Milwaukee's future? (Kenosha, Racine, Waukesha: real estate market, 2009, foreclosures)

[Milwaukee City]

Originally Posted by jimmyP

"How would you ever convince any of the suburbs to annex with Milwaukee and inherit its budget problems"

The annex idea makes little sense to me. How does this solve anything. Just spread the same problem to a larger group? The city needs progressive government, better education and a real process to bring jobs to the city. Property taxes are so onerous now that a lot of people looking for a way out, not in. More money from Madison? Please, fix the spending first.

It's a hypothetical answer. You're spot on about the spending, I bet if you look at the recent tax increases it's not the 3% inflation rate. Especially when the UW system goes up annually about 7%.

[KC3700]

[quote=jimmyP;10626458The annex idea makes little sense to me. How does this solve anything.[/quote]It would expand our tax base. Milwaukee's tax base is eroding right now. It would also instantly grow our population to nearly a million, which would result in more aid to the city.

Currently people in the suburbs are using city services but not paying for them. They drive on our city streets but they don't contribute anything to pay for them. Instead that burden is placed on citizens of the city.

[quote=jimmyP;10626458The city needs progressive government, better education and a real process to bring jobs to the city. Property taxes are so onerous now that a lot of people looking for a way out, not in. More money from Madison? Please, fix the spending first.[/quote]Right on, about everything. I don't think property taxes are too high, but I don't think they should be raised anymore.

Also, anyone looking for more cabbage from Madison: that's a pipe dream. State aid to the city has been frozen for 12 years, shared revenue has been frozen and the State is going to be crying poor for quite a while. The state has been mismanaged. I think the only worse examples of mismanagement would be California or Michigan.

[Milwaukee, WI]

The problem is that the city is too large of an area with not enough tax revenue to support it. The city needs to literally downsize itself. To continue on the way it has, Milwaukee
ill become a shelter for the poor, like Detroit. It will continue to have high taxes, underachieving schools, low quality city services, and dropping property values. The city cannot afford to be as large because its newest residents who are replacing middle class are low income people who do not have the means to pay for the needed services.

The wealth has transferred to the suburbs. Businesses and therefore jobs have followed the money. The only way to attract wealthier people out of the suburbs is to demolish some of what exists now and allow some area to revert back to nature, and replace the rest with what wealthier Americans want: low population density, large area suburban-esque housing. Without the power to annex, this is any rust belt city's last resort. It is unfortunate city leaders instead buy an overpriced decaying factory in a ghetto to be redeveloped by a mythical robin hood busnessman who will give all the neighborhood people jobs. Businesses aren't concerned with social welfare, they do one thing: follow the money trail.

[KC3700]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee, WI

The problem is that the city is too large of an area with not enough tax revenue to support it. The city needs to literally downsize itself. To continue on the way it has, Milwaukee
ill become a shelter for the poor, like Detroit. It will continue to have high taxes, underachieving schools, low quality city services, and dropping property values. The city cannot afford to be as large because its newest residents who are replacing middle class are low income people who do not have the means to pay for the needed services.

That's actually how East St. Louis got to be so bad. It's so close to the border that people would move there for the benefits. The city had a population of 70,000+ people but collected the same amount of revenue as a city of about 25,000. The same kind of situation affected Benton Harbor, Michigan too.

Originally Posted by Milwaukee, WI

The only way to attract wealthier people out of the suburbs is to demolish some of what exists now and allow some area to revert back to nature

This is already the case in parts of Milwaukee. There's a name for it: urban prairie. There are a lot of cities with this, all troubled, cities like Detroit, Cleveland, East St. Louis, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Buffalo.

There are areas like that on the north side, entire sides of blocks that are overgrown vegetation. Trust me, it's not something people will like. It's creepy. It's ugly. It also paints more of a picture of decline than our current neighborhoods.

Originally Posted by Milwaukee, WI

and replace the rest with what wealthier Americans want: low population density, large area suburban-esque housing.

You mean like down by 12th & Brown? And over by 6th & Lloyd?

Yes, this approach has been tried in Milwaukee as well as other places, and has failed.

This approach is especially ill-suited to Milwaukee. Milwaukee has a land area of 98 square miles, which is second-lowest in all of America's major cities. (Pittsburgh has the lowest) There is no way we could keep our population ranking in the top 50 if we did this. Say goodbye to most federal aid for major cities.

It also ignores the fact that we already have areas like this that are failing, such as the far northwest side around 91st & Good Hope.

Originally Posted by Milwaukee, WI

It is unfortunate city leaders instead buy an overpriced decaying factory in a ghetto to be redeveloped by a mythical robin hood busnessman who will give all the neighborhood people jobs. Businesses aren't concerned with social welfare, they do one thing: follow the money trail.

Well, I do agree with you on that.

[Milwaukee City]

Crime falls statewide, led by city - JSOnline

[KC3700]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

Crime falls statewide, led by city - JSOnline

Heard about this and was pretty happy. I actually expected the polar opposite, with the recession and all.

[Jesse276]

This is tangentally related, but how do you all feel this will impact Milwaukee's future?

Streetcar plan aimed at east side commuters - JSOnline

Streetcar plan aimed at east side commuters

Plans for a $64 million Milwaukee streetcar line have shifted toward a commuter-oriented route that would connect lower east side neighborhoods with downtown office buildings, veering away from a more tourist-themed loop around downtown attractions, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett says...

[caieva]

I think any transit aimed toward year round commuters instead of a few months of tourists is grand!

[Ron Burgundy]

That's a much better option than the original loop.

[KC3700]

I don't think this will have much impact at all, considering this will be put in one of the few areas that hasn't seen their transit cut.

I still think this is better than the original loop, though.