Silence is Complicity – If You See Something, Please Say Something
We will soon move to prohibit any city work rule that would punish or prohibit whistleblowing.
For four hours earlier this week, I and my colleagues on the Steering and Rules Committee took testimony and asked questions about the evident mismanagement of the Milwaukee Health Department and its failure to properly notify the families of children found to have elevated levels of lead in their blood.
We discussed work rules, procedures, testing protocols, and, it seemed, everything else under the sun.
In my mind, I kept coming back to the children.
These children probably do not know my name or anyone else’s involved in this terrible situation. They do not know the difference between the different types of blood tests used or the different levels of exposure. They are just children who want what my own children and everyone else’s want – a chance.
And that is what makes the culture of “see nothing/say nothing” that seems to have been fostered at the Health Department so dangerous.
The city has tried to afford “whistleblowers” protection from retaliation and has tried to provide a path for those who want to come forward with their concerns. Consider the following resources:
- The Fraud, Waste, and Abuse hotline: 414-286-3440 or hotline@milwaukee.gov
- Inappropriate Workplace Behavior: http://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/User/jkamme/Policies/EmplComplaintForm_New.docx
- The Workplace Grievance Procedure (For Safety Concerns): http://city.milwaukee.gov/der/csc/WSGP
We will soon move to prohibit any city work rule that would punish or prohibit whistleblowing.
None of these will be effective if unused. Silence is too often complicity and, if we have learned nothing else from this situation, it can have awful consequences.
Please: See something, say something.
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
- $43 Million Later, MPS Says Classrooms Are Safe From Lead Dust - Corrinne Hess - Dec 18th, 2025
- MPS Buildings Cleared of Lead-Paint Risks after 10-Plus Months of Work - Milwaukee Public Schools - Dec 17th, 2025
- Wisconsin Moves to Require Lead Service Lines Replaced By 2037 - Danielle Kaeding - Dec 11th, 2025
- Gov. Evers, DNR Announce More Than $159 Million to Ensure Clean, Safe Drinking Water for Wisconsinites in 29 Municipalities - Gov. Tony Evers - Dec 10th, 2025
- EPA Announces $3 Billion in New Funding for States to Reduce Lead in Drinking Water - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Nov 25th, 2025
- Wisconsin Communities Get $282 Million for Drinking Water Projects - Danielle Kaeding - Nov 19th, 2025
- MKE County: County Launches Lead Abatement Program - Graham Kilmer - Nov 9th, 2025
- Milwaukee County Launches Lead Remediation Program to Reduce Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Homes in Suburban Communities - David Crowley - Nov 5th, 2025
- Wisconsin Improves Child Lead Testing Rates, Urges Continued Testing and At-Home Prevention - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Oct 21st, 2025
- City Hall: Milwaukee Must Replace 100 Lead Laterals Per Week To Meet 2025 Goal - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 1st, 2025
Read more about Lead Crisis here
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