Is Milwaukee poised for a big boom one of these years? (Shorewood: buying a house, buying)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
What is Milwaukee's culinary attraction? Brats??? You are kidding, right?
Again, are you only judging Milw by our ethnic/ church festivals? b/c other than that your argument doesn't make even two pennies. True that Milwaukee really is known for it's specialty in any certain area of food IE: NY Pizza, however we have high quality of food that you'll find in any major city IE: Sushi, Mediterranean food, African food.
Quote:
Milwaukee has no definitive style, at all, except drinking, which is the only thing I can think of.
Again what comes to mind when I say Houston, Twin Cities, Cincy, St.Louis, San Diego??? all these cities have their own vibe but nothing that really screams "wow I must go to... for that" Only NYC, CHI, LA, Miami, Las Vegas, Boston have what your looking for.
Quote:
In addition, the big businesses in the Milwaukee area are actually in the Metro Milwaukee area, spanning all directions. Only a handful of these companies are accessible by public transportation, so the poorer people, who might actually be able to work in the flourishing businesses, are left out if they do not have reliable transportation. That is an outrageous disservice by the city, by which one can be discriminated against by class, and "incidentally" by race.
Milwaukee is referred to as in the same sense that when people say Chicago they just don't mean the city, they or we refer to Milwaukee as a whole of 2 million people!!! Milwaukee wouldn't survive without the suburbs and the suburbs would just be Madison without Milwaukee. The big business that you say employ people don't hire poor people, as harsh as that sounds big business usually doesn't hire anyone without college degrees. The second point that the lack of disservice of public transportation is racism is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Being poor is a choice, sometimes emphasized by bad circumstances enhanced by their up bringing but in no way does this mean you can't be successful but is an excuse waiting for you behind every corner waiting for you to use it for your lack of drive. I was poor and white and conservative and I didn't make any excuse for lack of trains or buses that stopped me from becoming well-off, it did eliminate jobs that I wanted, which forced me to take jobs that did what I needed(make money), not what I wanted and I moved on and didn't cry in my apple juice.
My opinion is Milwaukee is run by generations of farmer families who have no idea how to run a city...it's this "simple" mentality that will keep Milwaukee in a rut and always behind other cities. People here are frugal and have been and will be; with that, you get fewer things around town to do because it is not deemed "worthwhile" to the simpletons who are most happy with a few beers and a sportsgame. Women are happy just doing the Mary Kay, Magic Chef and Tupperware parties.
This must be your circle of friends and who you network with, ever think of prospecting up for higher class of friends?? sounds terrible to a lib but if you hang around with white trash...you will be come white trash. If you surround yourself with wealthy people chances are that you'll be wealthy as well. All of my friends make a very nice income and not b/c I was born around them or in their area of the city, but 20th and Becher on the south side to a poor polish family. No excuses should be your mantra.
As for the leadership we'll thanks to the large number of uninformed voters out their is the reason for garbage leaders. These are the same voter that vote in politicians that promise not to raise any taxes but raise every fee out there and still think that their candidate didn't raise taxes. Thanks for the Cali like license plate fees and hunting fee increases from you know who....
Quote:
Also, the downtown skyline is empty, which would be fine if that was the intention; I believe that Milwaukee is just too CHEAP, plus businesses don't want to build here, and that is the real reason there are no interesting skyscrapers.
Again me and my friend tip very well, so much so that it will pay for it self in future service from the owner who then soon becomes a good friend and then a client of mine. For the skyline issue that blame relies on our litigious business climate thanks to the dem's. I follow a lot of business proposals and I could name 20-30 projects that were never started b/c of a Gardner snake or b/c our city officials put such large stips on the project that the developer pulls out b/c they can go down to Houston which has no zoning restrictions at ALL and get receive favorable tax climate in return of the new businesses relocating...IE Bowling Congress.
Oh by the way...Boston has a terrible skyline does that mean they have a terrible and cheap business climate? cities don't build skyscraper then businesses come, a favorable tax climate and incentives and law suit climate all dictate whether a businesses comes to Milwaukee.
My advice is your in Milwaukee for a reason but you just listed 10 plus reasons to leave as you see Milwaukee through your glasses...you might just want to leave if you see no future for our city. After all how long would you row a boat that is sinking? If what you say is true!
Milwaukee is full of people who will pay for good service, but won't pay for crappy service. Unlike Los Angeles, people in Milwaukee are much more likely to seek out food for the quality of food rather than the best place to jiggle their fake jugs and inflated lips. This makes it hard for places with more image than substance, to stay in business in Milwaukee. The best food is not guaranteed to be accompanied by the best location or decor, but it can be.
Like any other supermarket shelves in the United States, sausages are common. The average Milwaukee resident may consume more beer than their counterparts in other cities, however, there are many more intriguing, non-franchised, neighborhood venues at which to do so. If one chooses to wander into some of the 'lower' suburbs or areas of the city, one may find similar attitudes and lifestyles to comparable areas anywhere else in the US. Greasy chain restaurants, dumpy looking overweight people, and plenty of gym trainers and sweatpants.
Similar to other cities in the US, urban sprawl has hit Milwaukee, although not as badly. Milwaukee's natural border of Lake Michigan contains sprawl to three directions instead of four. Similar to other areas of the country, the businesses in outlying areas and far suburbs, are much more difficult to reach by public transportation.
There are more simpletons per capita in 'Stallis, than there are in La Jolla, CA. Now that we've made that relevant comparison, let's look briefly at the local government. Government in the Milwaukee area is quite conservative and often misguided. They should immediately consult local governments in California and Arizona, to get help shaping up Milwaukee's plan for growth. And they might learn a thing or two about municipal bankruptcy while they're at it.
Government in the Milwaukee area is quite conservative and often misguided.
????
I agree about the "often misguided" portion, but "quite conservative?" Milwaukee has - I think - NEVER had a "conservative" or Republican mayor, its city council is notoriously super left-leaning with folks like the McGees all over it for generations.
This area has some of the highest taxes / government-spending practices per capita for a semi-big city in the nation (especially when weighed against average income).
The city has had more Socialist mayors than Republican ones. Guys like Norquist were Democrats, but teetering on Socialist. Current Mayor is more a mainstream to moderate Democrat, but the guy isn't exactly subscribing to the politics of Newt Gingrich.
Milwaukee government may be many things, but "conservative" is not one of them - by far.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 43north87west
They should immediately consult local governments in California and Arizona, to get help shaping up Milwaukee's plan for growth.
Good Lord, wouldn't California would be the *last* place anyone would want to look for governmental consultation?
That state is a virtual joke in terms of governance. It is broke, bankrupt, and has run itself into the ground, despite having some of the best natural attributes / resources in the nation (and a huge population base to boot).
Possibly some governmental resources / agencies in Arizona depending upon sector would be much more ideal to consult - AZ does an admirable job of keeping taxes relatively in-line especially in a state where dealing with floods of illegal immigration is an everyday reality.
I would think though, comparing the governments in CA to AZ is like comparing horse manure to apples.
Don't get me wrong: I am totally unimpressed / happy with the WI local governments. But I think we'd be better off consulting some thriving sunbelt states (or even Minnesota which does better for itself with worse weather) than CA.
Good Lord, wouldn't California would be the *last* place anyone would want to look for governmental consultation?
That was tongue-in-cheek, the same as comparing Stallis to La Jolla and complaining about conservative local government. In Milwaukee, "conservative" and "government" are mutually exclusive.
I didn't think the California joke could be taken seriously because CA can't govern its way out of a paper bag at the moment. And it's unconscionable that someone would actually think California's government is worth consulting. At least to me. I was merely taking a shot at the bizarre-o post that prompted me to respond to begin with. I'm not sure where most of that post came from.
Although I'm short on time right now, if you are curious about reasons why Arizona taxes are low (which is very nice), check out its rank among other states, in education. It's not good. It can't get much worse, actually.
Last edited by 43north87west; 02-14-2009 at 05:20 PM..
That was tongue-in-cheek, the same as comparing Stallis to La Jolla and complaining about conservative local government. In Milwaukee, "conservative" and "government" are mutually exclusive.
I didn't think the California joke could be taken seriously because CA can't govern its way out of a paper bag at the moment. And it's unconscionable that someone would actually think California's government is worth consulting. At least to me. I was merely taking a shot at the bizarre-o post that prompted me to respond to begin with. I'm not sure where most of that post came from.
Ah, that one went RIGHT the hell over my head 43-87! Right over it! Thanks for the clarification. I am sometimes slower than most, admittedly. I will now take my lashes from a wet noodle sufficiently, as assuredly I deserve them for missing the sarcasm.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 43north87west
Although I'm short on time right now, if you are curious about reasons why Arizona taxes are low (which is very nice), check out its rank among other states, in education. It's not good. It can't get much worse, actually.
Yeah, I hear you there.
A good buddy lived in Phoenix for several years and I am pretty familiar with the area, and yeah, admittedly you have a point there.
I am (I am sure more than blatantly) more anti-tax / government spending than almost anyone on earth; I abhor property taxes and sales taxes that are jacked high in the name of "good services". However, unlike most on this forum, I can admit when I am given a good contrasting viewpoint, and I will cede that here in the 'burb I live in - Greendale - it has some of the strongest public schools I could imagine. So...if I had kids at school-bearing age...and I wanted to avoid private/parochial schooling (which I doubt I would avoid even still), the Greendale public schools would be an *excellent* choice.
So yeah, at least I am sort of getting a bit in return of what I am paying for.
I guess where I would be much more enraged is if I lived in a place like the City (MKE) itself, where you are also paying through the nose on prop taxes but have an overall miserable (MPS) school system to boot. Difference between Phoenix-area public schools and MPS? Nothing. Except for the taxes.
I would almost always favor the side of lower taxes, however, I am also a believer in private/parochial schools if at all possible (and it is much more possible to many more people than the myths would have us believe). However, again, I do see the schools point.
I don't think the slam on MPS is entirely fair. Yeah, they've quite a few problem incidents go public, but contrary to public opinion there are at least *some* good and highly regarded schools within MPS. If parents do their research, they can get their child an excellent education. The system is far from infallible, but it does have its share of success stories.
Milwaukee is way behind in incorporating modern life and attempts to bring world-class dining and entertainment cannot be sustained by the majority, who refuse to pay for good service.
Compared to the big coastal cities, Milwaukee's a little behind, but not "way behind." There are several thousand towns, hamlets, and cities in North America that would make Milwaukee look like a trend-setting fashion hub.
Quote:
I've been to places - highly regarded restaurants here - where the service was so terrible, we did not leave a tip.
I've gotten lousy service in places like San Francisco. So what?
Quote:
To Adamadaman: I respectfully disagree that Milwaukee area restaurants can compete on a national scale. In fact, the dishes served and the poor service provided would be kicked off of Top Chef in the first episode.
Milwaukee restaurants do quite well on a national scale. Several have received national awards (James Beard, etc.) and national recognition (food mags, tv shows, etc.).
Quote:
Not enough people here care enough about the quality of service or food or entertainment to make Milwaukee interesting.
Yes, they do.
Quote:
What is Milwaukee's culinary attraction? Brats???
No, that's Sheboygan's culinary attraction. Try again.
Quote:
You are kidding, right? If Milwaukee hasn't noticed, German cooking has not exactly taken the food world by storm.
If you haven't noticed, Milwaukee has much more than German cooking. By the way, popularity is not the primary criterion of quality. McDonald's has taken the world by storm; do you consider Big Macs to be great food?
Quote:
Milwaukee has no definitive style, at all, except drinking, which is the only thing I can think of.
I thought drinking was an activity, not a style. In any case, if you need help thinking of more things, try Google.
Quote:
In addition, the big businesses in the Milwaukee area are actually in the Metro Milwaukee area....
Except for the big businesses actually located in Milwaukee.
Quote:
Only a handful of these companies are accessible by public transportation, so the poorer people, who might actually be able to work in the flourishing businesses, are left out if they do not have reliable transportation. That is an outrageous disservice by the city, by which one can be discriminated against by class, and "incidentally" by race.
I was unaware that the only places for poor people to work were the "big businesses" you mention. Didn't you also mention that there are some restaurants in town with poor service? Perhaps the poor people could work at those places, too. But can "poor" people only provide "poor" service?
Quote:
My opinion is Milwaukee is run by generations of farmer families who have no idea how to run a city...
If that were true, Mke would not have lasted for 150 years.
Quote:
it's this "simple" mentality that will keep Milwaukee in a rut and always behind other cities. People here are frugal and have been and will be; with that, you get fewer things around town to do because it is not deemed "worthwhile" to the simpletons who are most happy with a few beers and a sportsgame. Women are happy just doing the Mary Kay, Magic Chef and Tupperware parties.
Frugal people don't waste their money on Mary Kay and Magic Chef.
Quote:
Also, the downtown skyline is empty, which would be fine if that was the intention; I believe that Milwaukee is just too CHEAP, plus businesses don't want to build here, and that is the real reason there are no interesting skyscrapers.
No--we're just trying to annoy the skyscraper-fetishists. That's all.
Quote:
In fact, Milwaukee is the little misfit sibling who will never measure up to it's bigger brother & sister cities, but still attempts to have the image without providing the substance.
Earlier you say that Mke doesn't like to go beyond its comfort zone, but here you admit that the city tries to do so. Which is it?
I don't think the slam on MPS is entirely fair. Yeah, they've quite a few problem incidents go public, but contrary to public opinion there are at least *some* good and highly regarded schools within MPS. If parents do their research, they can get their child an excellent education. The system is far from infallible, but it does have its share of success stories.
Actually, here, I don't think I "slammed" MPS and I believe I was pretty fair to their existance.
Yes, I have read in these forums several instances where "if you find the right school in MPS, you can have a good school"...and my post pointed that out above. Yes, not *all* MPS schools are horrible.
But comeon. As an overall system, MPS is not only dysfuncational, but overall beyond abysmal. That says something for the state of our public school system / expectations when folks really get riled up enough to defend MPS.
Yes, there is a scattered school here and there (out of the numerous, numerous schools that are absolute disasters / jokes) that are OK or good. But the system itself as a whole? Terrible.
What I was doing in my analysis was comparing 43-87's point of reference - public schools in AZ (and I know he's in the Scottsdale / Phoenix area...which I am pretty familiar with) and contrasting it with MPS. And frankly, there isn't much difference except for the much higher taxes in Milwaukee. Just like in MPS, one can find decent public schools if they look and look and look in the Phoenix area...however, overall, like MPS, most schools there suck. At least though, they aren't being charged (the citizens that is) like the schools are superb.
Admittedly, again, though...suburbs of Milwaukee have some of the better public school systems you'll find around as a general rule. I still don't think the taxes are justified, but at least in these communities (such as mine in Greendale), I cannot argue that the public schools are in general quite good.
I am kind of done here though holding back on MPS for the handful of decent schools they do have. Again, they do have them. But from someone with a few close relatives who are gainfully employed in the MPS system (as educators), overall, the system is abysmal. Some of that actually of course has nothing to do with the schools/teachers themselves. But it is what it is, and I wouldn't want my kids to do anything with 90%+ of all MPS schools.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Part III rebutle
