Milwaukee County Executive and Wisconsin Democrat gubernatorial candidate David Crowley has attacked beer gardens in the past, claiming they are systemically racist.
In a post on X from December 2021, Crowley responded to a post from Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) about how Crowley had said, “it’s important to understand that the way we fund parks is just not sustainable.”
Crowley, who defeated socialist Francesca Hong in Wisconsin’s Democrat gubernatorial primary, has repeatedly increased taxes while serving as Milwaukee County Executive.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, while Crowley “takes credit for ‘the largest property tax cut’ in the county’s history,” that property tax cut “occurred after Act 12, a bipartisan state law, allowed local leaders to raise Milwaukee city and county sales taxes”:
The Democrat nominee in the Nov. 3 election for governor takes credit for “the largest property tax cut” in the county’s history.
That occurred after Act 12, a bipartisan state law, allowed local leaders to raise Milwaukee city and county sales taxes and provided local governments in Wisconsin more state aid.
The law was largely aimed at helping the Milwaukee governments avert financial crises.
Crowley signed the near-doubling of the county sales tax, to 0.9% from 0.5% after the Milwaukee County Board approved it.
“Past heavy reliance on revenues to keep the system going is not sustainable & doesn’t cover the need,” Crowley wrote in a post from 2021. “When a system’s operational budget is so heavily reliant on user revenues to survive — like Parks is — there is often a very real conflict between generating $$$ & racial equity.”
“Revenues often come from activities that those with discretionary funding can afford like golf, the marina, and beer gardens,” Crowley added. “These activities are traditionally and predominantly supported by white users. This racial inequity is born from a history of systemic racism & injustice.”
Crowley’s previous comments about beer gardens come as beer is considered to be a massive tradition in Wisconsin, with the state being reported to have 247 craft breweries as of 2025, according to the Brewers Association. The state was ranked 14th nationally.
According to Visit Milwaukee, the city is “known as the original Beer Capital of the World” and Milwaukee’s “legacy is rooted in hops, barrels and the ambition of 19th-century immigrants who built an industry and the city on beer.”
Crowley has also previously spoken at beer gardens and attended the opening of beer gardens.
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