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Advertorial - Judge Rebecca Bradley

bradley2After practicing law for 16 years, I answered a calling to serve the people of Milwaukee County as a Circuit Court Judge in Children’s Court, where I preside over cases involving children in need of protection or services and juvenile delinquency. I am struck everyday by the need in our community. Children appear before me on a daily basis whose families struggle with poverty and broken homes. These children need effective services and the support of their communities. I became a judge because I care deeply about the Milwaukee community where I was raised, and I want to help improve the lives of all Milwaukeeans.

I was born at St. Joseph’s Hospital on 50th and Chambers and grew up in a home just west of there. After my Dad lost his job in the 1980s recession, my family struggled with poverty like many Milwaukee families. But I was blessed with parents who instilled in their four children a strong work ethic, the importance of education, and the value of a strong family. My family’s experiences give me a unique appreciation for the challenges faced by families in Milwaukee County. I am dedicated to protecting the children in our community, keeping families together whenever possible, and ensuring the safety of the citizens who reside, work, and attend school in Milwaukee County.

I have long been committed to the Milwaukee community.  As an attorney, I volunteered my services to the families of developmentally disabled youth. I serve on the Wisconsin State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. I also continue to serve on the Board of the Milwaukee Tennis & Education Foundation, which provides opportunities for central-city children to learn and play tennis, improve academic performance and develop life skills and values. In 2012, I completed a six-year term as a member of the Milwaukee Forum, a racially, professionally, economically and politically diverse group of current and prospective leaders in the community whose dialogue and involvement is designed to enhance greater racial and ethnic understanding and improve the well-being of the Milwaukee community. 

I am committed to the rule of law, treating all participants in the court system with dignity and respect, and applying the law fairly and impartially. When I proudly took the Oath of Office, I swore to support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Wisconsin. I understand my duty to apply the law as it is written and not as I may wish it to be. I have faithfully exercised this duty in hundreds of cases since my appointment to the bench and it is a privilege to serve the people of Milwaukee County.

As a public servant, it is my duty to reach out to the citizens I serve. I enjoy attending and participating in conferences like Community Brainstorming. I am committed to continuing my outreach in the coming years as I serve the citizens of Milwaukee County. I would be honored to have your support and your vote on April 2nd.

Advertorial - Connecting Workers to Jobs

It has been said that in the Greater Milwaukee region, jobs and workers are often disconnected based on location. Is this a self‐fulfilling prophecy or a problem waiting for a solution?

We believe it is solvable in part by breaking down the barrier caused by a lack of public transportation. From our perspective, transit and jobs go together. Just like people stranded on an island who could be saved by a ship they see on the horizon, many workers in Milwaukee see their ship of opportunity just beyond the county's borders. Until recently, for those who do not drive, there was no reliable way to get them to opportunities just beyond their reach.

Our organizations, the Milwaukee Inner city Congregations Allied for Hope and the Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin, have long recognized this disparity.

Accordingly, we sued the state of Wisconsin, which spends hundreds of millions of dollars on freeway improvements, to spend a small fraction of that on improving access to jobs through new transit routes. While we prevailed in the lawsuit, the task of creating that access is just beginning.

In conjunction with the Milwaukee County Transit System, funds from the suit settlement were channeled into initiating three new express routes to previously unserved industrial parks in New Berlin, Menomonee Falls and Germantown. More recently, we have embarked on an extensive marketing effort to make employers and job seekers aware of these new connections. Our efforts are resoundingly supported by County Executive Chris Abele and Supervisor Michael Mayo, the County Board’s Transportation Committee Chair.

Both MICAH and the BHCW are committed to making these routes successful by working with MCTS. Together we’ll modify the routes, make schedule changes or add bus stops to better connect employers and workers. To find out more, go to RideMCTS.com/NRNM.

When more jobs are filled and more people are fulfilled through meaningful work, we all benefit.

Patricia McManus
President and CEO, BHCW
Rev. Willie Brisco
President, MICAH