Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Transit? Who Needs That? Walker Hoped The Poor Would Buy Cars

It was nearly four years ago to the day that Scott Walker told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board that he wanted to grow the economy so much that poor people would be able to buy cars and leave the bus behind.

I'm still looking for a good link to his preposterous argument - -  and brother, did he ever fail to grow the economy or lead the transit system in Milwaukee County - - though at the time I quoted from it in the very first month of my blog, here.
"Here's what the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Walker told the paper's editorial writers Tuesday about why he opposed transit improvements in the county he purportedly leads:

"...Walker said he would like to grow the local economy enough so lower-income people don't have to rely on transit and could instead afford to buy cars if they chose.'"
So as we prepare for deep state revenue sharing cuts to local transit systems ("we're broke, we can't afford transit...) and perhaps the ending of some federal transit aids if Walker's budget-repair bill strips bargaining rights from local system employees, remember that he was mouthing his marketplace talking points years before he had a chance to translate them into real-world service cuts.

1 comment:

  1. Wow! Unbelievable. Presumably he was also arguing that all the blind would gain their sight, those with medical conditions who can't (or shouldn't) drive would be healed, that the age for teens to start driving would be lowered to 12 (or 10), that the old and others with slowed reflexes and abilities would become younger. Then everyone could get around.

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