Milwaukee Post
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/537114
8 • Milwaukee County Post • July 3, 2015 A legitimate reason to oppose a state and local role in financing a new Milwaukee basketball arena is philosophical opposi- tion to government subsidization of private companies. The problem is that virtually nobody consistently takes this position. Instead, hypocrites from both the Republican and Democrat parties are decry- ing "corporate welfare" for the Milwaukee Bucks after supporting all sorts of govern- ment aid to businesses themselves. How phony art thou? Let me count the ways. Some sanctimonious Waukesha-area politicians and commentators who are feigning indignation over aid to the billion- aires who own the Bucks either supported, or refused to oppose, the sleazy subsidiza- tion by the city of Waukesha of the pur- chase a decade ago of The Clarke Hotel. Waukesha taxpayers put up $1.5 million in financing for the purchase of the small hotel by a bunch of local operators, some of whom are now connected to a major federal criminal investigation. The Clarke develop- ment went bust and the owners faced a fore- closure action. The Clarke deal was a lot of money for a tiny business and was directed to some well- connected but slippery operators. To hear supporters of that deal pompously oppose assistance for the Bucks arena is mildly nauseating. Then we have the Village of Menomonee Falls and its eight-figure loan to finance the purchase of a hotel on the freeway. It was done in the name of "economic develop- ment." The developers in that one faced foreclosure because the hotel was never worth the amount of money Falls politi- cians fronted for it. Hypocrisy on aid to private businesses isn't limited to Republicanville. Some of the Milwaukee politicians critical of aid to the Bucks were behind a sugar-coated sweet- heart of a deal that lined the pockets of the AFL-CIO and helped a rich developer build an apartment complex at virtually no risk. This is the tale of the Moderne. The developer here is Rick Barrett. He's not related to Mayor Tom Barrett but he may as well be given Mayor Tom's give- aways to developer Rick. The Moderne high-rise, not far from the Bradley Center, was financed with a giant loan by a pension financing arm of the AFL-CIO. The loan is fully guaranteed by the city of Milwaukee. It's a guaranteed net return for the AFL- CIO. Even if the Moderne defaults, the city of Milwaukee guarantees the payments. Of course, the union made the loan. So Barrett got the easiest loan approval of all time. The Milwaukee Common Council rubber- stamped the deal and none of the phonies in Leftyville now objecting to the Bucks deal raised a peep of protest. That same Rick Barrett is developing the Couture project near the lakefront with the Republican governor and Legislature carry- ing the water for approval of the site plan and the city of Milwaukee speeding the zon- ing approval. The Couture will be an excel- lent project, but it's also another case of a well-connected developer getting a deal massaged by government. Every Republican in the state has been crowing about the decision by Uline Corporation to move all of its production and office facilities from Illinois to Kenosha. Uline is a fabulous company and the state spiffs are worth it. How many spiffs? Some $18 million worth of them. That's the amount of money the state gave Uline to move its corporate offices from Illinois to Wisconsin. Nobody objected, especially none of the Republicans now expressing faux outrage over the Bucks deal. One could go on and on about sweetheart deals like the ethanol mandates, solar panel subsidies and the piles of welfare sent to an odd energy company in Menomonee Falls by the Obama administration. The point is that government subsidizes business all the time and there are very few political virgins here who haven't backed a lot of those deals. Government assistance to business is nei- ther good nor bad. Each deal has to be con- sidered on its own merits. The benefits have to outweigh the costs. For the state, the Bucks deal is a good one because the state's limited participation in the bond financing is smaller than the income taxes lost if the team leaves. For the city of Milwaukee, it's even more of a no-brainer. A downtown in desperate need of development and the cre- ation of up to $1 billion in investment is worth the cost of building a parking garage. In fact, the Bucks deal is a steal compared to the clownish schemes mentioned above in Waukesha and Menomonee Falls. The Milwaukee arena should be evaluated on whether the government's share of the investment is less than the benefits that will be obtained. Those who are objecting on the basis of some "philosophical opposition" have fair case to make if they have taken this stance consistently in the past. There isn't a single politician in the city or the state that can say they've done that. (Mark Belling is the host of a daily WISN radio talk show. His column appears weekly in the Milwaukee Post. Send your personal correspondences to Mark Belling at Clear Channel Communications, c/o WISN, 12100 W. Howard Ave., Greenfield, WI 53228). MILWAUKEE — With the Fourth of July holiday approaching, this is a great time to remember the dan- gers of fireworks which can cause serious injuries and death if not properly used. The Wisconsin Emergen- cy Management advises: ■ In 2013 (latest available statistics), U.S. hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 11,400 people for fireworks related injuries. ■ Fifty-five percent of emergency room fireworks- related injuries were to the extremities and 38 percent were to the head. ■ The risk of fireworks injury was highest for chil- dren up to age 4, followed by children 10-14. ■ On Independence Day in a typical year, far more U.S. fires are reported than on any other day, and fire- works account for two out of five of those fires. "Make sure you purchase only legal fireworks, follow the manufacturer's direc- tions on storing and light- ing fireworks and never have a child light them," said Wisconsin Emergency Management Admin- istrator Brian Satula. Here are more tips. ■ Adults igniting the fire- works should always wear eye protection and never have any part of the body over the firework. ■ Only buy fireworks from reliable sellers. ■ Use fireworks only out- doors. ■ Be sure other people are out of range before lighting fireworks. ■ Always have water handy (a garden hose or a bucket). ■ Light fireworks on a smooth, flat surface away from buildings, dry leaves and flammable materials. ■ Light only one firework at a time. ■ Never throw or point fireworks at other people or animals. ■ Keep your pets indoors to reduce the risk that they will run loose and get injured. Many animals can be stressed or frightened by fireworks. ■ Sparklers are the No. 1 cause of burns around the Fourth of July. Consider alternatives such as "glow sticks." MARK BELLING STANDING UP for MILWAUKEE Government supporters of private sector inconsistent Ways to observe a safe Fourth of July OPINION Last week's question What is the reason you went to Summerfest? 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