Milwaukee County food access, reckless driving initiatives approved

MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors voted on a number of items Thursday, approving resolutions that they hope will help address reckless driving and food insecurity.

Food insecurity crisis

The backstory:

In 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture found seven of Milwaukee County's census tracts are considered to have low access to food. At least seven grocery stores have closed over the past year.

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What's next:

What can be done to keep grocery stores open? The county board unanimously approved an item that would set up what's called the "Milwaukee City-County Joint Taskforce to Address the Food Access Crisis in Milwaukee County." 

The task force's co-chairs would be the Milwaukee Common Council president and the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors chairperson, or their designees. The city of Milwaukee still needs to approve it.

The group's goal would be to come up with an action plan to increase access to affordable and nutritious food and recommend policy changes and investments. Once started, the task force would have to share findings in six months.

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What they're saying:

"An article just came out today from the Journal of the American Heart Association that said people who live in areas where there is a food desert, you increase your risk of cardiovascular disease by 21%," said Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman. "The inherent stress that’s caused by it will increase your risk of dying from strokes and heart attacks by 21% we’re not just talking about food, but lifetime effects, and potentially dying from this. And we look at our communities, there’s real suffering taking place, and it’s proven in this article."

"Some of the causes or reasons that we are in this situation we’re in seems somewhat evident at face value," said Supervisor Deanna Alexander. "I mean there’s a reason that some neighborhoods may have things locked up, and you can’t get to the deodorant or the baby food or whatnot, and other neighborhoods don’t – and for right or wrong – it means that a lot of our neighborhoods are going downhill, whether it’s the people don’t want to live there, people are having financial troubles, whether the grocery stores are able to be profitable."

Reckless driving

The backstory:

The county board approved an ordinance similar to one the city of Milwaukee already has on the books, allowing police to tow and impound a car involved in a reckless driving incident.

The ordinance would give that power to the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office and police departments within the county. The owner would not be able to get their car back until paying for the tow, storage and all fines. It would not apply to an owner whose car was stolen.

What they're saying:

"This is a tool to get the scofflaws' attention. If you are going to drive like a lunatic, and not pay your fines, you’re going to forfeit your car, at least temporarily. And they won’t get back their car until they pay their fines," said Supervisor Steven Shea.

"I don't really support making it easier for the government to impound our property, and I will not be supporting this," Supervisor Justin Bielinski said. "I don't think this is really going to change behavior. This is people can simply pay a fine and get their vehicle back."

What's next:

After a 14-2 vote in favor, the ordinance next needs County Executive David Crowley's signature. A spokesperson said Crowley plans to sign it.

Salah Sarsour

The backstory:

Supervisors called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to release Salah Sarsour, the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, with a symbolic vote Thursday.

Sarsour has been a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. for decades, and his wife and children are American citizens. ICE detained Sarsour in March. Federal records show he is locked up in Indiana.

The federal government pointed to charges Sarsour faced in Israel, where he was accused of "throwing a Molotov cocktail at the homes of Israeli armed forces," as the reason for his detention. The Islamic Society called those fraudulent charges.

Sarsour's legal team has filed a suit in federal court asking for his immediate release.

What they're saying:

An overwhelming number of supervisors voted 16-2 to condemn Sarsour's arrest and call for his immediate release. Supervisors Deanna Alexander and Patti Logsdon were the two against it.

"We are still guaranteed due process, according to the Constitution, and this is a clear violation of due process," said Supervisor Anne O'Connor.

"This resolution wants to demand immediate release. That goes far beyond defending rights and it substitutes our limited political judgment, without seeing or hearing evidence, or defense for that matter, for the legal process that is already happening," Alexander argued.

"While I understand everyone’s passion on this issue, it is a federal issue, it is not a local issue," said Logsdon.

"He was detained for his stance on Palestine. He’s a Palestinian immigrant, and he deserves that right as well," said Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez.

Flood response

The backstory:

Board supervisors unanimously approved a resolution that calls for a better approach to preparing people for possible floods. The new approach was introduced in response to historic floods that slammed the area last August and in April.

The resolution aims to shift the county's focus from reactive flood cleanup to proactive prevention, directing the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management to partner with cities to clear storm drains before severe weather hits. It also included a more aggressive push for state and federal funding to protect infrastructure.