Mayor’s doubling down on streetcar more about ego than good policy, leadership

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that, as reported yesterday by the Business Journal, the mayor is doubling down, and doubling the price of, the downtown streetcar.

If there’s any institution that can give us something we don’t want for twice the price, it’s government. But sadly, this speaks volumes as to just how out of touch the mayor is with average citizens—the same citizens who, of course, never wanted this streetcar to begin with.

All this is happening at a time when Milwaukee is facing monumental challenges, which sadly remain largely unaddressed.

When was the last time you heard the mayor say anything about MPS? What is the mayor proposing for the chronic, embarrassing and, yes, scandalous unemployment in Milwaukee’s inner city? And that’s not even to mention our continued neighborhood disorder and public safety problems.

It’s my understanding that the mayor’s ill-advised streetcar proposal will be introduced next week, and that he’s demanding a vote on it within the next several weeks. I’m urging citizens to contact their alderman and express their displeasure.

The mayor appears bound and determined, no matter what the cost, to shove this down the throats of our citizens!

I’m told the operating cost estimates have skyrocketed. How are we going to pay for that? How are we going to pay for maintenance? None of these things have even been mentioned and you can almost hear a pin drop in the mayor’s office when these concerns are raised.

The mayor may indeed view the streetcar as his legacy to Milwaukee. But if this goes through, he’ll be leaving more than just a streetcar. He’ll be leaving each and every one of us with a decades-long hangover.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.