Madison Reporter

During a recent debate on Wisconsin’s biennial budget, State Senator LaTonya Johnson, representing parts of Milwaukee, ended her speech with a controversial statement: “F**k the suburbs because they don’t know a g**dam thing about how life is in the city.” This remark has sparked discussions regarding the relationship between urban and suburban areas.

Critics argue that residents of the suburbs are well aware of urban challenges. They cite issues such as Milwaukee's public school system, where only 13.6% of students are proficient in English and 9.1% in Math, despite increasing state investment. Suburbanites have reportedly moved away from the city due to rising crime rates, including a record number of homicides reaching 214 in 2022.

The suburbs have seen growth as people seek safer communities with effective law enforcement. In contrast, Milwaukee's population has declined from 741,000 in 1970 to approximately 563,000 today.

Two weeks before the budget vote, Senator Johnson supported allowing Milwaukee to raise its sales tax to address fiscal mismanagement and pension obligations. Critics view this as an attempt to generate revenue from suburban areas rather than addressing local issues directly.

Julian Bradley, the first Black Republican elected to the Wisconsin State Senate and representing southeast Wisconsin suburbs and part of Milwaukee, emphasized that solving Milwaukee’s problems requires cooperation and respect rather than divisive language.