“There are those in Milwaukee who would rather contain the inner city and use it as a cash cow for the prison industrial complex,” Shaw said. “This has destroyed families and become a community problem.”

Milwaukee mayoral candidate Andrew Shaw compares his campaign against current Mayor Tom Barrett to that of David and Goliath: a relatively unknown contender with little money vying against a fairly popular and well-funded incumbent.

That hasn’t stopped Shaw in the past. In 1999, he became the first Asian-American to run for judge in Wisconsin. He received 26 percent of the vote, even as he faced a house foreclosure and bankruptcy due to cases he was involved with as a defense attorney and entrepreneur.

Shaw is the first Asian-American to run for mayor in Milwaukee, and also the only candidate running against Barrett. Shaw says that the issues he stands for are at the forefront of his campaign and are what sets him apart from the current mayor.

“A problem we have in the inner city is 50 percent unemployment of black males,” Shaw said. “The Tom Barrett administration has provided job training but no jobs.”

Milwaukee’s profound racial segregation is an issue that Shaw says has hurt the city’s ability to attract new businesses to the area. He said the fact that he’s Asian would help elevate the perception of Milwaukee to one that embraces diversity rather than shuns it.

“What better way to do that than to hire an Asian guy?” Shaw offered.

One way Shaw hopes to create new jobs would be building a light rail infrastructure that would provide transportation throughout the city and into the suburbs. Shaw said the light rail would take 16 years to build and involve more construction, creating employment opportunities.

Shaw said Milwaukee has enough federal money to accomplish this. He mentioned a similar $6.2 billion rail system in Denver, paid for by state and federal money, whose tax rate for the region was only 0.5 percent paid over 40 years, according to Shaw.

“The reason Milwaukee hasn’t implemented anything like this yet is that politicians from the suburbs don’t want a rail going from the city into their neighborhoods,” Shaw said. Another project Shaw wants to implement is the building of an arts and technology district in Milwaukee that would span 84 acres in Milwaukee’s inner city, specifically the area around 35th and Capital.

He hopes the creation of this district would keep young people around and turn the heart of the city into something positive. Shaw said this is particularly important because Milwaukee is only as strong as its weakest link: the inner city.

Shaw said it’s a question of whether to spend money on the education system or the prison system.

“There are those in Milwaukee who would rather contain the inner city and use it as a cash cow for the prison industrial complex,” Shaw said. “This has destroyed families and become a community problem.”

Another problem Shaw cited was a report conducted by the Barrett administration immediately following the Frank Jude case, which criticized the effectiveness of the police and fire departments. Shaw said the report found that there wasn’t enough money to investigate claims and that there was a problem with transparency in general.

“We can’t ask the black community for help if the police and fire departments are ineffective,” Shaw stressed. “The community doesn’t trust the police.”

The 94 page, June 2006 report was conducted by the Police Assessment Resource Center, based out of Las Angeles. The report makes several recommendations on how to increase the effectiveness of the police and fire departments.

Shaw feels that he has a unique approach to politics and isn’t afraid to speak his mind. He hopes that the election doesn’t come down to how much money you have.

“I’m colorful and broke,” Shaw said. “Can a broke candidate win?”

Those interested can find more information about Shaw on his website, www.shawformayor.com. Milwaukee’s mayoral election will take place on April 1.

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