If government were a business, it would be out of business.

The county supervisors and the comptroller didn’t know that MCTS (Milwaukee County Transit System) had a significant mid-year 2025 budget deficit until the news broke through the media. County employees’ and retirees’ health insurance coverage lapsed because somebody forgot to renew it. Auditors found that MPS (Milwaukee Public Schools) overspent its budget before the MPS superintendent (Brenda Cassellius) knew it. (Senate Majority Leader Devin) LeMahieu was excluded from (Assembly Speaker Robin) Vos’s discussions with (Gov. Tony) Evers and then decided the best way to address that was with an accusatory press release instead of a civil phone call to inquire.

What is going on in Milwaukee and Madison? What’s happened with supervisors keeping track of subordinates' tasks? Is anybody embarrassed to be associated with this level of incompetence?

My suggestion that I have discussed with friends and family is to start voting against the incumbents every year until they realize that they are accountable to the voters. Their jobs and their compensation must be placed at risk if anything is to improve.

Tom Eells, Milwaukee

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Hold Madison, Milwaukee officials officials accountable | Letters