Milwaukee Biz Blog

Wisconsin has a long tradition of hard working people. Our statehood has its roots in agriculture and mining, and soon after that our state began growing its strength in manufacturing, too.

Wisconsin consistently ranks near the top of states with a manufacturing intensive economy. Our many skilled craftsmen produce large steel fabricated goods, machine tools, forgings, ships, and many other products. Our can-do work ethic lends itself to efficient, safe, and productive industries – we know how to “make it.”

Our agriculture sector is one of the best producers in the nation, leading the way in milk, cheese, and dairy products. I grew up on a dairy farm and apple orchard, so I know first-hand the hard work it takes to maintain farms and produce quality products.  Our Wisconsin farmers know how to “milk it.”

Finally, the third leg I see in Wisconsin’s trifecta of jobs is mining. Our history is rooted so much in mining that a miner appears on our flag and the badger is our state symbol, referring to the settlers that burrowed underground in mines. Unfortunately, Wisconsin’s mining laws in recent years have effectively made mining non-existent through an uncertain and open-ended process that discourages capital investment.

The bill to be considered by the State Assembly this week reforms the process by establishing clear and achievable standards to issue a permit for an iron ore mine. We can pass legislation that forms a reasonable process for active mining while still protecting our environment.

The result of encouraging the mining industry to come back to Wisconsin will mean thousands of jobs and new investment in our state. Jobs will be created around the state from Iron and Ashland Counties where the mine would be located to southeastern Wisconsin where mining equipment is manufactured. 

I believe we create a framework for environmentally responsible mining. It’s been done before and it can be done again. I want to revive and strengthen our state economy.  The way to do that is by creating new economic opportunities. This legislation does just that.  It’s an opportunity to attract new manufacturers to the state, retain manufacturers already here, and spark economic growth around Wisconsin to create family-supporting jobs. We must once again make it, milk it, and mine it to be successful in Wisconsin.

Mark Honadel is the State Representative for the 21st Assembly District, which includes South Milwaukee, Oak Creek and a part of Milwaukee.

U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Janesville) found himself at the center of a controversy he did not create this month.

The controversy stemmed from H.R. 3261, the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), which would empower the U.S. Justice Department and copyright holders to demand that search engines, Internet providers and ad networks cut off access to sites “dedicated” to copyright infringement. The bill is aimed at blocking foreign sites that offer illegal and cheap copies of movies, music and television shows with impunity.

A broad coalition of forces, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, organized labor and advocates for Hollywood and the recording industry, are supporting the bill, which was sponsored by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas).

However, consumer watchdog groups and major Internet companies, including Facebook, Google and Yahoo, are opposing SOPA and warn that the bill could stifle innovation and censor free speech.

The division between support and opposition on the bill is not falling directly down party lines.

Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee, became a target of “Operation Pull Ryan” (www.pullryan.com), a Reddit campaign community, last month, and Internet rumors quickly spread that Ryan was a sponsor of the bill. He was not. Ever.

Ryan originally declined to take a stance on the bill. Eventually, as the Internet campaign against him grew, Ryan issued a statement announcing his opposition to the bill: “The Internet is one of the most magnificent expressions of freedom and free enterprise in history. It should stay that way. While H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act, attempts to address a legitimate problem, I believe it creates the precedent and possibility for undue regulation, censorship and legal abuse. I do not support H.R. 3261 in its current form and will oppose the legislation should it come before the full House.”

Smith said his bill does not apply to lawful websites, and opponents such as Google are “spreading lies” about SOPA.

“Chairman Ryan is usually very knowledgeable on issues before Congress, which is why it’s surprising that he appears not to have closely read the manager’s amendment to the Stop Online Piracy Act," Smith said in an emailed statement to The Hill, a web site that tracks Congress.  "Had Chairman Ryan read the manager’s amendment, he would have realized that the bill targets only foreign websites dedicated to illegal activity.  It’s not regulation to enforce the law against online criminals. And it’s not censorship to prevent online criminals from stealing the products and profits that rightly belong to American innovators."

Smith claimed foreign websites are costing American businesses billions of dollars and thousands of jobs every year.

As “Operation Pull Ryan” progressed, members of the movement began to gravitate toward Rob Zerban, Ryan’s Democratic opponent in the 2012 elections. Zerban, a Kenosha County Board supervisor, was quick to denounce SOPA and credited his opposition with helping him to raise more than $220,000 in campaign donations in the final quarter of 2011.

Zerban said, "Paul Ryan has bowed to public pressure and decided to join me in opposing SOPA legislation, which endangers our freedoms online. This legislation is clearly contrary to the will of the people, and thousands of people helped get that message through to Paul Ryan. I realize I am a partner in this effort with the public and I am not claiming credit for this. The American people rallied behind this effort and my position, and they got results.”

The House Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on the bill when Congress returns from its recess later this month. The Senate is also set to vote on its version of the legislation, the Protect IP Act, when Congress returns.

Steve Jagler is executive editor of BizTimes Milwaukee.

VETransfer, a business incubator for veterans, hosted the final leg of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Young Entrepreneurs Series Thursday.
Marie Johns, SBA deputy administrator, hosted a panel of young Milwaukee-area business owners on the sixth stop of the YES tour. The Milwaukee event focused on apprenticeship as a route to entrepreneurship.
The tour also stopped in New York, N.Y., San Diego, Calif., Ames, Iowa, Charlotte, N.C. and Tahlequah, Okla. Other themes included rural, technology, veteran and minority entrepreneurship.
The SBA included Milwaukee in the route because of its strong manufacturing and skilled trades background, which can lend themselves to new business start-ups, Johns said. The event was held at VETransfer to assure company leaders there knew the SBA was available to veteran entrepreneurs as well.
“We always stay focused on our veterans,” Johns said. “We have so many returning to the U.S. from active duty and we want to make sure we’re helping them in every possible way.”
The panelists at the event were Jessie Cannizzaro, owner of Milestone Plumbing Inc. in Wauwatosa, Daphne Wilson, owner of Zoe Engineering in Milwaukee, Lexy Frautschy, owner of Ian’s Pizza in Milwaukee, Kevin Autman, owner of Total Property Service Group in Milwaukee and Ugo Nwagbaraocha, owner of Diamond Discs International in West Aliis.
Each of them was able to start his or her business because of training and apprenticeship in the field.
Frautschy, for example, worked for Ian’s Pizza in Madison during college and then helped expand the business to Milwaukee, where he owns the independent Ian’s Pizza restaurant at 2035 E. North Ave.
Nwagbaraocha was also promoted from within at Diamond Discs, where he acquired the company from its original owners.
Johns also announced a collaboration with the Department of Labor to provide an entrepreneurship curriculum at Job Corps sites around the country.
The tour and related courses are meant to aid potential business owners and also let them know which resources are available to them through the SBA, she said.
“Small businesses are the job creators in our country,” Johns said. “We want to make sure the SBA is there and part of the story for the next stage of entrepreneurs.”

--Molly Newman is a reporter at BizTimes Milwaukee.

A year after threatening to move work out of Wisconsin and demanding major concessions from its union employees, Harley-Davidson Inc.’s profits are soaring.

The iconic motorcycle manufacturer’s remarkable recovery continued in the third quarter, as company’s net income grew to $183.6 million, or 78 cents per share, from $88.8 million, or 38 cents per share, in the same period a year ago.

Retail sales of new Harley-Davidson motorcycles grew 5.1 percent worldwide in the third quarter compared with the prior-year period, led by a 5.4 percent rise in the United States.

The company expects to ship 228,000 to 235,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycles to dealers and distributors worldwide in 2011, including 45,500 to 52,500 motorcycles in the fourth quarter.

"We are pleased with our sustained progress and we continue to realize strong momentum in the transformation our business," said Keith Wandell, president and chief executive officer of Harley-Davidson.

"Two years ago we embarked on our strategy to focus solely on the Harley-Davidson brand, provide the flexibility required in today's market and make Harley-Davidson lean, agile and more effective than ever at delivering remarkable products and extraordinary customer experiences. Today, we continue to see the positive results of the course we have charted," Wandell said. "The changes underway in manufacturing, product development and retail capability will increasingly enable Harley-Davidson to be customer-led like never before. Harley-Davidson's transformation involves a tremendous amount of highly complex, challenging work across every part of the organization. While much remains to be done, we are well down the road and everyone involved deserves much credit for bringing these changes to life. I continue to be impressed by the willingness of all employees, including the union leadership, to do the necessary things to transform our business to be a world class, sustainable operation."

Contrast those statements with the ultimatum Wandell gave to Harley’s 1,400 union workers last year: “While we hope to come out of the September 13th vote with ratified contracts, if they are rejected, the board will act the following day on its previous tentative authorization to move and we will immediately move ahead with the process to relocate production operations.”

The members of United Steelworkers of America Local 2-209 in Milwaukee and Local 460 of Tomahawk and members of the International Association of Machinists Lodge 78 approved the company’s “best and final” contract that created a two-tier workforce in Wisconsin. The contract called for the hiring of seasonal employees who will be paid $16.80 an hour, compared with $30.50 (plus benefits) for regular, full-time employees. Regular employees will see no general wage increases in the second, third and fourth years of the contract. In the sixth and seventh years of the contract, wages could be increased commensurate to prevailing wages in the region.

Meanwhile, the company retains the right to terminate the “casual” employees at any time.

Steve Jagler is executive editor of BizTimes Milwaukee.

In the 1990s, countless news stories were written about the need to transform Wisconsin’s economy because it was too reliant upon manufacturing and agriculture.

I know, because I wrote many of them, citing the insights of economists, politicians, economic development experts and pundits. The prevailing wisdom was that Wisconsin needed to morph toward an economy that was more based on the technology and service sectors.

The future looked bleak for Wisconsin manufacturers unless they outsourced their production to China or Mexico.

Well, it’s time to recalibrate that narrative, because it no longer applies.

It turns out that in the 21st century, Wisconsin’s reliance on manufacturing and agriculture are strengths and strategic assets, not weaknesses or inherent obstacles.

That’s true, even though July was a rough month for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and his crusade to create 250,000 new jobs. The state lost 8,200 jobs in July, according to the latest report by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. The private sector cut 12,500 jobs, only partially offset by a gain of 4,300 public sector jobs.

Within those numbers, however, are some bright spots. The manufacturing sector has posted a net growth of 15,000 jobs in Wisconsin thus far this year.

As Tim Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, is fond of saying, manufacturers add true wealth to the region because they create value that is sold and exported elsewhere. “The rest of us are washing each other’s socks,” Sheehy says.

The state’s manufacturing sector no doubt sustained some dark days in the past decade, and it culminated with the Great Recession, when one in every four of its manufacturing jobs were eliminated.

However, the manufacturers who found ways to keep the lights on through those dark days are leaner, meaner and greener today. They have adapted to survive in a global economy. Wisconsin is still home to 11,679 manufacturers employing 572,999 workers, according to the latest numbers by Manufacturers’ News Inc. of Evanston, Ill.

Several Wisconsin manufacturing executives I have spoken to in recent months say they are hiring every capable person they can find. In contrast to most other sectors of the economy, Wisconsin has a shortage of skilled welders, machinists and assembly workers.

As the cover story of the Aug. 19 issue of BizTimes Milwaukee magazine reported, Wisconsin also has an economic “ag-vantage” because of its reliance upon farming. The agriculture industry is recovering nicely, buoyed by higher commodity prices, a weak U.S. dollar, increased exports, more efficient farming techniques and a growing consumer movement toward fresh foods.

Wisconsin restaurants are increasingly presenting “field-to-fork” dishes fresh from local farms.

Wisconsin’s agriculture exports surged 36 percent to a record $2.4 billion in 2010 and show no signs of slowing down in 2011.

“The last two years will be the best two years for farm income we’ve seen in the last 45 years,” U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told BizTimes recently. “You’re seeing very strong prices now, which means farms are doing well.”

The state’s strong ag sector spills additional wealth into its manufacturing, real estate and financial sectors, as well.

So, say it loud and say it proud: Wisconsin is growing with its factories and its fields. That statement could be said 100 years ago, and it remains equally true in the 21st century. Who knew?

Steve Jagler is executive editor of BizTimes Milwaukee.

Sustainability is becoming an essential strategy for today’s manufacturers. A vortex of customer demand, increased regulation and rising energy and raw material costs is driving sustainability deep into the consciousness of manufacturers and their suppliers. Not since the advent of lean manufacturing have we seen a business strategy so far-reaching and transformational. 
 
A new report on an innovative pilot program to promote sustainable manufacturing in Wisconsin validates the premise that “green is the new gold” for state manufacturers, and reveals the stellar financial and environmental benefits that can be achieved with sustainable practices. 

The Wisconsin Profitable Sustainability Initiative (PSI) was launched in April 2010 by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce and the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP). The goal was to help small and midsize manufacturers reduce costs, gain competitive advantage and minimize environmental impacts.  Forty-five manufacturers participated in the program, the only one of its kind in the U.S. 

The PSI First Report states that the program is projected to generate a five-year $54 million economic impact, including: $26.9 million in savings, $23.5 million in increased/retained sales and $3.6 million in investment.

Key environmental benefits outlined in the report include significant reductions in electricity, carbon dioxide equivalents, solid waste and air emissions.   

The financial and environmental benefits exceeded our expectations, and underscore the cogent business case for sustainability. The program is projected to deliver a 31-to-1 return on the state’s investment of $1.75 million and average paybacks of about ten months for manufacturers. Replicating these gains over a larger portion of the state’s 9,000 small and midsize manufacturers could have an enormous impact on economic growth, environmental impact reduction and job creation.

Moreover, the success of this initiative positions Wisconsin as a national leader in sustainable manufacturing – a designation that will attract new businesses, talent and investment, fueling the expansion of a vibrant 21st century manufacturing economy.  This is a game changer.

PSI is unique in its multidisciplinary approach to sustainability. Under the program, a team of energy, environmental, logistics, lean and finance experts were dispatched to take a 360-degree view of the 45 manufacturers’ businesses to identify areas for improvements. The process prioritized projects based on both performance improvement and environmental impact reduction. This laser focus on results is a key attribute of the program’s success. 

A total of 87 PSI projects tackled a wide range of improvements, including reducing raw materials, solid waste and freight miles, optimizing processes, installing new equipment and launching new products. The initial results show that the projects with the largest impact do not come from the traditional sustainability areas such as energy or recycling. Instead, outcomes from the initial projects suggest that transportation and operational improvements are places where manufacturers can look to find big savings, quick paybacks and significant environmental benefits.

The Wisconsin Profitable Sustainability Initiative offers compelling evidence of the power of sustainability to drive savings and business growth while reducing environmental impacts. Sustainability poses challenges for manufacturers, especially smaller firms, who may not have the in-house expertise or resources to know where to get started. PSI makes world-class advice and assistance available to small and midsize manufacturers: operations that could not afford these alternatives on their own.  

Like lean, sustainability is a journey, not a destination. It requires strong leadership, a solid commitment and vision from management and highly engaged employees. Manufacturers who get it right will enhance the reputation of their brands, attract new customers, increase profits and achieve new heights of success. The time to get started is now.

Buckley Brinkman is the executive director and chief executive officer of the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP). For more information, visit http://bit.ly/ip2RCo.

Soaring oil prices, rising commodity costs, a cold spring, chaos in the Middle East and the uncertainty about the national debt ceiling conspired to dampen the U.S. economic recovery in the second quarter.

So, will all of these factors lead to a double-dip recession? Or did the economy merely catch its breath as it continues to rebound?

The cover story of the next issue of BizTimes Milwaukee magazine on Friday will answer those questions and more.

As a sneak peek, however, I’ll offer here today some reasons to keep the faith that the U.S. economy continues on the path of recovery, albeit not as quickly as any of us would like.

The rate of growth in manufacturing activity in the southern Wisconsin/northern Illinois region slowed down a bit in June from the previous month, but continues to grow, according to the latest Institute of Supply Management-Milwaukee Survey.

The June seasonally adjusted Milwaukee-area PMI was 59, down from May’s seasonally adjusted index of 62. However, any rate over 50 indicates growth.

The manufacturing sector has been leading this recovery. That bodes particularly well for Wisconsin, as its economy is inordinately reliant upon manufacturing.

The local June PMI showed growth in manufacturing new orders, production, employment, supplier deliveries and exports.

The resurgence of the American automotive industry is having a positive spill-over effect for the Wisconsin manufacturers that supply parts to Detroit.

Meanwhile, American small business owners are shifting their focus from surviving to capitalizing on growth opportunities, and they’re expecting to hire more and make necessary capital investments in their firms, according to the spring American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor.

Among the most recent findings in the survey:

• More than one-third of small business owners have plans to hire (35 percent), up nine percentage points from last fall and the highest level since the fall 2008 survey.
• Four-in-ten plan to make capital investments (44 percent, on par with 48 percent last spring and up from 38 percent last fall).
• Many expect to grow (37 percent) and are willing to take a financial risk to do so (56 percent).

The American Express survey is amplified by the 2011 U.S. Bank Small Business Annual Survey, which found that small business owners nationwide say the economy is starting to improve, but many feel the recession is still lingering.

In the countless conversations I have with BizTimes readers, a common thread is often repeated. When I ask them how their company is doing, the reply is usually something along the lines of, “A lot better than last year. Things are moving the right direction.”

Indeed, business optimism is rising, according to the latest Robert Half Professional Employment Report. Ninety-two percent of executives interviewed for report said they are confident in their firms’ growth prospects in the third quarter of 2011, up from 86 percent who were confident in the second quarter.

But when I ask our readers how they feel about the overall economy, the response is usually more muted and less optimistic.

My guess is that collective outlook and mood are not likely to improve until the housing market bounces back and the unemployment rate dips below 8 percent.

Until then, we’ll just have to keep fighting the good fight.

Steve Jagler is executive editor of BizTimes Milwaukee.

There are three simple truths about iron mining in Wisconsin.
1. Saying “No” to iron mining in Northern Wisconsin means saying no to generations of good jobs, no to hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues Northern Wisconsin families need to support their schools, their police and firefighters, and their senior citizens; and no to hundreds of millions of payroll and tax dollars for the rest of Wisconsin.
2. Saying “Yes” to mining in Northern Wisconsin does not put Wisconsin’s environment at risk.
3. Making either of the first two statements will prompt a political environmental activist (which is not the same thing as an environmentalist) to disagree.

The first statement is supported by facts anyone can check. 
• The iron deposit in Wisconsin’s Iron County is one of the largest and best iron deposits in the United States.
• NorthStar Economics, a leading economic impact analyst, estimates that the first phase of mining being considered:
       Would employ 700 workers at an average wage and benefit package worth about $80,000 a year and would indirectly generate another 2,100 full-time jobs;
       Would last about thirty-five years, generate nearly $1.5 billion in new wages and produce  about $15 million a year in taxes and fees for local governments in the area.
• The world’s largest mining equipment manufacturers, Bucyrus and Joy Global, and their vendors employ thousands of well-paid union and non-union workers in the Milwaukee area. These companies and their employees would all benefit from the development and operation of the iron mine in Northern Wisconsin.

Facts also support the second simple truth.
• Wisconsin’s current mining laws were developed to regulate sulfide mining that requires the use of powerful chemicals in the mining and refining processes.
• The ore deposit in Iron County is a ferrous (i.e., iron) deposit, not a sulfide deposit. Ferrous mining relies on water and magnets, not chemicals, in the mining and refining of the ore.
• Minnesota and Michigan, the two states that now regulate all U.S. iron mining, both have ferrous/iron mining specific mining laws.
• The Wisconsin Legislature is considering creating ferrous mining regulations similar to those in Minnesota and Michigan.
• If the proposed legislation passes, the company proposing to operate the mine:
      Would have to comply with all federal environmental requirements and regulations, including those established by the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers regarding wetlands;
      Would have to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) – just as they would under Wisconsin’s existing sulfide mining laws;
      Would have to conduct research and analysis to determine potential impact on air and water quality, fish and wildlife, flora and fauna, and public health and safety.
• The research is likely to take somewhere between 1 ½ and 2 years and cost approximately $20 million. The process assumes that WDNR officials and experts will be working closely with the company during the research and analysis leading up to the EIS and the WDNR would have about a year to review the company’s EIS before being required to issue or deny the company a permit.
• The WDNR will only approve a permit for the mine if it concludes that the mine can operate in an environmentally responsible manner.

Given the rigorous environmental safeguards with which the mine would have to comply, it is difficult for me to understand why anyone would oppose the economic benefits and improved quality of life the mine would bring to Wisconsin and local communities across Northern Wisconsin. There will, however, be opposition and those of us who support encouraging and regulating responsible mining ask only that you hold supporters and opponents to the same standards. Demand facts. Remember that an iron mine is not a sulfide mine and check the relevance of the facts offered. Consider the needs and wishes of the people nearest to the mine, more than 80% of whom indicated in a recent poll that they want the mine, the jobs and the stronger tax base?

I support the proposed iron mining legislation not just as a businessman whose company could profit from having a major mine in Wisconsin, but also as a private taxpayer who cares about Wisconsin’s economic future and believes that the people of Northern Wisconsin are entitled to a shot at a brighter future for their children and grandchildren.

Tim Sullivan is the chief executive officer of Oak Creek-based Bucyrus International Inc., a mining equipment manufacturer.

For decades, Milwaukee has lacked a common vision among its leaders. The powers that be seemed to toil in their own respective silos, and the community flailed away, grappling with the issues of poverty, crime, education, transit, infrastructure and economic development.

As a community, we all seemed to want progress, but without change.

Out of necessity, that community disconnect may be changing.

The Milwaukee Press Club and the Marquette University Law School recently presented “What Now, Milwaukee? A Forum on the Future of Wisconsin’s Largest City.” The panelists were: Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett; Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele; Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Gregory Thornton; Greater Milwaukee Committee president Julia Taylor; and Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce president Tim Sheehy.

The leaders of Milwaukee’s public, educational and private sectors engaged in a candid, unscripted conversation about the way forward.

Some clear themes of unprecedented urgency emerged from the forum.

The first is that now, more than ever - given the state’s budget deficit and the cuts in state aid - Milwaukee is on its own. For better or worse, Milwaukee as a community is going to have to collaborate and be innovative in ways it never has before.

It has no choice.

Historically, Milwaukee has been a city of projects, but no vision, Taylor said 

Despite the daunting challenges, Thornton said this moment in history provides “a wonderful opportunity to reinvent” Milwaukee.

Thornton boldly proposed splitting MPS into four separate geographic school districts, each with independent superintendents, Montessori schools, art schools and educational missions. One district would be a downtown district that would include all of the amenities of downtown. Local businesses would “adopt” their neighborhood districts, Thornton said.

“This (the future of MPS) is not Dr. Thornton’s issue. This is our issue,” Taylor said.

The historical disconnect between the county executive’s office and City Hall is the main reason the county-owned land in the Park East Corridor sits undeveloped.

Abele and Barrett are working together to share resources, cut spending and jointly promote commerce, and the Park East could become a jewel of that collaboration.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn is achieving unprecedented gains in public safety, Barrett said.
“I want a city where grandmas can sit on their front porch … and watch their grandchildren play,” Barrett said.

Sheehy said the public and private sectors must work together to help manufacturing companies form and grow, because the net exports from those firms generate real wealth for the region.

None of the panelists are Polyannas. They acknowledged the steep challenges that will be imposed by the state budget cuts. The pain will be felt with larger classroom sizes and fewer mass transit options, which will take a toll on the workforce and employers, alike.

The way forward for Milwaukee, which still faces steep unemployment in the inner city, will not be easy. But for the first time in a long time, the public and private sectors in Milwaukee seem to be at the table, collaborating for the common good.

That’s a start.

Steve Jagler is executive editor of BizTimes Milwaukee.

Not only am I strongly, strongly opposed to what PETA plans to do on Canal Street outside the Cargill plant at noon today, but I think it is absolutely absurd and shameful.
If PETA protestors do what they say they’re going to do – have half-naked people spattered in fake blood and encased in Saran wrap dancing around like human cuts of ground round in the public right-of-way – it constitutes disorderly conduct and in my opinion should not be allowed under any circumstances.
To me, it’s ridiculous that the city attorney has caved in to the PETA threats of legal action (First Amendment) over this, and as the alderman for the area I believe my opposition should have been more solidly supported. If my position doesn’t hold sway, why even have the permit cross my desk? Why waste my time?
My constituents – including many who work at Cargill and put in solid hours week in and week out to support their families – pay me as their alderman to exercise a certain degree of common sense when it comes to approving permits and noise variances for everything from parades to block parties. It (approving the permits) is part of my job, and in this case I firmly believe I am doing my job.
But instead, our bureaucracy just buckles and tells PETA to “come on down with your fake blood and Saran wrap.”
A PETA official was quoted as stating that I “need to be introduced to the First Amendment.” No, I believe strongly that PETA needs to be introduced to common sense!
Further, while they are familiarizing themselves with common sense, I strongly suggest they do it while enjoying a nice steak sandwich.

Milwaukee Alderman Robert Donovan represents the city’s 8th District.