Milwaukee times 5 2 13 issue

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Weekly Newspaper “Journalistic Excellence, Service, Integrity and Objectivity Always” V l 32 Vol. 32 No. N 18 18 • Thurs., Th , May M y 2, 2, 2013 2013 - Wed., W d , May M y 8, 8, 2013 2013 • An A NCON Publication P bli ti Serving S i g The Th Milwaukee Mil k Area A • 65¢ 65¢

Larry Harwell passes

Larry Harwell Larry Harwell, a longtime legislative aide to former State Representative Annette Polly Williams for more than 20 years, died suddenly this week of a heart attack. Harwell is best known for

his community involvement with the Model Cities program, School Choice and his input into having individuals from the community serve on the Social Development Commission Board. Funeral services will be held for Harwell on Saturday, May 4, 2013 at the Pitts Mortuary, 2011 W. Capitol Drive with viewing at 10:00 a.m. and the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. Larry is survived by 9 children: Veronica Chambers, Nina Harwell, Alicia Harwell, Larry Harwell, Jr., John Harwell, Sylvia Harwell, Catina HarwellYoung, Nekia Harwell, and Tomekia Harwell; 14 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and his surviving brother and sisters.

UW-System surplus has some in Madison seeing red By: Raina J. Johnson Special to the Milwaukee Times A recent report released by the Legislative Audit Bureau showed that the University of Wisconsin system has reserves of $648 million and $414 million in tuition surplus. At the same time, records show that tuition increases have been steady at 5.5 percent annually since the 2007 – 2008 school year. Many lawmakers question this surplus. Rep. Mandela Barnes (D – Milwaukee) said, “It’s just another reason to freeze tuition.” With this being a current budget cycle, this matter isn’t being taken lightly. For now, we have to wait and see what action, if any, lawmakers will take. President Kevin Reilly of the UW System was grilled at the Capitol on the issue. Senator Alberta Darling (R – River Hills) asked a tough question of Reilly: “Students from all over the state have said you know what, we’ve taken out loans, we’ve taken out grants, we have 2 or 3 jobs, we want to finish our degrees. And they’ve told us how difficult it is to get through the University system and the amount of debt they have and yet here we have accounts of tuition being squirreled away at the same time you raise tuition, what is your intent – what is your leadership intent of managing the UW money in this way?” Reilly responded, “We’re always trying to avoid that situation where we get to a

bi-annual where we say, wow, the state budget is down, we’re back in another recession, gifts and grants are down, people aren’t giving as much money, and we have fewer students, and how are we going to afford to educate the ones that are left? Because so much of our budget is tuition based.” This conversation is likely to continue as lawmakers go into sessions regarding the budget and the UW system is preparing for policies and public hearings on what is an appropriate amount to have in their reserves.

The Mayor lends a hand on the "pothole patrol"

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Mayor Tom Barrett worked with a Department of Public Works pothole-filling crew on Wednesday, May 1 in a northwest side Milwaukee neighborhood. The number of pothole complaints in the city is up this year compared to 2012, due in part to a wet winter and several freeze/thaw cycles. With the recent warmer weather, DPW crews have switched to using hot mix asphalt for filling potholes, which adheres significantly better to the pavement compared to cold mix asphalt used during the winter months. To report a pothole, residents should call 286-CITY (2489).

MPS students get a special learning experience on the life of Jackie Robinson

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Pictured (from left) are MPS superintendent Dr. Gregory Thornton, Sharon Robinson (daughter of Jackie Robinson), Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig and students from Roosevelt Middle School in Milwaukee, after a special screening of the movie "42".

Report: Wisconsin has the highest black from male incarceration rate in the nation

"Students all over the state have said you know what, we’ve taken out loans, we’ve taken out grants, we have 2 or 3 jobs, we want to finish our degrees."

By: Raina J. Johnson Special to the Milwaukee Times In a 33-page report recently released by the UWMilwaukee Employment and Training Institute, the numbers are startling but not surprising to many. The report focuses on two decades of data from “the Department of Corrections (DOC) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) files to assess employment and train-

ing barriers facing African American men with a history of DOC offenses and DOT violations. The report focuses on 26,222 African American males from Milwaukee County incarcerated in state correctional facilities from 1990 to 2012 (including a third with only non-violent crimes) and another 27,874 men with DOT violations preventing them from legally driving (many for failures to pay fines and civil forfei-

tures). Of course, with these high numbers, it’s no surprise that black men, especially in Milwaukee County, can’t find jobs. “Prison time is the most serious barrier to employment, making ex-offender populations the most difficult to place and sustain in full-time employment. When DOT driver’s licensing history is also considered transportation barriers make (Continued pg. 4)


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