Paul Soglin: Waxing America

Mark Belling: Milwaukee's White American

Mark Belling is not "Standing Up for Milwaukee."

In a column on Wednesday, Millions can’t solve moral bankruptcy in central city, Belling launched into a two pronged attack attacking the city's black community and ridiculing Joseph Zilber's $50 million gift to strengthen Milwaukee neighborhoods.

For starters, the right wing commentator notes money already spent combating poverty and crime in the inner city:

How many billions in welfare, charitable programs and "investment" have been poured into predominantly black neighborhoods?

Then comes this gem:

Most blacks have tuned out white America...

Belling has a Milwaukee view, or perhaps a world view that makes him incapable of understanding the problems of poverty and crime and how to fix them.

For starters he knows nothing about Zilber's gift. An examination of the announcement reveals that the approach is significantly different than traditional efforts to institute change. It is community base building, not welfare.  It is economic development, not handouts.

Secondly, while Belling realizes that moral leadership is essential to improving Milwaukee, he has no clue as to how economic and social justice play a critical role in shaping community standards in Milwaukee or any other city around the world.

Zilber's gift is a challenge to Milwaukee leadership to add additional funds to a well crafted effort.

Milwaukee business leaders have a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to the city. They can sit on the sidelines with Belling, or they can learn about the fundamental principles underlying Zilber's commitment and open their own wallets.

As for Belling, he might want to tell us what he means by his "white America."

Zilber's Gift: It Is More Than The Money

When it was announced that Milwaukee business and civic leader, Joseph Zilber, was giving $50 million to fund neighborhood initiatives the response, as expected, expressed gratitude and hope.

Zilber gives $50 million Philanthropist hopes to revive low-income areas in city, encourage others to give

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett called the action "an unbelievably generous gift from Joe Zilber to this city."

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel article focused on something just as important as the size of the gift, it's scope:

The Zilber Neighborhood Initiative, as the effort will be called, will work with local organizations to support specific efforts to improve the quality of life in up to 10 neighborhoods...

...A key early step will be creating or selecting a "central intermediary," an organization to oversee the effort and make decisions on where money should go, while giving neighborhood organizations and representatives a strong voice in what goes on.

The gift to the people of Milwaukee measured in dollars is obvious.  Not so obvious is the thought and planning that went into the structure of the gift. As Zilber noted:

...There are a great many individuals and foundations prepared to invest resources to strengthen our community. For months I have worked behind the scenes with these entities. My mission is to mobilize them with good ideas, strong proposals and the promise that our shared commitment to our great city will yield positive results...

Joseph Zilber and his advisers gave careful thought to the structure of neighborhoods, how neighborhoods change, and the importance of building upon neighborhood assets:

We can (and must) act quickly and decisively to support programs that work, replace those that don't, bring proven and promising solutions to scale, sustain them long enough to gain traction and provide them with sufficient resources to get the job done.

The selection of Susan E. Lloyd of the Program on Human and Community Development to direct the effort is just one more indicator that this is a well planned gift. The money is important, but the context makes it even more valuable.

Crumbling Dollar Lifts Wisconsin Blue Cheese

Another victim of the disastrous Bush economic polices and the war in Iraq is the absence of the finest European cheeses from swank east coast restaurants.  As the Village Voice reports, How Chefs Are Dealing With the Tanking Dollar: Getting creative with imported goods

Recently, I (reporter Sarah DiGregorio) realized that I could no longer afford my favorite stinky French cheese (not that I ever really could, technically)...

At Kellari Taverna...Greek feta, once crumbled over many dishes, is now only on the tomato salad..."It's killing us!" exclaims Gregory Zapantis, the Greek-born chef at Kellari Taverna. "A few years back, it was equal—one dollar to one euro. Now the euro is $1.60."

The concerned New York culinary reporter turned to an economist who specializes in wine economics to discover that, "... the government spends more than it has, putting us in hock to the Europeans, Japanese, and Chinese to pay for Bush's tax cuts and the war in Iraq."

But the inventive mid-town Manhattan chefs now turn to Bucky when times are tough, "Zapantis has fallen in love with the fish he gets from Long Island in the summertime. And he's happy to have discovered Wisconsin blue cheese as an unlikely alternative to feta."

Faculty Salaries Elevated In Public Debate

University of Wisconsin System faulty and administrative salaries are the lowest in the Big Ten but the problem is starting to gather more needed attention around the state.

On the day that UW-Madison Commission on Faculty Compensation and Economic Benefits issued its report Report: Faculty flight a 'crisis situation' at UW-Madison , the La Crosse Tribune published a thoughtful editorial based on a story from the previous week.

The La Crosse Tribune editors wrote, Public higher education needs more support from Legislature:

...there are some signs of legislative antipathy toward higher education, which also could be a real problem in the future...

... Faculty salaries also are below peer institutions, and the university system has faced larger than average state budget cuts since 2001, making it more difficult to make up any shortfall, and guaranteeing that tuition increases will have to make up some of the differences...

...Higher education does not just help students. Universities can contribute to economic development in states — and the number of adults with advanced degrees also affects the state economy.

Legislators need to be more supportive of it.

Yes they do. Both parties. Perhaps this can be the 'signature issue' for the November, 2008 state legislative races. And while we are at it, let's include the public schools.

As I wrote on April 18, 2008 The Value of Education the knowledgeable and thoughtful business leaders in this state are all saying the same thing, "I need a trained, intelligent, thoughtful, creative workforce," or words to that effect.

Faculty salaries may not be going up but at least the issue is rising in public forums and the newspapers.

University of Wisconsin System - Two Headed Huebsch

The University of Wisconsin System has six campuses  searching for new chancellors. Two of the chancellors are retiring and four are moving on to higher paying positions. UW System chancellor exodus could grow/

Wisconsin ranks last in faculty salaries when compared to other Big Ten schools and the entire system does badly when compared to to its cohort of institutions. Republican Party Winning Battle To Destroy University of Wisconsin System. Led by Republican Mike Huebsch, the Wisconsin Assembly underfunds the schools.

Its very simple. You cannot retain good people when you do not pay them.  You do not have to pay them extraordinary salaries, just something competitive that ranges towards the mean. The private sector knows that.

In Wisconsin we have one of the fiercest opponents of public education chairing the state committee that overlooks our schools. He uses every opportunity to attack the UW System.

Steve Nass is not the issue. The responsible party is the man who put him in power.

Last December the La Crosse Tribune published an editorial commending their local legislative delegation for supporting the UW- La Crosse campus. Local leaders, students leading way on UW-L’s plan for growth

On Thursday, our entire legislative delegation was represented at a Board of Regents committee meeting to show support...But perhaps most striking was the presence and vocal support of Speaker Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem.

To say that UW-L’s plans haven’t exactly been the darling of Huebsch’s caucus would be an understatement.

It is five months later, the UW system is hurting and hurting badly. It is unfortunate, but the more powerful, more effective Huebsch is the one backing Nass, not the one who showed up at the UW Regents' meeting.

Blacks in Madison and Wisconsin

It is no surprise to Madisonians that a black youth has a thirteen times greater chance of being arrested than his white peer. We know that there are some in our state who look at that number and simply respond, "So? Blacks commit more crimes."

A number of leaders from Madison's black community called for action, as The Capital Times reported:

Coalition wants Madison to face race issues

A coalition of leaders in the African-American community called today for a renewed assault on the disparate conditions that separate Madisonians by race...

..."The State of Black Madison 2008: Before the Tipping Point," a report unveiled at a news conference Tuesday, summarizes data on criminal justice, education, economic development, health, housing and political influence. The report was commissioned by the State of Black Madison Coalition, whose members include Gray; Robert Wynn, Asset Builders of America; John Odom, Charles Hilton Houston Institute; Richard Harris, Genesis Community Development Corporation; Ray Allen, publisher of The Madison Times; and Kenneth Black, 100 Black Men.

When I took up this issue last fall, Wisconsin Policy Research Institute: Milwaukee Can Tolerate More Black Murders Part II, one of the antagonists finally muttered, "Some of those proposed ideas for reducing black crime sound good to us (strengthen families and reintegrate fathers into communities, bringing people to God), and some sound like more of the same things that have failed (more spending on education, jobs programs).

Wrong. Read their report, read the well documented study I referenced:

Effects of a School-Based, Early Childhood Intervention on Adult Health and Well-being

A total of 1539 low-income participants who enrolled in the Child-Parent Center program in 20 sites or in an alternative kindergarten intervention...

...For preschool participation, by age 24 years, the preschool group relative to the comparison group had significantly lower rates of felony arrest (16.5% vs 21.1%, respectively; P = .02; a 22% reduction) and incarceration (20.6% vs 25.6%, respectively; P = .03; a 20% reduction). They also were less likely than the comparison group to be found guilty of a crime both overall and for a felony (15.8% vs 19.9%, respectively; P = .03; a 21% reduction)...

... That the impacts of intervention extend beyond educational performance is not surprising given the well-documented links between education outcomes and adult health, mental health, and social behavior.^{25-26,36-38 ..}

^{...This study provides evidence that established early educational interventions can positively influence the adult life course in several domains of functioning. The scope and magnitude of intervention effects reveal not only the benefits to participants in fundamental indicators of health and well-being but also the potential returns to society for investments in early educational programs.} 

Prayer is nice but just like abstinence, it does not work. what works is education, education, education, job training and family enhancement. Not necessarily in that order. Spending on education and jobs programs that are properly managed work. Spending money on education and jobs programs that are not properly managed  do not work. That is not the fault of the recipients.

Another Wisconsin Chart Topper: Drunk Drivers

The story is no surprise to those of us who have experience in dealing with the problems of Wisconsin drunks - drivers or not.

Wisconsin, Upper Midwest, Leads U.S.in Drunk Drivers

Wisconsin leads the way. The federal government estimates more than a quarter of the state’s adult drivers had driven under the influence. Rounding out the worst five are North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota.

The most important point of the story is:

Eric Goplerud, research professor at George Washington University Medical Center, said cultural and demographic issues probably have a role in the higher rates of driving under the influence in certain states.

During the fourteen years I served as mayor it was evident that our state's culture was a significant contributor to the problem, especially among young people. I recall a sexual assault witnessed by a dozen students. There was no prosecution since the dozen witnesses and the victim were too drunk to account for the events.  Or the police raid on a party where two very attractive coeds, miles from their dorm, were too drunk to find their way home.  (And they were not very attractive under the circumstances.)  The only question was whether the young men who had plied them with liquor or the women were better candidates for the detox unit.

The right of passage to adulthood is paved with excessive alcohol consumption at an early age. The cultural mores erroneously convey to teenagers that it is admirable to consume large quantities of alcohol, and that there is a correlation between sexual virility, prowess, and performance and acting stupid while under the influence.

We can continue to pass legislation protecting all of us from drunk drivers and enforce that legislation.  Real change will come, however, when we change the culture: high school parties, football games, and Saturday nights too drunk to have a good time in bed.

The Value of Education - The Silly Right Wing Approach

Earlier this week I made reference to the value of education, Republican Party Winning Battle To Destroy University of Wisconsin System which brought a cynical response from one right-wing commentator:

Higher education systems do not grow state economies. When somebody gets a degree, he/she can easily leave the state. Furthermore, why should government subsidizie (sic) higher education for anyone?

Even if we forget about the value of the education to the individual, and the family, there is no question that society is repaid from the cost of public education at all levels.

• Eighty percent of all of our college graduates remain in Wisconsin, and, of course, many graduates from out-of-state come to Wisconsin.
• A high school graduate, in his or her life time, does not make enough money to repay the cost of their education, but that high school graduate is still more productive than the high school drop-out by not being a drain on society - in the tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars during their life time.
• The student who finishes at least two years of higher education more than pays back society for the cost of their entire education. The four-year graduate of a school of higher education enjoys increased earnings of more than $20,000 a year over a period of forty years; just about the best investment society can make. Figure out the taxes on those additional earnings and it is evident that society benefits.

Of course, there are the additional benefits to the family and subsequent generations that show up in a higher standard of living, better health, and might I dare say, greater happiness?

Why the hell do we have to measure everything in dollars? There are values to learning, to an education that goes beyond any right-wing economic valuation that is riddled with fraudulent assumptions about a caring society.

Every knowledgeable and thoughtful business leader I talk with says the same thing, "The most important thing I need is not lower taxes, it is an intelligent, thinking workforce."

And out-of-state university students pay more than 110% of the cost of their educations in the extremely high tuition they pay. The state makes money on those students.

Republican Party Winning Battle To Destroy University of Wisconsin System

It was a struggle to maintain the great faculty assembled by the University of Wisconsin - Madison and its sister campuses throughout the state. In the early 1960's state budget deliberations over the higher education budget were peppered with such homilies as, "A champaign university on a beer budget."

While the UW salaries ranked at the bottom of Big Ten universities, it managed to assemble and retain an outstanding faculty. Despite the lower than average salaries, the UW retained many wonderful teachers and researchers. Then two things changed:

• Leaders in the legislature launched relentless attacks on the faculty.
• Then other institutions with big dollars like the University of Texas, decided to enter the marketplace with a commitment to upgrade their institutions.

When new UW Chancellor Donna Shalala and her successors, David Ward and John Wiley, committed to recognizing the importance of a quality faculty, the trend slowed and reversed.

But even the best of intentions cannot undo the damage of a hostile legislature, attacks on academic freedom, a refusal to provide benefits to partners, and a general nastiness led by the Assembly Republican leadership.

All of which has now received prominent notice in the latest issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education:

Wisconsin's Flagship Is Raided for Scholars

The problem is money. Wisconsin's stagnating state higher-education budget has forced the university to keep faculty salaries far below average. When professors get feelers from elsewhere, they learn that a move can easily mean a whopping 100-percent salary increase — sometimes more...

...As the faculty pay gap between public and private institutions widens nationwide, lots of public universities are having a hard time competing. But Madison is having particular problems, losing faculty members not only to well-off private institutions, like Chicago, but also to lower-ranked public universities. In the past few years, professors in a variety of disciplines have left Madison for Arizona State, Florida State, and Rutgers Universities and the University of Minnesota, among others.

As the article notes, the UW is at the bottom in average salary ranking of the twelve universities that are in its peer group. In addition, every time a faculty member leaves there is the additional cost of recruiting and finding a replacement. That can be as much as 25% of the annual salary.

How not to grow a state's economy.

Why not let Speaker Michael Huebsch and his co-pilot in bombing the UW, Representative Stephen Nass, know that they are succeeding and you do not like it.

The Real Reasons to Buy A Supreme Court

When Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) and its cohorts, the Club for Growth Wisconsin and the Coalition for America's Families, spent an estimated $3-4 million to buy their second seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the message was crime.

The advertisements focused on distortions and falsehoods about the record of Justice Louis Butler in an effort to entice voters to select a new justice, Michael Gableman, who would follow their right-wing agenda.

The conventional wisdom was that the real issue was so-called tort reform.

Wrong.

While there are a small minority of WMC members, concerned about their liability in tort cases, that issue was of minimum concern to the coalition established to control the Supreme Court.

One need go no further than WMC's own surveys of its members to see the irrelevance of tort reform. In its 2006 survey of its members, when asked, "What is the top business concern facing your company?" the  lowest response polled was lawsuit abuse with a measly response of 1.23%.

One look no further than the legislative agenda of these three organization (WMC, WCFG, CAF ) to get a real understanding of why they want to own a Supreme Court:

• Health Insurance. Health care is the single, most significant cost facing employers, if it is part of benefit packages. The standard for coverage is set by labor unions, particularly public employee and teachers unions. When buying a court, WMC and its friends are trying to gain favorable rulings against labor agreements in general, and and legislation in specific, that might require them to pay a fair share of the cost of health care.
• Unions. Because of their bargaining power in the marketplace, WMC needs a court that will weaken the power of unions. Unions are an impediment to exporting jobs overseas, hiring immigrant workers with H-1-B visas, outsourcing, and lowering safety standards.
• The Environment. As the public becomes more conscious of global warming, the significant monetary value of fresh water, calls for clean air and water, increase. This results in more regulations, particularly on manufacturers, who subsequently need a Supreme Court that will take an activist position and overturn progressive legislation designed to ensure the publics health and safety.
• Education. Long ago, convinced that public schools produce a liberal and progressive citizenry, these reactionary organizations want to get more and more children into private and religious schools where they can be indoctrinated into conservative values. To do this, public monies are needed. The problem is that there are serious constitutional problems in funneling money into private schools, particularly if they teach religion. These right wing extremists need a Supreme Court that will open the door for public money to be used for private education.
• Privatizing government. These right wing organizations do not want to stop public services, they just want to be able to make a profit offering them. Whether it is outsourcing wars to Blackwater and Halliburton or having private companies provide fire departments and water, the idea is to crush the local governments and their public employees as a first step towards a feudal system of governance. Note that when no-bid contracts, landed with fraud and mismanagement, are offered to the private sector, these organizations never protest or complain.

Over the past year, I have met with dozens of business leaders who I would describe as moderate and thoughtful in their approach to government and public policy. When asked what are the most important issues facing their companies and the state, they respond, "A trained and educated workforce, as well as a satisfactory resolution to the health care problem."

As you might expect, these business leaders are not comfortable with many left leaning Democrats.  But they are just as uncomfortable with the kind of Republicans that presently control the Wisconsin Assembly. These business leaders are going to play a critical role in solving Wisconsin's problems if they can wrest control of the public policy discussion from WMC and its collaborators, and then fashion solutions with organized labor.