Less than a week after a Madison forum discussed the decay of urban Milwaukee, Mayor Tom Barrett issued a sarcastic defense of his city.
The forum was dedicated to finding ways Madison could avoid the problems of segregation, poverty and unemployment that plague Wisconsin's largest city. But Barrett's letter to Isthmus, the forum's organizer, implied Milwaukee should be a model for the rest of the state.
Included in his ""Top Ten Ways Madison Can Avoid Becoming like Milwaukee"" were recommendations from Barrett that Madison not have major league sports teams or hold ""the world's largest music festival.""
""Milwaukee attracts visitors and excitement to its lakefront for Summerfest and its ethnic festivals, held each weekend throughout the summer,"" Barrett wrote. ""This is one of the reasons Milwaukee is considered by Forbes to be a hotspot for singles.""
Barrett listed several other bright spots of Milwaukee, including its art museum and recently opened Public Market. But according to Paul Soglin, a local politician who participated in the forum, comparing Milwaukee and Madison only served to insult Milwaukee.
""[Participants] Jim Rowen and Representative Tamara Grigsby were correct in taking exception to the title of the discussion,"" Soglin said. ""The title did not create a basis for a common solution to mutual problems.""
However, Barrett's letter hinted more at open competition between the two cities than at common solutions, adding at its conclusion that he would pass along his suggestions to Madison's city hall.
""And don't worry, I'll be sure to mention these to your great mayor, Mayor Dave, the next time we get together,"" Barrett said.
