Sometimes where we're going looks increasingly like where we've been. Now that the Potawatomi Casino has completed the first phase of their multi-million dollar expansion in the Menomonee Valley, there are discussions about moving it downtown.

For those with a short memory, this same proposal was floated by former Milwaukee alderman John Kalwitz in 1999. Mayor Norquist, who opposed the casino expansion and Kalwitz's idea, is now open to moving it downtown and tying it into plans to develop the former Pabst Brewery complex and land cleared as a result of the Park East freeway demolition.

It's an example of how Milwaukee's lack of vision holds back its potential. While the casino move may actually happen, other mistakes are not so easily remedied.

Miller Park was built in the Menomonee Valley instead of downtown. Just two years after opening, the Brewers are playing poorly and having a tough time selling tickets. If the stadium were downtown, it could appeal to a walk-up crowd by marketing itself as another entertainment option for those living, working, and playing downtown.

This ineptitude also explains why transportation policy is stuck in the 1950s where we simply expand freeways, but don't use our heads in regards to what expanded mass transit could do to move workers to jobs, promote sound development, and attract tourists.

It illustrates the importance of the 2004 mayoral race in the city of Milwaukee.