The Campaign for a Strong Regional Future will soon unveil a proposal to move Milwaukee forward in the area of regional cooperation. There is little doubt that the metropolitan area has suffered by not having a coherent vision for transportation and infrastructure among other issues. Last year, there was some momentum for all the municipalities in Milwaukee County to merge into one local government. Indianapolis and Nashville have successfully pulled this off.

The increasing cuts in state aid to local governments will likely push this issue forward. It is becoming more obvious how foolish and wasteful it is to maintain several local governments all existing within a few miles of one another. These governments all have police and fire departments in addition to all the other services they provide. Consolidation could save money, and finally force the city and suburbs to cooperate in long range planning.