Walker Admin still sitting on money that locals need, so Scottholes continue

Even as our Fair Governor promises more aid to help local communities fix their roads if the voters of this state are stupid enough to give him another term, an article was out over the weekend saying that the Wisconsin DOT won't even give out the money they are supposed to give locals today.

The Daily Reporter notes that WisDOT isn’t talking to local governments about the source of money for various projects, and isn’t revealing when other money that WisDOT has promised them will be sent their way.

Local governments say one of their biggest questions concerns whether they will be placed under costly federal regulations by WisDOT’s Local Bridge Improvement program, which calls for spending $115 million on 183 bridges in the state. Another is whether WisDOT has placed any sorts of internal limits on its contributions to those sorts of projects.

Some officials say the agency’s silence has been all-too typical as of late. Local governments have been waiting for a year and a half to learn whether a WisDOT program that pays for rural road projects will get off the ground or not, said Dan Fedderly, executive director of the Wisconsin County Highway Association. Separately, officials are similarly frustrated by a WisDOT policy change that caused $43 million to go missing from local budgets this year.

You may recall that story about the missing $43 million from last month, which was a result of WisDOT not releasing money intended for local planning organizations to help pay for various projects. WisDOT claims that money will be “doubled up” with money from this year, but Fedderly’s comments are not reassuring.

As for the question regarding federal rules, they take effect if funds allocated by Congress and passed through the state are used for some kind of project. But local communities only have to abide by state rules (which include ALEC provisions such as a lack of prevailing wage requirements) if only state money is involved.

Seems straightforward, but the problem is that Walker’s WisDOT isn’t telling the local communities which funds are available, federal or state, or if there will be any money available at all. The Daily Reporter story notes that La Crosse County has two multi-million dollar bridge projects that Highway Commissioner Ron Chamberlain says has to be fixed, but WisDOT has failed to give guidance on rules, or even reveal to the county how much money they will contribute to the project.

In the meantime, the Scott-holes on those bridges are still there and has to be fixed.

Chamberlain said local officials have yet to hear back and are no longer waiting. Safety demands that they move quickly. Of the bridges in La Crosse County that need repairs, one has a hole in its deck whereas another is on a heavily traveled road.

Even so, beginning these projects without answers to some basic questions is a risk. Local officials, for instance, might learn after beginning work that they were relying on the wrong design and construction standards. If that were to happen, they might also find that, because WisDOT’s contributions are capped, they have to cover the cost of making the necessary changes.

“Do I have concerns with how these projects will proceed? Yes,” he said.

That lack of confidence in WisDOT paying their share helps to explain why La Crosse County voters are facing a variety of referendum questions next week on how to pay for the roads, including wheel taxes of up to $56, a new sales tax, or the ability to raise more property taxes.

This also makes me do another double-take when I look at the Transportation Fund's situation in the most recent Annual Fiscal Report. It not only showed that more Federal money was being used for highway funding to inflate the amount of State money available at the end of the 2018 Fiscal Year, but also indicates that a lot of Scott Walker’s proposed increases in aids (if they aren’t complete BS) would come from money that we should have already spent to fix Scottholes and other road needs.

While state media often ignores these types of local stories, if you start to piece it together, you can see the full picture of deception and negligence that has happened at Scott Walker’s WisDOT in recent years. And why? To say “look, I didn’t raise taxes or fees!” and stay on the good side of DC oligarchs like the Kochs and Grover Norquist (you that are paying new wheel taxes in the last 4 years might disagree about the "no new taxes" part).

This can’t go on, and we need a responsible leader put in place in 8 days. Or else the lack of support from WisDOT will multiply along with the Scottholes if the Age of Fitzwalkerstan continues. Worse, what you pay as part of the costs for those roads won’t be any less anyway, if you account for the extra wheel taxes and car repair costs. So why not pick Evers and do it right, and not see local governments left in the lurch like what’s happening today.