Walker's "Rail Fail" Illuminates Bigger Recall Picture

The Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters, (WLCV), is documenting Scott Walker's damage to the state's environment with a series, "Walker Fails"  - - a welcome expansion of the recall campaigns' framing.

The series' second installment, "Rail Fails," is out today. It examines the impact of Walker's rejection of a federally-funded Amtrak extension from Milwaukee to Madison and the resulting forfeit of years of construction jobs, more employment at Milwaukee train maintenance facility, and the Amtrak line's connection to the Midwest High Speed Rail System.

Wisconsin was this close to becoming a national leader in transportation technology, but Governor Walker decided to choose the road more traveled – the one lined with pot holes and traffic jams. With his rejection of $810 million of federal stimulus money, Walker sent the long anticipated high-speed rail, and its promise of jobs, packing...

 One gleeful L.A. Times editorial even read, "Thanks a billion, cheeseheads!"

The first installment in the WLCV series, "Recycling Fails," ran last week. Links and a full text are here.