Inside Those Population Figures

Most of the attention on new population estimates in our area focused on the modest gain in Milwaukee County,

And why not: the reversal of previous losses is a good thing.

What interested me was the growth - - steady but not spectacular - - in the other counties nearby - - 5.2% over the last seven years in Waukesha County, for instance.

Waukesha County officials and regional planners have been justifying the massive highway building underway and penciled in, or huge amounts of water from Lake Michigan, on growth scenarios that look much bigger than supported by these recent figures.

With baby-boom retirees more likely to head for warmer climes, and gasoline prices spiking with no end in sight, is there solid data around to justify the massive infrastructure spending ticketed for the region?