That is a good description of what happened in Milwaukee!
Milwaukee passed an ordinance requesting the state to change their law and make these motorized scooters legal. In the mean time, the City of Milwaukee says that they may confiscate these scooters, since they are a public hazard. Mayor Tom Barrett is supporting both positions. If you find these 2 positions confusing and seemingly in opposition to each other, then you are joining me in being puzzled. The state law supersedes local law. The Bird Bike rep claims that Federal Law applies, allowing the scooters. So far, nobody from the City of Milwaukee will speak to him. He tried to speak at a Aldermanic meeting and was basically told to sit down and shut up. They had a dozen people with pre-printed signs at the last meeting, a real motley crew.
The newspaper interviewed a 19 year old from the suburbs who said how great the scooters were, he rides them to work. Funny thing is, I heard that they were only in the City of Milwaukee. The interview was amusing because this young man had a hard time putting a coherent sentence together IMHO.