Home News Features South Side Race Reveals Divisions
Wednesday, August 20,2008
Colon is running on his nine years of experience in the state Assembly, including his work on the Joint Finance Committee, which works out budget and spending issues before they are debated by the full Legislature. If the Democrats win the majority in the Assembly, Colon could have a shot at a leadership position, which would provide Milwaukee with a voice that it currently does not have. But Manriquez, a licensed practical nurse and community activist, argues that Colon isn't doing enough for his constituents because he has focused on other pursuits- running for city attorney, sitting on the boards of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage District (MMSD) and MATC, and working as an attorney. Manriquez, a board member of Esperanza Unida, says she would make her constituents' concerns a higher priority.
Candidate Jose Guzman did not respond to the Shepherd's candidate questionnaire. Guzman received in-kind contributions from former Republican state Sen. Tom Reynolds' PAC, Clean Sweep Wisconsin.
No Republican is running in this district, so the winner of the Sept. 9 Democratic pri mary will automatically serve in the state Assembly.
Pedro Colon serves on the Joint Finance Committee, but he said that many good proposals are blocked due to partisan differences. Colon said that serving on this committee allows him to fight for more funding for crime initiatives and education: "As Milwaukee's voice in the state Assembly on many budget issues, I worked hard last year to find $27 million in new funding to expand the SAGE program and $3 million to expand kindergarten pro grams for 4-year-olds. I'm especially proud of our work to support veterans with $32 million in new money to help our men and women in uniform pursue a higher educa tion degree after their service has ended….
I was able to bring much needed funding to Milwaukee Public Schools in the form a new High Poverty Aid Program authored by myself and Sen. Lena Taylor. This pro gram brings an additional $17 million to MPS and we were also successful in granting MPS $10 million to fund more math and science programs."
Colon said that the Milwaukee Parental School Choice Program's funding flaw, which penalizes city taxpayers, must be fixed. "The Assembly GOP proved that they had no interest in fixing this funding flaw. In fact, when they wrote their version of the state budget, they not only ignored the funding flaw, they expanded the pro gram statewide. Thus, I worked with Sen. Lena Taylor to create a plan that got an additional $27 million in funding for Milwaukee Public Schools." He does not advocate expanding the choice program.
Colon, who stresses his support of immigrants' rights, authored legislation that would allow children of illegal immigrants who graduated from a state high school to pay in-state tuition at a state collegeor tech school. "I have worked with Gov. Doyle to have this item placed in the state budget but it was pulled out by the Assembly Republicans."
Laura Manriquez, a nurse, has advocated for treatment options for those in the criminal justice system, and is an advisory member of Governor's Office of Justice Assistance Treatment and Diversion. Manriquez said she would use her networking skills to find common ground with other legislators. "It is important for me to ensure that Milwaukee gets its fair share of state funding. In doing [so], I will establish close working relations with other lawmakers.
The working partnerships I will build will be built on common-ground needs and free of antagonisms. I will reach out to leg islators in order to develop efforts based on building alliances designed to move Wisconsin forward by making Milwaukee stronger, and a better generator of revenue for partners outside of Milwaukee."
Manriquez is a strong supporter of the public school system. "The Choice Program has shown itself to be just another experiment unable to break the bi-products of poverty. Our educational system has pock ets of unique educational needs for the various populations of our state. Poor communities need more resources than rich districts.
This is a matter of fact. Anyone thinking that the Milwaukee School Choice Program is the panacea to ridding our community of poverty is living in a pipe dream.
The key is to continue to support our public schools and direct the resources to the children and not to special interest(s) efforts and over-priced consultants."
What's your take? Write: editor@shepex.com or comment on this story online at www.expressmilwaukee.com.
Share
South Side Race Reveals Divisions
Colon stresses his experience while facing two challengers
State Rep. Pedro Colon-who ran for Milwaukee city attorney in April-is seek ing re-election to the state Assembly, which he hopes will be controlled by the Democrats in November. But first Colon faces two challengers for this South Side district-nurse Laura Manriquez and Jose Guzman.
Colon is running on his nine years of experience in the state Assembly, including his work on the Joint Finance Committee, which works out budget and spending issues before they are debated by the full Legislature. If the Democrats win the majority in the Assembly, Colon could have a shot at a leadership position, which would provide Milwaukee with a voice that it currently does not have. But Manriquez, a licensed practical nurse and community activist, argues that Colon isn't doing enough for his constituents because he has focused on other pursuits- running for city attorney, sitting on the boards of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage District (MMSD) and MATC, and working as an attorney. Manriquez, a board member of Esperanza Unida, says she would make her constituents' concerns a higher priority.
Candidate Jose Guzman did not respond to the Shepherd's candidate questionnaire. Guzman received in-kind contributions from former Republican state Sen. Tom Reynolds' PAC, Clean Sweep Wisconsin.
No Republican is running in this district, so the winner of the Sept. 9 Democratic pri mary will automatically serve in the state Assembly.
Pedro Colon serves on the Joint Finance Committee, but he said that many good proposals are blocked due to partisan differences. Colon said that serving on this committee allows him to fight for more funding for crime initiatives and education: "As Milwaukee's voice in the state Assembly on many budget issues, I worked hard last year to find $27 million in new funding to expand the SAGE program and $3 million to expand kindergarten pro grams for 4-year-olds. I'm especially proud of our work to support veterans with $32 million in new money to help our men and women in uniform pursue a higher educa tion degree after their service has ended….
I was able to bring much needed funding to Milwaukee Public Schools in the form a new High Poverty Aid Program authored by myself and Sen. Lena Taylor. This pro gram brings an additional $17 million to MPS and we were also successful in granting MPS $10 million to fund more math and science programs."
Colon said that the Milwaukee Parental School Choice Program's funding flaw, which penalizes city taxpayers, must be fixed. "The Assembly GOP proved that they had no interest in fixing this funding flaw. In fact, when they wrote their version of the state budget, they not only ignored the funding flaw, they expanded the pro gram statewide. Thus, I worked with Sen. Lena Taylor to create a plan that got an additional $27 million in funding for Milwaukee Public Schools." He does not advocate expanding the choice program.
Colon, who stresses his support of immigrants' rights, authored legislation that would allow children of illegal immigrants who graduated from a state high school to pay in-state tuition at a state collegeor tech school. "I have worked with Gov. Doyle to have this item placed in the state budget but it was pulled out by the Assembly Republicans."
Laura Manriquez, a nurse, has advocated for treatment options for those in the criminal justice system, and is an advisory member of Governor's Office of Justice Assistance Treatment and Diversion. Manriquez said she would use her networking skills to find common ground with other legislators. "It is important for me to ensure that Milwaukee gets its fair share of state funding. In doing [so], I will establish close working relations with other lawmakers.
The working partnerships I will build will be built on common-ground needs and free of antagonisms. I will reach out to leg islators in order to develop efforts based on building alliances designed to move Wisconsin forward by making Milwaukee stronger, and a better generator of revenue for partners outside of Milwaukee."
Manriquez is a strong supporter of the public school system. "The Choice Program has shown itself to be just another experiment unable to break the bi-products of poverty. Our educational system has pock ets of unique educational needs for the various populations of our state. Poor communities need more resources than rich districts.
This is a matter of fact. Anyone thinking that the Milwaukee School Choice Program is the panacea to ridding our community of poverty is living in a pipe dream.
The key is to continue to support our public schools and direct the resources to the children and not to special interest(s) efforts and over-priced consultants."
What's your take? Write: editor@shepex.com or comment on this story online at www.expressmilwaukee.com.
Also in News Features:
Milwaukee Candidates Shut Out in Assembly LeadershipSmashing the Voter Fraud MythFilling the Budget HoleWho's Afraid of a Filibuster?Paid Sick Leave Becomes LawAmerica’s New Political CenterMore Bark Than Bite from the NRA This YearYou predicted Obama would win Wisconsin and the presidencySarah the ScapegoatMcCain's Socialist Delusion
..Search Shepherd Express
- Fri
21 - Sat
22 - Sun
23 - Mon
24 - Tue
25 - Wed
26 - Thu
27
Search in Events
2008-11-21 7:00 pm
Kids & Family
For over 20 years, The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats have been amazing audiences with their high-energy performances. They will astound the audience of the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center. Under the direction of acrobatic legends, the Hai Family, the company flawlessly interprets the precision and grace of an art form honed by years of training and discipline; Chinese acrobatics. The performance will feature dazzling acrobatic displays, form
Location: South Milwaukee
Quantum of Solace is the future of cinema, a movie whose splashiest scenes are tailored to the dimension of big screens. It opens with the camera zooming like a cruise missile, skimming the surface of the sea as it hurtles toward the Italian coast. There,
Besotted by the cinema of silence and early talking pictures, Guy Maddin also finds humor in old movies-or perhaps the humor lies more in the distance between our experience of the world and the gestures of an antique art form. In My Winnipeg, the Canadia
For most of us, bossa nova is the distinctive sound of Brazil. The music was born in the late 1950s, conceived in large part by Antonio Carlos Jobim. From early on, American jazz musicians parked themselves within the idiom, sensing an affinity between th
California's Sound Tribe Sector 9 claims that instrumental music can reflect the tension of the times. In fact, the five-man collective considers its dense Eno-esque swirl of pulsing live and electronic sounds a means of "conversation" between band and li
The local restaurant Barossa, named after the Australian wine region of the same name, quietly closed its doors several months ago. With that closure came the loss of a very distinguished wine list and a menu that borrowed ingredients from all over the wo
The biggest local restaurant news of 2008 would have to be Adam Siegel’s James Beard Award as Best Chef of the Midwest. Siegel is chef de cuisine at Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro, as well as at Bacchus. Lake Park Bistro brings a very French fe
Free Classifieds
Free Coupons
Win Cage Fighting Tickets
..Search Shepherd Express
