Posted on 08/31/2010 4:11:32 AM PDT by Willie Green
With the gubernatorial election looming, the candidates are sparring over their many differences. One of the main issues that has evolved over the past month between two candidates, Mayor Tom Barrett and Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, has been the proposed high-speed rail service. This would connect the already-existing Chicago-to-Milwaukee route with Madison and, eventually, the Twin Cities.
Walker is concerned about the price tag and feels that the money would be better spent on infrastructure, such as roads and bridges. Barrett feels that high-speed rail is the future, and he is right. With booming population growth, it is mystifying that right-wingers continue to hang onto the glory days of big oil.
Walker believes he can stop the train from happening, and that is absurd. The state has already committed to the project and has received federal money. Walker’s intention is to try to convince Congress to let the state repurpose the funding. If this fails, he wants Wisconsin to pay back the money it has already received for the project, which would do nothing but funnel the grant to another state’s high-speed rail system.
While it is necessary to maintain our roads, it is crucial to create other forms of transportation. Milwaukee and Chicago suburbs are already connected, and Madison will be next — transforming the area into a massive metropolis. We are going to have to come up with other ways of getting around besides using the already-overcrowded roads. It is time to move into the 21st century — or get stuck falling behind the times.
High-speed rail makes sense for several reasons. Pollution caused by excessive traffic is near the top of the list. With rapid population growth, it is not feasible to believe we can still comfortably live as we once did. With Walker and Co. wanting to expand roads to allow for more vehicle traffic, we’ll be getting more pollution, more traffic jams, and more accidents.
Over 6,000 teenagers alone are killed every year on the roads in Wisconsin. And the count for adults is not far behind. A new and competent transit system would not only save on pollution, but lives as well.
Critics of high-speed rail claim no one will take the trains and they will fall into disuse. But this has no grounds in reality. Amtrak’s route from Chicago to Milwaukee is highly successful, boasting over 700,000 passengers in 2009.
With stops in bedroom communities between Milwaukee and Madison, some fear an urban takeover. In other words, they fear that if transit is too accessible, residents of urban communities will invade their hometowns. They want to continue to hide behind their white picket fences, pretending the big bad world outside doesn’t exist. This is not a belittlement of suburbanites, but what is frequently presented as the thought process behind a sizeable minority, at least.
Walker’s team played on these fears recently in an anti-rail campaign ad on Twitter, which illustrated African American dancers from the classic show “Soul Train” singing “C’mon, Get on the Train.” This was originally tweeted by Walker aid Michael Brickman and retweeted by Walker spokeswoman Jill Bader. After accusations of racial overtones, Bader quickly took down the tweet, and Walker himself has yet to issue anything resembling an apology.
But the message was clear. This was a tasteless attempt to play on the aforementioned suburbanites’ fear. Walker and Co. deny these accusations, yet anyone with common sense can see through this poorly disguised facade.
It is amazing how Republicans continue to hinder progress. With all the issues that plague us due to the overuse of cars, new transit options are a must. We need to do something to curb our destructive behavior. While high-speed rail would not solve all these problems, it would be a good start. Republicans, like Walker, don’t care about the future. Hopefully voters remember this come November.
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers,
In 1838, Congress excercised it's authority to designate ALL railroads as "post roads".
You are SOL.
In 1838, Congress also tolerated the practice of allowing one man to own another as property.
Just ‘cause Congress says so don’t make it so.
You, Sir, are just another Big Government Thug who delights in using other people’s money in furtherance of his own pet projects.
Hopefully, the democrat gubernatorial candidate will prep for his debates using this article. (If he can even get to one for all the dead bodies laying around Wisconsin.)
These same numbers would ring instantly bogus even if the moronic article writer had claimed them as an annual total for our three most populous states combined.
How does one even begin to cook figures to arrive at almost 12,000 dead on the roads of Wisconsin every year? Did he include possums and raccoons? Use the Al Gore Climate Projection model? The actual rate for last year, as you noted, was 364 deaths—basically 1 a day.
At that rate, it would take more than 32 years to reach a death toll approaching the 12,000 this “writer” says occur on his state’s roads every single year.
And you are just another irresponsible pissant libertarian.
WE DO NOT WANT THE TRAIN!!!!!!!!!!!
Democrats and Republicans in my area are furious about the waste of money being thrown into a system that will benefit no one. There is already a bus route connecting the two cities that goes 1/2 empty on any given day. The only people that will utilize this are Yuppies that can afford it. They figure the subsidized fee will be approximately $70.00, so you know that the people that actually depend on public transportation won't be able to afford it.
This will not be a high speed train, it will be a train with multiple stops, meaning that it won't be any faster than taking the bus.
The number one concern of voters is that it is a waste of our State money (only the original start up is this so called Federal grant) for something maybe 1/2 of 1% of the population will utilize.
This will be one of the main issues in the upcoming election, and I guarantee that Barrett (D) will come out on the losing end.
Gov. Doyle, and Barrett are pushing through spending right now figuring that once it starts we can't stop it, but Walker will stop it, and he will be the hero.
Because I don’t want to indulge someone else’s delusional choo-choo fantasies?
In that case, it’s a badge I’ll wear with pride.
Do not listen to Willie about Scott Walker. He is no way, no how David Duke like.
I don’t know who Willie would support, but he certainly doesn’t know Wisconsin politics. Scott Walker has been the Milwaukee County Executive (which has the largest African American population in the State) for years, and never once has he been accused of racism.
Where did this info come from? I am in Mid Wisconsin, and although I am leaning towards Walker, I haven't made up my mind 100% yet. I was turned off by Neumann early in the campaign by many of the underhanded things his campaign did, but like the way he has turned himself around.
As for "life long politician" ads that he has been running lately, to tell the truth, they leave a bad taste in my mouth. I think he took a page out of Ron Johnsons campaign because it is working well for him. I find it highly hypocritical because Neumann wanted to be one of those "life long politicians". He ran against Feingold and lost, otherwise he would still be in Washington.
When did the Tea Party endorse him?
The only people that will utilize this are Yuppies that can afford it.
Yuppies is the short term for Young Urban Professionals or Young Upwardly Mobile Urban Professionals (as some authors contend) . The term Yuppies refers to people who are generally between the ages of their late twenties to mid-thirties, usually employed in a professional job, often living in an urban setting. Yuppies tend to earn in the upper middle class income range at an early age.
Yuppies tend to be conservative and focus on making money to fuel a life style that is filled with expensive “toys” such as cars, kitchen gadgetry, hobby equipment, the latest electronic anything, and other luxury items.
So what do you have against attracting young, affluent CONSERVATIVES to Wisconsin????
Seems to me that these are exactly the right demographic that communities want to drive local economic growth and prosperity.
Where does that statistic come from? Who are the 1500 people that will be traveling by train from Milwaukee to Madison every day? And how many does the Badger Bus currently transport per day (logically that will be the same demographic)?
That is from an established route, that costs less than the proposed train fee will be. You would have to assume that all 328 people would switch, and each bring along 4 friends to get to 1500 a day. Good try.
I have nothing against conservatives, or Yuppies for that matter, but I don’t think my tax money (mine as I live in Wisconsin) should go to subsidizing there cushy ride to Madison every day.
Do not listen to Willie about Scott Walker. He is no way, no how David Duke like.
Got it, Thanks. What Willie said is forgotten. I’ll be watching the outcome of the primary from way out here in the Pacific NW. Go Walker.
Where does that statistic come from?
I stated that Milwaukee Amtrak Station serviced over ½ MILLION passengers last year in reply #18.
DuncanWaring interpreted that as 1500/day in reply #49.
Who are the 1500 people that will be traveling by train from Milwaukee to Madison every day?
Train passengers come from all walks of life, but this particular route can expect significant use by students and business professionals.
And how many does the Badger Bus currently transport per day (logically that will be the same demographic)?
Badger Bus serves a different demographic... those who are simply seeking dirt-cheap, low-quality transport. The trains can be expected to attract some passengers away from Badger Bus.... those who are willing to pay slightly more for the added speed and spacious comfort. And unlike Badger Bus, the trains also provide thru service to destinations beyond Milwaukee. There's no doubt that some people will travel to Madison all the way from Chicago.
You would have to assume that all 328 people would switch, and each bring along 4 friends to get to 1500 a day. Good try.
No I don't.
I reject the premise altogether.
I don't care what kind of riff-raff travel on a stinky bus.
Trains are faster, more comfortable and safer (especially in winter).
There will be far more professional people traveling on the train than the stinking indigents who use Badger Bus.
A year ago our RV crashed and burned near Hanford CA on a trip taken on the Labor Day holiday. It was the first real train trip I had taken since the mid 1960’s, going to college. It was in fact quite enjoyable. The cars even had that “new train smell”.
However there were few people on it. The actual train ride only went from Hanford to Bakersfield. The rest of the ride went from Bakersfield to Los Angeles and points south. There were only enough passengers to fill one bus.
Whatever. Problem is, neither trains nor busses go where we want to go.
No. Willie is full of it, as usual.
Mark Neumann is the conservative candidate
Walker is the more conservative candidate, Speed.
Neumann is making a killing building "green" houses which only make sense with subsidies and government mandates to utilities to buy back power at above market rates. Who do you think pays for that?
Walker, on the other hand, took over as county exec in Milwaukee County, as a staunch fiscal conservative, and has consistently cut spending and reduced the size of government. If the county board weren't so full of liberals, he would have done even more, but his vetoes were frequently overriden. He is also staunchly anti-abortion.
The TEA parties in SE Wisconsin are solidly behind Walker - and we dislike Neumann for his efforts to mischaracterize Walker in his ads, and his fraudulent attempt to portray his supporters as "locked out" of the State Convention: a whole lot of them walked out of the hall and took off their badges to take part in his "demonstration" and the rest just didn't pay their nominal convention fee.
http://above-belt.blogspot.com/2010/05/neumann-votes-in-election-he-protested.html
That one episode is pretty symptomatic of the kind of guy Neumann is.
Yea, I’m on to Willie now.
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