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Barrett skips bike to work ride for White House State Dinner

Posted by Tom Held of the Journal Sentinel on June 6, 2011

cycling, Bike to Work Week

Mayor Tom Barrett will be a no-show Tuesday morning for his annual bike ride to City Hall, part of the Bike to Work Week events in Milwaukee.

His excuse: a trip to the White House and a state dinner with President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The visit and dinner plans were announced in April.

Barrett will be a guest at the fourth state dinner hosted by Obama, and the first devoted to a European leader. The White House said it's a sign of the close working relationship Obama and Merkel have forged in two and a half years.

Ride organizers from the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin graciously accepted the "unable to attend" note from the mayor.

"We can't blame him for jumping at that opportunity instead of our ride!" the group noted on its Bike to Work web page.

Instead of Barrett, the group ride from N. 51st St. and W. Washington Blvd. will be led by Milwaukee's Pedestrian and Bicycle Coordinator Dave Schlabowske, City Engineer Jeff Polenske and many other power commuters. The start time is 7:30 a.m.

In keeping with the formal overtones, the officials and those joining them are encouraged to show off their best power suit, pant suit or three-piece suit for the trip to the Zeidler Municipal Building, 841 N. Broadway.

Check out the Bike Fed site for more Bike to Work events, including the Bike to the Brewers game on Thursday.

Mayor Barrett won't repeat this scene from the 2010 Bike to Work ride.
Photo by Tom Held

32 Comments for "Barrett skips bike to work ride for White House State Dinner"

  1. Time to meet with the head confiscator and plan how they can reroute more taxpayer money to the union bosses. Taking orders once again.....shame shame shame.

    CG realist Jun 06, 2011 4:32 PM

  2. He will certainly be missed, Not!

    cannotpickname Jun 06, 2011 4:33 PM

  3. I wonder if he's going to hang out with Weiner?

    Tafoyas Thong Jun 06, 2011 4:34 PM

  4. Tommy Barrett's cooking Usinger brats

    Only reason I would invite him.

    skibear Jun 06, 2011 4:39 PM

  5. This is not for Mayor Barretts benefit. Obama does not get the Journal Sentinel and he wants to know what all the crazy white folks are up to now.

    Fischball Jun 06, 2011 4:42 PM

  6. I like Tom a lot, but he looks like he is struggling on what appears to be a girls bike!!

    BIGTRUTH Jun 06, 2011 4:43 PM

  7. I guess what's the difference if he's doing nothing there or in Milwaukee.

    cannotpickname Jun 06, 2011 4:44 PM

  8. So that's his consolation prize from Obama for running for Governor, a guest
    at a state dinner. Wonder if Angela brought any of those German bean
    sprouts with her for the Obama's???

    brookfieldbetty Jun 06, 2011 4:47 PM

  9. Should be in the 80's, if I had a shower in my office this would work just fine. Otherwise after I ride my bike to work wearing a suit and tie I will be all funkified and everyone will avoid me the whole day - bonus.

    How much damage to the environment is this trip going to do? All for a dinner. They should hold a video conference call instead, money savings and cuts down on greenhouse emissions. Otherwise this trip is probably equal to him biking to work every day for the rest of his life?

    seinatra Jun 06, 2011 4:58 PM

  10. I guess if Tom loses in mayoral race- he can be in the running for transportation secretray- no loss with La Hood getting bounced.
    Tom can bike and tell us to get tune ups, and proper tire inflation as well

    skibear Jun 06, 2011 5:00 PM

  11. To Libleft:
    No, we aren't entitled to a bag lunch. You may feel you are, however, we don't feel that way.

    cannotpickname Jun 06, 2011 5:00 PM

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