Blog
5/10/17
Public health consolidation in Oak Creek and South Milwaukee could improve services without increasing costs
When the Forum is approached by local governments, school districts, and civic leaders to consider possibilities for service sharing and consolidation, we typically warn that such efforts should not be undertaken if the sole objective is to save substantial sums of money. Instead, the primary benefit may lie in the...
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5/5/17
As Water and Sewer Costs Grow
While many activities of local government go unnoticed by most citizens, in no area is that more the case than sewer and water services, which are literally out of sight. Thousands of miles of pipes run beneath our streets and under our homes, moving drinking water and wastewater from Lake...
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3/27/17
Going the Extra Mile
The rise of smart phones, mobile applications, and new private transportation service providers has ushered in a highly experimental period in which transit systems are testing new ways of providing services. Is it time for similar experimentation in metro Milwaukee? That’s one of the questions we address in a new...
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3/9/17
Funding for Youth Development in Milwaukee
Most elected officials and civic leaders agree that investment in programming for Milwaukee’s youth must be a critical component of citywide efforts to combat poverty, reduce violence, and appropriately prepare our future workforce. Yet what is the nature and scope of such investment, and how is it distributed among the...
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2/24/17
A Forensic Science Center in Southeast Wisconsin?
The recent convergence of several related endeavors led us to examine the potential benefits and challenges of developing a forensic science center in southeast Wisconsin: The State of Wisconsin is planning to develop a new crime laboratory in the region. Milwaukee County is seeking new facilities for its Medical Examiner...
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2/9/17
Is Career and Technical Education Making the Grade in Metro Milwaukee?
Career and Technical Education, often shortened to CTE, has become a hot topic in education in recent years. Teachers, parents, school leaders, and policymakers have all come to focus on this strategy as a means to better prepare students for a changing economic environment. Proponents say the integration of academic...
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9/18/16
Making Ends Meet
In August 2009, the Public Policy Forum published Between a Rock and a Hard Place, a detailed examination of the City of Milwaukee’s finances. The report was released just weeks after Mayor Barrett had proclaimed the City’s upcoming 2010 budget “by far the most difficult” he had faced in his...
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9/12/16
Local Transportation Infrastructure Needs Grow as Funding Capacity Shrinks
Many times in life we have possessions that we take for granted; something that we might invest in, and are proud of when it is brand new. Over time it begins to lose its luster because it has always been there, and – in our minds – it is always...
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4/25/16
Assessing the teacher pipeline in Metro Milwaukee
Teachers are an indispensable part of the education system. They lead classrooms across our region and serve as the front-line educators for our children. The ability to run a school is predicated on having a steady supply of teachers. Does Greater Milwaukee have a steady supply of teachers or does...
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