James Causey Gets It Right On Residency
Repeal would weaken city when middle-class residents move
James Causey MJS 12/15/12
Ending Milwaukee’s residency law may not turn the city into Wisconsin’s Detroit, but it won’t help a city that is already ranked as one of the poorest and most segregated in the nation.
The middle class provides the backbone that keeps cities such as ours strong. But some Republicans don’t see that. And since they will control both houses of the Legislature come January, Milwaukee officials are convinced lawmakers will take another stab at ending the city’s residency law.
If the residency law is repealed, there is no doubt that workers will leave the city for the suburbs. And that would be a shame. There is much to recommend living in the city that you work in. When a city loses such connections with its teachers, police officers or firefighters, it’s hard to re-establish them.
If you think Milwaukee Police Department relations are strained with citizens now, imagine the detachment of officers who are no longer vested in such an intimate way with the city they serve.
The residency law forces people to be good citizens. If you are required to live in Milwaukee, then you naturally
Governor Scott Walker’s plan to “help” MPS is to end residency so that MPS teachers can teach in Milwaukee but send their kids to suburban schools.
James Causey MJS 12/15/12
Ending Milwaukee’s residency law may not turn the city into Wisconsin’s Detroit, but it won’t help a city that is already ranked as one of the poorest and most segregated in the nation.
The middle class provides the backbone that keeps cities such as ours strong. But some Republicans don’t see that. And since they will control both houses of the Legislature come January, Milwaukee officials are convinced lawmakers will take another stab at ending the city’s residency law.
If the residency law is repealed, there is no doubt that workers will leave the city for the suburbs. And that would be a shame. There is much to recommend living in the city that you work in. When a city loses such connections with its teachers, police officers or firefighters, it’s hard to re-establish them.
If you think Milwaukee Police Department relations are strained with citizens now, imagine the detachment of officers who are no longer vested in such an intimate way with the city they serve.
The residency law forces people to be good citizens. If you are required to live in Milwaukee, then you naturally
Governor Scott Walker’s plan to “help” MPS is to end residency so that MPS teachers can teach in Milwaukee but send their kids to suburban schools.
From the 12/16 MJS article “Walker Outlines Education Priorities for Next Year”
He (Walker) said he felt strongly that residency could stand in the way of Milwaukee Public Schools recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers, many of whom leave the district because they are dissatisfied with the neighborhood school where their own children would have to attend, he said.
“If you have someone who’s a great teacher starting out at MPS – and this is not stereotyped, this is often the case – has kids, the kids get school age and they decide they’re going to move to Brown Deer, Wauwatosa or
He (Walker) said he felt strongly that residency could stand in the way of Milwaukee Public Schools recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers, many of whom leave the district because they are dissatisfied with the neighborhood school where their own children would have to attend, he said.
“If you have someone who’s a great teacher starting out at MPS – and this is not stereotyped, this is often the case – has kids, the kids get school age and they decide they’re going to move to Brown Deer, Wauwatosa or