Throughout the Milwaukee County Executive Candidate Forum held at the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center on March 5, challenger Lena Taylor emphasized what she regarded as the “mismanagement” and “lack of leadership” of incumbent Scott Walker’s administration.
“I believe I can do better,” said Taylor, a Wisconsin State senator (D-4th District) since 2004.
Walker insisted that, during his five years in office, he has “tackled tough problems” and has “worked well with the County Board” to provide services and maintain a surplus budget for the county.
“I have told you things I have done in the past and will do in the future” as county executive, Walker said.
The forum was sponsored by the Milwaukee Jewish Council for Community Relations and the JCC, and co-sponsored by 19 other Milwaukee-area Jewish organizations and synagogues. About 50 people attended.
Moderator Ellis Bromberg, vice president of the MJCCR, said in his opening statement that the Jewish community’s interest in this non-partisan race derived from “An important Jewish community initiative, on both our local and the national agenda … ‘Confronting Poverty.’”
“Within this broad topic,” he continued, “our work has four areas of focus … access to benefits, changing attitudes and perceptions, assuring that there is availability of services, and advocacy for programs and services that serve vulnerable populations.”
Bromberg posed six questions to the candidates on such topics as:
• The county budget.
• The county’s Economic Support Division, which determines eligibility for federal and state-funded financial aid programs for low income families and individuals, and administers them.
• Transportation issues, especially involving the Milwaukee County Transit System.
• Expanding the state-funded Family Care program in the county.
• The county criminal justice system.
• A perceived need for affordable and supportive housing for people with mental illness.
During the audience question session, The Chronicle asked the candidates how they would describe their ways of thinking in addressing political problems.
Throughout her presentation, Taylor emphasized her success as a private businessperson — she said she is involved in practicing law and property management.
In response to the question, she said she would approach government problems the way she approaches business problems — via assessment of the problem and “putting together a team” to address the problem.
Walker replied that he is “a fiscal conservative” who seeks “the cost effective way” to address governmental problems. He also said that the members of his cabinet are “not all Republicans or conservatives.”
And while in his opening statement he implicitly chided people who “think the county government should be an employment agency,” in his response to the Chronicle’s question Walker acknowledged that the county government has “a proper role” in providing services that people “couldn’t run on their own.”
Milwaukee County’s adopted budget for 2007 was $1.28 billion in expenditures, $1.04 billion in income and a $241 million property tax levy, according to a document on the county’s Web site (www.milwaukeecounty.org).
Both candidates have Web sites: www.lena2008.com and www.scottwalker.org. The date of the election is April 1.
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