The Political Environment: ACLU Wants Environmental Justice In Stimulus Projects

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

ACLU Wants Environmental Justice In Stimulus Projects

That means more transit, which by now should be seen as a mainstream need in southeastern Wisconsin.

5 comments:

James Wigderson said...: I think "liberty" is part of their name, but it's soooo hard to tell.; January 14, 2009 at 1:29 PM
Anonymous said...: Clearly as a light rail advocate, you can address the following questions/comments:

1) The ACLU states that transit should be one of the highest priorities for a federal economic stimulus package. Shouldn't the creation of jobs perhaps be a higher priority so the unemployed actually have a destination for the proposed transit?

2) If, as the ACLU states, fewer than 1/2 of the minorities have driver licenses, how are they going to get to a light-rail transit station?

3) In the past, you have cited Marc Levine's study from the UW Milwaukee Center of Economic Development. In a recent paper, "The Crisis Continues:
Black Male Joblessness in Milwaukee
2007" (http://www4.uwm.edu/ced/publications/black_joblessness07.pdf), he cites unemployement statistics. Interestingly, on page 5, he points out the increase in unemployment amongst blacks and whites, while from 2000 to 2007 Hispanic unemployment dropped from 34.1% to 22.9%. How could minority unemployment rates decrease without light rail?

4) I wonder whether the top of page 2 from the ACLU letter is collective truth, or disjointed truths assembled to sell (mislead)a story. (a) with a conservative estimate of $40 million per mile of track (i.e. capital expenditure), light rail would create 1256 jobs and $120 million in sales to businesses!! Wow! Simply un-amazing! (b) the ACLU points out that highway construction employs specialize non-local labor. Is that to say, conversely, that Milwaukee has the necessary and experienced local workforce to lay light rail?

5) What has more likelihood of creating manufacturing jobs? Light rail, or Governor Doyle actually creating a favorable business envionment to encourage business growth?

6) Where should light rail run from/to? What is the cost?; January 14, 2009 at 2:54 PM
Anonymous said...: Are you planning to comment on tww's posting? I'd like your views too.; January 19, 2009 at 10:09 AM
Anonymous said...: The Light rail is going to be the biggest boondogle ever. You need infrastruture when you get to the destination. You will need to rent a car or get a taxi. An the Metro area's are so geograhicly large, its going to cost. For four years are road's have been getting worse, with large craters, which used be holes. I'm not worried my car alignment anymore, I'm more concerned about dentist bill, from teeth chattering together; January 29, 2009 at 1:12 PM
James Rowen said...: To Anon; a modern transit system supplies connections at stations. If you ever have a chance to use these systems elsewhere, you'd love them.

Your car will, too.; January 29, 2009 at 1:27 PM