high speed rail

One of the Vision 2020 White Papers developed by the Wisconsin Technology Council over the past several years was titled "'Rust Belt' no more: Traveling the 'I-Q Corridor'".  The last paragraph of the white paper is as follows:

"State policymakers can begin to work with their counterparts in other states on an I-Q Corridor Agenda" that could include pursuit of federal research dollars for major projects, such as high-speed rail and preserving the quality of the Great Lakes."

Walker and his cronies rejected the idea of an I-Q corrodor in favor of legislation encouraging low wage non union jobs.  It is still unbelivable that he turned back $800 million dollars for the Milwaukee to Madison high speed rail that represented the hard work of forward thinking Wisconsinites like the members of the Wisconsin Technology Council. 

In addition, Republicans are currently fighting over including the CAPCO plan in the State's venture capital legislation.  (They must not all have attended the pro CAPCO meeting at ALEC).

As a result, what venture capitalist would put money into Wisonsin?   Not very many, it seems. 

It appears to be final - the high-speed rail link from Milwaukee to Madison is dead.  The jobs are dead. Improved transporation in Wisconsin is dead.  Reports are that the Transportation Department has agreed to take the vast share of the WIsconsin-allocated high speed rail money, and is giving it to other states that want  it.  Apparently there has been a little dickering so that Wisconsin won't have to pay back at least some of the money that has already been spent - but on the other hand we aren't going to receive some of the money that is committed to be spent whether the Madison-Milwaukee link happened or not.

Get used to the above headline.  Walker's commitment to ideology over practicality seems to be committing him to killing the middle class in the state, killing the unions, and making the state a haven for nobody but the rich.  And we as a state voted for the new governor and his don't-look-past-the-next-election point of view.

Rail advocates around the state protested governor-elect Walker's plans to refuse high speed rail funding today. Walker's short-sighted plan to stop rail development and job creation in the state was protested in six different cities around the state.  I attended the rally in Eau Claire, which involved (despite the wind-chill) a rousing amount of support for starting the high speed rail project, and extending it to eventually include the Eau Claire area.  Over 100 people showed up in Eau Claire.  These are some pictures of the rally.

My Tea Party with Randal O'Toole

O'Toole had no handout, and offered no link to his talk so we could not go home and study his statistics.

I am a follower of Randal O'Toole, actually a stalker. I've read his material; I've responded to him online when Comments are allowed. I am actually fascinated by this persona. So, when a friend offered to take me along to Racine to hear him, I jumped at the chance (too far for a bike ride on a Tuesday night).

Randal (a Cato Institute Fellow) changed his talk a bit over the past few months. Instead of closing with a report on his "hobby," he opens up with his hobby - refurbishing trains (for museum purposes); point is - no one should subsidize my hobby. Got it, Randal.

Opener. To measure his audience he uses what any smart speaker will use, something engaging. A suggestive remark about the recent health care bill (just passed) brought a roar of approval and applause from his audience of about 200. He knew; they knew; they are on the same side: distrust of government, the theme of the evening, repeated ironically by elected officials and the candidates for office running on Tea.