Milwaukee philanthropist and real estate developer Joseph Zilber announced this morning he will make a $50 million gift to organizations in the Milwaukee area, including a $30 million gift to the Marquette University Law School.

The gifts are part of an initiative Zilber launched today, called the "New Potential for Milwaukee."

"We are not the city we were," Zilber said. "We need to concentrate our energy and resources on the city we can be. We need more and better jobs. We need more funding and a broader commitment to

improving the quality of the education of our young men and women and to improve the commitment of government at all levels to efficiency and bipartisan public policy. The strength of our ethnic parts must come together for one purpose - to make life in Milwaukee better, richer, fuller for all its citizens."

The announcement was made at a press conference at Tory Hill, on the site of Marquette University's planned $80 million law school building.

Zilber is the founder and chairman of the board of Zilber Ltd.,  Milwaukee-based real estate development company that is redeveloping the former Pabst Brewery site in Milwaukee. He graduated from Marquette University Law School in 1941 after earning a bachelor's degree in business administration from Marquette University. For the past 30 years, he has given students financial aid through the Zilber Scholars program, said the Rev. Robert A. Wild, S.J., president of Marquette University.

The $30 million gift to Marquette University Law School will include a $5 million donation to the construction of the new building and $25 million for scholarships.

Zilber did not disclose details or the recipients of the remaining $20 million gift to Milwaukee area donations, but said he plans to make more announcements in the next few weeks.

"It is time for us to rebuild Milwaukee," Zilber said. "In the time I have left, with all the energy and resources that I possess, I will do what I can."
Zilber is about to celebrate his 90th birthday. He said his commitment to Milwaukee is intended to ensure a future that includes good-paying jobs for citizens and enhanced educational programs for youth. With the New Potential for Milwaukee initiative, Zilber hopes others join in, either personally or monetarily.

"We must not be afraid to take on the difficult challenge of fixing what is wrong," Zilber said, "Including funding and improving our educational system; providing adequate health care services to all; investing in expanding the jobs that are here and bringing new jobs to our community. We must be willing to stand up for Milwaukee and its neighbors, and say we can and we will do better. Our citizens deserve no less."

The South Suburban Chamber of Commerce board of directors has passed a resolution endorsing the proposed creation of an Interstate 94 interchange at Drexel Avenue as part of the rebuilding of the freeway from downtown Milwaukee to the Illinois border.
The board resolution states that the booming development in both Oak Creek and Franklin is creating a strain on the existing interchanges at Ryan Road and Rawson Avenue that will only increase as Oak Creek and Franklin continue to grow.
Information from the Wisconsin Department of Administration and the U.S. Census Bureau, shows that Oak Creek and Franklin are the two largest cities in Wisconsin to attain more than 10 percent population growth since the 2000 Census.
According to the chamber, 63 new residential and business developments currently are under way in Oak Creek, while 41 new residential developments and 34 business and commercial developments are in various stages in Franklin.
The resolution in support of the I-94 Interchange demonstrates the commitment of the businesses in the area to support those efforts that will continue to grow the communities, said Barbara Wesener, executive director of the chamber.
The 400-member South Suburban Chamber, serving Oak Creek and Franklin, is a business organization whose purpose is to promote the interests of the members and enhance the regional business climate, economy and community.

Two weeks after the Marin Institute released a special report condemning the impact of alcoholic energy drinks on America's youth, the attorneys general of 29 states have signed a petition that asks the federal government to further regulate the marketing of the drinks.
The Marin Institute's report, "Alcohol, Energy Drinks, and Youth: A Dangerous Mix," documented how the drinks, which the agency describes as "alcopops," are having an adverse effect on underage drinkers.
In a letter released today, the state attorneys asked the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) to expand its efforts to prevent misleading health-related statements from being made in connection with the beverages and to investigate the formulation of alcoholic energy drinks to determine whether they are properly classified as malt beverages under federal law.
"We believe that alcoholic energy drinks constitute a serious health and safety risk for America's youth," said the attorneys general in the letter.
They listed several products and advertisements that "warrant investigation and possible enforcement action ... because they contain misleading health-related claims regarding the products' effects, in violation of federal regulations."
Among the products mentioned are Miller Brewing Co.'s Sparks and Sparks Plus, Anheuser-Busch's Bud Extra, and Charge Beverages' Liquid Charge and Liquid Core.
Referring to Milwaukee-based Miller's Sparks drinks, the letter states, "The advertising scheme for these beverages, which are manufactured by Miller Brewing Co., centers on providing energy. Both the individual cans and the cases in which they are packaged are designed to look like batteries. The advertising slogan for these drinks is 'Powered
by Sparks.'"
According to the letter, the promotional statements for Bud Extra include, “Who’s up for staying out all night," "Say hello to an endless night of fun," "Stay around for every twist of the ride" and "You can sleep when you’re 30."
The Marin Institute report noted that adding alcohol to energy drinks presents a serious danger for young people. Caffeine, a stimulant, masks the intoxicating effects of alcohol, and may lead to increased risk-taking. In addition, youth are known to suffer from higher rates of alcohol problems, including alcohol-related traffic accidents, violence, sexual assault and suicide, the organization said.
"We commend the attorneys general for taking on the companies making energy drinks, as we believe they are irresponsibly marketing these drinks to youth," said Michele Simon, research and policy director for Marin Institute and co-author of the report. "They boast that their products will enhance energy and alertness, but fail to warn users of the potential for misjudging one's level of intoxication."
Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen did not sign the petition.
To read the letter from the other attorneys general and the Marin Institute report, visit www.marininstitute.org.

MGIC Investment Corp. announced today that it has filed a suit in federal court in Milwaukee against Radian Group Inc., asking the court to order Radian to provide MGIC with certain information needed by MGIC's management to complete its analysis of a proposed merger.
MGIC's management is trying to determine if it is legally obligated to close its pending acquisition of Radian. MGIC's management says its analysis has been delayed by Radian's failure to provide information as requested.
On Aug. 7, MGIC advised the New York Insurance Department that it was the preliminary assessment of MGIC's management that MGIC was not obligated to complete the pending merger in light of the impairment of Credit-Based Asset Servicing and Securitization LLC (C-BASS), a joint venture of MGIC and Radian.
MGIC, the nation's largest mortgage insurer, and Radian each own 46 percent of C-BASS. The companies have acknowledged that they each could lose more than $450 million in the investments, which have collapsed with the crash of the subprime loan industry.

Milwaukee-based Assisted Living Concepts Inc. announced that its board of directors has authorized an increase of its common stock repurchase program by $20 million.
The program, initially announced on Dec. 14, 2006, was amended to increase the maximum amount authorized to be expended from $20 million to $40 million. ALC has repurchased approximately 2.2 million shares of its Class A common stock under the repurchase program at a cost of $20.4 million.
Laurie Bebo, president and chief executive officer of ALC, said, "We believe the recent turbulence in the financial markets provides an excellent opportunity for us to repurchase our common stock at attractive prices. Our strong balance sheet allows us to pursue this opportunity while continuing to execute on other strategic initiatives, including our previously announced expansion project and future acquisitions."
ALC may repurchase its shares in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions from time to time in accordance with appropriate federal guidelines. ALC expects to obtain the funds necessary to conduct its repurchase program through a combination of cash on hand and existing bank facilities.
ALC operates 208 assisted living residences with capacity for more than 8,400 residents in 17 states.

Fond du Lac was named one of the nation's "Top Waterfront Towns" in the September issue of National Geographic Adventure, part of the magazine's list of the "50 Best Places to Live and Play" in the country.
Fond du Lac was the only Wisconsin community named to the list.
"Fond du Lac is not only one of the great gems of Wisconsin, but of the country as well," said Jerry Murphy, executive director of New North Inc. "With an abundance of recreational activities, great schools, and a friendly atmosphere, it's no surprise that the city was named one of the best places to live and play."
Fond du Lac, which is located on the southern tip of Lake Winnebago, was praised by National Geographic Adventure for its beautiful lakefront and miles of hiking and running trails.
Recently, the city also garnered national recognition for the safety of its community and was named the "Safest Metropolitan Area" in the country by the Morgan Quinto Press.
"Fond du Lac's virtues are representative of the New North as a whole," Murphy said.  "As our region continues to receive praise from throughout the country, more and more people are discovering why the New North is one of the best places anywhere to live, work, and raise a family."

State Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton) visited Portage County to rally support for the Healthy Wisconsin reform plan this week. Meanwhile, health care construction is booming in the Madison area. Read more in SBT's daily roundup of headlines from newspapers across the state at www.biztimes.com.

Out-of-state special interests are showering Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle with money. Read more in today's Milwaukee Biz Blog by Mike McCabe.

The BizTimes Stock Index gained.66 points to close at 184.00 Monday, and local stocks attempted to hold that ground in early morning trading today. The largest local advancers this morning were Strattec Security Corp. (up $1.65 to $48.69) and Harley-Davidson Inc. (up $1.53 to $56.65). The largest local decliners this morning were Manpower Inc. (down 83 cents to $72.98) and Brady Corp. (down 82 cents to $38.51). The BizTimes Stock Index was created by Small Business Times and is monitored by North Shore Bank. The index, which measures the stock values of publicly held companies based in southeastern Wisconsin, is updated daily and can be viewed at www.biztimes.com.