Key Details Missing from the Mayor’s Account of Lead Testing Crisis
He has not provided me with information about how many 7th District residents are affected by the notification errors.
As Mayor Tom Barrett tries to control the public relations damage from the Health Department notification debacle involving families whose children tested positive for elevated lead levels in their blood, there are some critical details that he is not sharing with members of the Common Council.
Specifically, he has not provided me with information about how many 7th District residents are affected by the notification errors, and where in the district they live. This is critically important information that I would like to have as soon as possible. If I know where these affected constituents are in my district, then I can help them and be a positive change agent on their behalf.
By not knowing I feel I am being shut out and kept in the dark. It’s an unfortunate crisis that they (families) didn’t ask for, and that the Mayor claims he knew nothing about until reports started hitting the news media.
I want to know if these families live in the same neighborhoods that the U.S. Postal Service wanted to abandon recently, or if they reside in the same neighborhoods and ZIP codes hardest hit by poverty, joblessness and other reasons for lost hope.
I deserve to know as soon as possible where in my district the affected constituents are, and my constituents deserve many more answers from the Mayor about this troubling episode that occurred under his watch.
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.
More about the Lead Crisis
- Alderwoman Coggs introduces file to discuss MPS lead exposure issues - Ald. Milele Coggs - Feb 20th, 2025
- Gov. Evers’ biennial state budget prioritizes clean water, clean energy, and public lands for Wisconsin - Wisconsin Conservation Voters - Feb 18th, 2025
- Gov. Evers Announces Comprehensive Plan to Ensure Clean Water for Kids and Families in 2025 Year of the Kid - Gov. Tony Evers - Feb 18th, 2025
- More Milwaukee Schools Getting Tested for High Lead Levels - Evan Casey - Feb 15th, 2025
- Milwaukee Health Department Conducts Follow-Up Lead Hazard Assessment at MPS’s Golda Meir Lower Campus - Milwaukee Public Schools - Feb 14th, 2025
- Dangerous Levels of Lead Contamination Found At Three MPS Schools - Jeramey Jannene and Sophie Bolich - Feb 6th, 2025
- As Previewed in 2025 State of the State Address, Gov. Evers Approves DHS Emergency Rule to Strengthen Standards to Prevent Further Hazardous Lead Exposure to Wisconsin Kids - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Feb 3rd, 2025
- Wisconsin Joins Legal Effort to Preserve Tougher Standards for Lead in Water - Erik Gunn - Feb 3rd, 2025
- Attorney General Kaul Joins Multistate Coalition to Defend Lead and Copper Rule Improvements - Wisconsin Department of Justice - Jan 29th, 2025
- Superintendent Jill Underly Proposes Lead Water Removal Program For Schools - Baylor Spears - Nov 15th, 2024
Read more about Lead Crisis here
Mentioned in This Press Release
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Apr 5th, 2024 by Ald. Khalif RaineyStatement of Alderman Khalif J. Rainey, Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs, and Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II April 5, 2024
Alderman Rainey: if these constituents are so distressed by a faulty notification, why have they not already notified you? The problems associated with childhood lead poisoning are complex and giving you a list/name of someone in your district who may/may not have been properly notified is a foolish starting point as a solution.