And members of Walker's own party continue to call out Scotty's ridiculous stance on how to pay for Wisconsin's crumbling roads. The latest comes from vulnerable GOP State Rep. Ed Brooks of Reedsburg, who sent our a release titled "Fix our Roads!".
“I respectfully disagree with the Governor’s refusal to consider all options when it comes to transportation funding,” said Rep. Brooks. “Maintaining our roads and bridges is a key responsibility of government, and something that we owe to our constituents.”Yeah, I don't think that "no tax" pose Scotty was trying to strike this week is flying with people outside of the Bubble.
Brooks went on to explain that results of his latest constituent survey indicated that the people of the 50th district were willing to consider a variety of options when it came to funding transportation.
34% favored an increase in the gas tax, 13% favored a mileage based user fee, 12% favored increasing the vehicle registration fee, and 26% chose to write in an option – most of whom favored toll roads or a combination of the above answers. Only 6% favored increasing borrowing [which Walker had indicated he was planning to do in his next budget] – less than the 9% that chose to not answer the question.
“I’ve talked to hundreds of my neighbors in the 50th district about this issue,” continued Brooks. “Earlier this week, I was in Loganville at the DOT’s meeting on the Hwy 154 project. None of the people who attended that meeting want to see repairs to 154 pushed off until 2020 or beyond. The state cannot kick the can down the road any longer.”
Imagine if Jimmy Doyle hadn't spent all those Transportation Fund billions to balance his budgets.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of fantasies- this Zombie Lie again? Walker has moved more money out of the General Fund and into the DOT than Doyle ever moved out. Abd he added another $250 million in this budget, including $175 of General Fund borrowing.
DeleteI'll give you the complete numbers after dinner, but no wonder you went Anonymous with such a pathetic take. Grow a pair, get a clue, and admit the failure
And here's the document from October 2014. At that time, over $313 million more had gone into the Transportation Fund from the General Fund since 2003, when Doyle took office. Then add another $250 million to that total in the 2015-17 budget, so that means the Transportation Fund has actually taken $550 million from the General Fund since 2003.
DeleteYou see, while Doyle was "raiding" the Transportation Fund to plug current-year General Fund holes without raising taxes (and it wasn't plural "billions", it was just over $1.4), those budgets from 2003-2011 were also borrowing over $1 billion from the General Fund to pay for Transportation Fund projects, so the "loss" to the Transportation Fund was only around $375 million.
Since the Age of Fitzwalkerstan began, $450 million in cash has been sent directly from the General Fund to Transportation (money which could have been used to avoid cuts for schools or local communities),and then add another $490 million in borrowing that future budgets will have to pay off.
Look, I understand Bagger trash like you think that math and independent facts are a liberal plot. But for once in your life, could you turn off the Sykes, stop being a weak-minded dope, and deal with reality as it exists?