I’m endorsing Nik Kovac for Milwaukee 3rd District Alderman, along with Jennifer Morales and many of my other supporters. Here are just some of the reasons why:
- Nik Kovac is a leader, challenging Mike D’Amato when he was expected to run for re-election. Conversely, Patrick Flaherty told me he last year that he would only run if D’Amato stepped down.
- Nik is progressive. He’s thoughtful on big issues and I’m excited about his ability to bring a new way of thinking to politics in Milwaukee. We’re not going to solve our problems with the same kind of thinking that got us into trouble. Nik will bring us new solutions.
- Nik doesn’t waste money on massive mailings, and he promises the same wise use of our tax dollars.
- Nik has run a clean, positive campaign.
- Nik’s campaign is fueled by the people, not big money or political insiders
- Nik Kovac is smart, honest and trustworthy.
- Nik is educated and involved on local issues. He’s the only candidate that I’ve seen at neighborhood meetings, city planning meetings, development hearings, student groups, environmental meetings. He’s involved in Urban Agriculture, Food Policy, Milwaukee River Preservation, Historic Preservation, Riverwest Neighborhood Association, etc.
- Nik is Local. He was born and raised on the East Side, and he lives in Riverwest. Unlike his opponent, he’s involved in his neighborhood association, his block club, his church and volunteers teaching chess to high school students.
- Nik cares about all of Milwaukee. He attends Community Brainstormers meetings at St. Matthew’s Church on 9th and Chambers because he cares about all the problems in the city, including segregation, economic development and public education.
- Nik has committed to local campaign finance reform, which we desperately need to ensure that aldermanic races can’t be bought by the highest bidder. Votes should come because a candidate is participating in a broad range of community concerns, not just because they can afford to pour tens of thousands of dollars into a mail-blitz campaign.
- Nik is endorsed by the people: environmentalists, artists, teachers, business owners, bicyclists, LGBT community members, and those who believe that local power should remain in the hands of the people.
Please join me in supporting Nik Kovac for Milwaukee’s East Side, Riverwest and Brady St. Alderman, and vote on Tuesday, April 1. Find out where you vote here
30 Mar 2008 | 8:05 pm | 3rd District | No comments yet - Add your comments
From the Earth Hour website
On Saturday, March 29, 2008 at 8 p.m., join millions of people around the world in making a statement about climate change by turning off your lights for Earth Hour, an event created by the World Wildlife Fund.
Earth Hour was created by WWF in Sydney, Australia in 2007, and in one year has grown from an event in one city to a global movement. In 2008, millions of people, businesses, governments and civic organizations in nearly 200 cities around the globe will turn out for Earth Hour. More than 100 cities across North America will participate, including the US flagships–Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix and San Francisco and Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.
We invite everyone throughout North America and around the world to turn off the lights for an hour starting at 8 p.m. (your own local time)–whether at home or at work, with friends and family or solo, in a big city or a small town.
What will you do when the lights are off? We have lots of ideas.
Join people all around the world in showing that you care about our planet and want to play a part in helping to fight climate change. Don’t forget to sign up and let us know you want to join Earth Hour.
One hour, America. Earth Hour. Turn out for Earth Hour!
27 Mar 2008 | 8:52 pm | Events, Environmental Sustainability | No comments yet - Add your comments
I understand that you are accepting comments on the freeway expansion that will cost taxpayers $1.9 billion.
I and most (all?) of my community is strongly opposed to this.
Expanding the freeways is backwards, wasteful, environmentally irresponsible and a full-out slap in the face to forward thinking for our future.
It will cost us far too much money in order to keep a dying system as “king,” when instead we should be looking at greater public/mass transit options. A recent report Public Transportation’s Contribution to Greenhouse Gas Reduction stated, “One of the most significant actions that household members can take to reduce their carbon footprint is to use public transportation where it is available…. Reducing the daily use of one low occupancy vehicle and using public transit can reduce a household’s carbon footprint between 25-30%.”
If we are to build and maintain an infrastructure that will serve not only our future–but present–needs, surely public transportation is the way to go. The City of Milwaukee is #2 in the nation for unemployment, is lagging behind in environmental leadership, and is known nationally for its hyper-segregation. As Wisconsin’s largest city, one would hope that the State DOT is considering the impact of its decision on its largest population.
Please do not expand the freeways. Invest in our future - public transportation.
Sura Faraj
27 Jan 2008 | 7:04 pm | Public Transportation, Health, Streets, Bicycles, Pedestrians | No comments yet - Add your comments
The Madison Mayor’s Platinum Biking City Planning Committee has concluded that the
bicycle is a vehicle for social change.
How exciting is that!!
Madison is trying to become the best city for bicycling. If they can do it, so can we!
They have also started a bike sharing program which now operates it as a lending library.
The city of Milwaukee is looking at starting this also. I’ll post more details when I find them.
22 Oct 2007 | 10:19 pm | Streets, Bicycles, Pedestrians | No comments yet - Add your comments
From a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article on Oct. 16:
“Among the 50 largest U.S. cities, only Detroit had a higher unemployment rate than Milwaukee in August, according to a new study at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.”
“Compared with other large cities, Milwaukee has a low rate of college-educated residents and a high degree of segregation, which places central-city job-seekers away from suburban job growth, Levine said.”
We are fortunate that we have a very high rate of education in the 3rd District, but we need strong leadership to work on creating more jobs, particularly in the central city. Kudos to those businesses that employ people with criminal records and help them become participating citizens.
22 Oct 2007 | 7:54 pm | Economic Development | Read 1 comment - Add your comments
