional law instructor, said that he believes the Second Amendment to the Constitution grants individual gun rights, he believe it's subject to commonsense regulations like background checks.

Same old, same old.

Obama trotted out his "whispering Republican for Obama" shtick again. That one has got to go.

I don't hear Republicans going around whispering their support for Obama. I don't doubt that some Republicans support Obama, but I question how a committed Republican could back Big Government, socially liberal, weak on defense Obama. I also question how frequently Republicans approach Obama and whisper to him. Did it happen once? Did it happen at all?

I'm somewhat surprised that Obama chose to discuss his support for the right to bear arms at his Milwaukee rally.

In the exceedingly liberal Milwaukee, he didn't need to pander to the gun crowd. Tom Barrett must have been squirming.

I wonder if Obama was aware of how hostile Barrett was to the NRA when the group held its national convention in Milwaukee in May of 2006.

I also wonder if Obama has a clue about the severity of the crime crisis in Milwaukee. It's too bad he didn't toss in a few lines that directly addressed the gangs and the shootings and the crime in the city.

Obama has his stump speech down pat. I think he could deliver it in his sleep. It's not good to appear to be on autopilot.

From TMJ4:

Obama expressed urgency, and said these changes need to happen now.

“We cannot wait to fix our schools. We cannot wait to fix our healthcare system. We cannot wait to put an end to global warming. We cannot wait to get young people off the streets and end the senseless violence. We cannot wait to bring the war to a close,” Obama said.

Time to chant!

YES WE CAN! YES WE CAN!

Wait...no. That doesn't work. OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA!

According to a friend in attendance, the crowd wasn't as fired up as he expected.

People listened and responded very positively to Obama, but they weren't whipped into a frenzy.

At one point, a squeaky-voiced young woman blurted out, "We love you."

There was a smattering of applause, but Obama didn't break stride.

A strange sight at the rally was a young mother with a baby. It's not unusual to see babies at political rallies. Politicians have been kissing babies for generations.

It wasn't the baby that stood out. It was the baby's attire. The little one, pacifier in mouth, was wearing a bright red t-shirt emblazoned with the words "Question Authority."

Question Authority?

Whose authority?

Parental authority?

Governmental authority?

How weird for the mother to dress her baby that way! Really weird.

Apparently, she wants her sweet little baby to be a rebel.

I bet the baby has a Che Guevara t-shirt, too.

Are You Afraid of Clowns?

When you were a child, did clowns scare you?

Do they still creep you out?

Mayor Tom Barrett has some bad news for you.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

More than four years after the animals, wagons and marching bands of the Great Circus Parade took their last noisy, multicolored trip through the streets of downtown Milwaukee, Mayor Tom Barrett is calling for the return of the summer spectacle.

In his "state of the city" address this morning, Barrett plans to cite the parade's tourism value.

"For generations, the portrait of Milwaukee included the annual Great Circus Parade," says a draft of the speech. "A half million people or more would line our streets, fill our hotel rooms and restaurants and take part in one of our nation's truly historic events. It's time to bring back the parade and once again showcase Milwaukee's fine tradition of hospitality and our revival. It is my hope we will be able to do this next year."

Barrett has already contacted the Circus World Museum in Baraboo about reviving the parade, his spokeswoman Eileen Force said. Museum officials asked for Barrett's help with raising the money to do that, and he agreed to help them appeal to donors, although he did not offer any city money, she said.

I fully support bringing back the Circus Parade.

However, Barrett has to do more than just throw the idea out there. Fund-raising is the issue. If he wants to revive it, the onus is on him to secure the funds to make it happen.

Otherwise, his call to bring back the parade will be just an empty, forgettable line in his State of the City address.

Archbishop Dolan and Mayor Tom Barrett

This past weekend, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett was Archbishop Timothy Dolan's guest on Living our Faith, a half-hour weekly TV program meant to inspire Catholics and encourage participation.

Barrett isn't the first politician to appear on the show. In December, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker was a guest. With the New Year approaching, the focus of discussion was on how the Church and the community can work together to improve people's lives and provide hope for positive changes in 2008.

In the February 9 episode, Archbishop Dolan welcomed Barrett to discuss "how the city and the church are tackling the issue of poverty in the city of Milwaukee."

To begin, Dolan said that he was impressed with Barrett's emphasis on taking a holistic approach to combating poverty, that it has to be a community endeavor.

Barrett said he needs the churches to be involved.

He said, "We've got limited resources and I can hire 8,000 cops; but if we don't have families that are involved in raising their children, if we don't have churches involved in putting hope into people's lives, we're in a world of hurt."

Regarding poverty, Barrett said a turning point came for him in 2005 with Hurricane Katrina.

He said the same day the hurricane hit was the same day the U.S. Census Bureau came out with its poverty statistics.

It showed that Milwaukee had gone from the city with the 11th highest percentage of people living in poverty to the cith with the 7th highest percentage of people living in poverty....

I thought I've got to go back and see what the poverty is in Milwaukee compared to New Orleans....

In both years that were measured New Orleans was 12th. So, pre-Katrina we had more people living in poverty in the city than New Orleans did. And I think the national images of New Orleans were about poverty.

That is pretty amazing. New Orleans became the symbol for poverty in America after Katrina. Conditions in Milwaukee, pre-Katrina, were significantly worse.

Barrett said, "We have to find more jobs in this community."

He said, "We have pockets in the city in particular where literally there is no hope for the kids."

Barrett said that's why he focused on the summer job program. He said that's why he needs help from employers.

Dolan then tried to steer Barrett on to the importance of faith.

Dolan said:

Mayor, as you know, the emphasis of this show is living our faith. Here we are in Lent, first week of Lent. This is one of the times the Church gives an invitation to people to greater service, greater acts of charity.

If somebody came up to you and said, 'Mayor, how could I get involved? Tell me a tangible way that I can help fight poverty and violence in the city.' You got any tips?

Barrett said he had two:

First, he recommended that people participate in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program.

Second, he urged people to volunteer with the Laubach Literacy Center.

To counter the relentless bombardment of bad news, Dolan asked the mayor to share some of the good news, some positive things.

Barrett cited the summer job program as being a great success. He also cited the work he's doing to improve education.



(May I suggest that Barrett can help by supporting the School Choice program?)

Dolan ended the interview by bringing up "Ceasefire Sabbath." Barrett said it was scheduled for May and he commended the Archbishop for his support of the effort.

Dolan concluded, "We're happy to be a partner. Thanks for your leadership, Mayor."

Of course, this discussion was meant to urge viewers, Catholics and others, to volunteer and be part of the solution to the city's problems.

In addition however, I think it highlights what an important role the Catholic Church and all churches play in the community.

While some people choose to dwell on the sexual abuse scandal in the Milwaukee Archdiocese and criticize Archbishop Dolan, perhaps those individuals should step back and consider how much good the Church does.

The Church is not a scourge in the community. It's so utterly wrong to portray it that way.

______________

All the episodes of the Living our Faith series can be found online.

Barrett, Flynn, and Gangs

Charlie Sykes interviewed Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn on his show this morning.

Barrett and Flynn both insisted that they're going after the bad guys. Really.

I know that Flynn is a new chief, but I don't have confidence that things will change.

At this point, I have no reason to believe that Milwaukee's gang problem will be solved.

Barrett has named names before. I've heard him call out the Latin Kings and the Spanish Cobras.

I'm flashing back to last year's Bay View crime spree.

There was that same "get tough" rhetoric. At that time, Barrett used that same favorite phrase of his: "We're coming after you."

"We're coming after you."

Really?

Do you think he means it this time?

Are the words from Barrett and Flynn empty?

I'm not dissing the excellent work of Milwaukee's police officers. I just don't have much hope for real, as opposed to temporary, improvement. I've heard this stuff before. Again and again.

"We're coming after you."

Yeah, right.

I hope and pray that I'm wrong. I hope no one else becomes a victim of these criminals. I hope no one else is robbed or killed because a gang member is back on the streets thanks to the revolving door justice system.

I want to believe that with Flynn in charge things will be different.

I want to but I don't.

What can he accomplish if judges permit these lowlifes to reenter society?

The pain and suffering of innocents, the killings, the terrorized neighborhoods, the fear, the steady deterioration...

It's the death of Milwaukee by a thousand cuts.

Band-aid solutions won't save the city.

"We're coming after you."

I'll believe it when I see it.
________________

Audio, 620 WTMJ

Latin Kings' Bullets Again

Milwaukee police have moved quickly in apprehending suspects for the murder of Miller executive Vic Milford.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Milwaukee police Wednesday promised a crackdown on the Latin Kings after arresting two members of a violent street gang in connection with the slaying of a Miller Brewing Co. executive.

"The Latin Kings are out there right now throwing their weight around a little bit, and we're going to make sure they feel our attention in a very special way in the next several weeks," said Chief Edward Flynn, adding that the effort will not be a sweep of Latino men, but arrests of specific gang members.

Promises, promises.

Flynn's remarks came during a 5 p.m. news conference announcing the arrests earlier in the day of two suspects, ages 17 and 21, both of whom he said had prior records. The 17-year-old was on probation for a robbery, Flynn said.

The 17-year-old was on probation for robbery.

Well, there's another stunning success story of the rehabilitation of a teen criminal.

The two are expected to be charged in the robbery and killing of Lodewikus "Vic" Milford, 43, after a robbery early Saturday in Walker's Point. Milford, the director of compensation and benefits for Miller, was returning to his car with three women after they had visited a nightclub when they were robbed about 1:10 a.m. Saturday, police said. After they all gave up their wallets and purses, Milford was shot inside his SUV in a parking lot near S. 2nd and W. Walker streets.

Flynn credited the department's homicide and gang units and District 2 police officers for arresting the suspects just a few days after the crime. He also said Miller's $10,000 reward was a "significant factor" in helping detectives break the case.

That's sort of vague. The $10,000 was a "significant factor."

If someone will be collecting that reward, it would probably be a good idea for the person to leave Milwaukee. Make that the Midwest.

It's unfortunate that it takes lots of cash for some people to do the right thing; but if that's what it takes then that's what it takes.

Milford's killing was tragic, but the circumstances surrounding the crime are also rare in Milwaukee, Flynn said. Some 80% of the homicides in the city in 2007 involved a victim who had a criminal record, he said.

I have a problem with that.

Milford's killing was tragic -- period. There is no solace in the rare circumstances of his death.

The rarity provides no comfort whatsoever to his family and friends.

It also should provide no comfort to people in Milwaukee.

FACT: Gang members, cold-blooded killers, are on Milwaukee's streets right now.

While it's statistically highly unlikely for one to become a victim like Milford, it's possible. That possibility matters.

Flynn said he understands that the slaying had a profound impact on the Walker's Point area, but he believes the neighborhood is safe.

"My message to them is that justice will be done in this case. Don't lose heart, and don't lose faith," Flynn said.

The neighborhood isn't safe. A murder took place there.

Other neighborhoods also aren't safe.

Why?

Milwaukee has a gang problem. As long as the gangs are operating, the threat of a horror like the murder of Vic Milford exists.

...Federal prosecutors have indicted large numbers of Latin Kings several times over the past two decades for drug peddling and homicides, including 49 people in a 2005 case. A 2007 U.S. Justice Department drug trafficking intelligence report indicated that other members keep stepping up to take positions of authority in the gang.

And others do some time and resume their criminal activities as soon as they're released.

I wonder what the recidivism rate is among gang members.

...Flynn said police will keep up the pressure on the gang. "Their behavior has been intolerable, and we have a responsibility to our citizens to stop them," he said.

Milwaukeeans have heard that before.

"Let's send a message here," said Mayor Tom Barrett. "If you commit a crime in this city, if you disrupt our neighborhoods, terrorize our residents or businesses, or create fear in our streets, we're coming after you, we will find you and hold you responsible."

Barrett said the same thing when 4-year-old Jasmine Owens was murdered. He said the Neighborhood Safety Inititative would "send a message to the drug dealers, gang members and the thugs: We're coming after you."

Barrett also said that one year ago about the Bay View crime spree, that "we're coming after you" line.

At a community meeting at Bay View High School, Barrett said there were two ways to approach the crime problem.

One is to make it clear to the bad guys that "we're coming after you."

The other approach is to say "everything's out of control." He said that such a reaction to the thugs from leaders and the media and citizens serves to "encourage them."

Barrett claimed, "Public safety is my #1 priority."

"We're never going to throw up our arms and say it's out of control because it isn't out of control."

Mr. Mayor, it is out of control.

Anger, Fear, and the Community Meeting at Bradley Tech

Last night, some of Milwaukee's leaders met with residents of the south side to address neighborhood issues. Police are putting together a plan to tackle crime in the area.

The meeting was well attended. No doubt the recent murder of Miller executive Vic Milford had a lot to do with that.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Milwaukee police will unveil a new plan Wednesday to beef up their presence and tackle crime issues on the city's south side, including the neighborhood where a Miller Brewing Co. executive was shot and killed over the weekend.

Detectives are working some promising leads in the murder of 43-year-old Lodewikus "Vic" Milford, police officials said Monday. But they are still asking the public to tell investigators what they know.

Miller Brewing Co. is offering a $10,000 reward for tips leading to the arrest and conviction of the robber who shot and killed Milford, a South African native who was the company's director of compensation and benefits.

Meanwhile, more than 100 residents from the Walker's Point business and entertainment area voiced anger and concern after the homicide early Saturday near S. 2nd St. and W. Walker St.

Mayor Tom Barrett, Police Chief Edward Flynn and other city leaders listened while residents lined up at Bradley Tech High School during a community meeting to share concern about police response times, nuisance properties, poor lighting, vehicle break-ins and other problems.

"I share your anger, and it's justified," Barrett said. "But we can't let that anger paralyze us."

Many residents of Walker's Point said they don't want their neighborhood to be dismantled by criminals. Police officials said violent crime has dropped in Walker's Point in the past year, but some residents don't agree.

"I lived here for 14 years and had no problems with crime. I walked home from the restaurants at night," said Kyle Cherek, a salesman who told Flynn he's witnessed a 20-person fight, had his car broken into and heard about his friends being mugged in the past year. "This is a real crucial moment."

I don't get this.

Again and again, officials cite statistics that crime has dropped.

Again and again, residents cite instances that prove the statistics don't paint an accurate picture.

Having some official tell you that crime in your neighborhood is on the decline when a man was just gunned down AFTER a robbery is a joke.

It reminds me of what was happening in Bay View last year. Yes, there have been a rash of armed robberies, but the city is really safe, blah, blah, blah.

BS.

It does no good for Mayor Tom Barrett or Police Chief Ed Flynn to toss out numbers in order to convince residents that things aren't as bad as they know them to be.

Such community meetings become little more than venting sessions for residents.

I don't think the officials are really listening. I don't think they get it.

...Flynn implored residents not to give up on their fight against crime.

"We can't let this incident drive a wedge between the community and the Police Department," Flynn said. "It isn't about pointing fingers. It's about being more effective."

I don't think people are frustrated with police officers or the departmant in general as much as they're frustrated with the leaders.

I think residents understand that the officers are doing their jobs and serving the citizens of Milwaukee. It's the higher-ups. They're the problem.

How many times are Milwaukeeans going to hear Barrett say that he feels their pain and then give him a pass?

Fair or not, the buck stops with Barrett.

Milwaukee Police Capt. David Zibolski said two people confronted Milford and three women in a parking lot, and that after they surrendered their valuables it appeared the robbery was over. But then one of the robbers shot Milford after he was in his car, Zibolski said.

Barrett said Milford was shot through a side window.

That makes me ill.

Only a truly evil, soulless individual would do something like that, evil to the core.

I wonder if the shooter was a teen. If so, and he's caught and tired, I hope he loses his freedom for the rest of his life.

Milford's companions have provided their accounts to police, but investigators are hoping to improve upon the limited descriptions they provided. Anyone with information is asked to call the police at (414) 935-7360.

Anyone with information?

That's a laugh. Maybe there were some witnesses, but there's no way others familiar with the crime will come forward.

You know that there are a number of people in the city right now with information on the robbery and murder, but these thugs don't talk.

Forever 4-year-old Jasmine Owens' murder is still unsolved, though it occurred on a crowded street last May. These thugs don't talk.

Even the $10,000 reward from Miller probably won't matter.

TMJ4 offers this account of the meeting:

Vic Milford's murder has touched a raw nerve here in this neighborhood and while many came here to listen they were also looking for answers.

They're upset. "Don't settle for that," one resident said.

They're concerned. Another speaker said "please do your homework because we can use your help."

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Police Chief Edward Flynn listened as residents laid out their long list of concerns.

"Fear can destroy a community faster than crime can," Flynn said.

For chief Flynn it was his first test in the hot seat as he tried to win over the public's confidence.

"That murder took the life of a man it must not take the life from this community," Flynn said.

An angry finger waiving Al Jansen challenged city leaders who were calling the murder an isolated incident .

"It's not acceptable and if any one of our city father's who want to accept I challenge you," Jansen said.

Mayor Barrett shared Jansen's anger but not his accusation.

"Am I mad about it you bet I am," Barrett said. "We are going to fight back."

Barrett has been talking about fighting back for years, every time something horrific like this happens.

He has to fight harder. He has to go on offense.

Residents know the truth. These "isolated incidents" are increasing at a pace that is both frightening and infuriating.

Welcome to Milwaukee, Chief Flynn.

Murder and Crime in Milwaukee: "Isolated Events"

Here I go again... Talking about the crime crisis in Milwaukee.

And once again I ask the question: Where is Mayor Tom Barrett?

The brutal, senseless, cold-blooded murder of Miller executive Vic Milford prompts me to ask.

Before continuing, I want to make it clear that I'm mindful of the grieving family and friends of Mr. Milford. They are mourning the sudden loss of their loved one. For them, a discussion of crime in Milwaukee isn't an abstraction. They are suffering the reality of the out of control situation in the city very personally. In no way do I want to diminish the enormity of their loss and the intensity of their pain.

Mr. Milford's family and friends aren't mourning the state of the city today. They are living a nightmare.

They're reading the press and listening to reports that his death was a rare case and an isolated event. That's no comfort to them.

It should be of no comfort to anyone in the greater Milwaukee area.

Back to my first question: WHERE IS BARRETT?

He usually trots out to give a news conference whenever a child is murdered. He gets angry, calls out the thugs, and eventually his outrage degenerates into a whining rant about guns.

NO GUN EVER KILLED ANYONE. PEOPLE USE GUNS TO KILL.

In the murder of Vic Milford, I sense an effort on the part of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and local news broadcasts to spin it as an aberration. It's no public service to give an inaccurate picture.

Is there pressure to downplay the violence with the location of the headquarters of Miller and Coors still up in the air?

TMJ4 provides a description of the suspects in Mr. Milford's murder but then concludes its report with an idiotic statement.

The suspects are described as two Hispanic males in their late 20’s to early 30’s. They are 5’4” to 5’7”, weighing anywhere from 140 to 160.

This is Milwaukee's seventh homicide of the year compared to eight last year on this date.

That's accentuating the positive. This was only the seventh homicide in Milwaukee compared to eight on that date last year. There's some good news!

While factually true, it's a ridiculous way to end the report.

It's disingenuous to say that the Walker's Point neighborhood is not a violent area. How does one define the "area"? Where are the boundaries?

In reality, the near and not so near south side have been the scenes of many shootings and armed robberies in this first month of 2008. Only ten days ago, there were two murders.

Let's stop pretending. The city is a mess.

Look at this overview. It points out just a few of Milwaukee's violent incidents in 2008.

This weekend alone was bloody.

In addition to the murder of Vic Milford, there was other violence. A 7-year-old girl was shot.

A man walking through Kosciuszko Park was shot on Saturday at 6:45 PM. Three men tried to rob him. That ended with the 38-year-old victim having surgery for torso wounds.

Around 2:00 AM on Sunday, a "36-year-old Milwaukee man who was trying to help clear an accident scene was shot."

There's more:

A 73-year-old Milwaukee woman was shot about 11:20 Sunday night while watching television in her living room and her 42-year-old son was wounded moments later while confronting a man he suspected of firing the initial shots.

The 21-year-old suspect is still on the loose, and his two victims are recuperating in a local hospital, Milwaukee police reported today.

The first shots crashed through the front of the house in the 3600 block of N. 14th St. The second shooting occurred on the street, after the 42-year-old confronted and punched the suspect, police said.

The fact is the status quo in Tom Barrett's Milwaukee is violent and bloody.

Nonetheless, he's running unopposed for a second term. That's mind-boggling. It doesn't bode well for the city's future.

God knows Milwaukee needs a change of leadership. Let me rephrase that: Milwaukee needs leadership.

There are a handful of officials struggling to make a difference, but they are outnumbered by the "What, me worry?" crowd.

The Journal Sentinel reports:

Denver, with a population of 568,465, reported 1,748 violent crimes, including 19 homicides, during the first six months of 2007, according to FBI data released this month. Milwaukee, with a population of 581,005, reported 3,984 violent crimes, including 50 homicides.

London-based SABMiller Plc and Molson Coors Brewing Co., which splits its headquarters between Montreal and Denver, in December signed a definitive agreement to combine their U.S. operations. The proposed joint venture needs antitrust approval, and the transaction isn't expected to be final until midyear.

Until MillerCoors officially becomes a company, executives from Miller Brewing and from Coors Brewing, based in Golden, Colo., will not be commenting on where the joint venture's headquarters might be located.

Where would you locate the headquarters?

It seems like a very easy choice to make.

Party with Mayor Tom Barrett

No open bar.

Open your wallets.

It's Snowing, Mr. Mayor

Yes, today was a holiday. There were less cars on the road during rush hour, but there weren't NO cars on the road.

Say what you will about Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, I'm sure whatever your political leanings you would admit that he absolutely sucks when it comes to keeping city streets passable.

[Cecilia Gilbert, communications manager for Milwaukee's Public Works Department,] said 106 salt trucks will be out tonight and early tomorrow treating the roads with a mixture of salt and calcium chloride. At 10:15 p.m., 115 garbage trucks fitted with plows will head into the neighborhoods to clear streets. Front-end loaders will also be used to clear cul-de-sacs and narrow streets.

"We are in a general plowing mode," Gilbert said.

What's the hurry?

Take your time.

Good grief.

Milwaukee Crime and Mayor Tom Barrett's Second Term

In addition to the early morning shootings on Thursday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes two shootings that occurred on Wednesday in the city.

Teen shot for his cell phone

Man shot in leg

I wonder how Mayor Tom Barrett plans to spin Milwaukee's crime crisis when he runs for reelection.

He'll no doubt point to the new police chief Ed Flynn as a sign of his leadership on the issue. He'll probably claim credit for initiating potential progress on crime control.

I don't think his Milwaukee "renaissance" line will resonate with voters, not with all the shootings and armed robberies.

Of course, it makes no difference. Barrett is running unopposed. UNOPPOSED.

Unbelievable.