>> AFTER HIS LANDSLIDE VICTORY
IN TUESDAY'S ELECTION, THE NEW
MAYOR OF MILWAUKEE SAYS PRIORITY
ONE IS TO CONNECT WITH STATE
LEGISLATIVE LEADERS.
35-YEAR-OLD CAVALIER JOHNSON WON
WITH 72% OF THE VOTE OVER HIS
CHALLENGER, BOB DONOVAN, WHO
TOOK 28%.
JOHNSON IS THE FIRST ELECTED
BLACK MAYOR OF MILWAUKEE AND THE
FIRST MILLENNIAL TO RUN THE
CITY.
MAYOR JOHNSON JOINS US NOW FROM
MILWAUKEE AND, MAYOR, THANKS
VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND
CONGRATULATIONS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, FREDERICA.
I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE AND THANKS
FOR HAVING ME.
>> SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU
TO BE ELECTED MILWAUKEE'S FIRST
BLACK MAYOR.
>> SO MANY THINGS.
I OFTEN REFLECT ABOUT MY
ELECTION NIGHT CELEBRATION, AND
ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE I SPOKE
TO THAT NIGHT WAS A
NINE-YEAR-OLD AFRICAN-AMERICAN
BOY.
AND NOW A KID LIKE HIM, WHO IS
GROWING UP IN THE SAME SORT OF
DEPRESSED, CHALLENGED
NEIGHBORHOODS THAT I GREW UP IN
IN MILWAUKEE, NOW HE CAN SEE HIS
OWN REFLECTION IN THE HIGHEST
OFFICE IN THE CITY.
I THINK THAT'S VERY POWERFUL AND
SENDS A MESSAGE TO PEOPLE ACROSS
MILWAUKEE THAT NO MATTER WHERE
YOU COME FROM, NO MATTER HOW
MUCH YOUR PARENTS MAKE, NO
MATTER THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN,
THERE'S A PLACE FOR YOU IN
MILWAUKEE, TOO.
>> INDEED.
JUST AFTER WINNING THE ELECTION,
YOU SAID YO YOUR FIRST ORDER OF
BUSINESS WAS TO CALL ROBIN VOS
AND DEVIN LEMAHIEU.
HAVE YOU REACHED THEM YET?
>> YEAH.
THE FIRST THING I DID WHEN I
CAME INTO OFFICE AS MAYOR-ELECT
WAS TO CALL ROBIN VOS.
VERY FIRST CALL THAT I MADE.
AND HE DID CALL ME BACK LATER IN
THE DAY.
WE HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION.
WE DO HAVE A CALL INTO SENATOR
LEMAHIEU AS WELL.
I'VE ENGAGED WITH A NUMBER OF
OTHER REPUBLICAN LEGISLATIVE
LEADERS AS WELL.
SO I WAS SERIOUS ABOUT HAVING
THE KIND OF CAPITAL AND
REBUILDING THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN MILWAUKEE AND MADISON.
WE CAN'T MOVE FORWARD UNLESS WE
HAVE A TRUE WORKING RELATIONSHIP
WITH MADISON AND I WANT TO BUILD
THAT.
>> DO YOU FEEL AS THOUGH THAT
RELATIONSHIP HAD BEEN BROKEN?
>> YEAH.
I DO BELIEVE THE RELATIONSHIP
HAD BEEN BROKEN.
FOR THE PAST OVER A DECADE, THAT
BROKEN RELATIONSHIP HAS PUT
MILWAUKEE IN A VERY PRECARIOUS
SITUATION FINANCIALLY AND OTHER
ASPECTS AS WELL.
IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT
WE REBUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP.
MILWAUKEE IS A VALUE ADDED TO
THE STATE OF WISCONSIN.
I'M WORKING EVERY SINGLE DAY
WITH REPUBLICAN LEADERS TO BRING
THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL
CONVENTION RIGHT HERE TO OUR
STATE, RIGHT HERE TO MILWAUKEE.
WE'RE GOING TO BE COMING TO
WISCONSIN EVEN THOUGH OUR STATE
IS THE PURPLEST OF STATES, THEY
WOULDN'T BE COMING HERE IF
MILWAUKEE WEREN'T HERE.
THE CITY IS VALUE ADDED.
IT'S HIGH TIME WE WORK WITH THE
LEGISLATURE TO HAVE THEM REALIZE
THAT AS WELL.
>> SO WHAT SPECIFICALLY DO YOU
WANT FROM THE REPUBLICAN-LED
LEGISLATURE?
>> I WANT FOR THEM TO RECOGNIZE
AGAIN THE VALUE ADDED TO THE
STATE THAT MILWAUKEE BRINGS.
I WANT THEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT
MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS IN THE
UNITED STATES ARE ANCHORED BY
CITIES LIKE MILWAUKEE AND THOSE
CITIES NEED ADDITIONAL REVENUES,
NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS.
MILWAUKEE IS DIFFERENT THAN
MARINETTE.
IT'S THE REASON WHY IT'S THE
ONLY FIRST-CLASS CITY IN THE
STATE.
OUR INFRA STRUCTURE, OUR
SERVICES, ARE STRESSED BEYOND
THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE IN THE
CITY WITH VISITORS AND COMMUTERS
EVERY SINGLE DAY.
WE NEED TO SUPPORT THOSE
SERVICES THAT ALL THOSE FOLKS
EXPECT AND DESERVE.
<!3276
>> SO YOU'RE LOOKING FOR MORE
SUPPORT.
DO YOU FEEL AS THOUGH MILWAUKEE
HAS BEEN MALIGNED BY THE
LEADERSHIP IN MADISON?
>> I THINK THERE HAD BEEN
RELATIONSHIPS AT PLAY WITH THE
FORMER LEADERSHIP HERE AND THE
LEGISLATURE AND IT'S TIME FOR
THOSE TENSIONS TO THAW.
LOOK, A STRONG, PROSPEROUS
GROWING MILWAUKEE IS GOOD FOR
WISCONSIN.
LEGISLATIVE LEADERS NEED TO
REALIZE THAT TOO.
>> I READ YOU WANT TO CHANGE GUN
LAWS TO HELP STEM VIOLENCE IN
MILWAUKEE.
HOW DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE GUN
LAWS?
>> AT THE LOCAL LEVEL WE DON'T
CONTROL GUN LAW.
WE JUST REACT TO IT.
IN ONE OF THE MORE RECENT YEARS,
OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT COLLECTED
MORE GUNS A OFF THE STREET THANN
NEW YORK.
THAT SHOULDN'T BE.
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S OUT
OF OUR CONTROL.
WE JUST RESPOND TO IT.
WE STOP FOLKS WHO HAVE GUNS.
THERE ARE SO MANY GUNS OUT
THERE.
I DON'T WANT PEOPLE WHO
SHOULDN'T HAVE GUNS IN THE FIRST
PLACE TO GET THEIR HANDS ON THEM
AS EASILY AS THEY DO.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO REBUILD THIS
RELATIONSHIP WITH MADISON SO
THAT WE CAN HAVE LAWS IN PLACE
THAT WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT
PEOPLE WHO SHOULDN'T HAVE THOSE
GUNS DON'T GET ACCESS TO THEM.
SO I'M ASKING FOR COMMON SENSE
GUN REFORM.
THIS IS COMING FROM NOT SOMEBODY
WHO HAS BEEN JUST A VICTIM OF
GUN VIOLENCE MYSELF OR IN MY
FAMILY, BUT SOMEBODY WHO ALSO
RESPECTS THE SECOND AMENDMENT
AND SOMEBODY WHO ENJOYS GOING TO
RANGES AND SHOOTING GUNS, TOO.
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME TO
SOME COMMON SENSE SOLUTIONS HERE
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALLOWING
PEOPLE TO HAVE ACCESS, BUT ALSO
PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIES AT
THE SAME TIME.
>> A KEY FOCUS OF THE CAMPAIGN
WAS ON VIOLENT CRIME IN YOUR
CITY.
ARE MORE POLICE PART OF YOUR FIX
NOTWITHSTANDING CONCERNS ABOUT
OVER-POLICING OF NEIGHBORS?
>> I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO
HAVE AN ADEQUATE NUMBER OF
POLICE.
THAT'S WHY OVER THE COURSE OF
THE PAST YEAR I THOUGHT TO
ACCEPT A FEDERAL GRANT THAT HAD
BECOME CONTROVERSIAL.
I WORKED BEHIND-THE-SCENES IN
ORDER TO GET IT PASSED.
TODAY THERE'S A DIVERSE CLASS OF
POLICE OFFICERS,
AFRICAN-AMERICANS, LATINOS,
ASIANS, MEN AND WOMEN, MOSTLY
CITY REST DEN RESIDENTS ON OUR S
PROTECTING AND SERVING.
FUNDING TO MAKE SURE WE HAD
DOLLARS AVAILABLE TO RECRUIT AND
BRING ON 200 POLICE OFFICERS TO
REPLACE THE ROUGHLY SIMILAR
NUMBER THAT ARE RETIRING BECAUSE
THEY'VE REACHED 25 YEARS.
I WANT TO HAVE AN ADEQUATE
NUMBER OF POLICE IN MILWAUKEE.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE IN A
POSITION WHERE PAYING FOR POLICE
IS NOT SUSTAINABLE FOR
MILWAUKEE, NOT WITH THE CURRENT
REVENUE STRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE.
WE NEED PARTNERSHIP AT THE STATE
TO PAY FOR THE POLICE THAT WE
HAVE.
IF WE HAVE ADDITIONAL POLICE
OFFICERS, AFFORD TO BE ABLE TO
PAY FOR THOSE AS WELL.
>> YOU SAID IT IS A NEW DAY FOR
MILWAUKEE.
HOW SO?
>> IT'S A NEW DAY IN MILWAUKEE
BECAUSE WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO
BUILD A NEW RELATIONSHIP,
WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR
PARTNERS IN THE STATE.
WE HAVE A GOAL TO MAKE SURE THAT
PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN MILWAUKEE
HAVE ACCESS TO NEIGHBORHOODS
THAT ARE SAFE ACROSS THE CITY,
NOT JUST IN THE PROSPERITY
NEIGHBORHOODS AND DOWNTOWN OR
THOSE THAT HUG UPON LAKE
MICHIGAN.
BUT I WANT SAFETY IN ALL OF OUR
NEIGHBORHOODS IN MILWAUKEE.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S
PROSPERITY IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS
ACROSS MILWAUKEE, TOO, THE
NEIGHBORHOODS THAT I GREW UP IN.
BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND BASED ON MY
LIFE EXPERIENCE THAT WHEN THE
LEAST OF THESE IN OUR COMMUNITY
HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE
ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND LESS
FINANCIAL STRESS, THAT THEY
BECOME STABLE IN THEIR OWN
LIVES, THEY PASS THAT STABILITY
ONTO THEIR CHILDREN, SO THEIR
REACTION IN THE STREETS AND
SCHOOLS IS DIFFERENT.
WHEN WE GET A CRITICAL MASS OF
THAT, THAT'S HOW YOU TREAT
PUBLIC SAFETY.
I'M GLAD TO BE THE ONE LEADING
THE CHARGE.