Stop the Presses: Reporter Asks Barrett a Question!

It has been six years since Mayor Tom Barrett famously promised to stop flushing sewage into Lake Michigan. As of press time, no one has asked him how that project is going.

Back in 2004, when Barrett made leadership and MMSD accountability a campaign issue, Wispolitics reviewed Barrett's top three goals for MMSD with MMSD Executive Director Kevin Shafer.  Given 7 of 11 MMSD Board appointments, six years, and millions in taxpayer dollars to achieve those goals, let's review how Milwaukee's Milk Carton Mayor has measured up against his own standards.

Goal #1: Zero overflows in the separated sewer areas.  NOPE!

Goal #2: Zero combined sewage overflows. NOPE!

Goal #3: No raw sewage dumping. Shafer: I’m not sure what that is unless he’s talking about blending.  (You mean the Mayor isn't communicating his goals to MMSD, yikes!)  In that case, NOPE!

Hey, hey -  another no hitter!  What an exciting year!

For 8-years, the Milwaukee Police and Fire Departments have struggled with the $18 million boondoggle known as the OpenSky Radio system. Amid hundreds of officer reports of the dangers of this failed system and fire department investigations of its implementation, no one in the press has asked Barrett how he is protecting officers and citizens from a system officially declared “not intrinsically safe.”

But, today, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel broke with tradition and asked the Mayor of Milwaukee about a critical issue under his control and we have the proof.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel of July 31, 2010. An article entitled “Water Rate Increases Revised, Proposal doesn't settle suburbs' concerns about rising costs,” contains the following statement in paragraph 14:

“Barrett was not available for comment late Friday.”

Kudos to MJS reporter Larry Sandler for at least making the effort.  Hopefully, it's the start of a trend!

Stay tuned. If they keep asking questions, he may actually answer one - someday.