Walker Budget Eliminates Transit As Transportation, So No Dedicated Money From Gas Taxes
In an enormously destructive move, Scott Walker's budget removes transit as a transportation category - - per Walker, transportation budgets are now the private preserve of the road-builder - - so "financing transit operation aids from the general fund will begin in fiscal 2012-2013."
That means bus systems will have to fight with other services for state aid in a shrinking state budget - - while highway aids gets a $410.5 million increase.
Look for local bus systems to raise fares, cut services, lay off drivers, then die.
We'll be arriving at the Walker Promised Land, where every low-income person has a car, insurance, money for maintenance, repairs and fuel.
As gas goes to $4.
Something like 30% of City of Milwaukee residents do not have access to a car, and rely on the bus system - - transit, only since rail has been disallowed by Republicans since light rail planning was killed fifteen years ago.
Like the rest of his budget which hammers public schools and social services, this budget is aimed squarely at lower-income Wisconsinites while rewarding big donors, like road-builders.
And it makes mockery of Walker's campaign rhetoric, especially these laugh-lines now:
"Strip policy and pork projects from the state budget. The budget process should be about funding essential government services based on the taxpayers’ ability to pay. It should not be about horse trading for special interest groups or establishing talking points for the next campaign." (emphasis added).
6 comments:
This is class warfare.
In the "Walker promised land," every low-income person walks five miles to work.
How can he call himself a conservative. He's not conserving anything.
People face the possibility of losing the entire public transit system. This is just another example of a politician who doesn’t care what people think or need. There are many of them who simply can’t afford to buy a car; they are dependent on public transportation. Financing transit operation aids from the general fund seems to be a really bad idea.
This is more than class warfare, this is more than stupid politicians; PEOPLE VOTED FOR SCOTT WALKER. A large enough plurality of the populace decided to show up to the polls on voting day, and cast their ballots, beginning this chain of events.
Think about this late next October.
Recall Scott Walker. Wisconsinites can get rid of him in January 2012. Meanwhile, recall the GOP State Senators eligible for recall, and Walker can be stopped. There's a campaign already, look for it....
Post a Comment