Americans for Prosperity threatens Republicans pushing Transportation Tax with "Praise"...and oh yea, campaign funding cuts too.

It will be fascinating to watch the unexpected supply side test Scott Walker is now setting up for himself when it comes to our crumbling roads. Hollowing out everything from the environment and state colleges, to parks and recreation, Walker got nothing out of it.

Taking in just enough money to run the state ignores that whole messy maintenance problem of fixing and replacing things that break.

Wisconsinites know there's a problem, but who cares.

Now if you're Americans for Prosperity's Eric Bott, a simple veiled threat that steals control away from every state constituent is all you really need:

“We are disappointed by Assembly Republican leadership’s calls to increase taxes and fees on Wisconsinites but remain committed to working proactively towards a transportation solution."

"We're disappointed." Unless you're AFP with deep pockets that helps fund Republican campaigns, who would give a rats ass how "disappointed" you were?

“Such a dramatic increase in taxes and or fees would harm Wisconsin’s working families and place a wet blanket on our economy. We certainly hope this isn’t the Assembly Republican plan.

Yea, no harm like a week in the auto repair shop, draining your checking account, putting off that consumer purchase you've been counting on for years.

What Bott's saying sounds a lot like; "We certainly hope, with all the money we have to give you, that raising taxes isn't your plan."

Dripping with pay to play arrogance, AFP tossed this supposed "compliment" out:

“Rep. Nygren deserves recognition for vowing not to place an undue burden on taxpayers in Wisconsin.

Well, that's not exactly what Nygren "vowed:"

The state could face a nearly $1 billion shortfall for transportation projects in the next budget, said Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette … called on Gov. Scott Walker on Wednesday to reconsider his opposition to new taxes to support road projects. "It's not necessarily the fiscally conservative position to simply say 'no' and continue to delay projects and delay growth of our system. To think that there could be no changes to the way we're currently funding our transportation systems from a revenue standpoint, I think, is unrealistic."  

And since Walker doesn't have a plan to fund transportation, mumbling something about shifting the cost from some imagined place, its seems a bit odd that Americans for Prosperity would also praise Walker for his "solution," prioritizing "safety, maintenance and reform." The ultimate in bullshit. Who doesn't feel insulted at this point?

“Americans for Prosperity-Wisconsin and its more than 130,000 activist members remains grateful to Governor Walker for leading the way toward transportation solutions that prioritize safety, local road maintenance, and cost saving reforms.”

The "fellows" at the MacIver Institute would have us all believe that a different formula for spending on road projects would magically make the potholes, median growth, and delayed projects just go away. Take the pedestrian bridge just two blocks from another bridge with sidewalks accomplishing the same thing, kinda. A whole $3.6 million.

The (DOT) has its policies and it has it's procedures. It will follow them even when they don't make any sense at all. It will follow them even when it means blowing $3.6 million of taxpayers' money.

What's next, getting rid of those "confusing" roundabouts Republicans have such a hard time navigating...oops, spoke too soon...

Yea, forget about life saving roundabouts, safety, aesthetically pleasing bridges and streets, bypasses, roads to places people go....