It's been four years since we sat down with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett for a Milwaukee Talks interview.

In the meantime, Favre left the building, the Brewers threaten to contend, condos have boomed and the Third Ward has continued to grow.

The debate about light rail has continued, a new police chief has arrived and the Marquette Interchange project is now complete.

So, it was high time we asked Tom Barrett, "what's up?"

Enjoy this Milwaukee Talks with your mayor, Tom Barrett, conducted in his office in August.

OMC: Are you having a good Milwaukee summer?

Tom Barrett: Summer's going very well. I'm having a very good Milwaukee summer.

OMC: Have you been getting out to the festivals?

TB: I do every year.

OMC: Do you go to all the festivals?

TB: I don't go to all of them. Actually, this year has probably been one of the tougher ones because there's been a couple of weekends when I've been out of town, but the one that's coming up, where I will certainly be there -- I will be tending bar at Irish Fest, as I have for most of the last 25 years.

OMC: So we know the answer to my next question: What is your favorite festival? Not to be politically incorrect ...

TB: I love all my festivals, but that's the one that I probably have the longest association with. I really do try to go to as many as I can.

OMC: What's going on these days with the festivals, that we're having so many issues with financial problems and sagging attendance?

TB: I think it's a reflection of the economy and gas prices. They always draw from people outside the city, so you might have people driving less often, but I think the uncertainty of the economy. Not just in this city, but throughout the entire country, frankly, has had an effect on them.

OMC: What do you think they'll have to do to survive?

TB: Oh, I think one of the most disappointing was losing African World Festival this year, but they've already said that they're planning on coming back in 2009, and just need to work through the financial issues and see how to stabilize their financial situation. But I don't see any of them other than that one being in danger, and again, I'm hopeful and optimistic that that one will be able to revive as well.

OMC: How great is it that the Marquette interchange is done -- finished early, and under budget?

TB: I think that's wonderful, and I will pay compliments to the State Department of Transportation, who I criticize at times. It has been, really, an impressive engineering and construction project, both from an engineering standpoint and a construction standpoint ... and from construction management as well. The fact that it really never closed down.

OMC: Do you drive through it on a daily basis?

TB: No. I live on the West Side, so I prefer to take the city streets, but over the course of the day I probably drive through it going somewhere, at some point.

OMC: So you're as happy as everybody else.

TB: I'm very happy. I'm getting used to getting off on the right.

OMC: What's Milwaukee's best-kept secret? Now that people can actually get here easily, what are people missing?

TB: I think the growing secret is going to be the comeback of Bradford Beach.

OMC: Everybody's talking about it. Have you taken the towel and the kids?

TB: I have not been down there swimming, but I have been down there. I love seeing people there, and so ... I have to give a lot of credit to MMSD, because they were in here several years ago and they said, "Look, we've got to get this beach back in play." So, I'd say that's probably the best-kept secret right now -- that Bradford Beach is back.

OMC: Maybe this is a question more for Scott Walker, but is that the kind of private / public partnership -- having people come in and run the concessions -- that is the key for the parks?

TB: Well, again, I think the initial key was the commitment from MMSD, and I think MMSD gets kicked around the block a lot, but MMSD stepped forward and put resources in and said, "We're going to clean up this beach." So I think that that type of thing is helpful.

OMC: Is there something you can think of then that Milwaukee is lacking?

TB: Something the city is lacking?

OMC: Every city needs something.

TB: Well, you'll have people say that we need a soccer franchise, but I don't know that we have the capacity right now to do that, but a soccer franchise would be something. I think we need to work on more retail, particularly Downtown. I think that's a shortcoming that's coming around.

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Posted by nfholton on Sept. 3, 2008 at 2:02 p.m. (report)

Blaming Walker for transit is a bit of a copout. If Barrett was willing, he could be far more aggressive on transit than he is. Instead, he proposed a completely risk-free idea that he knew wouldn't go anywhere and pretends that he has no blame. Blaming talk radio is worse. If our leaders cower in the face of these silly entertainers, we're really in trouble. Bold transit ideas in this city win the war on the merits by a landslide. It's an issue that a good mayor should be willing to risk some short-term popularity to pursue.