apparently you think cutting spending in one area to pay for another project is Magic. Now I know why you support Obama so much. You'd fit in perfect in "status-quo Washington".

again, it is extremely responsible to not accept 810 million when all you need is 24 million.

considering your political views, you should be mad at the guys in Washington that didnt give Walker his 24 million, not Walker for asking for it. whats up with that?

You're right, I didn't mention cutting spending. That is because the Wisconsin budget already seems slashed to the bone by Walker.

Walker could fire some more teachers, I guess.

The 24 million was no longer available. It was immediately given to Illinois.

What do you think about Walker declining the federal funds, but then trying to get them back later? Would you view that as irresponsible?

Ooo - and aren't you happy Obama is FINALLY supporting overturn of DOMA? (see the new "respect for marriage act" I guess that would be RFMA)

I find it responsible when it is a 24 : 810 ratio. if it was a 1 :1 ratio, very irresponsible.

and its a great thing that the budget is slashed to the bone. Washington should do the same thing. only what is absolutely needed should be spent. not the billions (trillions) of waste we have. its one thing if we had a surplus, but we dont (instead we have a monsterous deficit made by both parties) so we need to stop acting like we do.

respect for marriage would make me feel better if it wasnt the Dems version of "cut, cap and whatever".

basically just words for voters with no hope of getting accomplished any time soon.

It is just coming out of Committee. The Senate would pass it, the House is the question.

the articles I've read about it just make it out to be political jargon. A way for dem politicians to make one section of the voting public happy (gays), while at the same time not actually having to vote on it incase it makes another section of the voting public unhappy (some religious folks). Like I said, the same thing as cut cap and still spend too much (republicans trying to make the tea party happy while knowing it wont pass)

DOMA is so unconstitutional I have no idea how it is still a law.

considering how much revenue is generated by fuel tax, im surprised that any govt. would support spending a lot of money to get less people to drive.

http://gazettextra.com/weblogs/lates...er-settlement/

"Walker should have known this would happen and run for Gov prior to 2007. All his fault and to even mention Jim Doyle, like he was in charge, how dare them!" muttered Riot, while surfing Islamphobia.

Well, no, but I'm hardly surprised repeated exposure has given you any lucid real cognizance of my political views.

To be fair Walker did not fire any teachers. The only teachers that lost their jobs are as a result of their union not willing to compromise. But again it is all about the kids

Still waiting for proof that high speed rail will be profitable or even self sustainable....

That's not true. Do you even read your papers in your state? The teachers' union immediately agreed to all Walker's budget cuts in their pension and health care. Immediately. Why are you saying differently? That's not remotely true.

Are you going to hold your breath? Your previous legislature thought it would be a great thing for the state, as do all the other states that accepted it. Illinois sure jumped on taking the extra money Wisconsin turned down. Gov. Walker says no, and turned it down.

Guess you'll just have to wait 10 years to see the actual outcome.

The only teachers that lost their jobs were from MPS who ram rodded their contracts in before the bill passed and refused to reopen them. All of the districts that implemented Walkers reforms are seeing benefits and many are even seeing surplusses. Yes the poor teachers actually had to contribute a very small portion to their pension(which most people don't even have) and a small portion of their cadillac health insurance.

Please show me anything that stated that high speed rail would even be self sustainable. Do you know that the "L" in chicago which is highly used is not self sustainable?

http://www.fra.dot.gov/rpd/passenger/2243.shtml

Of course, you'll have to click on through and read the in-depth projections and financial pages of course.

But you have already made up your mind. Your governor agrees. Other governors and states disagree.

So you just need to stand by for 10 years or so, at the ready to hop in and say, "I told you so!" if the project fails :D

LOL - that's about as logical an argument as saying that because the Edsel failed as a car, the current model that Ford is working on for 2013 won't make a profit, either.

Your right I am wrong. High speed rail is the future. Who wouldn't be willing to dish out $50+ dollars to go from Milwaukee to Madison and then have to find a cab or bus line or other transportation once I get there. Never mind the fact that it wouldn't stop at Miller Park, State Fair Park or any reasonable destination.

Geeshus cripes. Grow the eff up and stop with the passive aggressive whiner crap. We are talking about a concrete project. Some say it will never pay or be worthwhile (you, Walker). Some say it will (me, other states).

People make an objective assessment based upon available data and go forward from that, and the project goes forward.

Sorry, no matter how much you want it to be true, you can't declare it a success or a failure until the damn thing at least exists. Sorry, concrete projects are not subject to the whims of your political beliefs, no matter how determined you are to assess it within those parameters rather than via objective date.

Yeah - we'll know the final outcome in 10 years or so, after it actually exists, and is up and running for a while.

Geeshus cripes, is thinking really too ****ing hard nowadays?

Like a mother who wants her ugly daughter to enter a beauty contest when the daughter is yelling NO!

Some, actually most in WI say you and other States (especially IL) are idiots!

You really don't get it!

:zz: So why are you so freaked out about what happens in other states?

You're not getting the high speed rail. Whew! You are saved! You are not getting the huge federal grant that went with it, that pays for millions and millions of repair and upgrade to what you already have. Your Governor tried to get those federal funds back, and failed. Now he's gotta borrow millions and millions of dollars, at higher interest than the federal funds, at more expense to the taxpayers, putting his "balanced budget" millions in the red, (oh, yeah, and 47% over budget now) and you have to pay for it personally. And all you have in the end is the antiquated rail you have now

Yay! Enjoy being so smart! Be sure to laugh at the other states in 10 years, suffering through their economic development corridor growth and their high speed rail transit hookups to other business centers. Fools!

Conservative: not willing to move forward, adverse to change, cautious about innovation

:zz::zz:

LOL You are crazy, I'm not. Unless I'm expected to pay for what happens in other states.

Why are you so freaked out about all that is Wisconsin, specifically why are you so freaked out about WI NOT accepting fed money?

If you ever become the majority we're doomed!

Naw, I'm just messing with you, because it's so easy to take advantage of your lack of self-awareness. You'll only have to pay for your Governor's own $24 million over budget. Relax.

Because I hate to see Walker destroy a state I love, and put it years behind the adjoining states.

Excuse me? "We" (although not sure what you mean by that, it could be Muslims) are the majority right now.

BTW: How do you like what your state legislature snuck through buried deep in the Budget Bill, a constitutional change to the State Supreme Court?

A State Constitutional change. To the Supreme Court. Completey undiscussed in public. Not even mentioned. Buried in a budget bill.

Oh, yeah, Wisconsin's current Gov and legislature are really winners.

well then don't let this out (to the adjoining States)

http://gazettextra.com/weblogs/lates...yment-numbers/

Again, the Pres could learn from spending some time here. Only he'd have to shut up, look and listen, like a hunter or fisherman. No wonder WI is ahead of the curve.

By other states I guess you mean IL. :zz:

As far as the so called high speed rail system goes I can drive my truck and horse trailer full of horses from Milwaukee to Madison 2 1/2 times before I would pay for the price of what would have been a round trip high speed rail ticket. And in reality I could do it faster than the high speed rail. Not to mention the fact that when I got to my destination in the middle of winter I would not have to walk to try and find a cab, bus, etc to actually get to a meaningful destination unlike the high speed rail destination. But again why not take the money from the FED it is free money. Everyone is doing it, just get yours while you can; never mind the unintended consequences of taking this money.

Oh, well, if you won't personally use the Milwaukee to Madison link, and you already know the prices of the tickets, and you already know how fast the train will travel and how long the trip will take before it's even built, then that's perfectly logical justification for turning down the entire Minneapolis to Chicago line, and the development corridors in the northern part of your state, for everyone else.

The laughable thing is that, if I were you, right now I (you) would be demanding "prove it" about your costs, times, and use rates that you are contending, before the line is even built.

Hey- I'll guess that you are really happy about the Republican Legislature sneaking a major change to your state Constitution into a budget bill, huh? And keeping it out of the pubic eye?

Enjoy personally paying for Walker's expensive, multi-million dollar budget busting decisions. Go Badgers!

You can get on a plane for less from Milwaukee to Minneappolis than the rail would have cost, plus this is not about Chicago to Minneappolis, this was Milwaukee to Madison. If the fed was going to pay for the costs of Milwaukee to Madison, what happens in a few years from now when they want to expand to minneappolis. The fed says to the state well we gave you the Money for the original Milwaukee to Madison route, now you have to pay for the Madison to Minneappolis route. It is called unintended consequences of taking the feds money. If you have followed the banking industry in the last few years you would understand this.

Really? How often do you hunt and fish?

We discussed this previously in this thread. Along with the mathematical details ;)

No, actually it's about Minneapolis to Chicago, and beyond that. It's a multi-state project. And I am amazed that you know the ticket prices before the project is even completed. Can you give me that link, please?

:zz: The above statement reveals much, so I can only assume you do not know as much as you think about the entire project and it's funding. But relax! It's done. You don't have to suffer being part of the multi-state high speed rail project. Worry about Walker being $24 million over budget, and increasing the cost by 50%, to try and maintain your antiquated train system, and how you're going to pay for it. Walker sought over $200 million in federal funds to fix up your current trains, but didn't get it. So I can only assume there is much that won't get updated on the old trains. Kind of sad.

And maybe find out how the legislators you love and support are trying to change your state Constitution behind the public's back.

:zz: probably 30-40 times a year. 2-3 times a week in summer. Beni's of being blocks from one of the greatest fishing lakes in Southern WI. (also have a FL license as well and fished maybe 10 times down there)

Don't hunt but shoot sporting clays 10 times a year, I know that doesn't count. BTW the lake was stocked with muskie 2 years ago. About 18 inches now but in two years? I'll be fishing even more.

Yea you know all about me! :D

I really miss fishing, when I lived in WVa I would fish 5-6 days a week, had this great hole in the middle of nowhere. When I was in the Army after return from Nam, I was stationed at Ft Dix, NJ...went to a nearby stream and was fishing when I fell in the water, I couldn't believe how nasty the water was, tasted like sewage...I put my pole away and didn't fish again until I returned to WVa. Living in Pa I just never have made it back to the streams, too populated and you have to rely on restocking, seems unsportsman like. I went hunting prior to the Army but it lost it's appeal afterwards, haven't shot a gun since.

Sounds great! Yeah, Florida fishing is awesome. Love the sporting clays, too.