Charlie,
I attended On the Issues with Mike Gousha at Marquette Law School today and asked Mayor Barrett the following question:
If ridership on the rail line from Milwaukee to Dane County Airport does not meet expectations and the taxpayers of Wisconsin have to subsidize the operating expenses, where do you propose that the money come from---the Transportation Fund that might otherwise be used for highway repair, or some other source?
Here is Barrett's answer:
This is where I think there is a fundamental disagreement between me and the candidates on the other side. Bear in mind we're talking about well over $800 million coming to this state's economy, right now, and it's going to come here and create jobs and opportunities to spend money. As a result, if you use the simple economic concept of a multiplier effect it will have a ripple effect, and it's going to create more jobs and more spending. If you take just a percentage of that $800 million, let's say it's 10%, that's $80 million.... I believe that spending [for subsidies] for years will be covered by the multiplier effect of that injection of dollars into the economy. I also think people will ride it. If it doesn't happen, it will be years down the road, and of course we're going to have to look at it. But I want to be certain.
What's going on here is that we have two candidates on the other side who know there is a strong tea party movement and so they are both vying for the votes of the tea party members. The tea party members would be quick to say we don't care if $57 million has already been spent, we don't care if the money goes to another state, we want you to close it down. And so, in the primary they're trying to decide how do I get these tea party members? But I think there's a lot of people in the business community who think this is a good idea. And so after the primary, how do they pivot back so the business people and independents are going to come to them? I want to know just for certain, are you going to end the funding and ask to have that money spent in another state? [To Mike Gousha] If you get a chance, you might ask the other candidates that. It's a pretty easy question and it's got a pretty easy answer. Are you going to stop it or not stop it, because it's going to be started and I think the people have a right to know. What are you going to do?
[End of Barrett's answer*]
*The webcast is available on Marquette Law School's website at www.law.marquette.edu.
I hope this is useful to you.
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bajaskier - Mar 05, 2010 11:32 AM
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