Even if Democrats cannot!

Milwaukee was the11th largest city in the nation 60 years ago. Today, it’s only the 32st, behind Albuquerque NM and just ahead of Fresno CA. (And neither has major league baseball!)

Milwaukee has a worse crime rate than Chicago. (It’s the sixth most violent city — half again worse than Chicago, which ranks #20 per capita. Source here.) Milwaukee public school kids can’t read. Only 19% of Milwaukee public school students are proficient readers; They bring down the statewide average to 39%. 

At some point, Milwaukee will elect a real leader like New York’s Eric Adams or the young Rudy Giuliani. Maybe Cavalier Johnson will turn out to be that guy (jury is on lunch break). In the meantime, state Republicans are looking out for Wisconsin’s chronic charity warder. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate leader Devin LeMahieu got the Democrat(ic) governor to agree to significant increases in education in exchange for more cash for troubled Milwaukee.

In the bargain, they’re going to teach public school kids to read!

Milwaukee becomes the first Wisconsin city allowed its own sales tax — 2 percent. Milwaukee county gets to increase its existing 0.5 percent sales tax by an additional 0.4 percent. (Maybe it has something to do with the Republican national convention there next year.) That said, chasing profligate spending with more taxes is the equivalent of Mexican laetrile. Futile. Most municipalities will get a 20% increase in shared revenues.

If more Milwaukee kids can read and do math, the city will prosper.

Father (and mother) know best

Schools will get another billion dollars but legislative Republicans earmarked $50 million to teach reading — specifically, phonics! That proven methodology long ago was abandoned by progressive educators.

Even more encouraging, the deal Wisconsin Republicans struck with Gov. Tony Evers puts more money behind parents who take advantage of school choice to opt out of the public schools. 

Under the agreement, the state will compensate families that send their kids to private K-8 choice schools with $9,500 — up $1,101 from the current $8,399. Choice students in high school to $12,000 — up $2,955 from the current $9,045. For students in independent public charter schools, funding would rise $1,736, to $11,000 from the current $9,264. Public schools run by school districts spend on average about $15,300 per pupil. That bodes well for Madison parents, as well. (More at the Badger Institute.)

Cops are back in MPS schools

Legislative Republicans are also putting cops back in Milwaukee’s public schools. At Milwaukee Mayor Johnson’s request! As in Madison Wi, the Milwaukee School Board expelled law enforcement from their schools in 2016. Their return is a good thing, because the Badger Institute reported that Milwaukee high schools made 778 calls for police service in the fall 2022 semester, 21.2% more than the 642 calls last spring and 16.5% more than the 668 made in the fall of 2021. 

Blaska’s Bottom Line: No wonder the number of city workers actually living in Milwaukee is down by nearly half (43% or nearly 3,000 employees) in the last 10 years. When you can’t keep your own workers …

What you wanna bet Madison’s
Democrat(ic) delegation votes No?