City should have picked American made uniforms

In order to solve our economic woes I have been promoting “leveling the playing field for the American worker.” That is, our economic woes are caused primarily from an uneven playing field for the American worker. In other words, because we have a value system that prides itself on family-supporting jobs, worker’s compensation, social security, providing for the safety of the workers, and protecting the environment, etc., we are being penalized by companies that want to exploit workers for economic gain by going overseas. Overseas, these companies can exploit workers without paying family-supporting wages, etc.

Until we level the playing field for the American workers we will continue to see the mass exodus of manufacturing overseas. With that exodus rides our cumulative wealth of this country.

In an effort to help level the playing field I have passed sweat-free and buy-American legislation on the city level. My goal is to have this movement spread to other communities and the state and ultimately other states because together we have the cumulative purchasing power (if used right) to level the playing field.

Meanwhile, we have experienced a new challenge: a major Milwaukee Police Department uniform contract was recently awarded to a company overseas when an American union manufacturer came in at a lower bid. The procurement director awarded the contract to a foreign manufacturer even though it was at a higher cost to the taxpayers. I am looking at introducing legislation to prevent this problem from occurring again.

Tony Zielinski is the city of Milwaukee’s alderman for the 14th District, which includes Bay View. He can be reached at tzieli@milwaukee.gov or (414) 286-3769.

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