There shall be a new $200 million WisDOT palace, despite 'crap' budget

Scott Walker and his GOP legislative/budget-writing water carriers are cutting programs, raising state park entrance and camping fees, erasing bike trails and sidewalks from road projects, firing DNR scientists and refusing federal funds to help poor people obtain health insurance - - all in the name of fiscal restraint also termed "crap" by a GOP legislator - - but, by God, there shall be a new, $200 million palace built on Madison's West side for state transportation officials and their client road-builders who write politicians nice checks.

And to make sure this new WisDOT facility is built, GOP legislators are adding to the budget a provision that exempts the project from City of Madison zoning codes.

So to Madison, it's the same sort of raised, no-local-control middle finger that the budget-writers gave Dane County when they slipped language into the proposed budget taking away county participation in water policy-making development decisions.

It's not a coincidence that the Madison and Dane County-only budget provisions will aid privileged developers who have somehow managed to get an inside track to these big-dollar troughs.

Let's see who ends up with the contracts and development rights made easier by Walkerites who are writing for the winners a special set of easy rules.

As I wrote almost two years ago, to the day:

Any investigative reporter worth his or her salt will watch carefully who 'wins' the choice Hill Farms site on Madison's prosperous West Side once WisDOT is moved out to its unneeded, but oh, so illustrative new digs. 

Small government for everyone except you and your big projects, Road-building/Government Complex.  

Remember, Walker is about to get the right to sell any state asset to the bidder of his choice - - without competitive, public bids - - needing only a deferential thumbs-up from obeisant Joint Finance Committee majority.