The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a story in Sunday’s edition updating the status — and mixed reception — of some of the new Walmarts proposed for the area. And the story quotes me.
You can read the piece by Tom Daykin here.
Here is the section on South Milwaukee …
In November, the Common Council approved plans to sell a city-owned lot to Gatlin as part of the Walmart site. The plan for the larger 10-acre site, west of Chicago Ave., one block south of College Ave., is expected to be filed soon.
Ald. Erik Brooks, whose district borders the Walmart site, says he’s heard from more Walmart supporters than opponents.
“I think they like the idea of a shopping source close by,” Brooks said. “We really don’t have big-box retail in South Milwaukee.”
Brooks also said the store would provide economic benefits, including about 200 jobs.
Ald. Mike Karbowski, whose district includes the site, said some residents are concerned about the effects of store traffic and water run-off.
But the benefits, he said, include property tax revenue generated by the development.
I think the story was well-done, and my quotes are accurate. Indeed, at community events, while on the campaign trail and simply talking to neighbors and friends, I have heard more positive than negative comments on the proposed Walmart so far.
The same holds true on my blog.
One reason I created this blog was to drive a community dialog on key issues (like the proposed Walmart) and give residents and others a forum to discuss them. The poll question (albeit admittedly unscientific and far from perfect) is one of those vehicles, and the strong response to the Walmart question the past couple of months has been as good a measuring stick as any for me on community reaction to the development.
Respondents have been overwhelmingly positive — more than 2-to-1 in favor of the store since the poll was published. And there is still time to vote. I will keep the poll question up at least a couple more weeks, so if you haven’t already weighed in, please do so.
Your feedback on this and every issue is important to me. The Journal Sentinel does not state this, but I have not made up my mind on the Walmart development, and I remain anxious to learn more about the plan, get some key questions answered and hear more of your thoughts. Let me know what you think. I promise to listen and take your perspective to heart as this moves ahead.
South Milwaukee Blog 
If you are supporting Wal-Mart moving into South Milwaukee I highly recommend that you view the expose by Robert Greenwald first (this fact sheet will take you to the website, where you can explore: http://www.walmartmovie.com/facts.php). Wal-Mart kills small businesses–and there are plenty of reports from small towns in Wisconsin where this has happened. In South Milwaukee and the areas close by, here are the businesses which will probably go OUT of business should a Walmart come to this area: the Ace Hardware, the dollar store and any small variety store, the Parkway Floral, Aldi’s, the Pick and Save and Walgreens probably both in South Milwaukee and Cudahy, Sunrise restaurant will be threatened, JoAnn fabrics in Cudahy will receive a death knell, all the small restaurants will take a huge hit (a terrible thing to happen now in this economy where they are hurting anyway) Grant Park Garage, Girard’s, the tire store on the corner of Chicago and Hawthorne–just about any small business that sells any kind of product, from car products to prescription drugs, to cigarettes to clothing to flowers to food to gifts will probably take a bad hit and even close because of the Wal-Mart. South Milwaukee is enough of a ghost town as it is. If it’s going to grow, we need to encourage SMALL businesses that are LOCALLY owned, and a cut above the ordinary, not big chains or big-box stores, and certainly not the presence of Wal-Mart, that makes small business impossible. The big myth about Wal-Mart, which I see you repeat on your blog, is that it will be a source of tax revenue. I urge you to not only watch the Greenwald documentary, but to contact other small towns: I think you will find that the tax revenue, if it happens at all, will be short-lived, and the taxpayers of South Milwaukee will end up footing the bill for all the expenses (like street, electrical, and sewer improvements) of bringing a Wal-Mart to town, and then, all the fallout of cleaning up the mess they create once they’re here.
Erik, you mention your mind is not yet made up concerning approval of Wal -Mart. If your constituents are in favor of it 2 to 1, then represent the people who elected you to serve as their voice.
Absolutely, I need to act with my constituents’ feelings in mind. But I also don’t want to make up my mind on this issue until I know all of the facts … and there hasn’t even been a formal plan submitted yet. There is still plenty of time for people to have their voices heard on this project yet, and I will listen and make up my mind then. I owe my constituents that much.