After six years of mismanagement of Milwaukee County resources, it’s time for a change. It’s time to elect a Milwaukee County executive who understands the needs of Milwaukeenot surrounding countiesand will represent the people of Milwaukee County. Therefore, the best choice on April 1 is state Sen. Lena Taylor.
Taylor has ably served Milwaukee, Glendale and Wauwatosa as a member of the state Legislature. She has consistently fought for more state aid to Milwaukee, despite being held back by an anti-Milwaukee Republican voting bloc in Madison that shortchanges the city and the county.
That anti-Milwaukee County bloc has spearheaded the efforts to cut state aid for county services and thereby put the squeeze on property taxpayers. Taylor understands the dynamics that play out at the state level and that knowledge will be an asset for Milwaukee County if she is elected county executive. Her experience on the Joint Finance Committee, which works through, line by line, the governor’s proposed budget and other complex financial and economic initiatives, will help her sort out Milwaukee County’s financial challenges. It will also help her get more aid from the state and begin to reduce unfunded mandates that penalize county taxpayers.
In this way, Taylor would be a welcome change from the policies of Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, who has put his personal ambition and inflexible ideology above the county’s needs. As Taylor constantly notes, Walker has done nothing to solve problems relating to transit, parks, social services, safety, infrastructure and long-term financial stability. Just saying no, as Walker does, is not a way to govern.
It’s merely a way to lead the county into a ditch, then walk away when a suitable political opportunity opens up. We believe that state Sen. Lena Taylor would be a better Milwaukee County executive than Walker, and ask voters to support a champion of Milwaukee for this position.
What’s your take? Write: editor@shepex.com.
