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April 17, 2008
2008 Inauguration and the Next Four Years
Dear Friends:
Earlier this week I took the oath of office to serve a second term as your Mayor.
Leading a great City like Milwaukee has been the greatest honor of my life. When I took office four years ago, I gave you my promise to make Milwaukee a safer, stronger city for every resident.
Together we’ve made incredible progress. I’m proud of the accomplishments 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, we are making differences in the lives of Milwaukeeans block-by-block.
But our efforts have just begun. Here are some of the issues I will be working on over the next four years.
Public Safety
I’ve worked hard to build partnerships among law enforcement, community groups, residents and businesses to reduce crime in Milwaukee’s neighborhoods.
We have a new police chief in Ed Flynn who is aggressively working to reduce crime and violence.
And will continue and intensify our efforts to target illegal guns and the thugs who use them; crack down on street gangs and the drugs they peddle, and forge even stronger ties with the community.
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 that I formed last summer.
We will take the tremendous success we created in the Menomonee Valley and apply it to the 30th Street Industrial Corridor. And we will continue the progress in the Park East where the new Manpower Headquarters and the Flatiron Building to the east and the Brewery Project to the west provide strong anchors.
I will continue to grow our Youth Summer Jobs program because as adults we have a moral responsibility to create hope in the lives of our young people and prepare them for the future.
Property Tax Relief
We have kept our promise to hold the line on property taxes – our annual levy growth in recent years is less than the state average and less than Milwaukee County.
But still, City of Milwaukee homeowners are paying 20% more of the property tax burden than they were 30 years ago. I understand this and will continue to fight for Milwaukee taxpayers.
Earlier this year we changed the state law that forced the City to keep paying police officers who had been fired and charged with a crime – a bad practice that had cost Milwaukee taxpayers millions of dollars.
Next we must fix the School Choice Funding Flaw, which currently costs every property taxpayer in Milwaukee about $200 a year. 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 Milwaukee taxpayers and fix the funding flaw – and I am taking this fight to Madison.
Education
Never before in Milwaukee’s history has education mattered more than it does today.
Last week I was visited 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 our companies here and those we wish to attract in the future. Our young people must be prepared to fill jobs like these if Milwaukee is to thrive in a 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 also need stronger families and a clearer moral compass to help students develop. That means reducing teen pregnancies and getting fathers more involved in their children’s lives.
A Safer, Stronger Milwaukee
This is the best job I’ve ever had, and the most rewarding. Serving the people of this community – my home and the City I love – is an honor and a privilege, and I am eager to keep building a safer, stronger Milwaukee for every resident over the next four years.
Sincerely,
Mayor, City of Milwaukee
Visit my website at: http://www.city.milwaukee.gov/mayor
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