Milwaukee can be a world-class city

David Gordon, CEO and director of the Milwaukee Art Museum, writes in yesterday's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, on the European tour of MAM's collection of home furnishings from the Biedermeier movement. He thinks he's demonstrating what's right with Milwaukee.

(As I like to put it: "Milwaukee, Vienna, Berlin, Paris - four world capitals.")

Isn't part of being a world-class city that it doesn't need its own citizens pointing it out?

My next-door neighbor in Vienna introduced himself and immediately said: "Milwaukee, beer." To which I was able to reply convincingly: "No, Beer-dermeier."

Perhaps he's convinced himself. He sounds like Babbitt on Zenith.

Speaking of world-class, besides making beer and being "machine shop of the world", I've heard Milwaukee's bay was once said to be as beautiful as the Bay of Naples. To the extent Milwaukee hasn't filled it in, it's hard to see because people keep putting buildings and giant sculptures in the way.