The Journal Sentinel reports the latest news from the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors’ work on the proposed county budget. So far, the board has rejected “outsourcing of housekeeping and security jobs,” as well as “mainframe computer technician jobs and 25 airport firefighter jobs.”
The board also voted to “to restore 20 of 39 parks worker jobs; restore money for a youth sports program; and restore funds for indigent burials.”
Notice that the they restored just 20 of 39 parks jobs that the county executive porposed to cut. That’s a restoration of about half of the jobs. But what about the other half? Will they be forever lost? We have to wonder how much more cutting the parks can take. Also, we will find out if those nineteen jobs are gone for good.
With another twenty jobs cut, the maintenance of the parks will continue to slide, the county exec must hope, until the board finds not other option than to sell the parks to a private bidder who will pay for their upkeep — and marking their end as a public asset.
Of course, without a source of dedicated funding for the parks, the restoration of the jobs may not be possible. That’s why we have backed the work of groups like the Quality of Life Alliance and the Park People as they fight for the parks and everything else that has made Milwaukee County such a good place to live.
I saw you on the news last night – were you guys on the clock?
No, I took the day off, as is required by our contract.