Milwaukee mayor appears to put politics ahead of people

Earlier this month, I went to the RNC Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as a delegate representing the 4th Congressional District. It was a remarkable experience, especially because the convention was beginning less than 48 hours after the attempted assassination of former President Trump (and who, of course, was also being nominated as the Republican Party’s candidate for president).

It was a great honor for me to represent our district, and I thank all those who voted in the Republican caucuses for the opportunity I had to serve in this way.

But that’s not what this column is all about.

It’s about taking it too far. About knowing what your job is. About the difference between saying you want to do good and actually doing good. About the consequences of electing someone whose politics is more important than their people.

And here’s what I mean. So, the people of Milwaukee could not have been nicer during the Louisiana delegation’s visit — the whole week. Thousands of volunteers wearing their “red shirts” were there to help give directions and to welcome you. Bus drivers, Uber drivers, you name it, servers – they went out of their way to make the 20,000 to 30,000 guests feel welcome in their city. And we did.

But then, on the last day of the convention, the mayor of Milwaukee, Cavalier Johnson, just about ruined it all — and even if we explained to him, he wouldn’t understand why.

Here’s what happened: He held a press conference, and it started out innocently and professionally enough. He said, “I’m appreciative of the people who have worked so diligently to showcase Milwaukee in the best light possible …” He then went on, rightfully so, to thank the thousands of volunteers and city workers, like the public works department, the many police officers and other first responders, who had worked extra and longer shifts to ensure the success of the convention.

Mayor Johnson explained in his prepared remarks that “hosting such a massive event was important to demonstrate that Milwaukee could host such a massive event again” and “how it was important to the future of Milwaukee’s hospitality industry.” He said he wanted more big conventions, meetings, sporting events, etc., because “it translates into jobs and opportunities for Milwaukee residents and businesses.”

Sounded great to me — even if Mayor Johnson is a Democrat.

But that’s when the train left the tracks, and the politics (and power) became more important than any greater prosperity for the people of Milwaukee.

Mayor Johnson started out with Democrat Party talking points like, “The Biden-Harris administration has delivered investments in people,” and he quickly shifted to the preposterous when he said, “President Joe Biden has tackled serious problems and he’s done it with real solutions.”

But OK. Even here, I’m good. You do you, Mayor Johnson. It’s a free country.

But then, in just a few short sentences, on the final day of the week-long convention, Mayor Johnson insulted the nearly 25,000 guests staying in his city and attending the RNC Convention in Milwaukee by saying those guests believe in lies.

He said, “From Serve Forum tonight, we’ll hear a false narrative of gloom, a false narrative of blame, a message from Republicans that simply is not true.”

What a boneheaded comment. It’s similar, though, to when Hillary Clinton said “half” of Trump supporters fit into a “basket of deplorables,” or when Joe Biden said MAGA Republicans threaten “our personal and economic rights, they embrace political violence” or that they are “semi-fascist.” Or when Biden referred to Trump supporters as “chumps.”

How can you insult millions of Trump supporters and yet still have your “whole soul” in uniting this country? It’s beyond me.

And how Mayor Johnson thinks that insulting the very same folks you hope will return to Milwaukee as tourists or select Milwaukee as a host city for a convention or a place to start a business is also beyond me.

And while we know that correlation does not always imply causation, Milwaukee is emblematic of cities led by Democrats, where the vast majority of the most powerless and impoverished citizens are concentrated, which make up 80% of the FBI’s “Top 10” most violent cities, and where you’ll find 90% of the cities with the highest unemployment.

Is it coincidence? Or is it that Democrats put politics above people, and when they should be finding common ground, they are seeking to divide us, instead?

Mayor Johnson, you should be ashamed of yourself to risk attracting jobs to your community by insulting the very same folks you say you are thankful for visiting in the first place. From what I could tell, the good people of Milwaukee deserve better leadership than that.

Louis R. Avallone is a Shreveport businessman, attorney and author of “Bright Spots, Big Country, What Makes America Great.” He is also a former aide to U.S. Representative Jim McCrery and editor of The Caddo Republican. His columns have appeared regularly in 318 Forum since 2007. Follow him on Facebook, on Twitter @louisravallone or by e-mail at louisavallone@mac.com, and on American Ground Radio at 101.7FM and 710 AM, weeknights from 6 - 7 p.m., and streaming live on keelnews.com.