Because County Executive Walker’s stonewalling and unwillingness to work with anyone on the $92 million in transit money we had coming from the Federal government, Milwaukee County now will only get 40% of the money.
As recently as last year, Mayor Barrett was offering to split the money with the County and Walker 50/50. Walker refused, stomed his feet, and said he wanted all of the money for his project! His project , ironically, was to replace the aging County bus fleet that he’d starved of funding for years so he could claim he was “holding the line on taxes”.
So how’s that for leadership folks? I know the usual suspects will be patting him on the back and saying he stuck to his principles, but at the end of the day Milwaukee County has $10 million fewer dollars because our top elected official refused to even consider a compromise or what was best for his constituents. It was all about him, and that’s not leadership by any stretch of the word.
So yeah, of course he’s “upset” and “lashing out”. His political stunt backfired. Again. And when you’re just about to (finally) announce your candidacy for Governor, that’s kind of bad timing.
Beyond how this affects Walker though, I think it’s important to focus on the real issue here: Milwaukee County now has less money to work with as a result of the decisions of our County Executive.
That’s shameful.
I live in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Milwaukee, WI with my wife Jen, our daughter Emerson, and sons Carter and Colton.
Here’s a fun little exercise:
Because Mayor Tom Barrett’s stonewalling and unwillingness to work with anyone on the $92 million in transit money we had coming from the Federal government, Milwaukee County now will only get 40% of the money.
As recently as last year, County Executive Walker was offering to use the money to provide a modern bus system to serve both the City and County. Barrett refused, stomped his feet, and said he wanted all of the money for his project! His project, ironically, was to replace the parking along 3 miles of city streets with train tracks that can’t be used when it snows.
So how’s that for leadership folks? I know the usual suspects will be patting him on the back and saying he stuck to his principles, but at the end of the day Milwaukee County has $55 million fewer dollars because our top elected City official refused to even consider what was best for his constituents. It was all about him, and that’s not leadership by any stretch of the word.
Beyond how this affects Barrett though, I think it’s important to focus on the real issue here: Milwaukee County now has less money to work with as a result of the decisions of our Mayor.
That’s shameful.
Matt,
Try to actually do some research first. Barrett offered to go 50/50. Walker refused.
Walker counterproposed with using half for the buses and letting the other half sit, doing nothing.
How is that a compromise? HINT: It’s not.
Not only that, Barrett said IN PRINT that he was going to do this. Walker was too busy campaigning to do his job. That is just one of the growing reasons Walker must resign from office.
Matt, I understand the strategy, try to scare people about the streetcar but blatant falsehoods well hurt you.
There will not be a significant or any reduction of parking along the line. This is a streetcar.
Further it will run in snow as well if not better than the buses. It is a streetcar.
Now here is an interesting question. Now that County Executive Walker has access to spend his money essentially as he wants the question is will he? Or will that portion continue to sit? I ask this question because these funds require a small match and I know just recently County Executive Walker was saying he wouldn’t take stimulus funds if they required a match. (I know this is old money ISTEA not stimulus money but the principal stands)
Yeah, I mean you guys are going to have to at least get the terms right if you’re going to continue the ideological campaign against mass transit. Try searching and replacing “light rail” for “streetcar” in your talking points.
Anything substantive to add Matt?
On a side note, I am quite surprised that I couldn’t find a mention of this anywhere in the Sunday paper this morning. I know it was in yesterdays, but I thought it might warrant enough attention to bleed over to the Sunday edition.
I got you guys all in a tizzy huh? I did say it was supposed to be a fun little exercise, loosen up a bit. :D
@capper – This was a quick comment intended to show how there are two sides to the argument. I didn’t spend hours researching it I just quickly swapped names and project ideas around. I read what was printed about Barrett’s intentions and it specifically stated that he was withholding details. With regard to the fight over how the money was to be spent Walker was looking out for the best interests of the residents of the County, Barrett was looking out for the best interests of the City. I can’t say I expect anything less from either of them.
@Dave – I’m not trying to scare anyone, just stating things as I understand them to be. As I’ve said in other comments elsewhere if I’m wrong I will admit it. My understanding has been that the streetcars will eliminate parking along the route, if that’s false then once the plans prove it I will correct myself. Again, the information I have is that these streetcars can not run in the heavy snows that we get here in Milwaukee, anything more than a few inches is said to bring them to a stop. If these funds require a match from the county, and that match has not already been budgeted from existing revenue I would encourage the County Executive not to take the money. I oppose any increase in taxes as the county (and all levels of government) are taxing us plenty as it is. My family and I are doing with less as are many families around the country, government should not be immune from the same.
@Dan – I don’t work off of talking points. I also didn’t mention streetcars in my original comment.
I appreciated the fun exercise, Mat, but you got some facts wrong. For example, Portland’s experience shows us a streetcar can do better in snow than the buses do.
I’m glad someone appreciated the “fun” part of the fun little exercise. I think its funny that everyone is getting caught up on little jabs at the streetcars (parking & snow) but glossing over the parts that got me riled up enough to do this in the first place:
1. Scott Walker did not “stomp his feet” and throw a childish fit. It was Barrett who went crying to Congress.
2. Scott Walker has not been starving the buses of funding, they’d been starved before he took office and the biggest blow against them was the County Board’s vote for the pension.
3. Scott Walker has been holding the line on taxes, not just claiming to do so.
4. Scott Walker did not “lash out” and did not play any political stunts with this money, if anyone did it was Barrett.
Matt, it’s his “holding the line!” campaign slogan that is exactly what is starving transit in Milwaukee County from funding. Same with the parks, county highways.. everything.
Either you’re not paying attention or just glossing over those facts, but “holding the line on taxes” and giving County services the funding they need are mutually exclusive in this case.
That’s like someone saying they are keeping up the maintenance on their car but refusing to spend any money on it.
Matt, please do not insult my intelligence.
1) Walker did indeed throw a hissy fit, and continues to do so, both with the board and with Barrett
2) Walker is the one that has been ignoring the advice of the all the professionals and has been cutting routes and jacking up rates yearly. The only reason it isn’t worse than it already is is that the State has bailed it out a few times now.
3) Walker’s original proposal for the 2009 budget was 14% higher than his first. He has not held the line on anything.
4)His hypocrisy regarding the stimulus money, and his constant flip-flopping has been well documented.
Walker has painted himself into a political corner, and he can’t get out without getting messy. He won’t ever be governor, and he will be lucky to keep his current job.