Gov. Walker costs Wisconsin millions

[Antitrust32]

i certainly didnt pull it out of thin air. I actually took it from you and only you.



Madison - The Legislature's budget committee voted 12-2 Tuesday to spend $31.6 million on the Milwaukee-to-Chicago passenger rail service, costs that could have largely been paid by a federal grant that would have extended passenger rail from Milwaukee to Madison.

Democrats backed the passenger rail measure. But they pointed to an estimate from the Legislature's nonpartisan budget office that found that at least $22.4 million of the additional costs stem from Republican Gov. Scott Walker's move to cancel an $810 million high-speed rail line connecting Madison to Milwaukee and Chicago.


Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) called the canceled contract an example of "Walker math" that is costly for the state.

"We had an opportunity to take advantage of federal funding in one of the tightest budgets in years," Taylor said.

[snip ... ]

That brings the total cost of the train car acquisition to roughly $70 million, about 47% more than the original $47.5 million price tag, according to the department's funding request.

But former Transportation Secretary Frank Busalacchi, who served under Doyle, has said most of the costs would have been covered by an $810 million federal stimulus grant awarded to Wisconsin last year to extend the Hiawatha to Madison, as part of a larger plan for high-speed trains connecting Chicago to the Twin Cities and other Midwestern destinations.

Walker, however, campaigned against the 110-mph route and after his election in November opposed it as governor-elect. The federal government then yanked the funds.

After the original grant was withdrawn, the Walker administration unsuccessfully sought $213.3 million in federal money earlier this year for Hiawatha upgrades, including additional trains, retrofitting the Talgo plant as a permanent maintenance base and improving the tracks between the plant and the downtown Amtrak station.

The costs of building and equipping both the temporary and permanent maintenance bases would have been covered by the $810 million federal grant. That grant also would have paid for more train cars and locomotives, which would have been serviced at a $52 million permanent base in Madison.

[Antitrust32]

I was wrong. 24 million, not 200 million.

24 million vs 810 million sounds a heck of a lot better to me.

[Antitrust32]

you wanted them to take the 810 million for the high speed train.

are you seriously coming up with this now?????

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

you wanted them to take the 810 million for the high speed train.

are you seriously coming up with this now?????

I've always supported the high speed rail. The meeting where Walker needs to borrow just happened. It's in today's paper.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by Riot

I've always supported the high speed rail. The meeting where Walker needs to borrow just happened. It's in today's paper.

you said they should have used a small fraction (24mil) of the federal stimulus funds (810million) to pay for the upgrade.


I would rather a state come up with ways to fund 24 million than take 810 million from taxpayers wallets.

or in government terms:

all 50 states would pay 1.2 billion to upgrade existing trains

compared to

the government giving all 50 states 40.5 billion to build new trains.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

you said they should have used a small fraction (24mil) of the federal stimulus funds (810million) to pay for the upgrade.

I didn't say that. The article said that the $24 million he's now borrowing from scratch, would have been included in the federal grant (those funds, for the purpose he needs it, were included).

I would rather a state come up with ways to fund 24 million than take 810 million from taxpayers wallets.

And now they will indeed have to do that.

Walker turned down the grant, then went and immediately tried to borrow the federal funds again. He doesn't have any real problem accepting federal grants (except during campaigns. Like Perry in Texas) He was turned down. Now the state has to pay for it.

The state will come up with a way to pay for it now. It's called taxes.

[Antitrust32]

I personally find it to be highly responsible for Walker to only ask for 24 million compared to accepting 810 million. a guy who's actually looking out for the best interest of Americans, imagine that!

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by Riot

I
The state will come up with a way to pay for it now. It's called taxes.

you know for sure it will be taxes?

they cant do the responsible thing... the thing that all Americans have to do... cut one thing to pay for another, more important thing?

thats the main problem today and why we are stuck in this mess, we cant seem to cut anything, but just want to steal more from the taxpayers and borrow more from China to pay for new things!!

politicians literally act like 15 year olds when it comes to spending.

[Antitrust32]

lol, typical crazy goverment math:

"we will save $50 this year by cutting this."

goverment:

"we will save 50 gazillion dollars over the next 100 million years by cutting this"

[dellinger63]

When you consider the population and number of travelers into/out of Chicago v. Madison the decision to wait on building a super expensive hi-speed rail system to Madtown, when technology is changing yearly, and the State wants to balance its budget not go more into hock, while going ahead with the section from Milwaukee to the IL border makes perfect sense. Again wish the President would learn a few things from WI and IL would become more self reliant.

On Wisconsin!

[Riot]

Originally Posted by dellinger63

and the State wants to balance its budget not go more into hock, while going ahead with the section from Milwaukee to the IL border makes perfect sense. Again wish the President would learn a few things from WI and IL would become more self reliant.

You mean like how to refuse federal grants that would have paid for the massive immediate repairs your old rail system needs, then immediately beg for the federal grant again, then when you don't get the federal grant you said you'd refuse but begged for again, borrow millions you don't have and go into hock while busting your budget by $24 million?

Do you and reality have a serious relationship, or just the rare hook up?

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by Riot

You mean like how to refuse federal grants that would have paid for the massive immediate repairs your old rail system needs, then immediately beg for the federal grant again, then when you don't get the federal grant you said you'd refuse but begged for again, borrow millions you don't have and go into hock while busting your budget by $24 million?

Do you and reality have a serious relationship, or just the rare hook up?

again, it is extremely responsible to not accept 810 million when all you need is 24 million.

considering your political views, you should be mad at the guys in Washington that didnt give Walker his 24 million, not Walker for asking for it. whats up with that?

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

again, it is extremely responsible to not accept 810 million when all you need is 24 million.

considering your political views, you should be mad at the guys in Washington that didnt give Walker his 24 million, not Walker for asking for it. whats up with that?

The 24 million was no longer available. It was immediately given to Illinois.

What do you think about Walker declining the federal funds, but then trying to get them back later? Would you view that as irresponsible?

Ooo - and aren't you happy Obama is FINALLY supporting overturn of DOMA? (see the new "respect for marriage act" I guess that would be RFMA)

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

i certainly didnt pull it out of thin air. I actually took it from you and only you.

I haven't said anything about you pulling the $810 million out of thin air.

I said you were pulling the $8 out of thin air.