How are you?
Good.
How are you?
Good.
Keep on keeping on.
That's it.
You doing all right?
I am.
It's like a...
Busy.
With the gala.
I'm not full on.
It's almost over.
Can't wait.
Got you.
Again.
How are you?
I'm doing all right.
Nice.
Which is what?
Oh.
Awesome.
What's your name?
Oh.
I love Kristin.
Oh, yeah.
Thank you for being in the room.
I'm not.
I'm asking everybody to say to that.
Is that a problem?
Yeah.
All right.
I'm ready.
I can't give you that.
No, no.
I'm not even going to the next batch.
I'm not going to even the next batch.
So.
Yeah.
So.
Yeah, glad to be here.
That's amazing.
I'm enjoying it.
You know.
I'm enjoying the right time.
It is awesome.
You're thinking about the child on the cross-the-state is my family.
The cross-the-state is my family.
I have to do this kind of thing.
So I keep there.
I enjoy it every morning.
Yeah.
But they're always comfortable.
Yeah.
Does it...
Yeah.
Oh, yes.
So everyone's waiting for the song to start...
I just gave it to my song.
Yeah.
Right.
Just a trusted institution,
so this is a plan.
That's a plan.
Okay.
So there is that...
They have these things.
What would you do in Nashville, do you know what I mean?
I see that.
that.
I see that.
There's stuff, I see that.
I see it.
I see that.
Are you sure you'll 1975?
I see.
Is it super sensitive to something classic?
Is it super appeal to people?
I see.
I see it.
I see.
Who else is here for the future?
Who else?
Who do you think becomes captioning in the�?
Who is who you think is merch?
Who is at back or on this?
Is it Rotter?
You what your name is meant that your mom's book?
Who who has 15 friends with U card work?
Who is this woman?
I'm not giving you a video live format.
Who is she?
Who is this woman?
So give me a sense of how you're feeling, a long way to go, sir, but how are things going on?
You know we're about five months into this race and still have a long runway ahead of us.
We're traveling all across the state, we're traveling all across different communities across Wisconsin to let our voices be heard.
So I'm excited, it's a great opportunity to be able to run for governor for the great state of Wisconsin, but I'll definitely say I am tired.
You know, being the only candidate, having a full-time job related to running out of an entire county can be a little challenging,
but I love the opportunity to talk to so many voters.
They're the issues that they're concerned with.
They really talk with them and bring it into the table to help come out with solutions that's going to fit there.
So how do you see with that message between those who are really tuned in and wondering what your polling number is, what's your fundraising,
those that haven't even started to pay attention yet and are saying, hey, when's the TV commercial coming out?
Those that are really far ends of their awareness.
I mean you absolutely have your political junkies who are tuning in and asking a lot of questions,
but we also know there's a lot happening in the world, so so many folks have not been paying attention to the governor's race
because there's just so much of the political oxygen locally that are being sucked out and ruined,
but it's about meeting people where they are.
It's about having conversations and not necessarily talking about policy right away, but building relationships.
I think relationship building is something that we have lost in politics.
It's one of the reasons why our government has become so polarized here in Wisconsin as well as at the federal level.
And more and more we can have conversations, learning people's why, why they get involved and what their goals are.
We can come together and make sure we're pushing policies that allows every voter loss.
So when you see like the market poll numbers, say 65% of the society, is that concerning or is that just eight?
It means everyone's still got a fair chance of that.
I think everybody still has a fair chance of this, right?
But let's face it, right?
We still have a state Supreme Court race, right?
And we still haven't even went to the polls for it.
So we know that we're still a little girl, but after the state Supreme Court race we know as much as we are off to the races,
talking to as many people as possible, letting our message be heard about why myself or any other candidates the best candidate for this primary race.
You talked about the overlap here with that state Supreme Court race.
Since you're bringing people in, is there room to say, obviously the sport is tailored, but then you have room for us as well?
How does that work when it comes to getting people fired up to start doing work?
Well, look, we know that the momentum is on the Democrat side.
There's a lot of enthusiasm for us getting out to vote.
So as I'm campaigning for governor across the state of Wisconsin, I'm absolutely making sure to start on behalf of Chris Taylor.
She deserves the opportunity to represent us in the Wisconsin State Supreme Court.
And she's going to be not just a great candidate, but she's going to be a great justice as well.
And this is an opportunity for us as Democrats, right?
Not just focusing on how we're fighting back against the tyranny happening in Washington, D.C.
but how we're galvanizing, how we're putting a plan in place, and putting a vision that's going to help us bring loss of voices back to her.
And how was that movement that starts now in Supreme Court kind of flow all the way through it?
April or August?
Well, you know what?
It's not just about getting folks to come out to vote, right?
We have to continue to campaign, not just getting folks to let their voices be heard at the ballot box, but even to push policies at the state level.
And so it's going to take everybody, independents, Republicans, Democrats, to come to the table and making sure that we're talking about how important this election is
and how we need to move our state forward because so many families are continuously being left behind.
Is it a little different doing an event in your backyard versus, like, a different part of the state where you know you have to introduce yourself?
Well, you know, it's great to be home.
You know, it's great to be here at the Milwaukee County Democratic Party being able to get our message across our local community.
But it's always equally great to travel, right?
Especially taking a scenic route everywhere the state of Wisconsin.
Learning about different cities, towns and villages and counties, their unique perspectives and, quite frankly, their particular needs.
And so this is a great opportunity, right, for us to make sure that we're focusing on moving our state forward.
Issues and challenges right now, they're all the same in rural suburban and urban Wisconsin.
Even though life may actually look different, the challenges are the same.
And so it's really about how do we tackle these issues to make sure that no one is left behind.
It shouldn't matter what your zip code is.
It's about making sure that families can get ahead.
Thank you very much.
We'll keep that on you so we can hear you.
Not a problem.
Thank you for sharing.
How y'all doing?
I'm not going to remember any of these.
Thank y'all for being here.
Enjoying your Saturday so far?
Yeah.
Thank you.
Hey, every day's a good day.
I'm going to complain.
I could, but...
Well, should I get a stick in here?
Whenever you want me to start?
You can't see it, probably.
Thanks.
Yeah, you have to be able to...
I don't know.
There you go.
Thank you.
It takes the county back here.
It's well-equipped to be gone.
I didn't even have to make them.
Sorry.
My name is Kiwan Jennings.
I go by Ki.
Ki Dio Hartz.
I'm currently the vice chair of the Milwaukee County Democratic Party.
I have the honor and privilege of introducing our current county of Superbought County executive, David Crowley.
I wanted to talk more about who he is as a person.
Most recently, he was actually my state representative of the 17th Assembly District.
Now he's currently our county executive, but I could recall a few years back getting involved in the political scene.
And I would be able to call him up and he was accessible.
And I didn't get that feeling from a lot of the electives at that point.
So I remember one conversation in particular.
I was wrecking my head around how to organize, essentially.
And he put it plainly.
And he's like, if you care, just show that you care.
And that literally was not the only thing he taught me.
But I understand how he cares about our community.
And he does it in his work every single day.
And he just exudes passion.
And I wanted to let you all know that he's a more passionate person than he is than he elected.
And so, that being said, I know you're here to see, David, but thank you for being here.
Thank you.
County executive, David Crowley.
Thank you.
All right.
And this afternoon, good afternoon.
Thank you for that introduction key.
And the quote that he was, that he butchered.
The quote that he was talking about was one of my favorite quotes by Teddy Roosevelt.
No one cares what you know until they know how much you keep.
Because it's all about relationship building.
Something that we've actually lost sight of, quite frankly, in politics.
But I am David Crowley.
I am a husband.
I always have to give my better two thirds, my better three quarters a shout out because
I wouldn't be able to do this work without her.
I am a girl that times three.
I have a 18, eight and six year old.
And yes, they keep me very busy.
I'm the county executive and I'm running to be your next governor of the great state of Wisconsin.
I was born and raised in the city of Milwaukee.
I am a product of Wisconsin five, three, two, six zip code to be exact.
And as many of you know, it's a community that's known more for what it actually lacks
than what it actually has.
But even though my life, my daily life was a part of struggle, I was also surrounded by
people who lifted me up when I needed it most.
I'm extremely blessed that I had teachers.
I had mentors.
I had neighbors who looked at me and said that kid deserves a chance.
And that's why I'm running to be the next governor of Wisconsin.
Because I believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to write a story like mine.
And as I travel across the state, you know, all 19 municipalities within Milwaukee County,
we've been in so many communities across this state.
Even though life, living life in urban, rural and suburban Wisconsin may look different.
The challenges, the barriers, they're all the same.
And I'm hearing the same from everybody right now, right?
Cost is going up.
Whether we're talking groceries, whether we're talking electricity, whether we're talking housing,
childcare, healthcare, the list goes on and on.
Too many people are being squeezed every single day.
And so I know as the next governor of Wisconsin, we have to be focused on laser focused on
the cost of living.
And that's what I will be focused on.
And we have to start with making sure that people can actually afford the basic essentials.
And for me, it starts with housing.
It's personal for me.
I was evicted three times before I graduated high school, 15 years, and with every single day of my life.
But it's also informed how I move as the Milwaukee County Executive and why we have fought extremely hard
to make sure that we can invest in housing initiatives, to make sure that we can prevent families
in Milwaukee County from facing eviction.
Matter of fact, we have about six different projects of affordable housing projects happening
in suburban communities within Milwaukee County right now for the first time ever.
And it's happening because I realize that housing is needed everywhere, not just in urban centers.
And it's happening because we were able to bring these communities to the table and get rid of the stigma in their perception
by helping them, by helping us help them adjust their community needs.
And so we can make sure here in the state of Wisconsin that every family, every individual can have access to safe, stable housing.
And I know that we hear a lot of talking points.
And this is not a talking point for me, right?
Because we have been able to do it.
Wisconsin, we need someone who knows how to govern.
Campaigning, picking promises, we've seen that day in and day out.
That's the easy part.
Governance is extremely hard, especially under the current circumstances we find ourselves in.
But I'm the only candidate in this race that actually has experience, not only governing, but balancing billion dollar budgets,
figuring out how to prioritize critical services, quite frankly, when the math isn't working.
When I became county executive, I had to work with our workers to make sure that they get the pension that they earn,
and we helped strengthen Milwaukee County's pension for future generations.
And when we were facing crisis, the pandemic, or the floods, I was in these communities, looking them directly into their eyes,
making sure that no one was going to fall through the cracks.
I know what it's like to be accountable for my own actions.
And when Milwaukee County, when we were facing our largest fiscal deficit, I didn't just go to Madison and say,
let's bring back more money to Milwaukee.
We built the coalition, and we passed a bill that held every city, every town, every village, every county in the state of Wisconsin,
getting more money back from Wisconsin.
I don't have to tell you all, you know, the state of Wisconsin broke their promise to local communities.
That's why we're going to referendum every single year for our schools, for our local units of government.
We need to make sure that we're bringing Democrats and Republicans to the table
to bring these dollars back to local communities to invest in what matters most today.
Public safety, public health, infrastructure, that's what's needed right now.
And I know that we're tired of hearing the rhetoric and we're tired because there's so much happening at the federal levels,
getting all of the oxygen out of the room right now.
And I want you to know, I'm not just frustrated with who's occupying the White House.
I'm frustrated with Democrats as well.
It's great that we have been fighting back consistently against the tyranny that we see coming out of this White House,
but what's more important is that we have to galvanize and we have to get cohesive with our message.
Folks know what we're fighting against, but they don't know what we're fighting for.
Democrats, we have to put an agenda and a vision on the table.
We have to focus on how do we bring those lost voices back into the party who believe in our values,
but don't believe in the system.
And I know that young people don't look at leaders as they did in the past,
but I think that they're just unconvinced because we can't just show up when it's time to vote.
We have to show up consistently.
Showing up consistently isn't just about going to the ballot box because these campaigns,
we can win elections, but these campaigns is turning into policy wins for Democrats.
I know what it means to lead.
I know the type of executive leadership the state of Wisconsin needs right now.
And we need somebody who can make sure that Democrats, independents, or reporters can actually come to the table
and make government work again.
That's what we should be focused on.
But the other thing that being a county executive in my upbringing has really taught me
is that health is the foundation of everything.
Yes, it starts with housing because you can't focus on any other issues in your life
if you don't know where your head is going to be, where you're going to lay your head down that night.
And the reason why health is important for me is because my mother,
she suffered from drug addiction as well as mental health.
It's why we've worked extremely hard to revamp our crisis intervention,
to revamp our public health within Milwaukee County.
And we did it around one simple idea.
And that idea is that this should be no wrong door.
No one should have to engage with multiple agencies or walk the multiple doors
or make multiple phone calls to get the resources and the help that you need.
And because of this level of organizing,
we've been able to reduce our overdose deaths by 30% in just one year.
We've been able to keep people out of our emergency rooms and out of our jails.
Right now in Milwaukee County, we have the first Firebase EMS system in the entire state
that actually does blood transfusions in the field during trauma-related events
to help save more lives.
These are the types of programs that we can scale across the state of Wisconsin.
Yes, we may not have the greatest mental health system, but we have one.
Another community across the state don't have one at all.
By helping to expand what we have done here in Milwaukee County,
we can give our suburban and rural communities better access to mental health treatment,
better access to drug treatment, reliable access so they can go to the doctors and see their clinics.
And we can help modernize their EMS and their fire services to make sure that their families
and their kids are healthy.
Because that makes our state that was stronger and that was safer.
I focused on making Milwaukee County the healthiest county.
I am now focused on making the state the healthiest state in the Midwest by 2035.
And I know there's a lot of state.
We see what's happening with the ICE intimidation coming from the federal level.
We see how our democracy is under attack.
We see how reproductive freedom is under attack.
Voting rights is under attack.
And we damn sure have to figure out how we can ease the burden
that so many Wisconsinites are feeling because of the chaos that is happening in Washington, D.C.
But in order to do that, it's going to take all of us.
I am not running to be the governor of Milwaukee County.
I am running to be a governor for all of us.
I'm not running to be a governor for those who just vote for me.
I'm running to be a governor for all of us because it's time that we can stop letting families be left behind.
For going to move the state of Wisconsin 4, we can't afford for families to be left behind.
And so I'm asking you all to join this movement.
To be a part of this campaign because I'm going to be honest, it's not about me.
It's not about my wife and my three kids.
It's about all of us.
It's about all of our families.
It's about the future of Wisconsin.
And I truly believe that who is at the top of the ticket matters if we're going to have the trifecta we deserve to have in the state of Wisconsin.
We have to take over the state senate.
We have to take over the state of senate.
It's crazy right now that we can't even agree on basic things.
It has taken us so many years just to give women the postnatal care that they need after having a child.
It doesn't matter how far left or how far right you are right now.
The one thing that we can agree on is that government is broken.
And at a time where government feels loud, it feels angry, we need somebody who's going to be stabbed.
Someone who's going to bring some energy, galvanize our base, and make sure that we set an example not just for our state but for Democrats across the entire country.
We can create the blueprint.
But it's going to take all of us to make that happen.
So please visit my website, CrowleyForWI.com.
Sign up, join this movement, get involved, volunteer.
Because my biggest fear is not losing this race.
My biggest fear is kind of Tiffany becoming the next governor of Wisconsin.
They are willing to not only destroy the institutions themselves, but they're willing to destroy the public trust and the very government that is built to keep us safe.
I'm not running on distractions.
I'm not running on division.
I'm running on bringing people together.
So thank you for not only being here.
But thank you for giving your time, giving your talent, giving your treasure, and helping us move our party forward.
This is our moment.
The time is now.
And let's catch you up together.
Thank you.
Thanks.
Great speech.
My question is, if we do get control of the House, the Senate, and the governor's office, one of the first things that the legislature is going to do with including myself is push for the repeal of Act 10.
Where do you stand on that?
Okay, I just wanted to be here.
Have you heard from other people that you say no?
So I wanted to hear you say yes out here.
Mr. County, exactly.
Thank you for being here today.
I'm going to mention two names.
I think you know them both well.
One is Tom Barrett, the other, Mandela Barnes.
Wisconsin has not been kind to Milwaukee-based candidates.
How are you going to win where they did not?
Well, I'm also the only Milwaukee-based candidate who's actually delivered for rural communities already.
And so when we passed Act 12, that brought more money from the state of Wisconsin to every community across the state.
Engage them with a little bit more money, which continues to help them pay for public safety, infrastructure, housing, the things that matters most to them.
But I'm also, I'm also a current executive that don't believe that I need to stay inside my comfort zone.
The problem I believe with politics in Wisconsin is that most of us like to stay in our geographical comfort zone.
You know, and so for me, it's about meeting people exactly where they are.
And so as I travel across the state, it's not just about bringing my ideas to the table.
It's about building relationships.
And let's face it, a lot of people who Democrats and Republicans who rail on Milwaukee, most of the time has never met or been to Milwaukee.
And let's also face it, some of us in Milwaukee have never met and been to some of these other places across the state.
And so we have to bring some balance and we have to meet people exactly where they are.
But I don't think that being a Milwaukee-based candidate hurts me.
Being a Milwaukee-based candidate lets folks know that I'm willing and can do the job.
I represent 19 different municipalities, a million people, a six of the entire state's population is right here within Milwaukee County.
And as you know, Supervisor, all 19 communities in Milwaukee County don't necessarily get a loan.
But we've been able to come to the table and have those hard conversations.
And we've been able to make sure that they can lend their voices to the solutions that fit them.
And I think what's also important when it comes down to stepping outside my geographical comfort zone is that for too long, the way we've been organizing is telling other communities what they need to do.
The worst thing anybody could do is walk into somebody else's house and tell them to clean up.
It's not how it should work.
What we should be focusing on is asking them what the issues are.
Because there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution for the state of Wisconsin.
What works here in Milwaukee may not work in a baron, may not work in a marinade, may not work in a race scene, so on and so forth.
But the idea is making sure they're at the table so we can right-size those solutions to fit their communities.
And I think that's how we were able to get South Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, West Alice, Brown Deer, Glendale, and others to build affordable housing right here in Milwaukee County.
And we have seen a county executive become governor before.
We did.
We did see a Milwaukee County executive become governor before.
So there is a path, but it would be very clear.
I am nothing like that.
I'm going to go here to the new key.
In your state initiative, you address health care.
There are studies that show that 70 to 90% of all health issues are lifestyle related.
Its prevention is educating the public.
We could cut the bills tremendously if we could get people to cooperate.
How would you address this?
Well, it's about changing perception, right?
And so I don't look at health as just the mental and physical aspects of health.
Housing is health.
Public transit is health.
Access to a good public education is health.
Health care access is health.
And so we need to look at the broader lens of health to accomplish the social determinants of health,
because it doesn't just focus on the individual, it focuses on actually lifting up the community,
which helps us to save more money long term.
And so we have to focus on how do we invest upstream?
How do we focus on prevention and early intervention care versus only crisis care,
which is the most expensive care that is out there?
And so we have to become, we have to get creative and innovative as far as how we're working with clinics,
how we're working with hospital systems, how we're working with both the state and the federal government,
because let's face it, even what we've seen just happen at the federal level,
how is Wisconsin going to fill these gaps right now?
What are we going to do with some of the clinics that are not only leaving urban centers,
they're meaning rural areas?
I was just in Jackson County not too long ago, and they talked about the fact that they had to travel about an hour just to get to the next hospital.
And so can you imagine somebody trying to prepare for a pregnancy or trying to prepare for an emergency services?
That's an hour away.
We have to figure out how we bring things much closer and focus on more preventative measures.
The more we invest upstream, the less money we have to spend downstream on more expensive institutions.
And that works not only with healthcare, it works with mental health, it works with our education system.
It works with employment.
The more more we can keep people out of our emergency rooms, out of our jails and out of our prisons,
the more money we're going to have for our schools and for everything else that's going to help live all the boats in Wisconsin.
You know, you're kind of just touched on it, but I've just recently had a son.
He's a black boy here in Milwaukee and we're most incarcerated, most scariest place to raise a black man.
And so I'm just wondering, have you thought about criminal justice reform, ways to, let's say he's targeted and somehow gets a record,
but like the response member rules are ridiculous.
Are there plans to address those issues?
Oh, absolutely.
So full transparency, when I was in a state assembly, I was the ranking member on criminal justice.
So criminal justice issues are extremely important to me.
Not too long ago, we just celebrated the opportunity to bring more children back home from Lincoln Hills and keep them closer to Milwaukee County.
That was a bill that I brought to Robin Balls, right?
Now granted, I brought that bill to him in 2018 and it's taken this long to bring these kids back and for us to provide the opportunity that they need, right?
When it comes out to criminal justice, there's no reason why we have not changed the expungement laws.
No judge is going to look into a crystal ball during sentencing and say at the age of, because you're 25 or younger, we're going to give you the opportunity to get an expungement.
Everybody deserves the opportunity to get an expungement.
Every single person, right?
And we should also, I'm glad that Governor Evers has given out more partners than any other governor in our history.
And that's something that we have to continue because people deserve a second chance.
People absolutely deserve a second chance.
And don't tell me, my first job right out of high school was at a place called Project Return.
I was helping ex-offenders find employment and housing at the age of 18.
I was walking into prisons, helping people develop a plan.
It's one of the hardest jobs I've ever had in one of the most fulfilled.
Family convictions, it doesn't just lock a person up for that time frame.
It locks that person up almost for a lifetime.
Because we know that people continue to go to CCAP and use these things against so many folks.
My mother was evicted three times.
It took 10 years for those evictions to come off of a record.
So just imagine how hard it was for her to even move into a place.
It was difficult.
And so we absolutely need to revamp criminal justice.
And we're way behind the eight ball on that.
Rover, Grover Norquist came to the state of Wisconsin, came to the state legislature.
Almost back in 2017 talking about the need for Republicans to do criminal justice reform.
Now I don't agree with Rover Norquist on much.
Probably nothing except for the fact that we need criminal justice reform.
We absolutely have to focus on that.
The fact is that it is cheaper right now.
Cheaper right now to send a kid to Harvard for one year.
That it is to lock them up at Lincoln Hills for one year.
So we have to focus on how do we give more opportunity versus stifling it for many folks in our community.
Since 1966 we have never elected two governors of the same party in a row.
So this would be a groundbreaking election.
But over that time.
That's good.
Groundbreaking everything.
Over that time the numbers have not changed.
The margins have not changed.
So there's about 10 to 15% of the state electorate that goes from this side to this side to this side to this side.
So in your opinion who are those people?
What do they want and how are you going to convince them of yourself?
I don't know who those people are.
And as a politician elected official I never want to look into my crystal ball myself.
But I think those are the individuals who are looking for stability.
I think right now when I look at what is happening in this country right now there is absolutely no stability.
There's no certainty right now.
Right now we just we just found out the country and now it's like okay are we about to into a war and what is that going to look like moving forward.
And now how is those ripple effects and those dominoes falling going to affect everything that we now know as you know.
And I'm just saying now know because I hope this doesn't affect elections in the future.
I hope this doesn't say that you know we're going to see even more tyranny coming out of Washington DC.
But I think that at the end of the day focus on stability.
And I think that we have to make sure we're focusing on leadership that's going to push our parties even further.
Because again people aren't believing in the party system right now right.
And I will say that my job as the next governor of Wisconsin is not necessarily get everybody to become car carrying Democrats.
I would love to do that.
Right now my job is to get them to just vote for them.
And that's what we should be focusing on.
Because if we can change the mindset as far as how we can go right.
And let's face it Democrats state legislature past 32 years we've only had control for two.
Am I right.
Only for two.
We have to show that we can go.
We also have to be bold in how we go.
But our job is also to make sure that if we get that trifecta when that pendulum swings we got to make sure it's a step for.
We have to make sure it's stuck for a while because we have good policies.
We have good things to move forward.
But are we staying true to the message true to the vision consistent.
I know the Republican party has done that very well for the past 30 to 50 years.
We have not.
But we also sometimes we have to pick and choose our battles.
And what I mean by that is we can be wishy-washy.
It's two things I've been telling everybody that I agree with Trump on.
And yet Democrats have not done anything around this messaging.
Trump accounts.
I heard about that right.
What was that before?
Baby bonds.
We were fighting for baby bonds for more than a decade here in the state of Wisconsin.
You know what else he said that I also agree with?
Private equity firm shouldn't be buying single family bonds.
These are democratic ideas.
People forgot about it because we haven't talked about it because we're constantly reacting to what is happening in the White House.
So our eye is no longer on the ball.
It's just on Trump.
And as long as we continue to react to him, he's going to control every narrative.
It's time for us to take control.
It's time for us to organize.
Two really quick questions.
One, looking at the treatment of the people of Minneapolis and the Twin Cities,
as our next governor, what's the number one lesson or the top lessons you take out of seeing how that's unfolded?
And then second, you know, I work two full-time jobs.
I work two full-time jobs.
We're paying with two kids.
We're paying $42,000 a year in child care.
You know, we have friends who are teachers who can't afford a second kid.
It's not a day home.
What are you going to do to help solve that problem?
So the first one was related to Minneapolis.
Minneapolis.
So one stepping up is just as a leader, right?
I mean, as we've had conversations, not just with the governor's administration,
but the mayor's administration, making sure that you have processes in place for government is extremely important.
Right?
And so, and as you know, we were dealing with this kind of before Minneapolis,
because the Hana Duke, in case, you know, originated with us.
And so we actually had to dig ahead just because of those particular incidents that were happening.
And so one, my expectation is that law enforcement, local law enforcement,
should never ever be part of this federal immigration agenda that Donald Trump is pushing.
Right?
They're there to protect and serve our local residents.
And so my expectation is one, if they're out there to protect people who are exercising their first amendment rights,
they're there facing ICE versus facing the community that is out there, exercising their rights.
Right?
It is my expectation that all of us continue to work with not just government,
but the trusted messengers on the ground.
Right?
We're talking about those that have been done.
We're talking ACLU.
We're talking Turners Hall.
We're talking for Latino.
And I'm not just talking about them locally here in Milwaukee County.
I'm talking of them up across the entire state because everybody else in our state don't have access to the resources that we do.
And so we have to make sure that people get connected as much as possible.
And we've done that by even putting the community resource hub information out there.
Right?
And so it's setting the expectation as far as what you believe our government should be doing at the top of the future.
Right?
And that's what we're going to need in our next government.
Right?
Making sure that they set that expectation for local units of government, for local police departments, for our shares.
I don't think any community in Wisconsin should be participating in a 287G program.
No one.
And immigration is a civil issue.
Not a criminal issue.
But it's also a morality issue.
Morality conversation.
We're also happy.
And that's big for me.
And so now I'm actually trying to flip in this on the Republicans right now.
Because there's something the Republicans have constantly been talking about, you know, the Joshua Glover story.
Are you all familiar with the Joshua Glover story?
For those who are not, Joshua Glover was an enslaved black man who escaped, who escaped and came to Milwaukee.
And he got caught.
About 500 people broke him out of jail in Milwaukee and helped him escape to Canada.
A man by the name of Sherman Booth was then arrested right now.
Sherman Booth then sued because he was being arrested for violating the fugitive slavery.
Did you know that he sued and it went all the way up to the state Supreme Court?
And the Wisconsin state Supreme Court is the first and only state to ever deem the Fugitive Slave Act unconstitutional?
Wow.
This is a morality conversation.
And so if they want to use that story to say that they're the party of freedom, it doesn't feel like that right now.
And so this is a morality conversation.
There are a lot of people that we have to bring into the fold.
And I would tell you, there are people, especially in rural Wisconsin, who are very upset as far as what's happening.
Because it's not just affecting their economy.
It's affecting their school systems.
I think he had a question.
You didn't get to the second part.
Oh, it was just a job here.
Oh, we need universal talking.
We have to have universal child care.
We're lucky here in Milwaukee County that we still have access.
It's expensive.
We have access.
I heard a story about a couple in Marinette.
They were actually hiring individuals to work within the hospital.
Two doctors married two kids.
They accepted the job offer, struggling to find housing, but they had found housing.
But you know what they never found?
Child care.
They haven't turned the job down because there was no child care available.
And so we have to fix child care.
We have to fix child care, especially when you know we're getting older as a state.
And if we want to make sure that we have the same, our children have the same opportunities,
that the jobs and the economy that is here continue to stay strong.
We have to figure out how we keep people here or how we move people here.
We're making things that much more affordable.
And child care is going to be key for that.
So I believe that we need to have universal child care.
And I know we have to be like, well, how the heck are we going to pay for all this?
Right?
And so I think we should put a blue ribbon commission on the table as well.
And a blue ribbon commission is when we bring academics, we bring...
Do you see what we're saying now?
Don't be forced to sit on the shelves.
Oh no, we're not doing that.
So I want to bring academics.
I want to bring local units of government.
I want to bring labor.
I want to be business owners and have a conversation about revenue and spending in the state.
I don't think we have a revenue and spending problem.
I think it's antiquated.
A shared revenue... a shared revenue program is 100 plus years old.
It doesn't work.
And so I want to bring this blue ribbon commission together to take a look at how we collect revenues and how we spend.
But also look at what other states have been doing and see what can actually work here.
Let's have a transparent, robust conversation about what we need to do to make sure
that our schools are fully funded.
To make sure that we can fill the gaps in healthcare.
To make sure that we can have universal childcare and invest in affordable housing.
Because if we don't do that, we're going to continue to operate in a status quo.
And the status quo is not working.
Yes, true climate change.
We need big, bold issues.
What are the yours for getting to net zero?
And what is the timeline?
So, I need more of a plan than actually to get in there to figure out what that plan would actually look like.
And the reason why I say that is because we've obviously did this internally within Milwaukee County.
We created our Climate Action 2050 Plan to reduce our carbon emissions to zero by 2050.
And I'm happy to report with 49% of the way there already.
So, one, we have to focus on how we build a clean energy economy.
That has to be key.
How can we bring on more solar?
There's a lot more wind into the state of Wisconsin.
But we also have to make sure that there's some teeth within the PSC.
There's not a lot of teeth.
I know that.
I'm the first, actually, elected officials to actually file an intervention with the Public Service Commission on a utility company.
And I did that because they were doing a $5 billion project yet.
There were no local contractors working on the project.
Not one.
When you've got companies who have been in existence for 80 plus years and never had a diversity supply program, mind blowing for me.
And so we have to make sure that this is a top priority.
Because we have to make sure that one, we're lowering costs, energy costs, because I don't know if y'all got y'all bills that last too much.
But man, compared to last year, my bill was $100 more for the past two months.
Yeah.
And so without focusing on a clean energy economy, it's going to be real hard for us to get to that zero carbon emissions.
And so for me, one, how do we take advantage of what is happening right now?
I know there's conversations and we have to make a decision, unlike data centers, which have the opportunity to destroy our environment,
have the opportunity to raise prices on many different individuals across the state.
I think we need to put guardrails in place, one, to make sure that there's the safest of safe cars when it comes down to our environment.
If they're going to be here, let's put the safest of safe guards.
And I say that because if they leave and go somewhere else, great.
But if they don't have the same level of regulations that we can put on them here, how are we going to be affected in the future?
How is that going to affect our climate as a whole?
So if we can put a strong hold of protections, let's do that.
But also let's use it to also create community benefits.
So if they're going to be using prices and spending money on utility rates and they're going to do upgrades,
they should have to spend that money up front themselves.
It should not be on the backs of any rate payer, should not.
So whether you're talking about the grid, whether you're talking about bringing more clean energy, they need to be at the table.
But I also think that if they're going to be paying their bill and everybody sees the focus on energy line,
when you pay your energy bill, the focus on energy line is dollars that you pay to go towards more clean energy construction projects.
And there's only so much that you can do related to that.
But when there's an excess of money, how about we use that money to buy down the rate for everybody's electricity use?
We can be creative and we have to get creative.
And we have to focus on the clean energy economy because our agriculture, our land, our water is too much a part of our very fabric,
too much of our part of our economy for us not to keep it at the center of the decisions that we make.
He had one and did not go to your share.
So you touched on a lot about health and I think one part of health is free removal of milk in it and how urban renewal,
free rate removal of urban renewal has really cut up our communities.
I know the governor doesn't decide what freeways come down and what go up, but if you are governor,
would you advocate and appoint people to the Department of Transportation that would push to tear down 794 and look into tearing down the stadium interchange?
I'm already trying to get the stadium interchange.
I want to get the stadium interchange by FM field.
I want to turn that into a boulevard.
That should be a boulevard.
It's never busy.
Actually, I've been advocating for that for the past five years that should be turned into a boulevard.
If you're going to do this expansion with 94, then you need to remove this where we can create more opportunities,
more development, more economic opportunities for our city.
And so I am absolutely for, what is that, 175, removing that 175.
And you have to have people who live in these communities who are going to be on the boulevard so they can speak to the lived experience as well.
Because if folks who are making these decisions don't live there, don't travel through there.
They're making a decision that doesn't impact them at all.
And so I've made it a point, even as county executive, that if you don't have any lived experiences,
I don't think that you should be sitting on these commissions, on these boards.
Yes, today's paper.
Wait, I want to hear about 794.
Yes, about 794.
What about, I don't want to, what?
794 is like from the market interchange to the home bridge.
Like not the home bridge, but like what can I talk to the home bridge?
Oh, I know what you're talking about.
Yeah, we don't make that decision, but it's about the people who was there.
So I don't know what you want me to say about it.
But no, I think that you have to have people who are there who understand the community to make those decisions.
Yes, today's paper.
Your future state initiative.
There's a lot of exciting ideas up in there, and as a supervisor, I could trade it like dedicated funding for parks and the zoo.
Lots of other good ideas too.
My question is...
You didn't like?
No, I didn't like.
Oh, that was amazing.
No, there's lots of good ideas.
Yeah.
First of all, who paid for this study?
And second, why haven't we heard about this before now?
I'm sorry, but they actually called you to actually meet with you before we actually introduced it.
All right.
We'd actually sat down with supervisors before where this was even actually introduced.
We've been doing this in-house within Milwaukee County.
We've been talking to counties.
We've been talking to county workers.
We've talked to supervisors.
We've talked to a few of our community partners as well.
And we brought it to the supervisors.
We've actually had Isaac come into meetings to actually have this conversation with supervisors directly.
And these are just recommendations.
This is anything that we're passing right now.
And so our goal is to bring this now to the community to have a conversation as far as what they want to see.
Okay.
Well, if I didn't meet, it was because I was working in my other job.
But is this your, shall we say, platform going forward for your run for help?
No.
That is the county executive's job.
There's nothing to do with the governorship or anything like that.
This is a conversation that we've been focusing on since the very beginning.
As you're aware, 2017 became a declared racism public health crisis.
Right?
I got elected or 2018.
I got elected in 2020.
We doubled down and fought on our first strategic plan, right?
Which everybody was a part of within Milwaukee County.
Now we've had it and we've had a chance to do a deep dive related to the programs and services that we provide.
The question is, are we actually making sure that people don't fall through the cracks?
Are we actually making sure that our key performing indicators are actually helping to hold us accountable in the right benchmarks that we need to have?
And so the future state project is just about making sure that no matter where you live, no matter who you are, that you can get access to these programs and services because government was not built to treat everybody.
And we want to make sure that we're right sizing it to do that.
There's a growing awareness and movement across the world of the importance of the aid of plants.
They prevent runoffs, they prevent flooding, they feed the pollinators and that is essential to our ecosystem.
So do you anticipate that being a priority or having a special commission to introduce that at a more priority?
Is that a priority?
Saying to save this.
We have to focus.
Even within Milwaukee County, we're actually removing concrete channels and actually putting the native plants where they used to be because that's what helps to reduce crime.
And we see what happens in communities like Houston because they got concrete everywhere, they don't have anywhere for the water to go.
And I think what we just recently just dealt with related to the recent floods, right?
It basically says that we actually have to push these types of projects of moving forward even more.
We've already started having these conversations with MMSD as far as the cost and what this will look like moving forward to make sure that we can prevent the levels of flooding that we have seen become more consistent here within Milwaukee County.
So absolutely.
Okay, so a second question.
There's a lot of people that want to volunteer.
There's a why on ones, lots of different environmental organizations that are wanting to do this.
Is there a place in as a county commissioner within our natural areas that we have in our parks for people to be doing this kind of work?
Absolutely.
So many, if not all of our parks have friends of parks, which is basically nonprofit groups who actually support the department, they're basically adopted.
And so those individuals, they raise their own funds and when they're able to raise their own funds, that actually helps us get the project done a little quicker because now we've been able to leverage private resources.
And so we encourage that and we should be encouraging that across our entire state.
But unfortunately, our state is either dead last or second to last when it comes down to investments in natural resources.
And we have to flip that on its head because our natural resources is our most precious commodity in our state.
Thank you.
So as you know, if we look in the future, transit funding does not look very good.
It doesn't look good.
This year, it doesn't look good.
Next year, it's just service cuts are writing on the wall.
If you become governor, like, how are you going to work with other municipalities and groups?
Besides just bringing them to the table, but what's the strategy to make sure we have a robust transit system?
Transit is a difficult one.
I mean, as Milwaukee County executive, right, a quarter of our transit budget comes from the federal government.
So if they cut transit, you can imagine how that affects us.
And there's a certain amount of money that we also receive from the state as well.
And unfortunately, the pot of money that we get in those public transit days has not grown with inflation.
We just recently seen a small tick, but it's not translating and actually saving these services.
And so just to give you an example, in 2020, when we received, or 2021, we received all of our American Rescue Plan Act dollars to help our transit system.
You know what the state of Wisconsin did?
Cut $40 million from our public transit system.
It was the first thing that they did.
Oh, wow.
And so, one, we need to increase those public transit days.
Two, we need a regional transit authority in the state of Wisconsin.
We have to have a regional transit authority in this state.
We're a county-based system.
Racine is city-based.
Think about the old Claire Stevens Point area.
They have a city-based system.
All of us are struggling.
Hey, we actually wanted to build on a walk-and-show bus system.
And ironically, they decided not to go with us.
They hired our sub-contractor.
And so, we have to focus on our RTA because without our RTA, we won't have the necessary funding to have a robust system.
And without a robust system, it's going to be hard to grow our economy.
I'm tired of people with us talking about Foxconn.
I'm talking about how that was the eighth wonder of the world.
Now, we're talking about these data centers and businesses that are popping up in places like Kenosha, Racine, Sheboygan.
I'm glad that they're happening, but the problem I have is that I can't get anybody in my community to those jobs.
And so, by having a regional transit authority, we could actually spread out a little bit more.
And I say spread out a little bit more because that's the city of Milwaukee.
I don't compete with Chicago.
Chicago is huge.
But we do compete as Southeastern Wisconsin against Chicago.
And so, the more we can take a regional approach with our transit, the more we'll be able to create more opportunities for those that we represent.
I think it's safe to say on election day, Milwaukee County will vote for whoever is the Democratic candidate for governor.
Can you speak to the coalition of support you've built around the state of Wisconsin and any endorsements you've secured that give you hope for winning in other places across the state?
So, coalitions that I have built.
So, I've been working campaigns my entire life.
I started working on campaigns in 2010, working for West Pineville.
And so, I have the opportunity to start actually building those coalitions as a staffer before I even ran for office.
I'm an organizer.
I come from a community organizing background.
That's how I got involved in this work.
And so, for me, I've been organizing in many of these communities for the past ten years and not around politics, but about the issues that matter most to them.
So, I've been organizing Kenosha, organizing Racine, organizing here locally.
Rock County, which is basically in Beloitte, in Rock, Jamesville.
Been to the Eau Claire area doing organizing.
Been to Sheboygan doing organizing.
Fox City's area doing organizing.
And so, for me, we've been able to bring people, not just Democrats, but quite frankly,
Republicans who don't want to say that they're Republicans anymore and independents now, who just want somebody who can deliver results.
And the only reason why they're looking to meet for is because they know that we have a track record of being able to deliver results.
Especially as a Democrat, because we've done so much in the Republican control legislature.
And when it comes down to endorsements, we're getting endorsement.
I just hear it locally.
We just announced one.
For me to try to name one would be crazy.
But we just announced one from Champa Low County.
We have them across mayor.
And so, you know, we could focus on endorsements, but I would say that,
for me personally, I don't want your endorsement if it's not going to come with work.
If it's not going to bring something to the table, putting your name under mind.
I don't think anybody has ever went in there and said, oh, David Crawley's a dutch.
It dorks you such as such.
I'm a vote for him because of that.
Right?
People want to see the work.
And I think that that's what matters most to anybody and everybody right now, because we can all make promises.
We can all say what we're going to do.
But the question is, can you deliver?
I think that's the most important question all of us should be asking every single guy.
Just kind of speaking on that.
You touched on it earlier, but can you kind of go into detail on how you got the sales tax, kind of pass,
and, like, obviously you have to work across the aisle and what some of those conversations were,
and how you would use that skillset.
Yeah.
That was fun.
So, it started off when I was a state rep.
It started before I even ran for County Executive.
We even thought about running for County Executive.
And so, I was already working with Milwaukee County as far as how to message this to come to the state.
And while I was a state representative, we were able to get the very first hearing.
And that helped.
When I became the County Executive, I wanted to focus on building relationships.
Now, I'll tell you, it's very hard to build relationships because I was sworn in May 4th, 2020,
instead of the pandemic.
So, getting to know people was very difficult, right?
And so, first thing I did is I started to build relationships with every municipality.
I did a municipal tour.
I visited every municipality, which I thought was normal, and I realized it wasn't.
But the second thing, when I was, when I started talking to people here locally,
and started to get people on board with the plan that I wanted to bring to the state,
we realized, well, we're the political lightning rod.
Democrats, Republicans, they are real on Milwaukee.
So, how do I change the perception of Milwaukee?
Where do you go meet them where they are?
So, we went on a statewide tour.
I went to line accruals, right?
I was able to tap or go to Kade, but was able to have a conversation about shared revenue
that most have never had before.
I went to Rhineland for a joint finance here.
It was great to be there for the whole DAG.
It was my first time seeing the whole DAG.
You've never been there as a mythical creature.
That's actually in the Rhinelander.
And it was the furthest that I traveled as it relates to speaking at a joint finance here.
Two stories within going up to Rhinelander.
I was in a supper club.
The only person of color in this supper club.
And I made it a point to talk to people that I didn't know.
So, I met this couple.
The wife at the moment just blew me off.
She was not trying to have any conversation,
but I sparked up a conversation with her husband.
And we started to engage.
And one of my former Republican colleagues,
she said that she was going to stay next to me because she didn't know where this conversation was going to go.
But he wanted to smoke.
And so, we walked out of this supper club and he's having a smoke and we continue our conversation.
This is why he walks out of the supper club demanding the lead.
He looks at his wife and says, well, we can go, but you can't leave until you meet David.
He talked about the fact that he had a great conversation.
I was a Democrat.
I was from Milwaukee.
And he really liked me.
This is what I mean like you have to build these relationships.
The next day we have to hear me and they allow me to go first because I travel further than anybody else.
And so, while I was at this joint finance hearing, I spoke to all Milwaukee issues.
The only thing I did different was I didn't say the word, but what.
When I was done with my speech, everybody gave me a standing ovation
because we were able to speak directly to the issues, not the partisanship,
not the geographical locations and fights that we created.
We have to recognize that the divisions and the distractions, that's a part of the strategy so we never come together.
And so, when we were able to get other communities on board, because I will say everybody said, well, why don't we help out Milwaukee?
We have our own problems.
And that's when it was, well, if you help out Milwaukee, you can help out yourself because you should be able to be able to.
And so, Milwaukee County, City of Milwaukee, Townes Association, Wisconsin Counties Association, you had business groups across the entire state.
You had real estate groups across the entire state who signed onto our plane.
And now it became harder for them to ignore us.
So, then I go to Robin Voss and I say, hey, we want this to happen.
He said, hell no for my dream.
And it went from hell no to just no.
And it went from no to I think about it, to then we started actually having these.
And one thing that I'm extremely proud of related to what I was able to negotiate is that we were able to protect everything and more of the county.
I didn't have to give up my DEI program and we were going to do this work.
I didn't have to give up anything, to be honest with you.
Because I've been there, I had a few laps around the track.
It gave me enough skills and enough knowledge to actually know how to come into that table to negotiate.
Now, I also tell you, it didn't solve all of our problems.
It didn't.
But let's face it, you think they was going to help me solve my problem?
No.
But where we are today is the best fiscal place we have been in Milwaukee County.
Yeah, we talked about the deficit that we were facing this year.
I'm proud to report we actually ended in a surplus.
As a matter of fact, we ended in a surplus every year that I've been coming to the executive.
And so I want to build upon that success.
I want to build upon the hard work that we have been doing, advocating and lobbying on behalf of local communities.
Because our government is local.
But we have to also make sure that the state doesn't continue to allow cities, towns, villages, and counties to fall by the way.
Thank you.
We'll do one last question if anybody has one last question and then we'll wrap it up.
Thank you.
Well, thank you.
Thank you.
All right.
I'll see you there.
Thank you, sir.
Can I get a selfie with you?
Thank you so much.
Okay.
Yeah, you're starting off.
Want me to do with my camera?
Yes, I'll let me go.
Thank you.
Thanks for wishing.
I don't give you a question,
I think corporations come in at the moment, all.
They frick one.
Okay, so it's a homeroom.
Okay, so Fred put his cusp in the childhood.
I don't know.
Tell me, don't know.
Say important.
So, he's been on to his own.
Yeah, but transportation, yes.
And, you know, I just wonder if he's
operating health transportation in the lower heels of it.
And that's too hard, because.