What the hell is wrong with people?
Yesterday the news came down that the federal government rejected Wisconsin's bid for $150 million "for train sets, locomotives and a maintenance base for the Hiawatha line". Immediately this decision became the result of a referendum on Scott Walker.
Mike Ivey of The Cap Times trumpeted "Feds turn Walker down on passenger rail funding request". Commenters said things like "Bravo Scott Walker - you will be RECALLED SOON." and "Nice job, Scotty - we're officially on the $hit list for rail funding. Way to prepare for $5.00+ gas."
This decision likely had something to do with Walker's rejection of an $810 million grant to extend the Hiawatha line to Madison but whether it was partisan backlash or a change of priorities for the feds, I don't know. Regardless, the decision was made by the feds yet few are blaming them for turning down WISCONSIN's funding request, Mr. Ivey.
The worst type of reaction was the glee on parade in blog posts like this one. "Governor Walker Shut Down By Feds Over Train Money. Good." Way to cut off your nose to spite your face, Mr. Humphrey.
The train money wasn't all about Scott Walker. There are the little matters of new train sets, locomotives, a maintenance shed, and the more general goal of improving Hiawatha's already great service. Building new train sets and locomotives = jobs. Some of that work would probably have been done by Talgo. In Milwaukee. Building maintenance shed = jobs. Staffing the facility = jobs.
The ridership of the Hiawatha line keeps growing. As the article linked to above notes:
Hiawatha ridership has more than doubled in the past eight years, to a record 792,848 in 2010, and is on track for another jump this year. During the first four months of 2011, the trains provided 252,035 rides, up 7.8% from the same period last year.
It's had an 87.3% on-time rating over the past year with March 2011's at a nice 94.1%. Furthermore it ties Wisconsin generally and the southeastern part of our state specifically to a global city. It helps keep some cars off the road which means less wear and tear on the highways and less auto exhaust in the air.
Humphrey's reaction is puerile and short-sighted. Improving the Hiawatha service and expanding the benefits of intercity rail in Wisconsin will have a much more profound and longer lasting effect than an ephemeral bout of schadenfreude.
While I agree with your criticism of Walker's opponents who are being gleeful about the rejection of rail funding you should consider the fact that Walker's supporters are spinning this as Obama being petty.
ReplyDeleteThe news reports fail to mention that the requirement for this money is that it needed to be in some way tied to creating a high speed rail infrastructure in the United States. All of the projects that received this additional funding are moving in that direction. Simply upgrading the Hiawatha line doesn't fit in with the objective of the funding.
Jesse - I hear you re the Fed's criterion. However, I expect stupidity from many of Walker's supporters thusly it is more disheartening to hear his opponents rejoicing at Wisconsin's loss.
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