An open letter from a Milwaukee resident who has had enough
Dear Democrats and David Crowley,
I’m writing this missive because some things need to be said before voters go to the polls.
Look at Milwaukee. And particularly, look at Milwaukee’s North Side because it is David Crowley’s beginnings.
Don’t look at it through the lens of campaign advertisements, carefully prepared speeches, or political talking points. Drive through the county neighborhoods. Talk to the people who live here. Look at the vacant properties, food deserts, struggling businesses, potholes, public safety concerns, transportation problems, and families wondering whether the government is actually working for them.
Then answer one simple question: Where are the results?
David Crowley wants voters to entrust him with Wisconsin. Before I do that, I believe I have every right to examine what has happened under his leadership of Milwaukee County.
And I am not impressed.
Recent numbers make that scrutiny even more important. David Crowley’s proposed 2027 Milwaukee County budget totals $1.5 billion, increases overall spending by 6%, seeks to close a projected $50 million budget gap, and proposes a 2.6% increase in the county property tax levy.
At the same time, MCTS is confronting another financial mess. Reporting on the proposed budget says the transit system projects a $20 million deficit for 2027 and is in the middle of bus service cuts.
So when Crowley tells us everything is moving in the right direction, forgive me if I ask, for whom?
Milwaukee County is the résumé.
David Crowley took office as Milwaukee County Executive in 2020. Leadership means owning the condition of the government you have led.
Crowley acknowledged serious financial challenges in his 2026 budget process, including a projected $46 million shortfall.
If Milwaukee County is your résumé, Wisconsin voters have every right to scrutinize it carefully. Look beyond the political talking points. You don’t get to take credit for every accomplishment and disappear when things turn ugly.
I live in Milwaukee. I’m from the 53206 ZIP code. I remember beauty and community in places that today have long been forgotten and abandoned. That is personal to me.
When I see struggling neighborhoods, concerns about public safety, families worried about failing schools, deteriorating infrastructure and residents wondering what they’re receiving for their tax dollars, I’m not looking at somebody’s campaign.
I’m tired of your excuses and lies.
I’m tired of hearing David Crowley tell Wisconsinites how much progress has been made while people living in these neighborhoods are asking when they’re finally going to feel that progress themselves.
And let me address something else directly.
I am Black.
David Crowley is Black.
But sharing skin color does not automatically earn my vote.
I understand why the possibility of electing a Black governor can carry enormous emotional and historical significance. Representation matters.
But representation without results is not enough.
I don’t want someone elected simply because he looks like me. I want the person who can make government work, protect taxpayers, demand accountability and improve the lives of ordinary Wisconsin residents. Identity cannot become immune from scrutiny.
No politician should be able to say, implicitly or explicitly, “Vote for me because we share the same race.” My standards are higher than that.
Wisconsin doesn’t need another promise that the next government program will finally repair what the last government program failed to fix. We need accountability. We need fiscal discipline. We need safe neighborhoods. We need reliable transportation. We need a functioning government.
And most importantly, we need elected officials who understand that taxpayers aren’t an unlimited ATM.
Before Wisconsin voters decide whether David Crowley should be promoted to the governor’s office, I have a suggestion: Come to Milwaukee. Don’t just drive downtown. Take some time and travel through the North Side. Drive through the 53206 neighborhoods.
Talk to residents who remember what some of these neighborhoods once were and who wonder what they could become again.
Then ask yourself whether David Crowley deserves a promotion.
I already know my answer: He does not.
I have watched long enough and I have listened long enough. I’ve heard enough explanations for why the government needs more money, another program, another tax or another department.
This isn’t about David Crowley’s race. It’s about his record. It isn’t about making history. It’s about whether Wisconsin can afford the direction he represents.
And speaking for myself, the answer is clear: No thank you. My vote belongs to the candidate I believe is best prepared to govern Wisconsin, regardless of race, regardless of party slogans, and regardless of what the political establishment tells me I am supposed to do.
Milwaukee deserves better. Wisconsin deserves better. And this voter is done settling. David Crowley, Milwaukee County was your opportunity to convince me you were ready for Wisconsin.
You didn’t.
