Reports by issue topic
Regional Reports
Southeastern Wisconsin has powerful advantages that include growing business clusters; world-class arts and culture; and environmental health. But, as a region, we also have a stagnant tax base, low income per person, a labor shortage in the suburbs and high unemployment in the city, and an annual loss of personal income to other regions.
For our region to be a player in the global economy, it needs:
- A shared vision of priorities for regional action
- An underpinning of research and analysis to help guide that action, and
- A method of advocating, coordinating and implementing action for the region as a whole.
| The People Speak Poll: Region’s residents give transportation infrastructure average grades |
June 25, 2010 |
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| research brief |
| Metro Milwaukee’s drivers and bus riders give the region average grades when it comes to transportation infrastructure. The condition of the region’s freeways gets the highest grade, a C+, while local streets and roads garner a
C-. The findings come from the latest People Speak poll of 386 residents in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee counties conducted in early June.
Ozaukee County residents give the most generous grades, while Waukesha County residents give the lowest. The broadest range of grades is given to local bus service, which rates Cs among Ozaukee and Milwaukee residents, but Ds among Washington and Waukesha residents. Survey respondents who ride the bus at least occasionally give their local bus service a higher grade than those who say they drive their car every day. Freeways rate highest among Ozaukee County residents and those respondents who work outside the home (commuters).
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| The People Speak Poll: Region's residents favor subsidies for water industry |
March 12, 2010 |
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| research brief |
| Greater Milwaukee residents show solid support for efforts to use the region's abundance of fresh water as an economic development tool, even if it means paying slightly more for their own water or using public subsidies to do so. That's according to the latest People Speak Poll of 429 residents in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee counties conducted in mid-February.
Nearly 70% of municipal water users participating in the poll would be willing to pay a small surcharge on their water bill "to fund economic development activities promoting southeast Wisconsin as a place for water-related research and economic growth." In addition, 65% of all respondents agree that government subsidies are "desirable to attract new or expanded water industries to southeast Wisconsin." More than 80% of respondents agree the region has the potential to become a global leader in the water technology industry.
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| The People Speak Poll: Milwaukee area citizens hurting, but optimistic about the future |
October, 2009 |
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| full report |
| Milwaukee area citizens are optimistic about their financial futures, yet a sizeable portion report having experienced financial difficulties in the past six months. The People Speak telephone survey of 433 residents of Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington, and Ozaukee Counties reveals that a third of the area's citizens have had problems paying their bills at some time during the past six months. Of those experiencing such problems, however, 59% report being somewhat or very optimistic about their financial future. Among the entire survey sample, 64% were optimistic about their financial future.
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| Public Schooling in Southeastern Wisconsin |
September, 2009 |
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| full report |
| For the 23rd consecutive year, the Public Policy Forum has compiled and analyzed data from Southeastern Wisconsin's school districts in order to better inform policymakers and the public about progress-or lack thereof-on commonly utilized measures of academic achievement. This year's analysis of the 2008-09 academic year indicates cause for encouragement in some areas, but also cause for significant concern.
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| 2008-2009 Southeastern Wisconsin School District Performance (pull-out poster) |
September, 2009 |
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| full report |
| Pull-out poster providing Southeastern Wisconsin school performance in an easily readable format. Performance of the K-12 school districts includes enrollment, district finances, student participation and student performance measures. |
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| Plugging the income drain |
November, 2007 |
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| full report |
| From 2001 to 2006, households moving out of the seven-county southeastern Wisconsin region took with them $1.3 billion
more in personal income than those moving into the region brought with them. This five-year loss represents a fraction
(3%) of the region’s current $43.7 billion total personal income, but is, nevertheless, a concern when viewed as $1.3
billion that could have been circulating in our economy to support growth in our local housing and retail markets. |
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| 2006-2007 Southeastern Wisconsin School District Rankings |
October, 2007 |
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| full report |
| Pull-out poster providing rankings in an easily readable format. Rankings of K-12 school districts, according to enrollment, district finances, student participation and student performance measures. |
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| Student Achievement Slips in Southeastern Wisconsin |
October, 2007 |
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| full report |
| On the whole, our region’s schools are losing ground to schools elsewhere in Wisconsin.
The achievement gap between southeastern Wisconsin schools and those in the rest of the state has widened in
all subjects and at all grade levels from last year. When the Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha public school
districts are removed from the equation, overall performance in southeastern Wisconsin schools improves, and
in some subjects, surpasses the rest of the state. |
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| Property tax levy rises 4.6% in SE Wisconsin |
June, 2007 |
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| full report |
| A year ago when our annual tax analysis found the smallest increase in the property tax levy in five years,
we wondered if that would be the start of a trend. It wasn’t. In retrospect, the relatively small increase of
2.4% was an anomaly. This year, the levy increased 4.6% in southeastern Wisconsin, and as the chart below
shows, is similar to increases in previous years. The chart also shows the growth in the gross tax levy total for
the entire state. Last year, the gross tax levy total for the state was virtually unchanged; in 2007, the increase
is 4.6%, same as in southeastern Wisconsin. |
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| Race relations survey |
December, 2006 |
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| full report |
| In southeastern Wisconsin, our capacity to be competitive in a global economy depends on our ability to guarantee the workforce, infrastructure, and quality of life that will attract and retain businesses and their workers. This holistic view of economic development highlights the importance of planning and management in many arenas: education, transportation, water resources, health, housing, taxation, telecommunications, energy, justice, and workforce development, to name a few. But sometimes, when we plan for our future as a region, there is an “elephant in the room” – a topic policymakers are not comfortable talking about. |
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