Your Favorite Stories of 2017
Huge tax benefits for Foxconn, Diane Hendricks, and state senators led the way.
All told Urban Milwaukee had 6,135,763 page views in 2017, and published one heck of a lot of stories. The most popular ones, based on total traffic generated, were these:
10. A Tiny Odd Beauty in Riverwest
A Tiny Odd Beauty in Riverwest. Photo by Michael Horne.
House Confidential columnist Michael Horne discovers a unique Riverwest jewel, a Mediterranean Revival home with a unique history. Read more.
9. Milwaukee’s 30 Best Pizzas
Pizza at Transfer. Photo from Facebook.
Everyone has their favorite place and debate raged over our list. But readers keep returning to this guide to the town’s best pizza purveyors. Read more.
8. Ryan, Preibus On a Sinking Ship
Reince Priebus, Mike Pence and Paul Ryan.
Bruce Murphy predicts that Wisconsinite Reince Priebus’ days were numbered as President Trump’s chief of staff (he was pushed out three months later) and that Paul Ryan’s career would be hurt by his cooperation with Trump. Read more.
7. Second Lakefront Tower Coming?
Potential Second Tower at The Couture (Urban Milwaukee made image from rendering by Rinka Chung Architecture)
Our Eyes on Milwaukee columnist Jeramey Jannene, whose reports on the real estate scene are a must read at City Hall, discovered that developer Rick Barrett’s plans call for The Couture to eventually become two, side-by-side lakefront towers. Read more.
6. Hendricks Home Is Reassessed
Diane Hendricks’ Home on Bing Maps
In response to Urban Milwaukee’s story revealing the huge error in how Diane Hendricks’ home was assessed, Town of Rock officials revealed they will be tripling the assessment. The Journal Sentinel does its best to make this look like a story its watchdog team reported. Read more.
5. Jabari Parker’s New Bachelor Pad
Jabari Parker’s New Bachelor Pad. Photo by Michael Horne.
Yes, readers love stories about the homes of famous people, including this cool new Brewers Hill warehouse development for the young Milwaukee Bucks millionaire. Read more.
4. The Failed Promise of Miller Park
Miller Park. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
It’s cost taxpayers as much as $1 billion and was supposed to make the team more competitive. But the Brewers actually rank far lower in payroll compared to other teams than before the stadium was built, another Murphy’s Law column reports. Read more.
3. Foxconn Subsidy Now Exceeds $4 Billion
Foxconn chairman Terry Gou and Governor Scott Walker signing a memorandum of understanding. Photo from the State of Wisconsin.
With all subsidies included, the giveaway now stands at $4.1 billion — or$1,774 per household in Wisconsin. After MSNBC reporter Chris Hayes tweeted the story, it went viral nationally. Read more.
2. Senators Give Themselves a 31% Increase
Cash. Photo by Moritz Wickendorf.
Finally an issue both parties could agree on. They approved a 31 percent hike in their per-diem expenses, which adds greatly to compensation for legislators. Republican leaders pushed for it but Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling voted for it, too. Read more.
1. Billionaire Diane Henricks Underpays Property Taxes
Diane Hendricks’ Home on Bing Maps
One of the nation’s wealthiest self-made women, with a net worth of $5 billion, was paying no property taxes on her “dream home,” a huge, 10,000-square-foot mansion with a pool, as our dogged reporter Michael Horne discovered. Read more.
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First runner up, the senate raises, should be re-run prior to the re-election of each senator who voted on it.. Whether for or against, the electorate will benefit from a reminder.