>> AND AS WE'VE ALL BEEN BRIEFED
BY THE BUDGET OFFICE IN GREAT
DETAIL, THE WOLF IS AT THE DOOR.
YOU CAN'T CHASE THE WOLF AWAY
ANYMORE AND WE ARE DEALING WITH
SOME SERIOUS CHALLENGES WHICH
HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED.
WE DID GET A SOLUTION.
THE STATE LEGISLATURE DID ENABLE
US TO ADOPT A LOCAL OPTION SALES
TAX OF 2%, WHICH RAISES REAL
REVENUE.
I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING $193
BILLION A YEAR PLUS AND
PRESUMABLY THAT WILL GROW AS THE
ECONOMY GROWS IN THE YEARS GOING
FORWARD.
>> CITY OF MILWAUKEE LEADERS ARE
BREATHING A SIGH OF RELIEF AFTER
THE COMMON COUNCIL THERE THIS
WEEK VOTED IN FAVOR OF AN
ADDITIONAL 2% SALES TAX TO STAVE
OFF DEEP SERVICE CUTS AND
LAY-OFFS DUE TOP MOUNTING
PENSION DEBT, BUT AS PART OF THE
NEGOTIATED SHARED REVENUE TO
LOCAL GOVERNMENT PACKAGE IN THE
STATE BUDGET, THE MILWAUKEE
SALES TAX CAME WITH POLICY
PROVISIONS THAT DEEPLY DIVIDE
THE CITY.
THINGS LIKE RETURNING POLICE
OFFICERS TO THE CITY SCHOOLS,
ELIMINATING FUNDING FOR
DIVERSITY PROGRAMS, AND
REQUIRING MINIMUM POLICE AND
FIRE STAFFING.
MILWAUKEE MAYOR CAVALIER JOHNSON
SAID IN TAKING THIS ACTION, THE
COUNCIL HAS PROTECTED MILWAUKEE
AND ITS RESIDENTS FROM
UNIMAGINABLE CUTS TO LIBRARY AND
PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES.
MAYOR JOHNSON JOINS US NOW.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR DOING SO.
>> THANK YOU.
>> HOWTDZ IT FEEL TO HAVE -- HOW
DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE SIGNED THIS
INTO LAW TODAY?
>> IT FREE FEELS GREAT.
IT WAS A PROBLEM FOUR DECADES IN
THE MAKING.
IT ELUDED MAYORS AND CITY
COUNCIL'S AND GOVERNORS AND
LEGISLATURES IN YEARS PAST, BUT
WORKING TOGETHER IN A
COLLABORATIVE, BIPARTISAN WAY,
WE WERE ABLE TO GET THIS DONE
AND PUT THE CITY ON A STRONGER
FINANCIAL FOOTING FOR NOW AND
FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE AND I
FEEL VERY CONGRATULATE FEUD TO
DELIVER THIS FOR THE CITIZENS OF
MILWAUKEE, FOR OUR DAILY
COMMUTERS, OUR VISITORS, AND
THERE ARE SEVERAL IN TOWN FOR
HARLEY-DAVIDSON'S ANNIVERSARY,
AND OTHER BUSINESSES THAT CALL
MILWAUKEE HOME.
>> DO YOU FEEL LIKE THERE'S ROOM
FOR MORE COLLABORATIVE WORK WITH
THE LEGISLATURE AFTER THIS?
>> I DO, I REALLY, REALLY DO.
ON A WHOLE HOST OF THINGS, BUT
PARTICULARLY ON SOMETHING THAT
THE CITY'S BEEN CHALLENGED WITH,
ESPECIALLY AS WE ENTERED INTO
AND ARE COMING OUT OF THE COVID
YEARS, AND THAT'S GUN VIOLENCE.
I NOW UNDERSTAND THAT THE
LEGISLATURE IS WHAT IT IS.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A POLITICAL
REALIST AS IT RELATES TO DEALING
WITH THE LEGISLATURE, SO THERE
WON'T BE SWEEPING LEGISLATION,
BUT THERE MUST BE THINGS ON THE
MARGINS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO WORK
ON, BECAUSE WHEN I GET UP AND I
GET PHONECALLS AND TEXT MESSAGES
FROM THE MILWAUKEE POLICE
DEPARTMENT ABOUT PEOPLE BEING
SHOT AND KILLED IN OUR CITY, AND
INCLUDING OUR KIDS, I THINK THAT
THAT PROBABLY ALSO TROUBLES
LEGISLATORS AS WELL, INCLUDING
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS, TOO, AND
I THINK THAT THERE'S SOMETHING
THAT ALL OF US CAN DO
COLLECTIVELY IN ORDER TO TAKE ON
THAT CHALLENGE THAT AFFECTS
CITIES IN THIS CITY AND IN THIS
STATE.
>> ON THE 2% SALES TAX, UP LET'S
LISTEN TO ONE OF THE THREE
COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT VOTED
AGAINST THE SALES TAX.
>> THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, I
HAVE ASKED THAT WE PRIORITIZE
THOSE AMONG US WHO DO NOT EARN A
FAMILY SUSTAINING WAGE AND ARE
ON FIXED INCOMES, CONTRARY TO
THE NARRATIVE THAT HAS BEEN
FASHIONED, I LOVE MILWAUKEE.
I WOULD ARGUE THAT CHOOSING TO
REMAIN HERE KNOWING ALL OF THE
STATISTICS ONLY COMPOUNDS THAT
LOVE.
I DO NOT WANT TO SEE US FAIL.
I ALSO DO NOT WANT TO SAVE A
CITY BY SACRIFICING CITIZENS.
>> WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO THOSE
WHO SAY THAT THIS NEW TAX, WHEN
ADDED TO THE EXISTING TAX AND
POTENTIALLY A NEW COUNTY TAX
WILL AMOUNT TO A 7.9% SALES TAX
IN MILWAUKEE.
IS THAT LEGITIMATE HARDSHIP FOR
LOW INCOME RESIDENTS AS SOME
PEOPLE ARE SUGGESTING?
>> FIRST, FREDERICA, LET ME JUST
SAY THAT I DON'T DOUBT THAT ANY
COUNCIL MEMBER, INCLUDING THOSE
THAT VOTED "NO" ON THIS HAD ANY
LESS LOVE OR DESIRE FOR THE CITY
OF MILWAUKEE THAN I DO OR THOSE
COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THEY'RE COLLEAGUES THAT VOTED
"YES" ON THIS, BUT WHAT I WILL
SAY IS THAT THE ACTION THAT THE
COUNCIL TOOK WAS EXTRAORDINARILY
IMPORTANTLY.
THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO VOTED
YEPTION O "YES" ON THIS TOOK STS
TO CITIZENS WHO LIVE IN
CHALLENGED NEIGHBORHOODS THAT
THOSE IN LOW-INCOME
NEIGHBORHOODS DEPEND ON.
IT'S DISTRICTS LIKE THOSE WHERE
PEOPLE CALL THE POLICE THE MOST,
DISTRICTS LIKE THOSE WHERE FIRE
SERVICES AND MEDICAL SERVICES
PROVIDED BY OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT
ARE DEPENDED ON THE MOST.
IT'S DISTRICTS LIKE THOSE WHERE
LIBRARY SERVICES ARE DEPENDENT
ON THE MOST, AND SO THE ACTION
BY THE COUNCIL, PARTICULARLY
THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO VOTED
"YES" ON THE 2% SALES TAX
INCREASE, PUTS US IN A POSITION
WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO
PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES TO ALL OF
THOSE RESIDENTS, WHO ACTUALLY
NEED THEM IN NEIGHBORHOODS
ACROSS MILWAUKEE AND INCLUDING
IN LOW-INCOME DISTRICTS ACROSS
THE CITY.
>> SO THE COUNCIL INTRODUCED
LEGISLATION OPPOSING THE POLICY
PART OF THIS DEAL WITH THE
LEGISLATURE, INCLUDING LAWSUITS
TO BLOCK PROVISIONS LIKE
WHIMINAELIMINATING CERTAIN PROGN
SCHOOLS.
DO YOU SUPPORT LISTI LITIGATIONR
THOSE THINGS?
>> I BELIEVE THERE'S
OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO WORK
TOGETHER, TO STILL GET THE
CITY'S VALUES IMPLEMENTED,
INSTILL WORK ON IMPLEMENTING
DIVERDIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLN
PROGRAMS IN MILWAUKEE, AND I
INTEND TO DO JUST THAT.
I'M SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO GET
OUR INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS
TEAM TO GO BACK TO THE
LEGISLATURE TO START TO WORK
TOWARDS THE REPEAL OF THE POLICY
PROVISIONS THAT WERE THERE THAT,
QUITE FRANKLY, I DON'T THINK HAD
ANY PLACE BEING IN THE BILL.
THEY DIDN'T NEED TO BE THERE.
I WISH IT WERE SIMPLY AN
UP-AND-DOWN VOTE ON THE CITY'S
FINANCES WHICH, OF COURSE, WAS
NOT AN ISSUE THAT WAS
SPECIFICALLY RELATED ONLY TO THE
CITY OF MILWAUKEE.
COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE ENTIRE
STATE OF WISCONSIN HAD AN ISSUE
WITH FUNDING COMING BACK FROM
THE STATE OF WISCONSIN, SO IT'S
MY DESIRE, AGAIN, TO CONTINUE TO
MAKE THAT WE WORK TO DELIVER
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
PROGRAMS IN MILWAUKEE AND I
THINK THERE ARE WAYS FOR US TO
GO ABOUT IT EVEN NOW.
>> WHAT DO YOU ST SAY TO PEOPLEO
SAID THAT YOU NEGOTIATED A BAD
DEAL?
>> I SAY THAT THEY'RE WRONG.
THEY SIMPLY ARE.
LOOK.
THIS WAS A BIG, DIFFICULT,
COMPLEX, BUT ULTIMATELY TRIUMPH
FOR THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE, AND
THE REPUBLICANS IN THE
LEGISLATURE, THEY KNEW THAT THE
ONLY WAY THAT THEY'D BE ABLE TO
SEE THE POLICIES THAT THEY
WANTED TO IMPLEMENT IN MILWAUKEE
ON ALL OF THESE ISSUES COME TO
FRUITION WAS TO ATTACH IT TO
SOMETHING THAT THE CITY NEEDED,
AND AFTER FOUR DEKING OF
STAGNATION DECADES OF STAGNATION
AND REVENUES COMING BACK TO
MILWAUKEE AND OUR FISCAL CLICHE
INCHING CLOSER AND CLOSER, THE
OPPORTUNITY WAS RIPE FOR THEM TO
DO THAT.
SO, YES, THERE ARE NEGATIVE
THINGS THAT THEY ATTACHED TO THE
BILL AND THAT I FOUGHT AGAINST
AND HAVE A STRONG AVERSION TO,
BUT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT WE
WERE ALSO ABLE TO GET THE
REPUBLICANS TO MOVE CONSIDERABLY
FROM THEIR POSITION, MORE THAN
20 YEARS, PROBABLY 30 YEARS OF
NOT ADDING A TAX FOR THE CITY OF
MILWAUKEE.
SO THERE'S COMPROMISE ON BOTH
SIDES.
WE GOT SOMETHING DONE THAT WAS
EXTRAORDINARY FOR MILWAUKEE AND
SETS THE CITY UP FOR SUCCESS IN
THE FUTURE.
>> MAYOR CAVALIER JOHNSON,