Governor Scott Walker was in Milwaukee Friday morning to announce the state would be injecting an infusion ofcash into efforts to improve economic conditions on the north side.
The governor promised $4.5 million he says will help pay for a variety of job training programs, mobile job centers in neighborhoods with high unemployment rates and to rehab or raze abandoned homes and businesses in economically distressed neighborhoods.
Flanked by representatives of all levels of Wisconsin government, including Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele, State Senator Lena Taylor, and Wisconsin Workforce Development Secretary Ray Allen, Governor Walker promised this is just the beginning of a renewed investment in Milwaukee.
He said, however, city leaders -- from the mayor to a coalition of faith leaders -- convinced him something needed to happen quickly.
Walker quoted Mayor Barrett, saying, "Give us something visible. Give us something tangible that we can see, that isn't just for show -- that actually gets things done -- but that people can see something different is happening."
Here are some of the things the $4.5 million will cover:
- The state will allocate an additional $1.5 million to partner with the city of Milwaukee for employment programs for eligible individuals who want a job.
- The state will provide $2 million to assist in the demolition, deconstruction, and rehabilitation of foreclosed and blighted properties in the city of Milwaukee.
- The state allocate $1 million of Wisconsin Fast Forward funds to employer-based job training programs for the city of Milwaukee.
- The Department of Workforce Development's Division of Employment & Training -- in partnership with Employ Milwaukee -- will deploy “Mobile Response” job centers at various locations throughout the city.
- The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation may use existing jobs programs to provide assistance to businesses burned or otherwise damaged during the unrest on the north side in August.
The advocacy group, Citizen Action of Wisconsin, released a statement saying:
Walker is offering a grab bag of small scale initiatives and repurposed federal and state dollars which will not dramatically expand economic opportunity. Like his Transform Milwaukee initiative, this plan is more hype than substance.
