Commentary

COMMENTARTY: Poverty

MILWAUKEE COURIER — When talking about how we move Milwaukee forward, poverty must be a primary topic of discussion.

Published

6 years ago

January 28, 2019

By Alderman Ashanti Hamilton, Common Council President, City of Milwaukee

When talking about how we move Milwaukee forward, poverty must be a primary topic of discussion. As we see downtown continue to develop and grow, it is easy to let that put a mask over the parts of our city that are still reeling from deindustrialization and the 2008 financial crisis. I do not mean to say that we should dwell on this negative aspect of Milwaukee, nor should we preach a message of poverty to the choir of people that live it out each day. However, I do believe we need to take a minute to think about the poverty in our City and look at the ways we can see a solution. As MSN reported this past July, Milwaukee is one of the municipalities most impacted by extreme poverty. This can no longer be accepted as our reality.

The first thing to reflect on is that the challenges that keep people in poverty are interconnected. A quality education can help lift a child from poverty, but is probably not the catch-all solution if that child does not have quality health care, a stable home, and general safety when they leave the school grounds.

An individual getting a job can help with financial stability, but if their housing costs more than one-third of their monthly salary, we know that they will be burdened by those payments. We have to look at poverty not as an issue that can be solved by fixing one challenge, but by elevating people in multiple ways at once. It is a daunting task, but is the only way we can really see change in peoples’ lives.

The second thing to remember is that poverty and unemployment are two different things. We are constantly inundated with the idea that we can solve poverty by bringing in new jobs and getting people employed. Employment provides a level of financial stability that can have a profound impact on one’s life, but not all jobs are created equal. Milwaukee is filled with people that society would label “the working poor”. People that have jobs, work tirelessly to be the best employee they can be and still struggle to make ends meet. Job creation cannot be the solution if people still have to work multiple jobs or work weeks longer than 40 hours to put food on the table. It is imperative that we don’t just focus on connecting our residents to any job, but one that is family sustaining and affords an enjoyable life. Doing so is not impossible.

People are often surprised when I say this, but we actually have a perceived labor shortage in Milwaukee. There are numerous family-sustaining job opportunities in our city, just waiting for applicants. Organizations like Employ Milwaukee, Milwaukee JobsWork, Wisconsin God Squad, WRTP Big-Step and more are doing work to connect people to these jobs, but we still see these opportunities left open. Creating a stronger employment pipeline is important to solving poverty, but, like I said, a job isn’t enough.

Family-sustaining employment can be a part of the solution to poverty, but our history shows that is not enough to maintain a high quality of life. We know that Milwaukee was hit hard by job loss during deindustrialization, but the real tragedy is that black and brown communities were excluded from accumulating wealth that they could use to recover and reposition themselves for future success. A wage only provides stability until that job isn’t there. We need to provide opportunities for low-income residents to move into entrepreneurial spaces and build their own wealth instead of always contributing to the wealth of individuals outside of our community. There is an old adage that money only stays in the black community for six hours. That is not the case when people from the community own the businesses in their neighborhoods.

To do this, we need to look at the other issues that can be hindrances to our residents’ ability to achieve their goals. Resident ability to obtain wealth is directly tied to the myriad of factors that are woven together to form the poverty cycle. Education is key to being successful in the new economy; can we provide access to low-income residents? People need to be healthy to be successful; can we provide health care to people who have historically been unable to afford it?

The third thing to know is that we absolutely can do something about poverty in Milwaukee. For a long time, the narrative has been that our hands are tied because we are not getting enough shared revenue from the State or we are not getting the Federal grants we need to make something happen. We are at a moment in our history where the Governor of Wisconsin is preparing to roll out a plan for a $15 minimum wage. Elevating the wages of employees across the City will lead to some much-needed financial security that can contribute to the transformation of a person and family’s life. As a Council, we are prepared to support this effort by Governor Evers and look forward to seeing the other ways he will help us in our battles against poverty.

As residents of this City, we can be difference makers in ending critical poverty through our day to day actions. We can support our local businesses so that our dollars are being spent on people from the community who have a stake in where we live. We can help spread the word to people who need a new opportunity about the job fairs, training programs and open positions that exist. We can encourage new entrepreneurs both young and old to follow that passion and utilize the resources available to them to be successful. Ending critical poverty is something that requires all of us to come together. That work is happening now, and there will always be more seats at the table.

This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Courier.

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Activism

We Fought on Opposite Sides of the Sheng Thao Recall. Here’s Why We’re Uniting Behind Barbara Lee for Oakland Mayor

Today, we are coming together to do all we can to make sure Barbara Lee is elected Mayor in the April 15 Oakland special election. Here’s why. Now more than ever, Oakland needs a respected, hands-on leader who will unite residents behind a clear vision for change. The next mayor will have to hit the ground running with leaders and stakeholders across our political divide to get to work solving the problems standing in the way of Oakland’s progress. Job No. 1: improving public safety. Everyone agrees that all Oaklanders deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods. But sadly, too many of us do not.

Published

9 hours ago

March 24, 2025

Oakland Post

Robert Harris (left) is a retired attorney at PG&E and former legal counsel for NAACP. Richard Fuentes is co-owner of FLUID510 and chair of the Political Action Committee, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 57. Courtesy photos.

By Robert Harris and Richard Fuentes
Special to The Post

The City of Oakland is facing a number of urgent challenges, from housing and public safety to a pressing need for jobs and economic development. One of us, Robert Harris, supported the November recall vote that removed Mayor Sheng Thao from office. Meanwhile, Richard Fuentes believed the recall was the wrong strategy to tackle Oakland’s challenges.

Today, we are coming together to do all we can to make sure Barbara Lee is elected Mayor in the April 15 Oakland special election. Here’s why.

Now more than ever, Oakland needs a respected, hands-on leader who will unite residents behind a clear vision for change.

The next mayor will have to hit the ground running with leaders and stakeholders across our political divide to get to work solving the problems standing in the way of Oakland’s progress.

Job No. 1: improving public safety. Everyone agrees that all Oaklanders deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods. But sadly, too many of us do not.

During her three decades in the state Legislature and Congress, Lee made public safety a priority, securing funding for police and firefighters in Oakland, delivering $15.8 million in community safety funding, and more. Today, she has a plan for making Oakland safer. It starts with making sure police are resourced, ready, and on patrol to stop the most dangerous criminals on our streets.

Oakland residents and business owners are feeling the impact of too many assaults, smash/grabs, retail thefts, and home robberies. Lee will increase the number of police on the streets, make sure they are focused on the biggest threats, and invest in violence prevention and proven alternatives that prevent crime and violence in the first place.

In addition, on day one, Barbara Lee will focus on Oakland’s business community, creating an advisory cabinet of business owners and pushing to ensure Oakland can attract and keep businesses of all sizes.

The other top issue facing Oakland is housing and homelessness. As of May 2024, over 5,500 people were unhoused in the city. Oaklanders are just 25% of the population of Alameda County, but the city has 57% of the unhoused population.

Unhoused people include seniors, veterans, single women, women with children, people who suffer physical and mental illness, unemployed and undereducated people, and individuals addicted to drugs. Some are students under 18 living on the streets without their parents or a guardian. Research shows that 53% of Oakland’s homeless population is Black.

Starting on her first day in office, Lee will use her national profile and experience to bring new resources to the city to reduce homelessness and expand affordable housing. And she will forge new public/private partnerships and collaboration between the City, Alameda County, other public agencies, and local nonprofits to ensure that Oakland gets its fair share of resources for everything from supportive services to affordable housing.

Besides a public safety and housing crisis, Oakland has a reputational crisis at hand. Too many people locally and nationally believe Oakland does not have the ability to tackle its problems.

Lee has the national reputation and the relationships she can use to assert a new narrative about our beloved Oakland – a vibrant, diverse, and culturally rich city with a deep history of activism and innovation.

Everyone remembers how Lee stood up for Oakland values as the only member of Congress not to authorize the disastrous Iraq War in 2001. She has led the fight in Congress for ethics reform and changes to the nation’s pay-to-play campaign finance laws.

Lee stands alone among the candidates for mayor as a longtime champion of honest, transparent, and accountable government—and she has the reputation and the skills to lead an Oakland transformation that puts people first.

The past few years have been a trying period for our hometown.

Robert Harris supported the recall because of Thao’s decision to fire LeRonne Armstrong; her refusal to meet with certain organizations, such as the Oakland Branch of the NAACP; and the city missing the deadline for filing for a state grant to deal with serious retail thefts in Oakland.

Richard Fuentes opposed the recall, believing that Oakland was making progress in reducing crime. The voters have had their say; now, it is time for us to move forward together and turn the page to a new era.

The two of us don’t agree on everything, but we agree on this: the next few years will be safer, stronger, and more prosperous if Oaklanders elect Barbara Lee as our next mayor on April 15.

Robert Harris is a retired attorney at PG&E and former legal counsel for NAACP.

Richard Fuentes is co-owner of FLUID510 and chair of the Political Action Committee, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 57.

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Activism

Faith Leaders Back Barbara Lee for Mayor, Criticize Candidate Loren Taylor for Dishonest Campaigning

Speaking as individuals, participants in the interview were Pastor Michael Wallace of the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church; Pastor Mike McBride, Oakland resident and pastor of the Way Christian Center in Berkeley; Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Thompson of Allen Temple Baptist Church; Bishop Kevin Barnes, pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church; and Bishop Keith Clark of Word Assembly.

Published

9 hours ago

March 24, 2025

Oakland Post

From left: Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Thompson. Bishop Kevin Barnes. Pastor Mike McBride. Bishop Keith Clark. Pastor Michael Wallace. Courtesy photos.

‘Barbara Lee has a proven track record of listening to the community and translating things into action, and not just talking about it, but doing it. And I believe that this is one of the qualities that will serve her well as being our mayor,’ said Pastor Kevin Barnes

The Black Church PAC, a national faith leaders initiative, will be posting its endorsement of Lee this week

Ken Epstein

Prominent local faith leaders held a telephone interview Thursday with the Oakland Post to express their concerns about the election and their support for former Congresswoman Barbara Lee for Mayor of Oakland.

“I feel that this is a critical election for the City of Oakland,” said Pastor Wallace. “Our city is in a crisis, and we need someone who has the experience to stabilize our city and to go beyond the borders of our city to bring resources to address the issues that we’re facing.”

The leaders also criticized another candidate, former Oakland City Councilmember Loren Taylor, for conducting a dishonest smear campaign against Lee and urged Oakland flatland residents to go to the polls and join efforts to actively encourage others to vote in the April 15 special election.

Pastor McBride said, “I believe Oakland needs to send a loud message that our city is not for sale. Barbara Lee is the epitome of ‘unbought, unbossed’ integrity and is someone who has brought results. It has been very offensive to listen to candidates in this race, particularly Loren Taylor, attempt to disparage her name and discredit her record.”

“I truly believe that Congresswoman Lee is the best-suited candidate” for the job, he continued, adding that it is “absolutely crucial that individuals in our communities, particularly in the flatlands, are encouraged to participate in this process because the stakes are high, and I don’t think we should surrender our city to special interests. We have to let (people) know that our city will not be seized without our voices being heard.”

Pastor McBride added, “The only way we can really ensure that we’re going to be able to do that is to make sure that Oakland does not fall into such dishonor is to vote with a level of turnout that ensures the election is not close.”

“Barbara Lee has spoken for us, not just through slogans and not just through rhetoric, but she’s bought billions of dollars just in the last two years, arguably in the worst era of pandemic suffering. She has helped to stabilize the city,” he said.

Pastor McBride said that this race has attracted a lot of outside “money and supporters who align themselves with the likes of [President Donald] Trump. Any candidate running for mayor of Oakland who can be attractive to MAGA ought to give folks a pause. Why is Barbara Lee not the candidate for MAGA but Loren Taylor seems to be?”

Rev. Thompson said, “I’m concerned about the tone and the tenor of the race. We have proof from Washington, D.C., that elections matter. It is not just a matter of that you are running, but it is also how you are running. So, the idea that there would be an attempt to castigate the character of a woman who’s been wholly committed, not just to her district but to her city, is concerning.

“The idea that misinformation and alternative facts would be allowed to be propagated, unchecked, without any attempt to correct it by someone who seeks to be our leader is challenging to me,” said Thompson. “I support Barbara Lee because Barbara Lee is a proven leader.

“She’s proven that she can bring people together,” she said. “She has also proven when she stood as the lone person against the vote for a blank check in times of war that she cannot be bought, that she will keep the needs of the people, not just the needs of those who are considered elite or up-and-coming, but the needs of the least and the lost and the ‘left out’ of this city.”

Dr. Thompson said, “I support her because has been faithful to this city, whether you have seen her or whether you have not seen her. The millions and billions of dollars that she has brought to our area is unquestionable.”

The Black Church PAC, a national initiative led by faith leaders including Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, will post its endorsement of Congresswoman Barbara Lee this week.

Bishop Clark said, “In times like these we need someone who can fix and build our city and communities, and I believe that Congresswoman Barbara Lee can do the job”

“Barbara Lee has a proven track record of listening to the community and translating things into action, and not just talking about it, but doing it. And I believe that this is one of the qualities that will serve her well as being our mayor,” said Bishop Barnes.