Joe Davis, Sr.
Press Release

A Broken City

Statement from Alderman Joe Davis, Sr. March 20, 2015

By - Mar 20th, 2015 03:22 pm

Last night and early this morning, the 2nd District that I represent experienced two homicides. One, a stabbing in the 6300 block of West Fond du Lac Avenue and a shooting in the 8900 block of West Mill Road. These types of violent crime incidents are unacceptable for a city that is trying to capture investment for economic development and business growth which will create the necessary jobs to address our dismal poverty and unemployment rate.

My frustration comes from a systemic problem of silence from the Mayor until he is forced to comment on HIS city that is broken (we shouldn’t be receiving comments from his Chief of Staff). He’ll blame the thugs, he’ll blame the neighborhoods, he’ll blame the parents, he’ll blame the Governor for returning $800 million, he’ll blame the State Legislature, he’ll blame the dog catcher, and he may even blame me. But he doesn’t blame his failed policies that have not stimulated economic growth in areas of greatest needs.

At all intersections of turmoil, one must intercede with a strategy for winning the battle. He will tout transitional jobs here in Milwaukee and may even bring up his Streetcar project that he says will create the jobs he needs to create his smoke screen. But one thing is for sure, he will not mention the 30 homicides Milwaukee has on the books for the first quarter of 2015. He will not mention that the victims and suspects are predominantly African American males. And he surely won’t mention how this directly relates to his job performance.

I’ve heard the tagline “Black Lives Matter” used by many, but for most, that saying is just a cliché. When they had an opportunity to express their true commitment to that saying (like returning a significant portion of the CDBG funding back to the community instead of funding city positions and departments), they failed and instead are hoping the community doesn’t recognize their true intentions of keeping conditions the same in distressed neighborhoods that are on the tipping point, while attracting the “new millennials” (the Streetcar cliché) and increasing the downtown playground while the mass incarceration of African American males continues with the exodus to the State of Wisconsin’s Prison System. Well eventually, a new generation of community activists will pull the veil away and expose their hidden agenda.

In these troubled times, I would personally ask the men and women of the Milwaukee Police Department to be patient, continue to do all that you can while displaying your professionalism because Milwaukee needs your help at this critical juncture. This must happen as we, together, create the safe neighborhoods that Milwaukee needs going forward.

Because right now, Milwaukee is broken.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

Mentioned in This Press Release

Recent Press Releases by Joe Davis, Sr.

Deadly joyride takes another young Milwaukeean

Statement of Alderman Joe Davis, Sr.--November 24, 2015

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Let’s settle police and fire labor contracts first

Statement from Alderman Joe Davis, Sr. October 30, 2015

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Statement of Alderman Joe Davis, Sr. October 21, 2015

Comments

  1. Rich says:

    Do Davis and Donovan have the same campaign manager? Press Release formula: Bash the mayor, Bash the streetcar, Gripe about crime, praise MPD (except when they shoot people), and offer nothing of substance of their own. Barrett may not be perfect, but he cares more about the city than these two clowns that only care about themselves…

    See: http://urbanmilwaukee.com/pressrelease/public-safety-in-milwaukee-approaching-free-fall/

  2. CK James says:

    Very good point. Not only is that an accurate description of the press release formula used by Davis and Donovan; it’s an accurate formula to describe the comprehensive attitudes of MOST low level urban ‘leaders’.

    It’s easy to see that many city councilmen, village aldermen, ward officers without a cause, pseudo burgomasters and town hall yeomen are efficient at bickering and begging for publicity. Unfortunately, most of the token blowhards are deficient when it comes to critical reasoning, complex problem solving, crisis prevention or management, articulate rhetorical debate or strategic compromise.

    There are usually several of these stock characters in every municipality. Vague understanding of issues at hand combined with an insatiable desire to see themselves on local TV news. These pretenders are certainly not all that concerned about the actual small map-dot they represent. (They simply love being able to use their big fish in a tiny pond status for getting free drinks at the local corner taverns and occasional handshakes from local yokels.

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