Milwaukee Biz Blog

As part of the November elections, voters in the City of Milwaukee approved a referendum requiring private employers to provide up to nine days of paid sick leave to all employees working within city limits.

On Friday, June 12, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Cooper permanently enjoined the ordinance's implementation and enforcement.  Judge Cooper ruled that the ordinance was unconstitutional and invalidly enacted based on its provisions related to domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, noting "this is a case where a proposed ordinance's reach exceeds its grasp."

Judge Cooper ruled that the ordinance's provisions allowing victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking to use paid sick leave for legal action or relocation are not logically related to the broader purpose of the ordinance and were not mentioned in the ballot question: "These provisions are not details of the main purpose of the ordinance, but separate matters which must be detailed in the concise statement voted upon on a different direct legislation ballot."

While the court could have enjoined the ordinance's enactment on that basis alone, Judge Cooper went on to rule that those provisions were unconstitutional: they had no rational basis because there was no clear relationship between the amount of time needed to relocate or bring legal action as a result of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking and the number of paid sick days provided in the ordinance. 

A number of other bases for the permanent injunction were argued, including that the ordinance was preempted by state and federal law, that it unconstitutionally impaired existing contracts and that it was unconstitutionally vague and extraterritorial.  However, Judge Cooper did not grant the injunction for those reasons. 

Finally, the court refused to sever the invalid portions of the ordinance from the remainder and instead struck it down in its entirety.

While Judge Cooper's decision is good news for employers, the issue may not be entirely resolved: Milwaukee 9to5, the special interest group that led the petition drive resulting in the ordinance's consideration on the November ballot, plans to appeal the decision.

Sara Spiering is an associate attorney at DeWitt Ross & Stevens S.C., where she is a member of the Litigation and Employment Relations Practice Groups.

I applaud President Barack Obama for bringing national attention to two things I’m passionate about: health care reform and Wisconsin. I am eager to work with the president and Democrats toward a bipartisan solution to health care.

However, the majority has chosen to exclude such collaboration. After reviewing the president’s remarks in Green Bay, I have one basic observation to make: the difference between the president’s rhetoric and the substance of his plans is nothing short of astounding.

In fact, non-partisan experts continue to claim that the president’s "public plan option" will cause as much as 120 million of Americans to lose the health insurance they already have and like. This makes it difficult to keep the insurance they like, underscoring the growing divide between the president’s promises and his policies.

The president reiterated a false choice that is damaging the open, honest health care debate that we deserve. The president frames the debate as: The government must take over the management of health care OR continue with the failed status-quo of today. He continues to challenge his critics by asking, "What is the alternative?"

He knows that there are alternatives - better alternatives where the patient, not the government, is at the center of health care in America. He knows that we have introduced the Patients’ Choice Act of 2009.  He knows this and is simply hoping that the American people don’t know it. It should be noted that Democrats haven’t yet introduced a bill - we have.

The Patients’ Choice Act is a real proposal with actual legislative text, demonstrating that we can have universal health insurance in this country without the government taking it over.

Another favorite refrain of the president is that entitlement reform is health care reform. With health security threatened by the unsustainable growth of Medicare and Medicaid, serious reform of these programs is no longer an option. Last year, I introduced comprehensive reforms of both programs, and yet again - nothing but rhetoric from Washington.

What’s worse, the administration’s current strategy to fixing our entitlement crisis is to add yet another entitlement program to an already unsustainable fiscal future. You can't create new government entitlements, impose trillions of dollars of new taxes, and call this cost containment. We already spend over two-and-a-half times any other country on health care. The problem is not that we don't spend enough money, but that we don't spend it efficiently or effectively.

The president highlighted innovative reforms in Wisconsin by providers and patients alike, and used these market-driven reforms to argue that the federal government should take it from there. It takes an uncomfortable faith in Washington to believe that bureaucratic waste will be replaced by innovation and efficiency if only we gave government more control. Again, there is a better path forward on health care reform, and pretending there are not alternatives is a weak argument against our proposals.

What is at stake in this health care debate is nothing short of our definition of America.  The outcome of this debate will reshape, in deep and enduring ways, our nation's historic sensibilities.  Will we reaffirm our first principles where the government is purposefully limited and the individual is purposefully empowered, or will we sacrifice liberty with a sense of passive security and dependence? Do we want to follow the stagnant European welfare state model, or do believe that there is something unique about our founding, something unique about America that still endures today?

President Obama made the case in Green Bay for a government-centric approach to reforming an issue of tremendous economic and personal importance for all Americans.  We will continue to make the case for an approach where patients and doctors are the nucleus of health care in America. We will continue to make the case for health care reform rooted in faith in the individual. We stand ready to engage in a serious health care debate, and are hopeful President Obama and Congressional leaders in Washington are willing to give the American people a health care debate they deserve.

U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Janesville) represents Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District.

In recent days, the World Health Organization has raised the pandemic threat of swine flu, also known as 2009 H1N1, to a level 5 on a six-step scale. 

At this time, companies in Wisconsin and across the country are planning proactive strategies to reduce the likelihood of flu outbreaks amongst their employees and their families and evaluating flu-related policies and procedures. Below is a sampling of methods companies are using to communicate with employees, prevent outbreaks of the virus and manage ongoing business needs.

• Develop an Emergency Incident Management team with defined roles and responsibilities for preparedness and key work processes required to maintain business operations during a flu epidemic. 

• Conduct an internal survey of company inventory to calculate how many employees have children that would need back-up care as a result of school closings to estimate the percentage of employees that could potentially be out of the office.

• Monitor updates from national and world health organizations and news sources daily and tailor policies/ employee communications as recommended by the latest alerts.

• Track outbreaks of swine flu within the United States, Mexico, and other countries with corporate ties to monitor how this may affect employees, vendors, branches, etc.

• Restrict travel to areas of outbreak to only essential needs. Ask questions such as, is this a necessity? Can this meeting be conducted online or via phone? If an employee requests not to complete a scheduled trip to an affected area, the necessity of the trip should be reevaluated, and if deemed essential, resources such as prophylactic medications/ masks should be provided to the employee by the company.

• Communicate with customers as to how an outbreak may affect the company’s ability to meet schedules/deadlines.

• Contact your insurance carrier to inquire about coverage available for the vaccination/treatment of employees in times of pandemics, and communicate options to employees. Testing for swine flu may also be covered by insurance, but an employer can only legally require testing for valid business reasons or as standard policy, and by Wisconsin law must pay for time taken from work to complete such testing.

• Prepare a system of sanitation for offices/plants where an outbreak has occurred or is likely to occur.

• Test your company’s remote network and ensure essential company officers and employees can communicate and work outside of their office location. 

• Devise an outsourcing system if a branch in an affected area is no longer able to operate.

• In affected areas, consider temporarily closing offices and instead allowing employees to work from home networks.

• Review corporate policy concerning employee leave when immediate members of their families fall ill or their children are attending schools that have been closed due to an outbreak/potential outbreak. If these policies do not include amendments for a pandemic situation, tailor these policies and communicate them with employees.

Ongoing communication with employees is critical. Below are some techniques companies can use to educate employees and promote ongoing communications:

• Continually post important updates and information on the Intranet or through internal communications to keep employees up to date.

• Consider developing an online toolkit with updated information, government resources and employee information.

• Consider developing a PowerPoint or video from the CEO, explaining company policies that can be posted on the company’s website or Intranet.

The following talking points are recommended in all communication vehicles:

• Communicate to employees the company’s policies so everyone is on the same page. Items such as eliminating face-to-face meetings, restricting travel, allowing workers in affected areas to work from home, allowing parents of affected children to work from home, all need to be communicated

• Educate employees with information on how to prevent contracting swine flu as well as what symptoms to look for and encourage them to share this information with their families.

• Encourage employees to wash their hands frequently, maintain healthy diets and sleep patterns and practice good hygiene.

• Have a primary contact on this issue that employees can email or call to ask questions. 

Jessica Vollrath is an account executive at Vollrath Associates, a Milwaukee-based public relations and investor communications agency. 

Psychiatric doctors all across Wisconsin have begun to sound the alarm along the watch towers of the medical industry.
The Wisconsin Psychiatric Association (WPA) is sounding off a warning to the public calling attention to an effort by psychologists seeking to pass Senate Bill 180 (SB180). The bill, according to WPA, authorizes the Wisconsin Psychology Examining Board in the Department of Regulation and Licensing to issue a certificate of “prescriptive authority” to a licensed psychologist who has completed educational requirements and supervised practice established by the board.
“Prescriptive authority” is defined to mean authority to prescribe, distribute, and administer drugs to treat disorders identified within the practice of psychology. Psychiatrists, who go to medical school and train for years to become medical doctors, are labeling SB180 as dangerous. They say that allowing psychologists, who have no medical training, to prescribe psychiatric medications opens a Pandora’s Box to medical complications and safety concerns.
Psychiatric medicines are one of the most complex in medical treatment and carry many side effects. All physicians do extensive training in physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, and years of clinical hospital and outpatient clerkships to learn how to prescribe and manage medications. In addition, psychiatrists must do 4 to 5 more years of clinical training on top of their already rigorous medical training to specifically learn and apply medications pertaining to mental illness. According to Dr. Selahattin Kurter, M.D., Board Certified psychiatrist and one of a few doctors in Wisconsin who practices addiction medicine, “8 to 9 years of medical training is needed before one is ready to competently dispense medications associated with mental health. We can't expect a psychologist to take a course and learn the complexity of the human body now that the law allows him or her to do so. I have personally seen patients die due to complications of psychiatric medications. This was not due to physician error but to potential side effects that are inherent to these medications.”
Dr. Kurter points out that a physician and or nurse practitioner are the only people trained to manage these medications so that the risk to patients and the general public can be minimized. “Psychiatrists are experts in mental health medications for a reason--they have been trained to do so," Kurter said. "Many family physicians and internists will defer to psychiatrists for psychiatric medication management due to complexity and potential medication interactions. Milwaukee has had several fatalities and overdoses on psychiatric medications in the past several months. In most situations, the patients used the medications inappropriately. But it underscores that these medications are powerful and potentially deadly if prescribed in error or by someone not competent to prescribe them.”
The WPA believes that the passage of this bill will set up a substandard and dangerous care system for the mentally ill. Dr. Kurter says that most other states in the U.S. have rejected psychologists from prescribing medication for the mentally ill because of safety concerns.
I say, let’s support WPA’s call to have the state reject SB180. The increase in the amount of financial and medical liability to allow psychologists to prescribe medication for the mentally ill would be a hard pill to swallow for all Wisconsin taxpayers.

Robert Miranda is a Latino community activist, editor-in-chief of the Milwaukee Spanish Journal and executive director of Esperanza Unida Inc. in Milwaukee.

The budget repair bill/stimulus package that was rammed through the state Legislature and quickly signed into law was ideally supposed to create jobs. Instead, state lawmakers opted to take the gigantic pot from Washington and use it to account for existing spending by offsetting the current budget crisis.

It is hard to imagine the package approved will actually "stimulate" the state economy and bring new jobs when the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimates the majority of Wisconsin's "stimulus" share, about $2 billion, is going toward education and medical assistance.

If we can't use the stimulus money in ways that would actually stimulate the economy, then it should be used on infrastructure. The stimulus money should be used on one-time projects or on projects with a life long enough that they're almost one-time. Here's an example: Waste water runoff problems on Lake Michigan.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) prepares a report card that assesses 15 separate categories of the country's infrastructure. The 2009 Report Card reports, "In 2009, all signs point to an infrastructure that is poorly maintained, unable to meet current and future demands, and in some cases, unsafe. Since the last Report Card in 2005, the grades have not improved. ASCE estimates the nation still stands at a D average. Deteriorating conditions and inflation have added hundreds of billions to the total cost of repairs and needed upgrades." The categories of drinking water and wastewater receive a grade of D-.

The ASCE says the nation's drinking water systems have aging facilities in need of replacement to adhere to federal water regulations. Demand for drinking water will increase over the next 20 years. Meeting the demand will be difficult because the ASCE estimates 7 billion gallons of clean drinking water are lost every day due to leaky pipes.

The same holds true for wastewater. The ASCE says every year, old systems are dumping billions of gallons of untreated wastewater into America's surface waters.

Out of all the categories examined by the ASCE, Wisconsin ranked the worst in roads, drinking water and wastewater. We need to invest in what we are failing the worst at and that is concretely fixable with a return in health, efficiency, and effectiveness for all the residents of Wisconsin.

We in Wisconsin are all too familiar with water problems. Our water in various areas of the state is questionably unsafe. Uncontrollable contamination of Lake Michigan is profoundly reckless. 

On Oct. 7, 2004, Water & Wastes Digest reported a stunning discovery about the quality of drinking water in La Crosse: "Prior to its chlorination, viruses from human sources occur in the La Crosse, Wis., groundwater used for the municipal drinking water supply, a new report revealed. Although the city's treated water meets or exceeds state and federal standards for drinking water, researchers and public health officials agree that more study is needed to pinpoint the exact sources of the viruses and to determine if some viruses are surviving the chlorination process. The study found interoviruses, rotavirus, hepatitis A virus and noroviruses. La Crosse's source of water is an aquifer consisting of a deposit of glacial outwash sand and gravel approximately 170 feet deep, bounded on the east by the bluffs and on the west by the Mississippi River. Sand and gravel aquifers are among the most vulnerable to fecal contamination."

The 2003 ASCE Report Card on Infrastructure commended Wisconsin for how it handles municipal wastewater. However, the ASCE added this conclusion: "Yet much remains to be done to maintain or enhance this position as a leader in the United States. Significant investments in this infrastructure will be required to maintain this position and to address pending and likely future regulations and requirements."

The same 2003 ASCE Report Card reported this about Wisconsin's municipal wastewater treatment plants: "In year 2000, 19 plants, about 2.8%, were rated as requiring improvements and 131 plants, about 19.5 percent, were rated as requiring some action. Estimated future needs through 2020 exceed $3.35 billion, while actual project funding has been less than $100 million per year."

That brings us back to the state stimulus package that was approved in just a matter of days. Note the ASCE pinpointed the cost of addressing future wastewater needs at $3.35 billion. The state of Wisconsin expects to receive just under $4 billion in stimulus money from Washington. A better use of that money would be to invest in what we are failing at the worst and that is concretely fixable. The benefit is a return in health, efficiency, and effectiveness for all the residents of Wisconsin.

The damage being done in Milwaukee does not only affect Milwaukee, but the entire state of Wisconsin.  When compared to all other states, we are failing the citizens of Wisconsin in providing access to clean safe drinking water and a safe waste disposal system more than any other infrastructure/education/health care category.

The federal stimulus package is an opportunity for us to create jobs, give every state access to safe drinking water and build a future in our most valuable resources by fixing our water and sewage system. Think about it. We can fix our water safety, preserve a coveted resource, reduce unemployment and repair our infrastructure. That is how we should be investing our stimulus package: in our water and sewage system.

 

State Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents Wisconsin's 28th District.

Several years ago, Bob Stutman spoke to my three TEC groups. Stutman was the "head narc" for the Drug Enforcement Administration's New York office. He had 1,000 DEA agents reporting to him.

After a 25-year career with the DEA, Bob started a consulting firm that works with corporations and communities throughout the United States in dealing with the issue of substance abuse. Bob has a family connection in Wisconsin. We are fortunate to have him speak to TEC groups in Milwaukee on a regular basis.

Bob's TEC presentations describe the drug problem in the workplace and the drug problem at home. On the corporate side, he challenges CEOs who think they have adequate substance abuse programs, but don't.

On the family side, he confronts our members who are essentially clueless when it comes to the substance abuse going on in our communities and our homes. Most of us had no idea that drugs with names like "special K" or "roofies" or "easy lay" existed, much less what they were or what they were doing to our kids.

In addition to speaking to TEC groups and working with corporations on their substance abuse programs, Bob has developed a model that he has introduced in several school districts to deal more effectively with drug problems.

Several TEC members over the years have sponsored Bob's presentation and program for their local school districts. One such member, Paul Grunau, president of the Grunau Company, sponsored Bob at Whitefish Bay Middle School two years ago. That is, Paul paid all the expenses relative to Bob's appearance. There was no cost to the school district.

The initial day-long presentation was divided into four segments. Bob spoke to Whitefish Bay Middle School seventh and eighth graders in the morning. Following the morning presentation, students were offered the opportunity to speak with Bob confidentially, on a one-on-one basis about anything they wanted to talk about.

Approximately 400 students attended the morning session. More than half asked to speak to Bob confidentially after the presentation. That's 200 13- and 14-year-old Whitefish Bay kids asking to speak to the "bald drug guy!"

After speaking with the kids, Bob spoke with the faculty and administration of the school.  Paul Grunau, as the sponsor, was invited to attend. The session was after a TEC meeting that day. Paul invited me to attend, as well.

Stutman made it clear that based on his experience and the turnout of students who wanted to meet with him individually that Whitefish Bay Middle School had a problem and whatever they were doing in terms of a substance abuse program wasn't working.

The faculty and administration listened politely.

In the evening, Bob spoke to the Whitefish Bay community as a whole, with concerned parents and students in attendance. The title of the evening presentation was "Not My Kid."

Some school districts in Wisconsin have embraced the follow-up, ongoing Stutman substance abuse program. Typically, Bob's school programs are sponsored by TEC members. Andy Burkart, CEO of Burkart-Heisdorf Agency, brought the program to Sheboygan South High School. Rhonda Sullivan. president of Lavelle Industries, did the same with Burlington High School.

Paul Grunau offered to sponsor Stutman at Whitefish Bay High School. The principal, Bill Henkle, declined Paul's offer. Henkle indicated they had their own program and didn't see the need for anyone from the outside to offer assistance.

The response from Whitefish Bay Middle School was just as surprising. The administration actually became defensive when it came to their substance abuse program efforts. They didn't want any more of Stutman's program.  The follow up, ongoing pieces that have been effective at Sheboygan South and Burlington High Schools never got beyond the principal's desk in Whitefish Bay.

It is my understanding that Maddie Kiefer, the student who died last weekend from an apparent drug overdose, did not attend Whitefish Bay Middle School prior to enrolling at Whitefish Bay High School. If she had, she might have been in attendance when Stutman was there two years ago. Perhaps Bob could have made a difference - if he had been afforded the opportunity.

If you are interested in information regarding Bob Stutman's school programs, please contact me. I will be pleased to e-mail the description of the program and the fees involved. Please consider sponsoring Bob in your school district. This is an opportunity to build something positive out of the tragic death of Maddie Kiefer.

We need to expand the conversation beyond the walls of the school district administration. We need to do it now.

Dennis Ellmaurer is a principal of Globe National Corp., a Milwaukee firm working exclusively with sellers of small businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. Ellmaurer also is a chairman of The Executive Committee (TEC), facilitating three CEO groups in southeastern Wisconsin. He can be reached at dennis@globenational.com.

Editor's note: Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett today delivered his State of the City Address at the Harley-Davidson Museum. The text of his speech follows in a special edition of the Milwaukee Biz Blog.

Fellow Milwaukeeans and special guests, I am pleased to stand before you to present my fifth report on the State of our City. Thank you, Gail for that welcome and introduction, Harley-style.

Welcome to Harley-Davidson's world-class attraction and welcome to the Menomonee Valley. When I took office in 2004, the Harley-Davidson Museum project was at a standstill. I immediately committed my administration to moving forward with the plans and together, with Harley-Davidson and the Common Council, this incredible cultural asset rose out of an old public works yard.

We also saved the taxpayers money by consolidating two public works facilities into one. These projects are never easy, but they are certainly worth our efforts. Thank You Harley-Davidson for your commitment to Milwaukee.

I chose this venue not only because of the Harley-Davidson story, but also because of the story of the Menomonee Valley. I hope when you drove here this morning you took Canal Street, and if you didn't, I strongly encourage you to drive through the Valley soon.

What you see today is in stark contrast to what you would have seen just five years ago. What was then the City's biggest eyesore has become home to growing companies and first-rate attractions. It's an invigorating drive, and during a time when the economic news is not good, it's a great example of what forward thinking can achieve.

It is because of the collective efforts of all our Valley Partners that The International Economic Development Council recently recognized Milwaukee with an award for its achievement in redeveloping the Menomonee Valley. The Valley was recognized as one of the world's 25 best economic development projects. Drive through it, and you'll see why. The Harley-Davidson Museum rightly deserves all the praise and press it receives. This company has survived the Great Depression, the economic turmoil of the 1980s, and other difficult times. What hasn't grabbed a lot of headlines is Harley's commitment to its historic west-side neighborhood. It's there where you'll find the Harley-Davidson Targeted Investment Neighborhood strategy at work. The targeted investment initiative dedicates public and private resources to improving quality of life and strengthening the neighborhood. Working with the City, Harley employees and residents around its headquarters have worked to address nuisance properties, improve public safety, clean up litter, and make home repairs. In fact, 48 percent of neighborhood residents participated in this effort.

I am confident Harley-Davidson will continue to be one of the most successful brands associated with the City of Milwaukee. We are all facing difficult and uncertain times. But just like Harley-Davidson,

Milwaukeeans are resilient. I am fully confident that Milwaukee will withstand the current economic downturn. We will make smart investments, continue to build strong partnerships, provide training to our workforce and improve our public schools. We WILL emerge as a stronger and more competitive city.

Even during this economic downturn, we see signs of optimism. In late 2008, we transformed a brownfield into a success story. We used a remediation strategy to help a central-city business expand in its current location. Medovations, a medical products company, embarked on a $3 million expansion, maintaining its current workforce and adding 12 additional jobs. This is the first physical expansion of this company and we are thrilled to put a brownfield back to use. Equally exciting, the company hires nearly all of its employees from the central city, and provides on-the-job training.

The City celebrated the ninth groundbreaking in the Valley with Charter Wire's new facility, a facility that will be home to 115 employees. Elsewhere in the Valley, the Canal Street Commerce Center, the Harley-Davidson Museum and Derse have all opened for business, and the Potawatomi Casino has expanded.
Through the development of more than a dozen projects, more than 2000 jobs have been created.

I'm proud to say that one of the first new businesses in the Valley is already exceeding our expectations. Palermo's Pizza now has 400 employees and is strongly committed to my Summer Youth Jobs Initiative. In an effort to replicate the success in the Valley, the City has invested $6.4 million in assisting businesses in the 30th Street Industrial Corridor. Through the use of our TIF financing tool, we assisted DRS in upgrading its facility. In 2009, we plan to tackle three of the worst brownfields in the 30th Street Industrial Corridor.

The old tannery on 32nd & Hampton will be part of the Bishop's Creek development.

Further south, we have our sights set on the former Tower Automotive plant, and we're going to clean up the former Esser Paint factory on 31st & Galena. Great progress is being made on Milwaukee's south side in the Airport Gateway Business Improvement District. I'd like to thank Alderman Terry Witkowski for his leadership. We couldn't be more pleased with the progress on the Brewery Project. This $205 million redevelopment will be the first 'sustainable' LEED-certified neighborhood. The city assisted with a $29 million TIF to fund demolition, environmental cleanup, new 'green' streets, sewers and sustainable public improvements.

The Keg House was converted into the Blue Ribbon Lofts. And, we celebrated when the newly-converted Boiler House welcomed it first two commercial tenants. I'm grateful to Joe Zilber for his continued civic philanthropy, and I look forward to working with him for many years to come. One of the keys to a stronger neighborhood is a stronger workforce. I want our workforce development to be the best in the nation in helping those most in need find family-supporting jobs. Since taking over Workforce Investment, we've created a more demand-driven and customer responsive system with activities to connect employers with employees.

The Workforce Board has identified key new partnerships with City employers, such as Supersteel on the Northwest side. Through its customized welding and manufacturing skills training program, the Board helped meet Supersteel's need for an additional 26 trained employees. Growing and attracting green industries is central to my vision for Milwaukee.New green technologies create jobs and lower costs. A 2008 sustainability survey ranked the 50 largest U.S. cities based on water quality, recycling and energy efficiency efforts. Milwaukee ranked 12th, up from 16th in 2006.

And we're not slowing down.

At the current rate of water use, the U.S. will need 16 trillion additional gallons of fresh water per year by 2020. This is equal to one-fourth of the combined outflow of ALL the Great Lakes. 1.2 billion people worldwide suffer from a lack of clean water. 2.6 billion people lack adequate sanitation, primarily due to water conditions. Milwaukee must grow its water economy. Here in Milwaukee, our companies have developed cutting-edge research and technologies associated with treating water and preserving water quality.

We're also home to companies that invent and produce water-quality related equipment. I'm not talking about selling our water. I am talking about growing and selling our expertise with treating freshwater. Water WILL be one of the largest economic growth sectors in the world over the next few decades. And Milwaukee can be the hub for freshwater technologies and research if we do something NOW to plan for our future.

That's where the Milwaukee 7's Water Council comes in. It has a membership of more than 100 water technology companies. Combining that business innovation with UWM in a School of Freshwater Sciences AND the research of the Great Lakes Water Institute is a shared goal that must be realized. Governor Doyle has authorized the school in his budget. Now, we must work to ensure that the financial commitment is there at the end of the state budget process. Imagine a School of Freshwater Sciences with a front door on our incredibly beautiful lakefront.

On the near-south side, we will have the School's freshwater research facilities and a water technology business park. We can and must accomplish this. I want to thank Badger Meter's Rich Meussen, UWM Chancellor Carlos Santiago and GMC President Julia Taylor for their leadership in shaping and pursuing this goal, and I pledge that I will do all I can to make the school and the water technology park a reality. Innovations in the way government delivers services will also improve Milwaukee's competitive standing.

Over the past few months, I have been in discussions with MMSD over its annual $14.6 million natural gas bill. We think it's time for a less expensive option. Just yesterday, I announced that Veolia Environmental Services and MMSD will proceed on the construction of a 17-mile methane gas pipeline that will capture landfill gas in Muskego and deliver it to the Jones Island Water Treatment Facility. Presently, the landfill gas is flared off at the landfill. That's money going up in smoke.

The methane gas will be transported through the pipeline and then converted into a fuel source to heat and dry Milogranite. With the installation of five new methane gas turbines, MMSD will be able to meet its electrical needs and eventually produce excess electricity to put back on the electrical grid. This project will result in lower customer bills for families and businesses, especially our businesses that use a lot of water in production...think Miller beer.

This is a great win-win for businesses and the environment. I want to thank MMSD Director Kevin Shafer, Commissioners Preston Cole and Alderman Ashanti Hamilton, as well as the staff from MMSD and Veolia. This pipeline is also ripe for federal stimulus dollars and we're going to do all we can to get the funding for this and other job-producing projects that help to improve our infrastructure.

I know there are critics of President Obama's stimulus plan. I am not one of them. Congress and the President have made the decision to spend the money. Since our taxpayers are going to help pay that money back, I'd much rather have that money spent in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, than Milwaukie, Oregon.

Since last November, I have been working with Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Congressman Dave Obey, and Senators Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold to make sure Milwaukee's needs were addressed in the bill. Last Friday I met with President Obama and members of his cabinet. I want to also acknowledge the leadership that Common Council President Willie Hines has brought to this issue. The Council and I understand that spending wisely and putting Milwaukeeans to work is paramount. Thank you, President Hines. We have the opportunity to invest in our infrastructure and our workforce. In these difficult times, we have to do all we can to build upon both. Improving our local roads is good for residents and businesses alike.

Attacking lead poisoning lowers health care costs. Weatherizing our older housing stock reduces energy bills and improves the value of City homes. Leveraging federal funds for our police department helps keep our streets safe.

Repairing and improving the KK River channel will enhance the value of nearby neighborhoods and add to the City's green space. Cleaning up the environmental problems at the old Tower Automotive site will lead to future development, more jobs and an increase in the City's tax base. Investing in high-speed and commuter rail will enhance Milwaukee's standing as the state's center of commerce and a national destination. These are the types of activities I want to pursue for funding. These are investments that will pay off in the future and investments that are worth making. We must continue to grow Milwaukee.

In order to grow Milwaukee, we will need to capitalize on partnerships at all levels. Governor Doyle and I recently formed a partnership with the Milwaukee donor community to study the finances of the Milwaukee Public Schools. I'm expecting the work and findings to be completed within the next few weeks. The Governor and I will then present a report and prepare legislation to be taken up by the State Legislature. I can tell you that the briefings I have had on the schools so far are some of the most sobering and difficult meetings I have had since becoming mayor.

The fiscal challenges facing MPS are serious and will require both short and long-term solutions. There are a number of factors that drive the district's financial bottom-line: enrollment, excess facilities, district spending and state school aid formulas. As you know, for years I have been fighting to fix the flaws in the funding of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. No matter how you feel about school choice, the fact is Milwaukee property taxpayers pay a disproportionate share of the program's costs.

These costs get attached to the Milwaukee Public School levy, drive up our property taxes, and decrease the amount of money that flows into our classrooms. I am hopeful today that this scenario is about to change. Governor Doyle has included in his budget a provision that phases out after five years the property tax burden caused by not including school choice program students in the calculation of school aids for Milwaukee.

If this provision is included in the final state budget - and I strongly encourage all of you here to contact your state legislator and tell him or her to support the provision - Milwaukee taxpayers will receive $38 million in property tax relief once the phase-in is fully implemented. In the first year alone, we will receive $10 million in tax relief. This is a huge step forward and I want to express my thanks to Governor Doyle. Fixing the school aid funding flaw is only one piece of the puzzle. Unfortunately, there are a lot pieces and not all of them fit together nicely.

As we have worked through the fiscal review of MPS, the issue of school governance has naturally risen from the discussion. I said a week or so ago that it is time for this community to have a very frank and serious conversation about the future of our schools. I don't believe that I'm alone in asking if the structure we have in place today is the best structure to address the issues facing Milwaukee Public Schools now and into the future.

The review of school finances does not address the governance issue. It is the district's finances and performance that raise the governance issue. I have the responsibility to do all I can to ensure the growth and stability of our great city. That responsibility includes doing everything I can to improve the Milwaukee Public Schools. Hiring and retaining great teachers, getting more dollars into the classroom and preparing our students for a bigger and more competitive world are what I want - what most of us want. Improving our schools will not be accomplished with any magic potion or any quick fix. That's why now is the time to have that very frank conversation about the future of MPS. It's a conversation that should be conducted with civility and reason. Teachers are dedicated public servants. A career in the classroom is significant and one involving a great deal of personal sacrifice. Parents rightly want the best education possible for their children and our students should always be our main concern.

Unfortunately, City government is not immune to the international economic downturn. I will prepare our next budget so that it's balanced and doesn't over-burden our residents and businesses. There will be tough cuts.

Not surprisingly, the City's finances are closely related to the condition of the economy. During my first five years in office the City's budget has balanced City services while dealing with declining State aid in a fiscally responsible way. That trend will continue as we address our priorities in difficult times. Governor Doyle's budget contains relatively modest shared revenue cuts. The cuts could have been deeper and I appreciate the Governor's efforts to maintain a funding freeze in 2010.

Nevertheless, the City's budget picture is very cloudy. It is more important than ever that the Mayor and the Common Council address these serious fiscal issues as collaboratively as possible. To that end, I am moving forward on a suggestion offered by Aldermen Michael Murphy and Nic Kovac that we implement joint fiscal planning discussions, which will also involve the Comptroller and representatives from the private sector. In addition, the reconstituted Capital Improvements Committee has the potential to provide serious and well-informed discussion regarding our budget priorities for infrastructure and public buildings. I've also directed my cabinet to continue developing partnerships that will produce efficiencies and tax savings.

From the day I first took office, I have made public safety my top priority. With scarce municipal resources, I still put more cops on the street. The cooperation among police officers, the clergy, community agencies and individuals has led to some very gratifying results.

Homicides of young African American men plunged 65 percent last year-from 54 in 2007 to 19 in 2008. That's still too many homicides and we have much work to do, but it is an astonishing one-year drop. Violent crime is down in all categories.

I am grateful to all the men and women of the Milwaukee Police Department for their hard work. The City funds numerous activities that help to reduce violence in our neighborhoods as well. From the City Attorney's office and the Department of Neighborhood Services, to the Health Department and its focus on family violence prevention through the Commission on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, we are making a difference. There is a shared desire in Milwaukee to make our city safer and stronger by reducing crime.

My Office of Violence Prevention has been bringing community stakeholders together. I offer my appreciation to the Homicide Review Commission, our partners in the District and U.S. Attorney's offices, neighborhood groups, and members of the clergy. It's people like Elder Ruben Madison Jr., block club captain on the 3100 block of N. 21st street, who are helping to make the difference. He's teamed up with others to rid the neighborhood of nuisance properties and drug dealing. And with the help of his community liaison officer, enlisted many allies who have worked tirelessly to take back this block. They've done it so well, they're now moving on to the next block and will help the residents there organize their own improvement effort. I'd like to recognize Elder Ruben and the other individuals for contributing to the success of this effort. Please stand and be recognized. Adam Stephens of the City Attorney's Office... Ron Roberts and Matt Dama of the Department of Neighborhood Services... Jake Corr of the District Attorney's Office... Taleeba Mateen and Al Hegwood of Safe & Sound AND, Ray Robakowski, of the Milwaukee Police Department.

I also want to recognize Tina Chang of Syslogic and Don Layden of Metavante for stepping forward and responding to Chief Flynn's request for computer technical support. The department's focus is on data-driven policing, making its IT systems critical to its crime-fighting strategy. Tina is with us today and on behalf of city taxpayers, I thank you.

While crime is down, unfortunately, foreclosures are up. Currently, there are more than 1,800 bank-owned foreclosed properties in the City and more than 4,700 foreclosure filings. Families are being disrupted and our most vulnerable citizens are being impacted. Tenants in foreclosed homes are being evicted with little or no notice. Vacant and boarded-up homes can undermine a neighborhood. They also impact the City's tax base. We're meeting this crisis head on - with strong partners. I convened the Milwaukee Foreclosure Partnership Initiative to help. This group assisted us in developing a coordinated strategy to address the foreclosure issue. More than 100 volunteers representing a broad range of community interests answered the call. I thank them all for their efforts. The partnership developed a plan to intervene with homeowners currently at risk, stabilize neighborhoods and prevent foreclosure issues from developing in the future.

Here are a few of the steps we're taking as a City: Milwaukee will soon launch a Homeownership Consortium that will enhance homebuyer education and financial literacy efforts. We are moving forward with a Court Appointed Mediation program that will bring lenders and borrowers to the table. Similar programs in other parts of the country have achieved considerable success. Thank you to Catey Doyle and the Legal Aid Society for spearheading this program. Alderman Joe Davis and I have been working to secure funding to launch this effort. I'm pleased to announce the City will be contributing $100,000. Thank you, Alderman Davis for your support. And just yesterday afternoon, I spoke to Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen who indicated that his office would contribute a significant amount to the mediation effort as well. In addition, the City has received $9.2 million of federal funding to help address the foreclosure problem. Our plan for using those funds has already been approved by HUD. The funding will be available in a few weeks and we are moving forward to help homebuyers, responsible landlords and developers put foreclosed homes into use. If we are to become a thriving economic engine fueling others, then we will need to build on our regional partnerships. The time is now with the federal stimulus on its way, and the opportunities are exciting.

We need to support and pass the Regional Transit Authority legislation. Our region is much more than interstate highways. An RTA that funds and operates transit will be an asset to Milwaukee and to the region. With an RTA in place we can reverse the death spiral of the current County-operated transit system, expand transit services so workers can be connected to regional jobs and extend commuter rail from Kenosha to Milwaukee. I'm asking all regional leaders to join me in supporting the high-speed rail initiative. There's $8 billion in the stimulus package for this and it has Milwaukee and Wisconsin written all over it. It is also time for regional leaders to join together and demand that federal and state transportation officials recognize that transportation is more than widening highways. It's also about local roads and mass transit.

The first action we should take is to re-direct the state's $21 million appropriation for the construction of the Pabst Farms exit. That money should go into local roads. Let's put those dollars to work repairing potholes and paving local roads that are heavily traveled right now. In tough economic times, we really do need to appreciate what makes Milwaukee such a great place. For example, in 2008, we tied for the second lowest number of fire deaths in well over 50 years. Thank you, Chief Doug Holton and the brave men and women of the fire department. The Health Department formed a partnership with both the Boys and Girls Club and the Fire Department to provide immunizations to Milwaukee citizens. During 2008, the Health Department provided more than 30,000 vaccinations to children and adults representing a 14 percent increase over 2007. Thank you, Commissioner Baker and the staff of the Milwaukee Health Department for your hard work. Thanks also to the many people who are working to help students through the I Have A Dream Milwaukee Program. We officially started our program this past September at Clarke Street School. Last year, we saluted the Kellners' for their generous contribution to cover college tuition costs for the entire first grade.

This year we salute the Brady Corporation for taking on the entire second grade. CEO Frank Jaehnert from Brady is with us today. Thank you, Frank. Thanks to all of you who have participated in my summer youth jobs program. We all need to help build the skills of Milwaukee's future workforce and provide hope in the lives of young people. That's why I'm asking you again to join the Earn and Learn Team. I'm very pleased John Kissinger of GRAEF is the co-chair of this year's program and is with us today. Thank you for your partnership in this very worthwhile endeavor.

Finally, I want to follow-up on an announcement I made at last year's State of the City address. In tough economic times, with less money for family vacations, what better way to spend a summer weekend than to watch the Great Circus Parade.

Yes sireee, step right up. On July 12, Milwaukee will once again host this national treasure. Please join us as we celebrate. There will be many more details coming soon.

We are facing economic challenges not seen in this country for generations. It's important that as we leave here today, we remember the difficulties and challenges our parents and grandparents faced as they made their way through the most difficult economic time our country ever confronted. They were optimistic and confident, and that attitude went a long way. I am confident that Milwaukee will weather this economic storm. I believe in the strength of our community and that the progress we've made will continue through successful partnerships with businesses, unions, and community groups. We do not stand alone; we stand and rise together.

I ask you to be optimistic, to be part of the positive change and to join the progress that's happening in our City. I look forward to working with all of you. Thank you for coming.

Tom Barrett is the mayor of Milwaukee.

If it seems like something - or more precisely someone - has been missing in Milwaukee lately, I know exactly whom it is.

Sister Joel Read, former president of Alverno College, suffered a stroke on Christmas Eve, one day after she had undergone successful heart bypass surgery. She has been hospitalized ever since.

Contacted by phone Monday, Sister Joel told me, "My whole left side is no good."

For those of you who know Sister Joel, take comfort in knowing she is speaking as eloquently and with as much purpose as ever.

I count the fact that my life's path crossed Sister Joel's path as one of my life's true blessings. We became friends as we worked together on the committee that formed the College Readiness 21 Program for the Wisconsin Foundation for Independent Colleges.

Sister Joel, a nationally renowned educator, wears many hats in this town. She's co-chair of the Greater Milwaukee Committee's Education Committee, where the folks at the GMC will freely tell you she's the moral compass in the room. The lady does not know how to mince her words, and she does not hide her lantern under a blanket. You know precisely what Sister Joel is thinking about any topic you are discussing with her.

In fact, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. chief executive Ed Zore, outgoing GMC chairman, jokingly acknowledged Monday that Sister Joel had recently "rapped (his) knuckles" about an education issue of some sort.

Zore then read aloud a message from Sister Joel to members at the GMC's annual meeting. I asked Sister Joel for permission to share that letter with our readers, many of whom will no doubt be interested in her progress.

"Sure go ahead. I need all the prayers I can get. The wider my prayer chain, the better off I will be," came the reply.

So, here is the message Sister Joel sent to the GMC members:
"I would like you to know that your cards, visits and thoughtful gifts really brightened those early days for me and encouraged me on the long journey that I am on to regain my independence. I would also like you to know that I am making progress on this journey. Each day, the left side, which the stroke rendered unusable, has begun to show signs of returning to life. Please do not stop praying for me. I have only just begun. Thanks a million for your support."

Get well soon, my friend. Milwaukee needs you!

Steve Jagler is executive editor BizTimes Milwaukee. For additional information, Sister Joel Read wrote a Milwaukee Biz Blog last year, making the point that we all have a stake in the fate of the children at Milwaukee Public Schools. If you have any thoughts you would like to be passed along to Sister Joel, send an e-mail to steve.jagler@biztimes.com.

A judge's decision on Friday to grant an injunction of the City of Milwaukee's sick leave mandate was just the first step in what figures to be a long, drawn-out legal battle in which the ultimate winners may be attorneys.

Judge Thomas Cooper granted the injunction in the lawsuit brought by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) against the City of Milwaukee. The 9to5 National Coalition of Working Women, which successfully gathered the signatures needed to place the mandate referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot, joined the city as a defendant in the suit.

Representatives of the city, the MMAC and 9to5 did not expect ultimate resolution on Friday.
Strangely enough, neither did the judge.

"This is such an important issue for the city that we better do it right from the start. My overall concern is that we do this right. I have no doubt that the court of appeals and the Supreme Court will eventually get to weigh in on this decision," Cooper said.

Cooper is the fourth judge to be appointed to this case after Judge John DiMotto, Judge Elsa Lamelas, and Judge William Sosnay, recused their selves from the assignment.

"It has been very surprising to me how much interest this case is getting, and because of that, I am almost certain that the Wisconsin court system will give you all an ultimate answer on this issue," Cooper said. "I am only the first step. There is dead solid certainty on my part, that no matter what decision I make in the matter, my ruling will be appealed. So my advice to this community is to get your selves ready for the long haul."

The crowd in the courtroom remained calm and relatively silent after the injunction was granted.
Supporters of the injunction heaved a small sigh of relief, but they are still weighed down by the realization of the fight that is ahead of them.

Supporters of the ordinance were not surprised by the ruling and even cheered the representing attorneys representing 9to5 as they exited the courtroom.

"Today is just preliminary," said Barbara Zack Quindel, attorney from Milwaukee-based Hawks Quindel Ehlke & Perry S.C., who represented 9to5. "For now, the judge has granted his ruling, and we remain optimistic. We are very confident that this ordinance will move forward."

Strange bedfellows
According to Quindel, it was not easy to remember that 9to5 Milwaukee and the City of Milwaukee were co-defendants in Friday's hearing.
"It was certainly difficult to remember we were aligned. I believe (the city's decision to not oppose the injunction) was really a matter of the mayor's personal views on this ordinance … and shame on the city for taking that position," Quindel said.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett issued the following statement about the hearing: "The City of Milwaukee needs to have the legal issues surrounding this ordinance resolved. As I have stated previously, we will continue to work toward developing rules and procedures for the sick leave ordinance. I have asked the City Attorney's office to move this process along as quickly as possible."
"What is exceptionally novel in this case," Scott Beightol, attorney for Michael Best and Friedrich LLP, representing the MMAC, said, "is that the plaintiff and the co-defendant (City of Milwaukee) agree that an injunction should be granted."
Tim Sheehy president of the MMAC, also weighed in on the hearing: "This new City of Milwaukee mandate is a job killer that threatens our regional competitiveness at a time when our families and businesses can afford it least. We are extremely pleased that the court has agreed to call a 'time out' on implementation of this ordinance until all the legal questions surrounding it can be thoroughly reviewed."
The courtroom was filled to capacity with supporters from both sides of the issue. The judge said he had read each side's legal briefs "at least three times."

City 'not opposed'
The City of Milwaukee's attorneys later contended that the city was not opposed to the injunction.
"The City of Milwaukee did not move to injunction nor did we object to the injunction,” said Linda Burke, attorney for the city. "Our main concern is that the city could expend considerable resources on implementing these rules and regulations without knowing what the ultimate outcome of this law suit will be. That could mean vast amounts of wasted resources in an era that frankly, we can't afford to be wasteful in."
"This is really a balancing of the harms involved," Quindel said. "Our argument is that this is a valid ordinance passed by the voters. Employers have known for a while that this was going to happen, and that it would be effective on Feb. 10."
Quindel said 122,000 workers in Milwaukee who do not have paid sick days or job security.
"If this injunction is passed, than all of those workers who support this ordinance are invisible and voiceless, and will continue to suffer the hardships," she said.

Alysha Schertz is a reporter at BizTimes Milwaukee.

The media has recently reported stories on how the economy - more specifically job losses and/or company closures - could have profound impact on those counting on their employer for health insurance.

Those facing a job loss at least have COBRA rights to continue coverage, albeit at premiums that may be a challenge when incomes are lost. Even more difficult are stories about people whose employer declared bankruptcy. If the group contract ceases to exist, then there can be no COBRA. Imagine being in the middle of expensive cancer treatments only to learn your employer has shut down. No COBRA! No insurance!

Is there merit to the idea that all individuals should own their own insurance? Certainly many employers could/would still continue to subsidize premiums, but "job lock" would be a thing of the past. It's too bad John McCain couldn't articulate such a common sense idea.

Everyone would choose from the broad array of policies offered by insurers as opposed to the handful of options offered by one employer.

When it comes to buying health insurance, you can do so as an individual or through your employer.
Coming soon: Will you be able to buy insurance through the state or federal government? Stay tuned . . .

Jon Rauser is president of The Rauser Agency Inc., Milwaukee. He writes an ongoing blog about the health care industry at www.rauserhealthreview.com.