In The News

Wisconsin governor-elect pushes for roads, not rail

DANE, Wis. — Wisconsin Gov.-elect Scott Walker urged the federal government on Tuesday to give up on high-speed rail and instead use the money to repair roads and bridges he said were "literally crumbling."

Walker made the plea in a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, an Obama administration official who had previously pledged that a high-speed rail line would be built between Madison and Milwaukee with $810 million in stimulus money whether the new governor wanted it or not.

LaHood told Walker in a letter on Monday that the money would not be diverted for road projects and if Walker didn't change his mind, Wisconsin's project would "wind down."

In a letter to LaHood on Tuesday, Walker said it would be a "grave mistake for the federal government to insist on building an unwanted passenger rail system at a time when our roads and bridges are literally crumbling."

He said investing road and bridge repair work instead would spur job creation and expand the economy.

"All across the country, in states like Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida, the voters chose new governors who are opposed to diverting transportation funding to passenger rail," Walker said in the letter. "I believe it would be unwise for the Obama administration to ignore the will of the voters."

After making a campaign-style stop at a manufacturing company, Walker said his rejection of the money would send a strong message to the Obama administration and Congress.

Outgoing Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle asked Walker during a private meeting Monday to speak with LaHood about the project, Walker said. He did not say when the meeting would be.

Doyle, a staunch supporter of the rail line, said on Monday that he would leave it to Walker to decide whether to go ahead with it. But canceling the project would cost the state more than $14 million in money already spent and force it to come up with about $83 million to make improvements to the existing train line connecting Milwaukee and Chicago, Doyle said.

Doyle also said stopping the project would result in the immediate loss of more than 400 jobs. Building the roughly 80-mile train line was estimated to create about 5,500 jobs.

Walker, who ran on his promise to be a job creator, said Tuesday those weren't the type of jobs he was interested in.

"Because long-term the jobs we need are sustainable private sector jobs outside of government," Walker said. "This is a short-term fix that will cost the taxpayers of our state millions into the future."

Walker objected to the estimated $7.5 million it would cost the state to operate the rail line, even though Doyle has said the federal government would likely pick up about 80 percent of that cost.

Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said he hoped Walker would change his mind if that cost could be taken away from the state.

But Walker remained firm that he doesn't see any way he will back off his campaign promise to stop the train.

Other states are lining up to take Wisconsin's money should it be rejected. Both New York Gov.-elect Andrew Cuomo and Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig said their states would happily take the money for train projects in their states.

Extending the Chicago-to-Milwaukee line to Madison was seen as the next phase in a regional train network that was envisioned to continue on to the Twin Cities.

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