May
2006
Barrett’s Connector Veto: Did Mayor Cave to TMJ Radio Recall Talk?
For most of the afternoon Wednesday, as Mayor Tom Barrett mulled whether to approve the Milwaukee Common Council’s endorsement of the Milwaukee Connector plans, WTMJ radio host Jeff Wagner stirred what he insisted might become the latest batch of Milwaukee recall soup.
Wagner talked about the deep tunnel project of the early 1990s, which didn’t solve our sewerage problems. He recalled the county pension scandal and subsequent recalls. He said he didn’t want to see the Milwaukee Connector’s single rail electric bus system become a $300 million dollar boondoggle. If approved, he asked whether the was an issue where recalls would be necessary. Wagner might as well have called in the Citizens for Responsible Government, generally referred to on this site as Citizens for Retarding economic Growth in Milwaukee.
Later that afternoon, Barrett vetoed the council’s endorsement. Aldermen responded by hammering the mayor for lacking leadership and a 21st Century vision of Milwaukee. Common Council President Willie Hines put it best in today’s Journal Sentinel:
“It’s disappointing that when the City of Milwaukee had an opportunity to move into the 21st Century, this mayor is driving a Studebaker stuck in the 1950s.”
It’s hard to disagree with Alds. Hines and Mike D’Amato, who was also critical of Barrett for a lack of leadership on a project that has been in the planning and study stages for many years, and is just now at the preliminary engineering stages.
The Connector study looked at ways to efficiently link UW-Milwaukee, Downtown, Miller Park, with spurs to the north side. Single rail electric cars (wires running above) was the option of choice because the cars are considered more efficient than light rail. The feds would pay for most of its $300 million cost. Local government would have to come up with $57 million. Typically, investment for major mass transit projects such as the connector would come from the state, as Jim mentioned in his previous post.
Rather than go out and sell the project as the right ride for Milwaukee’s future and help find the $57 million, Barrett capitulated to the very interests that don’t want to see Milwaukee move its people and its economy forward.
The CRG recall gang, you might remember, opposed the development deal that will allow 1,200 Manpower jobs to move to Downtown. The business interests who made the Manpower move happen, Gary Grunau and others, also back the Connector.
County Executive Scott Walker, who opposes the connector, applauded Barrett’s veto. When Scott Walker applauds your driving, it’s time to get out of the car.
The Council could still override the mayor — they need one additional vote to get a two-thirds majority. Let’s hope they do, even though it would strike an embarassing blow to his administration.
The Studebaker belongs to Walker and the CRG, not to the citizens of Milwaukee. Barrett needs to park it soon and offer some constructive input about our mass transit needs. That’s what big city mayors do.
John-david Morgan
John-David Morgan
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Maybe Barrett just knows that the city and county are broke – oh and thank you for bankrupting Milwaukee County.
Where do you think the Feds get their money? It’s not free money…
Are you guys roommates or something?
The county is broke, that much we know. Walker’s made quite of mess of things. Remember to thank him, not me.
The city? Milwaukee just approved financing of over $50 million dollars in parking garages, as part of the Manpower, St. Mary’s and other development packages. As he approved financing of the third and final parking garage, zoning and development chairman Mike D’Amato said he had heard enough talk about parking garages. “I don’t want to build another one,” he said. “It’s time we started talking about the Connector.”
$57 million can be found. Federal policy is to invest in Mass transit infrastructure, such as the KRM and the Connector. Who said it was free? Moving people to and from jobs is key in any economy, and Downtown business interests such as Gary Grunau and others have long been the biggest supporters of the Connector and other Mass Transit options, such as light rail. Usually the state picks up the investment tab for major mass transit projects. Barrett needs to start lobbying, not handing down vetoes.
Do you think your roads are free? The investment we as taxpayers make each year in roadbuilding is collosal compared to the efficiency of mass transit. It’s pennies to dollars. And the added benefit of mass transit is that it fosters equality as far as access to jobs.
Isn’t growth good for a city? Don’t we want a Milwaukee that looks to the future? Barrett needs to build a vision for this city, and to prioritize spending in such a way that the city evolves toward that vision. It hasn’t happened yet. Mass transit was supposed to be part of that, as far as D’Amato and others knew.
Instead, the mayor cowtowed to WTMJ and those who really don’t want to see Milwaukee grow.
JD, I don’t think you’re tied into the climate in Madison right now. With the GOP in control of both houses and the leadership calling all the shots, Barrett could lobby all day everyday and never get squat for Milwaukee.
It’s an anti-Milwaukee sentiment in the capitol right now.
True enough, but that’s always been the case. Norquist’s visions of light rail met plenty of opposition as well, from Madison and from ‘Stallis and ‘Tosa and the GOP stronghold of Waukesha. Even attempts to do regional transportation planning rammed into opposition from Waukesha … So now we talk more cooperatively with Oak Creek, Racine and Kenosha. We’re not having problems getting funding for the KRM.
On the important economic issue of mass transit, moving people to and from jobs, bipartisanship is possible, and Barrett should seek it out, whether or not this is an election year. Maybe the mayor would have failed, but he could have laid some track for a plan that would be funded by the state in the future. Instead, he’s talking about tacking a line to Miller Park onto the KRM system, and not proposing anything specific.
In the very least, Barrett could have reminded state legislators that part of the reason the gas tax was created was to fund mass transit projects such as the Connector. And I’d like to see more leadership in general from Mr. Barrett.