Modern Stone Age Republicans say Trains Bad!!!

The supposed "imagined" Republican war on Milwaukee got real with this little piece of retribution:

The state of Wisconsin and Milwaukee County would be barred from spending any money on a Milwaukee streetcar under a bill that cleared the (Republican) state Assembly Thursday night ... yet another glimpse at how far apart Wisconsin Republicans and Democrats stand when it comes to rail funding...

Is it any wonder Milwaukee is struggling to be a major contributor to the states economy? Republicans don't get it either, while admitting how much they hate the states largest city:

Republican Rep. Bob Gannon (R-Slinger) ... said the city is "the anchor holding back the ship of state as far as jobs is concerned."

Rep. Janel "boondocks" Brantjen

This disdain for mass transit - buses, trains, high speed rail - is idiotic, especially for those who've traveled to a city with street cars, subways or city wide rail systems.

But what really got my attention was this comment laughable, mind numbing comment from  Menominee Falls Republican Rep. Janel Brantjen, who called trains "anti-future," on Wisconsin Public Radio:

Brantjen: "Trains are the romantic fantasy of a European nation."

America is so "unromantic?" I wasn't the only one left breathless by "Boondocks" Brantjen's daffiness...

Democrats, like Rep. Chris Danou of Trempeleau, were at times incredulous during debate on the measure. "I honestly do find myself flabbergasted at times by the beliefs that I hear from the other side." 

So far today I've had fun substituting "trains" with other pretty common things. It's an easy way to complain about something...anything.  

The state is now being run by these backwards dullards, who can't make even make a comparison work:

Slinger Republican Rep. Bob Gannon called the streetcar a waste of money. "I don't ask you to fund my automobile," Gannon said.  "I don't want you to ask me, the citizens of the 58th Assembly District, to pay for your trolley."

Democrats said Gannon's remarks showed a misunderstanding of transportation funding, noting that automobiles rely on publicly funded roads and bridges. "When you get in your car, you do not pay the full price of that road," said Danou.

And after massive ineffectual tax cuts meant to starve the beast-like government, surprise, we don't have enough money to pay for economic development:

Republican Rep. Jesse Kremer of Kewaskum said, "This bill simply assures that we will not put any more strain on our existing state mass transportation system funding," said Kremer.

Again, these numskulls are charged with running this state...into the friggin ground.    

Walker, Republicans target biking and transit for cuts.

Republicans like Scott Walker are going after everything touched by the enemy within, liberals, progressives and Democrats. They are wiping the slate clean, as I've pointed out in this post.

As unbelievable as it may seem, they’re actually going after biking and transit.

From WisconsinGazettedotcom:  

Conservative Republicans at the state and federal levels this year launched initiatives to weaken biking programs. So the National Bike Summit this month (is working to) Counter a campaign to strip bicycle funding from the transportation bill. Congress could vote in May on the anti-cycling initiative, which is backed by right-wing groups with strong ties to the fossil fuel industry and billionaires David and Charles Koch. 

The following statement boggles the mind:

A letter signed by representatives of Tea Party Nation, the Heartland Institute, Club for Growth, American Energy Alliance and Americans for Prosperity seeking to eliminate federal transportation money for cycling programs read: “Despite billions in Highway Trust Fund shortfalls, Washington continues to spend federal dollars on projects that have nothing to do with roads like bike paths and transit.”

I wish I were making this up. And guess who is one of the leaders of this anti-biking movement?

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who has strong political and financial ties to those in this conservative coalition, is at the forefront of the campaign to puncture the state’s bicycling program … at the start of his second term as governor Walker offered a budget that proposed:

• Cutting $2 million from the Transportation Alternatives Program.

• Repealing the Complete Streets Law mandating that bicyclists and pedestrians be considered whenever a road is built or rebuilt.

Yes, repealing a law that "considers pedestrians"...outrageous?

State Sen. Chris Larson said repealing the Complete Streets Law “jeopardizes pedestrian and bicyclist safety, resulting in fewer safe places for our neighbors to bike.”

Here's an important wrinkle I've already had to deal with regarding my own kids bike "path" to school:

Larson added that cutting TAP “will result in fewer pro-bike projects, some of which seek to create more safe ways for children to get to their schools. The governor’s budget lacks a long-term, sustainable vision for our state. In fact, at the same time the governor is seeking to curb the growth and popularity of cycling in the state of Wisconsin, he is also borrowing $1.3 billion to pay for large highway projects. Each day, I grow more amazed by how backward Walker’s priorities are for Wisconsin.”

Walker Sabotages Wisconsin's Economic Future, forcing our kids to pay the bill for Upgrades.

Scott Walker is like so many other Republicans; living for the moment. Their lack of vision is applauded by their rabid “small government” supporters (small liberal government, but BIG conservative government).

Ignoring Millennials desire for Mass Transit. Killing high speed rail and Milwaukee’s planned street cars were two huge mistakes that Wisconsin will be paying for many decades to come. Republicans incredibly put off creating a regional metroplex by connecting Chicago to Kenosha to Racine to Milwaukee with high speed rail. This delay only sticks the price of these projects onto the next generation, the very kids the GOP is supposedly so worried about. And high speed rail would have connected that regional hub to Madison and eventually Minneapolis. 

I know when I rode the "L" (Chicago Transit Authority) from Rosemont to and around Chicago, on the blue and red lines with my family, I suddenly realized how much easier and fun getting around could be. If you've never experienced it, than I can see why you might not be excited about the possibility. But it changed my perspective completely.

Which leads me to Urban Milwaukee's Bruce Murphy. His column hits on this growing trend in a way that should make a lot of voters think long and hard about who they have planning what looks like a stuck-in-time future.

As a recent New York Times story noted, … young people raised in the suburbs seem to find cities far more interesting places to live … the proportion of these households with money owed on an automobile dropped from 44 percent to 32 percent. And for technology-oriented young people, using their mobile phone to check when the next bus or streetcar or subway train is arriving, or to order a ride from an Uber driver, is a simple, convenient way to live.
An April 2014 survey of Millennials in 10 U.S. Cities by the Rockefeller Foundation and Transportation for America found that 60 percent of Millennials want access to better transit options and the ability to be less reliant on a car. About 54 percent said they would consider moving to another city if it had better transportation options, and 46 percent said they would seriously consider giving up their car if they have a range of transportation options available.

A WISPIRG study of Wisconsin’s Millennials found similar results: 84 percent said that it was either “very important” or “somewhat important” for them to have transportation options other than a car to get around and 60 percent said they would be “somewhat more likely” or “more likely” to stay in Wisconsin after graduation if they could live in a place where they could get around without driving. 

As the statistics suggest, this is about more than just economics ... It’s about a different way of viewing the world, seeking more urban, more connected and more green ways to live. Yet it’s not at all clear that our politicians and policymakers are taking note of this trend, and how it should shape our decisions on transportation and a host of other issues.