Walker Sends A Letter to Obama; Remember Walker's Last Big Obama Letter?

Call it Walker's Second Big Self-Serving Letter To President Barack Obama - - which I assume Obama will see right through.

All puffed up with presidential dreams, Scott Walker has sent Pres. Obama a letter with advice on propane energy planning. On the heels of begging for federal fuel assistance, though Wisconsin has a $900 million surplus.

Well, good for Obama releasing some propane assistance funding, but here's the larger question:

Does Walker think Obama has forgotten another letter he released to Pres. Obama - - the open letter from then-Milwaukee County Executive Walker in 2010 about Obama's signature rail expansion plan.

A key Wisconsin cog in the GOP's obstructionist Make Obama A One-Term President machine, Walker used Amtrak expansion as a cheap, partisan cudgel to undermine opponent Tom Barrett, a supporter of Obama's Midwestern rail transit system.

Walker's Stop the Train letter - - with its resulting loss of solid construction and manufacturing jobs - - became a central theme on his surrogates' talk radio shows that attacked both Obama and Barrett, and was used in Walker advertising to gather supporter signatures, social media posts and donations through a special web page, too.

Letter No. 1 served Walker the Gubernatorial Candidate; Letter No. 2 serves Walker the Presidential Wannabee.

If you are Pres. Obama, might you ask yourself, 'how many times does this two-faced guy want to use me?'

The rest of us can ask: is this how you make a best friend in The White House for your state and its constituents?

Open Letter to President Obama From Scott Walker

Dear President Obama:

Last month, U.S. Transportation Secretary, Ray La Hood was in Wisconsin to release $46.7 million of the $810 million in federal stimulus money designated for a train line between Milwaukee and Madison. Releasing these federal funds now is both premature and irresponsible. Public support for the Madison-Milwaukee train has fallen to just 41% as weary taxpayers watch our roads and bridges crumble without sufficient funds to repair them.

Still, Secretary La Hood declared that: "High-speed rail is coming to Wisconsin," and "there's no stopping it."

I am drawing a line in the sand Mr. President: No matter how much money you and Governor Doyle try to spend before the end of the year, I will put a stop to this boondoggle the day I take office.

It's outrageous for Secretary La Hood to suggest that your administration can force Wisconsin to continue building a train it doesn't want and cannot afford. Almost as outrageous as the fact that the decision to saddle Wisconsin taxpayers with untold millions in operating and maintenance costs, forever, was never debated or voted on by the Wisconsin legislature. If it had been, this letter would not be necessary.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, my opponent in the race to replace Governor Doyle, has made the Milwaukee to Madison train the centerpiece of his economic development plan for Wisconsin. The Mayor tells us that spending $810 million on high-speed rail will create thousands of new Wisconsin jobs, but according to the federal government's own estimate, the total number of permanent jobs created will be 55. That's $14.5 million per job, not including any hidden costs!

As for hidden costs, no one in your administration, nor Governor Doyle or Mayor Barrett can provide an accurate estimate of what it will cost to operate and maintain the new rail line. Rail projects in numerous other areas have seen original cost estimates skyrocket once construction begins.

In addition, study after study shows that rail passenger fares are likely to cover only 20% of the operating costs. That leaves hardworking Wisconsin families to pick up the other 80% through higher taxes and fees.

It's reckless of Governor Doyle and Mayor Barrett to commit to spending $810 million of our money on a boondoggle train when we can't even afford to fix our roads and bridges. Our state is facing a $2.5 billion hole in next year's budget and a list a mile long of transportation needs. If your administration is truly interested in helping Wisconsin build the transportation infrastructure it needs and desires, you should allow us to use this money for roads and bridges instead.

Governor Doyle and Secretary La Hood say we can't stop the train. I say, just watch us.

Sincerely,

Scott Walker

Milwaukee County Executive
Republican Candidate for Governor

Sign the letter to President Obama by filling out this form!