Battling Inequality State Representative Mandela Barnes

1. 1Photo: Chris Murphy, The Capitol Times
Milwaukee
Urban Agenda:
Battling
Inequality
State Representative
Mandela Barnes

2. A Growing Statewide Income
Gap
Census trends show that, for Wisconsin workers, income
has fallen for low-income groups as they significantly
increased for the top percent
1https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acsbr12-02.pdf

3. Increasing Income While the
Bottom Falls Behind
1https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acsbr12-02.pdf

4. Zeroing in on Milwaukee
• Quick Facts (data from 2012):
• The city of Milwaukee ‘s per capita
income ($19,199) is well below state
levels ($27,426)
• Average family income in the city is at
$54,203, compared to the $80,551 state
average3
• 23.6% of Milwaukee families fell below
the poverty line while the State reported
only 8.4%
• The disparity between working
families’ average incomes by
Milwaukee zip codes show an even
more detailed picture of wealth
segregation–as these bottom
incomes are in demographically
African-American areas
2012 average income of working families (adjusted gross income of
non-elderly married and single state tax filers with dependents)
212 to 1 Income Inequality among Working Families in Milwaukee County: Workforce Challenges for 2014 University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Employment & Training Institute, 2014
3 http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk

5. Visualizing the Racial Link
African American Population in Milwaukee Household Income Distribution in Milwaukee
42000 U.S. Census Bureau

6. Wisconsin: America’s Worst
State for Black Children
• Recent study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation ranks
Wisconsin LAST in the nation for its ability to prepare black
children for success
• Ranking based on 12 metrics ranging from educational
opportunity to home life

7. Attacking Milwaukee from the
Capitol
• Public Schools weakened
• Milwaukee’s local control
stripped
• Restrictions on voting
rights, disproportionate
impact on minorities
• 80,000 kicked off of
BadgerCare
• No follow-through on
‘Transform Milwaukee’

8. Hurting Education
• Massive Cuts to public education
• $2.6 billion cut from public education in 2011-2 budget, low
spending level maintained in 2013-4
• Tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy
• Not all schools held to same standards, accountability

9. Local Control No More
• State Legislature defunds
and decimates
Milwaukee County Board
• Residency requirements
for city employees
eliminated
• Measure snuck into budget
• Low-Income and voters
disenfranchised by voter
restriction bills
• Redistricting shifts
power to Republican
suburbs and towns

10. Transform Milwaukee:
Promise Broken
• $100 million promised by the governor in 2012 through
WHEDA
• One year later, $75 million short
• Money shifted away from high-need areas to special interest
projects

11. Gov. Walker Tiptoes away from
Transform Milwaukee

12. Working towards Solutions

13. Job Preparation
• Strong public
education
• Strengthening MPS
• Holding voucher schools
accountable
• Access to higher
education
• Universities
• Technical colleges
• Job training programs
• Technical colleges
• Community
organizations

14. Strengthen Milwaukee
• Reinvestment initiative zones
• Community and economic development investment
• High need areas targeted
• Improved financing for housing and business
development
• Community based Councils ensuring well-tailored
development planning
• Milwaukee residents hired for the redevelopment
• Millions invested to create jobs, strengthen communities,
improve the city

15. Fair Employment
• AB 755
• Proposed amendment to
the Wisconsin Fair
Employment Law
• Makes illegal hiring
discrimination based on
employment status
• Recent unemployment
shouldn’t be a barrier to
future employment
• Breaking down unjust
barriers to employment,
helping the unemployed
get jobs

16. Thank You!
• Contact my Office at any time with questions
• Phone: 608-266-3756
• E-mail: rep.barnes@legis.wi.gov
• Online: http://legis.wisconsin.gov/assembly/barnes/