Monday's Opening Day Road Congestion Made Worse By Politicians

"The Orange Barrel Polka" is the area's summer tourism and baseball season jingle:

First line - - the lyrics were written at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's sports and entertainment division - - "Keep Me Out Of The Ball Game."

Because "they don't care if you ever get back."

When you're late for Monday's big game, or singing along while trapped driving anywhere near Miller Park morning to evening, you've got a long list of people to thank for killing light rail or electric-guided buses that would have alleviated some of the traffic pressure.

That lineup includes Tommy Thompson and Scott Walker, plus the past and present Waukesha County rail obstructionists - - Dan Finley, Jim Dwyer and Scott Jensen - - and the talk radio railophobes playing to ratings and the region's conservatives, like Mark Belling and Charlie Sykes.

All enabling the road-builders.

Take the bus to the game, you say?

Yes, but for how long?

Walker's proposed 2011-2013 state budget calls for sharp cuts in local transit funding, and the Milwaukee County Transit System has already projected reductions or elimination of main line routes and event shuttle bus service.

We can dream that Miller Park shuttles and regular routes will be spared, but the reality is that the orange barrels are already rolled out on I-94 to the west and east of the stadium for a longgggggg time.