Milwaukee County First created to help improve rapidly declining county that is shadow of former self (Greenfield: affordable apartment, condo)

[Allan Trafton]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

I know, I was trying to illustrate a point, for some reason when someone rips on Milwaukee it's like their ripping on my family. I love this city and the people of it and if we lived in detroit or new orleans I might think different but prolly not.

Thats what I love about you. I'm the same way. People get carried away when they start bashing Milwaukee. They lose sight of all the great things Milwaukee has. Keep up the fight and keep getting the word out. We have much to be proud of and we should stop beating ourselves down. Were not that bad. I've traveled around and Milwaukee can hold it's own.

[Milwaukee City]

Originally Posted by Allan Trafton

Thats what I love about you. I'm the same way. People get carried away when they start bashing Milwaukee. They lose sight of all the great things Milwaukee has. Keep up the fight and keep getting the word out. We have much to be proud of and we should stop beating ourselves down. Were not that bad. I've traveled around and Milwaukee can hold it's own.

I'm right there with ya, People in Milwaukee need to start being more proud of where their from.

[Milwaukee Jason]

I'm not even going to waste 1 more minute with you Milwaukee City. You're a complete idiot who needs to get a life. Based on the number of postings you have on here, you clearly don't have much going on. Maybe you should actually get out every now and then. Sitting in front of a computer trying to argue with people all the time shows just what a hopeless loser you really are. I hope you're having a good night at home pleasuring yourself as you sit in front of the computer trying to argue with people. And for the record, Milwaukee isn't even close to being a top-tier global city. Based on the fact that you even mention it in the same sentence as Detroit shows how pathetically behind the city is.

[Milwaukee City]

Milwaukee isn't even close to being a top-tier global city

Agreed.

[Rogee]

Hey Jason, you should give us examples as to why you think Milwaukee is declining.

Milwaukee City gave some great examples on why it isn't declining, and you've resorted to name calling. That doesn't do much for your case.

[43north87west]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee Jason

Milwaukee County First

Do you think that this organization can help improve Milwaukee? I love the city just as much as most people, but let's face it, the place is in serious decline. All one needs to do to verify that is to visit a progressive, cutting-edge metropolis like Minneapolis to confirm how far behind Milwaukee is.

Minneapolis isn't without problems. See the census just released (mentioned by Alan Trafton). A few years back the nickname was Murderapolis. Not good. Milwaukee is fine and although it's in need of improvements, there are metro areas that are far worse off than Milwaukee.

Also, the things that you've mentioned, are not unique to Milwaukee. It seems that a lot of people think the same thing about where they live or visit. Ask someone like me who has lived from coast to coast.

I applaud any effort to improve Milwaukee, but let's be realistic about the starting point. Also, the organization mentioned is probably well-intentioned, but sounds more like spin than anything. They say a lot, but what is it that they actually do?

[Milwaukee Jason]

I could go on and on for hours here, but a couple quick examples over the last few years.....Firstar and U.S. Bank merge and they move the corporate headquarters to Minneapolis, Miller and Coors merge and they move the corporate headquarters to Chicago, Metavante and Fidelity National Information Services merge and will be moving the corporate headquarters to Jacksonville. These are just a few examples why Fortune 1000 companies choose not to have their headquarters in Milwaukee. One of the main reasons for this is the pathetic public transporation system that Milwaukee has. If you, Milwaukee City or anyone else for that matter wants to argue that there's good public transportation in Milwaukee, you need your head examined, or you've never left the city of Milwaukee. Ridership on most big city public transporation systems is shooting through the roof, because of high gas prices, light rail lines getting built, etc., and Milwaukee is losing riders left and right. The system is so broken it's a complete embarassment. To think that when Northwestern Mutual has their annual conference of all the Financial Representatives coming into town they shuttle them back and worth on yellow school buses makes the city look flat out ridiculous. Would you like me to continue? Since you want to be such a wise guy, could you please give me examples of Fortune 1000 companies that merge with Milwaukee companies and decide to locate their combined headquarters here? Thanks in advance.

[Milwaukee, WI]

I believe the city and older suburban areas are sort of what is being discussed. Its hard to use the entire Milwaukee county which contains an inner city but also sprawling places like Franklin. My question is what will become of Milwaukee once the homes, most built in the 50s, deteriorate. You can only maintain it so long before people decide they're better off buying a newer home. Even worse are entire blocks built in the 1800s where properties sell below $50,000.

How will any large metropolitan areas deal with long term declining tax revenues, business closings, bad roads, increasing crime, etc? Bulldozers? What sells are newer homes in quiet low-traffic neighborhoods with 2.5 bathrooms, attached 2.5 car garages, no nearby apartments, a big lawn, and plenty of space apart from the neighbors. Most of the homes here are aging, have busy "through" streets, detached 1 car garages, 1 small bathroom, are nearby affordable apartments, and are close together. Look at Milwaukee homes over 200k, they all meet that small list of criteria of what people want. The sprawling suburbs fight affordable housing and the tenants therefore are stuck renting in Milwaukee.

I cant see how the city can prevent losing people and money unless they raze entire neighborhoods and rebuild blocks into something people with money want (ex. Cherokee Point). It's simply out of room to build anything new. Where will Milwaukee be in 50 years? I think by then a majority of middle class residents minus city workers will have abandoned it for greener pastures. I dont want us to become Detroit but I dont see how we'll compete with places that have newer homes on quieter blocks.

[43north87west]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee Jason

Firstar and U.S. Bank merge and they move the corporate headquarters to Minneapolis, Miller and Coors merge and they move the corporate headquarters to Chicago, Metavante and Fidelity National Information Services merge and will be moving the corporate headquarters to Jacksonville. These are just a few examples why Fortune 1000 companies choose not to have their headquarters in Milwaukee.

First, quit knocking people for disagreeing with you. You jumped on and started flaming, what do you expect? You aren't even making sense.

Also, if you look above, the examples you gave of companies leaving, are examples OF companies relocating out of Milwaukee, not reasons WHY they left.

Sure, you can log on, flame everyone in sight, then turn around and shake your index finger at everyone when they don't agree.

"See... YOU ARE THE PROBLEMS! You're why Milwaukee sucks!"

But that's not really addressing any problems, or solving any problems. Neither is the so-called organization that aims to do everything to make Milwaukee better... but offers nothing except a flimsy press release that looks like it was spun from a computer lab at UWM, as part of an undergraduate class project in public relations. You don't have a plan. The website that you referenced doesn't list a plan. Nobody has a plan. You're just complaining, which is fine. But it's no more than complaining at this point.

[Milwaukee City]

[quote=Milwaukee Jason;9786906] One of the main reasons for this is the pathetic public transportation system that Milwaukee has. If you, Milwaukee City or anyone else for that matter wants to argue that there's good public transportation in Milwaukee, you need your head examined, or you've never left the city of Milwaukee. Ridership on most big city public transportation systems is shooting through the roof, because of high gas prices, light rail lines getting built, etc., and Milwaukee is losing riders left and right. The system is so broken it's a complete embarrassment. [quote]

^ I spell checked for you.

So you're saying one of the MAIN reason's Milwaukee is sliding or losing companies is b/c they can't take a train to work?...lmao. The type of people that work at these places usually drive BMW's, Audi's and Mercedes Benz and you think that b/c we don't have a train or trolley's or a better bus system is a vital reason why jobs are relocating to other states. How about our "Business Climate" or "cost of doing business".

High gas prices? have you been to a gas station lately? 2.40 a gallon isn't through the roof. I think you have worn out your welcome here since most of us try to give educated advice to people asking questions. I agree with you again that we don't have the best transportation system but it's not so bad that business won't relocate here or are leaving. Another thing to keep in mind is that when you have a bad business climate and then you throw on top a recession you will lose businesses not b/c we don't have a bus/train that goes next to Metavante Corp on Brown Deer Road. Especially when most employees live out in the suburbs, I'm sure they want to wake up 2.5 hrs earlier so they can ride a train from Pewaukee or Franklin to work.

Have you seen where a lot of our business have been relocating to?

Menards, we lost out on the two new distribution centers that could have been in WI but they chose Holiday City, Ohio-which is well know for it's subway system and Shelby, Iowa which has one of the best EL systems in the world.

How about when we lost out on the Honda plant that relocated to rural Indiana? great light rail in Greensburg, Indiana.

Wait now Mercury Marine is moving to Stillwater, Oklahoma - again yet another huge metro area with great transportation system.

The Bowling Congress relocated to Arlington, TX where they don't have a light rail system even close to where the building is.

Briggs and Stratton moved a lot of jobs to Mexico - another hot bed for cosmo urban living with all kinds of rail options

US Bank merges were due to fiscal sense rather than a choo choo train that won't carry a single employee to his home unless he lives right downtown Minneapolis even in that case it's close enough to walk. Oh wait I forgot 95% of US bank employees live downtown Minneapolis.

Hold on, what about Thomas Industries that is moving ALL jobs to Northeastern Louisiana which is where the subway car was invented and to this day the have the largest subway system in the world.

Yeah, I guess your right. Rail is one of the main reason's all these places moved. Did you ever think that NML might use yellow buses b/c it's easier and cheaper to move a lot of people very quickly without waiting for 3 Milwaukee County buses that are already carrying people so you don't have employees waiting around for an hour so enough buses are able to fit all their employees?

BTW, I do agree with you that our bus system stinks however it won't keep companies from moving away but business climate will. On the other hand having a great bus system won't bring in business by the truck loads either but it will be a very small plus. Combined reporting is a major thing that keeps business from coming here or leaving.

Oh I forgot about Roundy's distribution center, it could have been built in Milwaukee somewhere but they chose way out on hwy 67 b/c of great bus and train service. They could have choose The former tower auto site or the Valley where they have a ton of bus service.

Good Day Sir.