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It is not just Milwaukee

It is not just Milwaukee

It is alleged that President Trump referred to Milwaukee, Wisconsin as “a horrible city.” 

The first issue is whether Trump said that as a general statement or not.  Left-wing news media have reported Trump’s alleged statement as a matter of fact ever since it was reported in the left-wing Punchbowl News media platform. It spread through the anti-Trump media sphere like Covid in a nursing home.  Trump denies having made such a broad statement about Milwaukee.

What Trump actually said – and in what context – has never been proven.  The story came out of a closed-door meeting from third parties – essentially a rumor.

Participants in the meeting said that Trump was speaking of crime and other conditions in Milwaukee as horrible.  That would not be a slam against the city, but an accurate description of the crime problem.  Trump and Republicans lay the blame for such “horrible conditions” at the feet of the municipal leaders.  And again, that is not necessarily an inaccurate opinion.

Whether “horrible” is the right word to describe the conditions in Milwaukee — or any of the other major Democrat-controlled cities is debatable.  What is not debatable is that conditions in those cities are … not good.

Most of those cities are suffering from years of reckless spending – resulting in huge deficits and exorbitantly high taxes. Municipal services are being cut. Homeless people – many with mental health and drug issues – are taking over swaths of the public commons.  Crime rages even in the face of modest decreases in recent months.  The major cities have the worst public school systems in America – especially in the segregated Black and Hispanic neighborhoods.  Which brings up the remnants of institutional or systemic de facto racism that oppressed the segregated Black population for more than 150 years.

The terrible conditions in the major cities – that impact on all residents, but most harshly on poor minorities – are found in all the statistics.  But nothing gives greater evidence of the terrible conditions than the people and the businesses that are fleeing — voting with their feet.

Not since what has been called “the great migration” of freed slaves moving out of the southern states after the Compromise of 1877 — when Democrats imposed brutal one-party Jim Crow rule over the south — has there been a greater internal migration of American citizens than what we have seen in recent years.

Millions of Americans are pulling up stakes and moving to other places in an effort to find better living conditions – with lower taxes, lower costs, better schools, less crime and generally better living conditions. This contemporary great migration has folks abandoning cities in which their families have lived for generations.

Is there a partisan political underpinning that is motivating this migration?  Indeed, there is. We see it in the simple fact that the migrating population is leaving cities and states that have been under Democrat control for generations.  They are moving to cities and states that are predominantly Republican.  That is the inconvenient fact that those on the left ignore and even deny.  But long-term left-wing Democrat governance has made America’s great cities undesirable to the people. And the more the policies, the greater the dissatisfaction and the greater the exodus.

I would not call Milwaukee a horrible city any more than I would broadbrush any American city as “horrible.”  They all have cultures and wonderful attributes.  That is true of my hometown of Chicago.  I love that city but would never move back to live there.  More and more, America’s large Democrat-run cities are living up to the saying, “It is a great place to visit, but I would not want to live there.“

As usual, Trump has made a point – badly expressed, perhaps.  Nothing new in that.  All I can say is that Milwaukee is a wonderful city with some horrible problems. I always enjoyed visiting Milwaukee, just would not want to live there.

So, there ‘tis.

About The Author

Larry Horist

So, there ‘tis… The opinions, perspectives and analyses of businessman, conservative writer and political strategist Larry Horist. Larry has an extensive background in economics and public policy. For more than 40 years, he ran his own Chicago based consulting firm. His clients included such conservative icons as Steve Forbes and Milton Friedman. He has served as a consultant to the Nixon White House and travelled the country as a spokesman for President Reagan’s economic reforms. Larry professional emphasis has been on civil rights and education. He was consultant to both the Chicago and the Detroit boards of education, the Educational Choice Foundation, the Chicago Teachers Academy and the Chicago Academy for the Performing Arts. Larry has testified as an expert witness before numerous legislative bodies, including the U. S. Congress, and has lectured at colleges and universities, including Harvard, Northwestern and DePaul. He served as Executive Director of the City Club of Chicago, where he led a successful two-year campaign to save the historic Chicago Theatre from the wrecking ball. Larry has been a guest on hundreds of public affairs talk shows, and hosted his own program, “Chicago In Sight,” on WIND radio. An award-winning debater, his insightful and sometimes controversial commentaries have appeared on the editorial pages of newspapers across the nation. He is praised by audiences for his style, substance and sense of humor. Larry retired from his consulting business to devote his time to writing. His books include a humorous look at collecting, “The Acrapulators’ Guide”, and a more serious history of the Democratic Party’s role in de facto institutional racism, “Who Put Blacks in That PLACE? -- The Long Sad History of the Democratic Party’s Oppression of Black Americans ... to This Day”. Larry currently lives in Boca Raton, Florida.

4 Comments

  1. frank stetson

    Horist is on his high horse again, singing that same old song: Democrats bad. This time he claims everything bad he knows for US cities applies to Milwaukee but it is not a horrible city…. Yeah, he says he would not call it horrible, but then basically calls it horrible with every other broad brush stereotype urban problem he can remember. Matter of fact, all Democrat cities horrible, Republican cities not deplorable. Milwaukee bad, Miami good. Yeah, sure, no systemic racism in Miami. Tis all milk n cookies down there. Cities rise, cities fail, cities fall, but it’s not just politics. I watched Cleveland rise, fall, rise again and now is suffering. All through that Buffalo just stumbled along missing any great rises. Different stories, different ends of the Lake, both Democratic. At least he does not toss the “blacks can’t govern themselves” card, that’s a blessing.

    He concludes, without evidence, but relying on your emotions…. Most of those cities are suffering from years of reckless spending – resulting in huge deficits and exorbitantly high taxes. (taxes included, Milwaukee has a lower cost of living than the nation, or Wisconsin. They did just raise the sales tax a good bit, so whatever they are doing, the cost to citizens is better than most places)

    Municipal services are being cut. (as they are, everywhere, but Milwaukee has nothing announced for 2024)

    Homeless people – many with mental health and drug issues – are taking over swaths of the public commons. BUSTED (from last year- “Milwaukee County had the lowest unsheltered population per capita last year…. Yeah, best in the nation. So, what else did Horist just replay from his 50 years of experience. Does he not check before he prints. Does he really think his readers are too stupid to check)

    “Crime rages even in the face of modest decreases in recent months.” (BUSTED. The fact is on average, crime is down in Milwaukee, under Biden…. “With the first quarter review, Milwaukee police say homicides have decreased 39% – down to 23 from 38 this time in 2023. Property crime is down 11%. Auto thefts are down 10% – down to 1,295 from 1,431 this time in 2023.” Nationally, under Biden, “Homicides throughout the U.S. decreased by 26.4% overall in the first quarter of 2024, according to the FBI data, which was released on June 10. Violent crimes overall — including rapes, aggravated assaults and robberies — dropped by more than 15% in that span.” Embellish much?)

    “The major cities have the worst public-school systems in America – especially in the segregated Black and Hispanic neighborhoods. Which brings up the remnants of institutional or systemic de facto racism that oppressed the segregated Black population for more than 150 years.” Here we go, fuck Milwaukee, let’s roll out the national average and blame Milwaukee as being average. So we really don’t know except on average, and listen closely: poor places have poor school system because they are primarily funded locally. It has less to due with politics and everything to do with poverty. Guess what, that happens in Republican cities and even Republican rural areas too.

    The terrible conditions in the major cities – that impact on all residents, but most harshly on poor minorities – are found in all the statistics. But nothing gives greater evidence of the terrible conditions than the people and the businesses that are fleeing — voting with their feet. (BUSTED: the population of Milwaukee has grown, albeit less than a percent per year, every year except one since 1980)

    Not since what has been called “the great migration” of freed slaves moving out of the southern states after the Compromise of 1877 — when Democrats imposed brutal one-party Jim Crow rule over the south — has there been a greater internal migration of American citizens than what we have seen in recent years. (BUSTED for Milwaukee and the next two paragraphs of Horist’s Democrats bad screed – not in Milwaukee)

    “I would not call Milwaukee a horrible city any more than I would broadbrush any American city as “horrible.”” (Put that one in the bank :>) But Horist just did broadbrush Milwaukee as horrible including tagging it with national averages than sometimes don’t fit Milwaukee. Horist is playing his same old record, red meat to Trumplicants who know it’s true before they read or research it. But it is not all true, some of his sceed is blatantly untrue, it is not as simple as Horist paints, and he’s just plumb wrong on a number of his assumptions because he spoke without looking apparently.

  2. Darren

    For anyone addressing any issue with Trump.
    Is the world a better place to live in than it was 4 years ago?
    Is our Country better to live in than it was 4 years ago?
    Is you local community a better place to live in than it was 4 years ago?
    Are your services, Police, Fire, Medical better than it was 4 years ago?
    One person alone can not be so bad as to mess everything up this bad.
    It takes a complete Party of Morons running things!
    Oh, the Democratic Party. Do not worry, the Republican Party under Bush was NO better.
    Only Trump gave a Crap about this country as he had 10 Billion reasons to care!

    • Frank stetson

      Darren, 2020 mate. Covid deaths, stacking bodies, rampant unemployment, economy on hold, can’t get toilet paper and our leader talking drinking clorox and uv lights. America or Jonestown.

      Really terrible covid response resulting in so many unnecessary deaths.

      The Trump reality is not real.

  3. AC

    Larry, I happened to stumble upon Trump’s speech and heard him say things berating Milwaukee, WI. He received considerable push back about his comments about it and did make subsequent brief remarks on camera as a cover. But, as his first remarks were lame, broad brush, objectionable, and partisan anti-democrat. His second was more of the same tone. No one expected a reversal or some qualification for his blunt characterization of an entire metro region.
    Does not seem like he sees many votes coming his way from Milwaukee in his assumed run in November.
    I know Milwaukee, and Madisen’s folks will know too that what Trump says in Milwaukee is for Madisen and urban districts across the country.
    Trump’s remarks regarding cities and urban centers get said in the moment and soon he dis-remembers what it was. Later, the press would call him to task and seek clarification. Trump will conveniently deny having made the comment. While, he was filmed and on record making the comment. The facts don’t matter for him. He will argue that what he had spoken in public before was misrepresented. He never said any unkind words. He “loves Milwaukee”.
    If Trump is not forgetful and the film is evidence, then he is flat out lying. Which is no big news flash, it’s what he does as natural as breathing.
    How do we who hear him know what he is talking about is true and accurate facts that don’t demand fact checking? Where Trump stands now his talking points are out there in fantasy land.