The Nov. 14 report, which will be reviewed by a Common Council committee today, called Milwaukee "a real estate and community development machine" but said the city's economic plan for the future and workforce development programs need attention.,”

Government watch group Public Policy Forum released a scathing report titled "Growing Up" on Milwaukee's lack of economic development that has city leaders firing back.

The Nov. 14 report, which will be reviewed by a Common Council committee today, called Milwaukee "a real estate and community development machine" but said the city's economic plan for the future and workforce development programs need attention.

"Our main message is that the city needs to have an economic plan and it needs to include workforce development," said Jeff Browne, president of the forum.

Among 25 comparable cities, Milwaukee is one of only six that lacks a plan for future economic development, according to the report.

The report also states that Milwaukee's rate of job growth has declined nearly 11 percent in that past 15 years. In other Midwest cities the rate has climbed-1 percent in Chicago, nearly 7 percent in Indianapolis and more than 7 percent in Minneapolis.

According to Eileen Force, spokeswoman for Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, the city has made economic developments a top priority.

"The report completely disregards plans already underway," she said.

Force cited the hiring of Donald Sykes and the city's participation in the Milwaukee 7 group as evidence of the city's progress. Sykes is a workforce development adviser to the mayor hired in September whose report is expected next month. The Milwaukee 7 is a regional development committee. According to Force, the group's economic plan for southeastern Wisconsin is due in April.

Force also said the city has not traditionally been involved in workforce development and usually leaves such initiatives to the Private Industry Council, Milwaukee Public Schools and Milwaukee Area Technical College.

Janet Boles, political science professor at Marquette University, echoed Force by saying while most citizens expect government to be involved, workforce development is most often taken on by organizations outside city or county government that work on the ground level to provide practical training to potential employees.

"The city itself doesn't really engage in manpower development," Boles said. "It's very difficult for the city to be involved because it has to work with the urban public school system and MATC."

Boles was not confident about the city's ability to overcome these barriers.

"If we knew how to train people we would have done it already," she said.

Browne said the forum took city plans into consideration but ultimately decided that Milwaukee should do more for its own.

"The people without jobs are city residents, so really the city should be playing the biggest role in workforce development," Browne said.

According to the report, only 1 percent of the city's budget has gone toward workforce development in the past four years combined. The city also receives a federally funded Community Development Block Grant each year. Between 2002 and 2005 the city received nearly $85 million to spend on different developments but only used around $7 million on workforce and business. The rest of the money went to social service and housing programs.

Some city officials, while unwilling to comment on the report's content, appreciate the forum's work.

"They gave us data that we can use," said Alderman Joe Davis of the Second District. "Any information by an outside source that evaluates government could be useful."

Davis said Public Policy Forum officials are scheduled to come before the Common Council's Community and Economic Development Committee, which he chairs, this afternoon to brief committee members about the report's findings and intent.

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