Thanks a hell of a lot, Wisconsin

So the Federal government took it back and is giving it to other states who WILL use it.

Quote :

The Obama administration is taking back the $810 million awarded to Wisconsin for train projects after Republican Gov.-elect Scott Walker made it clear he will not waver in his opposition to the project.

With almost all of the money now going to 13 other states, Walker lost a high-stakes gamble — played throughout his campaign for governor — that he could persuade Congress to redirect the money to fix Wisconsin’s crumbling roads and bridges. Federal officials repeatedly said that wasn’t an option, and the money would be sent to rail projects elsewhere.

Crumbling roads and bridges? Wow, I wonder if that rail system could have, you know, alleviated some of the traffic on said crumbling roads and bridges?

Quote :

Meanwhile, Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz called it “a black day for Wisconsin’s economy.”

He said that after the Nov. 2 election he repeatedly tried to reach out to Walker about the train but was met with a “blank wall” and was never able to speak with him. He called Walker’s opposition to the train “irrational.”

City and state officials began plans for a Downtown train station behind the existing Department of Administration building and were anticipating it would lead to further development in the area, such as a market, parking structure and a new hotel.

All of which would involve jobs.

Quote :

Nora Friend, a spokeswoman for the train manufacturing company Talgo, called the loss of funds “terrible news” for Wisconsin, for the company and its Milwaukee manufacturing plant, and for vendors and workers throughout the state.

“It sends a terrible message to businesses that are considering coming to Wisconsin,” Friend said.

She added Talgo will close its Milwaukee plant, probably in early 2012, and likely will lay off more than half of the 125 workers it expects to have on its payroll at that time. She said she doesn’t know where the plant will relocate.

“We’ll go where there’s business,” Friend said.

First read about this here, where you can read about how he massively fucked over Wisconsin's teachers and public-sector workers, too.

Wow... Way to support your state there governor. Rather than having a factory built in your state providing jobs, renovation projects on your existing rail stations providing jobs, new rail stations that would need to be staffed providing jobs, well you get the point. Instead all he's gonna get is two million dollars to do $71million worth of repairs, instead of that $71 million being a fraction of the $810 million.

You just fucked your state over royally. The same goes to Ohio's governor even if it was only about half as much money.

Quote :

It’s unclear whether Wisconsin will need to repay the approximately $9 million it’s already spent on the train project or the more than $5 million it would owe in contract cancellation fees.

And his state may also owe $14 million to the federal government? Well isn't that the cherry on top of the shit sundae this guy just served his constituents.

Knight wrote:

And his state may also owe $14 million to the federal government? Well isn't that the cherry on top of the shit sundae this guy just served his constituents.

If they don't like it, they shouldn't have voted for him. It's not like there weren't signs that he would do this.

rachel wrote:

Knight wrote:

And his state may also owe $14 million to the federal government? Well isn't that the cherry on top of the shit sundae this guy just served his constituents.

If they don't like it, they shouldn't have voted for him. It's not like there weren't signs that he would do this.

Very true, but the odds are good the voters didn't understand the repercussions and cost involved in refusing the money. They probably just figured "we don't take the money and are seen standing up against big government spending", but didn't realize that it could cost their state as much as $14 million.

Knight wrote:

Very true, but the odds are good the voters didn't understand the repercussions and cost involved in refusing the money. They probably just figured "we don't take the money and are seen standing up against big government spending", but didn't realize that it could cost their state as much as $14 million.

Republicans and the people who vote for them typically don't understand things like that until horrible reality slaps them in the face. And even then the chances of them learning from their mistakes is iffy.

Too bad for the rest of us.

rachel wrote:

Knight wrote:

Very true, but the odds are good the voters didn't understand the repercussions and cost involved in refusing the money. They probably just figured "we don't take the money and are seen standing up against big government spending", but didn't realize that it could cost their state as much as $14 million.

Republicans Idiots with an agenda and the people who vote for them members of the voting public typically don't understand things like that until horrible reality slaps them in the face. And even then the chances of them learning from their mistakes is iffy.

Too bad for the rest of us.

FTFY

Some people vote Republican because that way their political alegance lies, not simply because they're a raving idiot, and assuming that makes you part of the problem.

And of course the people who voted this dipstick in didn't understand the ins and outs of governmental funding, no one really expects them to, what they did expect was the person they voted for not being a moron.

Christ, I hate this opposition to trains. If we had an actual system, things would be a lot damn easier, and people wouldn't have to take planes from DC to NYC. They could get on the much cheaper trains, which are less wasteful. But right now, it takes forever on the train, sometimes even longer than it takes to drive, which is ridiculous. The East Coast is not that big, and having actual decent trains between the areas would benefit a lot of people.

I would think flyover states, with all the space between areas, would benefit even more from a high-speed train between the areas, on which they could work or study or read, instead of driving.

The vehicles they take off the road, and the carbon emissions that could be lessened would be an asset to any metropolitan area.

Lapin wrote:

Christ, I hate this opposition to trains. If we had an actual system, things would be a lot damn easier, and people wouldn't have to take planes from DC to NYC. They could get on the much cheaper trains, which are less wasteful. But right now, it takes forever on the train, sometimes even longer than it takes to drive, which is ridiculous. The East Coast is not that big, and having actual decent trains between the areas would benefit a lot of people.

I would think flyover states, with all the space between areas, would benefit even more from a high-speed train between the areas, on which they could work or study or read, instead of driving.

The vehicles they take off the road, and the carbon emissions that could be lessened would be an asset to any metropolitan area.

Not to mention all of the jobs that such a system will create: jobs maintaining the rails, staffing the trains, and staffing the train stations. This isn't some small project that will spend the money, give people jobs for a few months, and then the jobs will be gone. These jobs will stay around decades to come, and the investment in the rail systems will pay itself back in economic strength and lower unemployment numbers.

The problem here is that a good public transportation system - GASP - might mean that the oil industry stops making millions of dollars every few seconds and only makes it every minute or two.

That is, and always has been the reason for the right-wing opposition to public transport.

Yes because all monorail sellers are evil.

Pride. It's one of the seven deadly sins.

You have only to look at the high-speed rail system in place in Japan to see how stupid this man is.

The problem is that Americans are uncomfortable at the idea of not owning a car and having to use public transportation. Iowa City (where the U of I College of Medicine is located) has a city-wide bus system that goes everywhere. Most of the students don't own cars, so the only way of getting around campus (and around town) is by bus (or you can ride a bike, but that's kind've hard during the winter).

It's inexpensive (they offer low-fare passes to students, handicapped and the elderly), and they recently upgraded their buses to models that are more energy efficient and produce less emissions.

I rode a city bus to and from school my entire time in junior high and high school. Most of the kids I knew in high school didn't own cars till after they graduated. The idea that 16 and 17-year-olds were 'entitled' to have a car was considered absurd. You rode the bus, you walked, or (if you were lucky) you had a parent who'd drop you off on their way to work.

Cars are necessary, yes. Not all cities have reliable bus lines. People who live in the country can't take advantage of them (though most rural kids still ride school buses).

What we need to work on is the notion people have that they can't possibly survive if they don't have a car. I'll be the first to admit I'm one of them. But I'm willing to work on changing that. Most people aren't.

Of course, no one seems to remember that when the government gives you money to build something, they always forget to add in maintenance and upkeep costs not to mention if the things runs over budget, (which they almost always do) the state always has to foot the bill.

This may seem like a really good deal right now, but what about ten years down the road when the state can't generate enough revenue to pay the upkeep?

Quote :

What we need to work on is the notion people have that they can't possibly survive if they don't have a car. I'll be the first to admit I'm one of them. But I'm willing to work on changing that. Most people aren't.

Yeah, good luck trying to get people to change how they feel their lifestyles should be. It's practically a Divine Right mentality; it's not going to break without revolution.

Knight wrote:

Not to mention all of the jobs that such a system will create: staffing the trains, and staffing the train stations.

That won't be necessary.

Hey, this is the same schmuck who thinks union-busting is great and is willing to call out the National Guard to protect his slimy behind when the police, firefighters, corrections officers, nurses, and teachers decide not to roll over and play dead.

Right now there's about 25,000 people occupying the state house in Madison, 15 school districts had to call off the day because of a "wildcat strike" by teachers, and the Democratic minority has fled to prevent the governor's bill from being voted on. Walker is doubling down and claiming that it's not his fault, but rather the "greedy" public employees need to take a $3,000 a year hit because he promised no new taxes.

I say he deserves whatever opprobrium is being heaped upon him.

Quote :

Right now there's about 25,000 people occupying the state house in Madison

The local news here was showing clips of the protesters in Wisconsin, and one of the signs they were carrying was "Walk like an Egyptian." I do believe people have been paying attention.

Spotts1701 wrote:

Hey, this is the same schmuck who thinks union-busting is great and is willing to call out the National Guard to protect his slimy behind when the police, firefighters, corrections officers, nurses, and teachers decide not to roll over and play dead.

Right now there's about 25,000 people occupying the state house in Madison, 15 school districts had to call off the day because of a "wildcat strike" by teachers, and the Democratic minority has fled to prevent the governor's bill from being voted on. Walker is doubling down and claiming that it's not his fault, but rather the "greedy" public employees need to take a $3,000 a year hit because he promised no new taxes.

I say he deserves whatever opprobrium is being heaped upon him.

And more:

Quote :

Furthermore, this broadside comes less than a month after the state's fiscal bureau -- the Wisconsin equivalent of the Congressional Budget Office -- concluded that Wisconsin isn't even in need of austerity measures, and could conclude the fiscal year with a surplus. In fact, they say that the current budget shortfall is a direct result of tax cut policies Walker enacted in his first days in office.

"Walker was not forced into a budget repair bill by circumstances beyond he control," says Jack Norman, research director at the Institute for Wisconsin Future -- a public interest think tank. "He wanted a budget repair bill and forced it by pushing through tax cuts... so he could rush through these other changes."

"The state of Wisconsin has not reached the point at which austerity measures are needed," Norman adds

1. Cut taxes.
2. ??????? Stick it to the unions/poor/elderly/children...
3. Profit!

rachel wrote:

2. ??????? Stick it to the unions/poor/elderly/children...

Don't forget the browns, conservatives hate them too.

Green Bay Packers have something to say:

Quote :

"We know that it is teamwork on and off the field that makes the Packers and Wisconsin great. As a publicly owned team we wouldn't have been able to win the Super Bowl without the support of our fans.

"It is the same dedication of our public workers every day that makes Wisconsin run. They are the teachers, nurses and child care workers who take care of us and our families. But now in an unprecedented political attack Governor Walker is trying to take away their right to have a voice and bargain at work.

"The right to negotiate wages and benefits is a fundamental underpinning of our middle class. When workers join together it serves as a check on corporate power and helps ALL workers by raising community standards. Wisconsin's long standing tradition of allowing public sector workers to have a voice on the job has worked for the state since the 1930s. It has created greater consistency in the relationship between labor and management and a shared approach to public work.

"These public workers are Wisconsin's champions every single day and we urge the Governor and the State Legislature to not take away their rights."

rachel wrote:

Green Bay Packers have something to say:

Quote :

"We know that it is teamwork on and off the field that makes the Packers and Wisconsin great. As a publicly owned team we wouldn't have been able to win the Super Bowl without the support of our fans.

"It is the same dedication of our public workers every day that makes Wisconsin run. They are the teachers, nurses and child care workers who take care of us and our families. But now in an unprecedented political attack Governor Walker is trying to take away their right to have a voice and bargain at work.

"The right to negotiate wages and benefits is a fundamental underpinning of our middle class. When workers join together it serves as a check on corporate power and helps ALL workers by raising community standards. Wisconsin's long standing tradition of allowing public sector workers to have a voice on the job has worked for the state since the 1930s. It has created greater consistency in the relationship between labor and management and a shared approach to public work.

"These public workers are Wisconsin's champions every single day and we urge the Governor and the State Legislature to not take away their rights."

I just read this...

Quote :

Madison — Gov. Scott Walker, believing he was talking to prominent financial backer David Koch, revealed to a Buffalo, N.Y., blogger Tuesday his strategies to deal with public-sector unions and to lure Democrats boycotting the Senate back to Wisconsin.

Walker's been punked!

From another article:

Quote :

MADISON, Wis. – On a prank call that quickly spread across the Internet, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was duped into discussing his strategy to cripple public employee unions, promising never to give in and joking that he would use a baseball bat in his office to go after political opponents.

Walker believed the caller was a conservative billionaire named David Koch, but it was actually the editor of a liberal online newspaper. The two talked for at least 20 minutes — a conversation in which the governor described several potential ways to pressure Democrats to return to the Statehouse and revealed that his supporters had considered secretly planting people in pro-union protest crowds to stir up trouble.

Scott Walker is a scumbag. How were people stupid enough to elect him?

[quote="Lady Anne"]I just read this...

Quote :

Madison — Gov. Scott Walker, believing he was talking to prominent financial backer David Koch, revealed to a Buffalo, N.Y., blogger Tuesday his strategies to deal with public-sector unions and to lure Democrats boycotting the Senate back to Wisconsin.

Walker's been punked!

From another article:

See, this is why I'd never make a good politician. Somebody I don't know from Adam's off Ox calls me claiming to be from a newspaper sympathetic to my cause and wants to talk about my 'strategy'? I'd ask for the name of his paper, his phone number, the phone number of his editor, schedule an appointment for later, and research the hell out of him on the internet.

And even if he came up clean, I'd be damn careful what I said to him over the phone. I sure's hell wouldn't talk about using baseball bats on the people who disagreed with me or planting anti-labor agitators in crowds.

Moron.

Lady Anne wrote:

Walker believed the caller was a conservative billionaire named David Koch, but it was actually the editor of a liberal online newspaper. The two talked for at least 20 minutes — a conversation in which the governor described several potential ways to pressure Democrats to return to the Statehouse and revealed that his supporters had considered secretly planting people in pro-union protest crowds to stir up trouble.

Scott Walker is a scumbag. How were people stupid enough to elect him?[/quote]

1) Democratic voters pretty much stayed home in Wisconsin (you know, because the best way to get Democratic politicians to do what you want is to sit and sulk). I mean Russ Feingold, who's as Wisconsin as cheddar cheese, got absolutely annihilated by a nobody that was running his first political race (and was supportive of drilling for oil in the Great Lakes and believes that global warming is the result of "sunspot activity")
2) Walker ran a slick, well-financed campaign. That's why his union busting bill contains a little provision allowing him to sell off public utilities through "no bid" contracts - gotta grease the palms of the folks who put you up there.
3) The Democratic candidate was about as exciting as beige paint, got into the race late, and got badly outspent.