Our "economic ecosystem"

Watch for the Journal Sentinel, which basically introduced the idea in the first place, to continue to gush over a regional economic development strategy designed to bring growth to "Milwaukee" -- in the broader sense of Milwaukee.

"Milwaukee" encompasses seven counties in this plan, on the theory that everyone benefits even if the development and jobs go somewhere else.

Michael Grebe, speaking for the Greater Milwaukee Committee (chaired by Journal Communications President Steve Smith), told a Waukesha County audience that the idea is "to strengthen the region's 'economic ecosystem create jobs, lower unemployment, foster an entrepreneurial spirit, attract venture capital and lower taxes."

Everybody wants to be for cooperation and pro-development, so the skids may be greased for this one. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is already on board.

But, as one urban friend noted this morning, the counterfeit "ecosystem's" progress will need plenty of new highways and fresh water to succeed, while the real ecosystem gets paved and drained. But the steamroller is already started up. Story.

Another of my friends likes to say that "Repetition is the mother of learning," as he tells you something he's already said. In that spirit, here is an earlier post on the subject, titled, "Spare us the Milwaukee-suburban lovefest." Link.