Gov. Walker costs Wisconsin millions
 

Gov. Walker (R - Wisconsin) campaigns against federal funding, then refuses it once elected, costing his state millions.

Then behind the citizens' back he tries to get some of that necessary federal funding back and can't.

So then he has to borrow to replace some of it, and puts his state in debt for millions.

Well done, fool. The perfect example of "low-information" citizens voting against their own best interests, and thus costing themselves millions.

Long article with much detail, just some below:

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepo...125810723.html

And rather than paying down the debt with the returned money, Obama & Co. immediately distributed it among other states, IL being one of them. :zz:

You realize Federal Funding is eventually paid by federal taxes after accumulating years of interest. Either you reach in the right pocket or the left but you're going to have to pay. Unless you're part of the millions sucking on the tiat of Lady Liberty.

Yup. This is a fantastic idea. We are in a slow recession recovery, with high unemployment. Money has never been cheaper to borrow. High speed rail addresses massive amounts of job creation (temporary and permanent), infrastructure development, current infrastructure repair, green development all in one fell swoop

:tro:

Too bad your Governor turned all that down, and you now have to pay millions for him to borrow money on a state level that the Federal Government was going to give to you out of funds already appropriated.

Have fun with your state tax increase. You're still sucking hard at the teat of Lady Liberty, right? You are still using airplanes, airports, driving on interstate highways, buying OTC and Rx drugs, and food?

You know, if you folks that are so anti-government would just put your money where your mouths are, and give that up, you would decrease demand and maybe achieve your goal (in opposition to the founding fathers) that government doesn't do crap for the common good.

Umm he passed a balanced budget bill so no worries and that won't be a problem. Appropriated funds need to be paid back just as unappropriated funds. Obama could learn a lot from WI!

If the railroad is ever built it will likely cost half under State supervision, providing the State jobs rather than dealing with the feds. IL will be responsible from the border to Chicago. Pretty close distance-wise so we'll be able to compare who's more efficient and cost effective!

ROFLMAO. This wasn't in the budget. This is extra.

Walker may have passed a balanced budget bill, but your budget most certainly not balanced, according to your states own watchdog orgs.

And why didn't Walker have the routine parts of the maintenance within this in his budget,then? Appears he's skipping items, holding them back, to "balance his budget" without including everything that's needed ?? Is Walker incompetent to do that, or is he lying?

So, three recall elections today - who do you think will win, the Democrats or the Republicans? I'll go out on a limb, and say the Democrats will take their state back.

2-1 (Hansen) GOP

Plenty of useless expenditures and programs can be cut to offset and balance the budget. Besides business is expanding in WI at a higher rate than the country and that means more tax revenue! Without raising corporate taxes! Like I said Obama could learn a lot from the Badger State.

So you have a thousand excuses for your Governor lying to you, not giving you a balanced budget, and costing you millions above that.

Good luck with voting that way :tro:

Even if that somehow turns out to be true, far better than your President with no promise of a balanced anything costing you and I trillions above trillions.

If the high speed rail can't sustain itself without government and or tax payer funding why would you do it? Would a business build a new plant knowing that not only would the plant not make $, but it would never break even and continue to cost them money every year? Also the rail that was proposed was not high speed (you can drive your car faster) and it was not economical and went absolutely no where.

Walker is in the minority of that opinion that those federal funds for creating jobs, improving infrastructure, and doing all the upgrades and repairs your current lines need, and having additional paid for rail service wasn't worth it.

Well, until right after he turned the funds down, then he immediately petitioned to get the federal funds again.

So he apparently loves federal funds to pay for your trains. Just not when it's called what he campaigned against.

But Walker's in charge now. His opinion counts, not your previous legislature and governor that thought it was good for Wisconsin. Oh, well, Wisconsin's loss is other states' gain.

Too bad you guys now have to pay millions and millions over and above your budget for what the feds would have given you with the grant, to do your necessary repairs and upkeep on what you have now. In addition to the extra. So now you are even more in the hole on an old, needing-expensive-updates rail system.

Guess Walkers budget is no longer balanced.

Don't you think its time that the us government stop giving money for these stupid rail projects and other programs. They need to realize like walker did that enough is enough and stop giving money to states when its broke! Its a joke how many trillions we owe. Its time for americans to stand up to idiots like obama, geitner and bernanke and say enough! Stop talking about fear and party rhetoric and realize that we need to quit spending high off the hog. Leave walker alone hes doing fine and seriously the train to milwaukee to madison was a dumb project.

So you believe in massively cutting spending, and not creating jobs, during recessions and joblessness? Unique view!

And it's a shame, when your state is broke, and needs millions of dollars of repairs, that the federal government was going to give you a grant for it. Oh,well.

Now you'll just have to divide your personal cost share between the population of Wisconsin (dollars), rather than the population of the United States (pennies)

So you believe in taking $ for something that is not necessary and that will continue to cost the tax payers $, etc. after the funding runs out just because the federal government is willing to give WI some $ for to initially fund a portion of the project? Also you failed to mention that the majority of Wisconsinites did not want it.

You need to listen more to your democratic friend Steve Wynn.

Your right there is no job creation in WI since walker took office

“Wisconsin has added 26,400 private-sector jobs, including 13,100 manufacturing jobs, since Governor
Walker declared Wisconsin open for business,” Secretary Baumbach said. “Overall, the labor force is
growing, with more people working and more people looking for work. We are on pace to meet Governor
Walker’s goal of 250,000 jobs by 2015, and there is much more work to be done to get more Wisconsinites
trained and in family-sustaining jobs.”

Well, the previous legislature, and the legislatures of multiple other states, reviewed the same data and saw that they would be getting upgrades to their current train system, and an additional expanded system, interconnecting their points of business with other points of business, and were very excited as they all judged it profitable for decades down the road.

Your previous legislature wanted it. Walker didn't. Gave it up.

But then, strangely, Walker immediately tried to get those funds back.

So are you angry or disappointed at Walker seeking the very federal funds he turned down, and promised not to take, or not?

I never said that.

“Wisconsin has added 26,400 private-sector jobs, including 13,100 manufacturing jobs, since Governor
Walker declared Wisconsin open for business,”

Those are kind of truly amazing figures, compared to the number of jobs added nationally. Got a reference for where Secretary B. got those figures?

Edit: LOL never mind, I found it. Seems there are some "technicalities" in the way they figure jobs (as everyone does) And the 10,800 people who lost their jobs in April are generously called "additional people who entered the labor force to take advantage of opportunity".

I hope Wisconsin gets job growth. I hope everyone gets job growth, and quickly! You guys now have multiple millions over the budget to pay back to pay for your train upkeep. Yikes! Big spending by your Governor, to borrow millions and millions you don't have.


http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/dwd/newsrel...pril_state.pdf

No one claimed it to be profitable. And if you think that the high speed rail from Madison to Milwaukee was profitable in any way there is no arguing with you. Even the democrats admitted that it would not sustain itself nor would it create any additional new business

I have no problem asking for $ that was supposed to go to an unecessary project to help do necessary repairs or upgrades to existing projects. The cost of maintaining existing projects is a lot less than the cost of a new project. You also fail to mention that governor doyle already gave the contract to a Spanish company and didn't even give a WI based company the right to bid the contract.

Well, actually, yes, they did. After it was built, and run, the states get to keep all the profit. Kind of one of the points of, you know, doing it :)

Then it's a brilliant decision that you guys turned down the money! :tro: What do you think about Walker trying to get the money back?

Here's the national map of the rail corridors being built. They haven't erased Wisconsin yet. Poor Minnesota, they're screwed and left hanging after you guys pulled out.

I, on the other hand, am looking forward to being able to hop the train in Louisville and go to and from Chicago. Right now, it's just an hour plane ride on the commuter that comes and goes daily, but there's parking, car rental, getting in and out of O'Hare, etc.

Please show me where anyone claimed that highspeed rail in WI was profitable or even that it would be self sustainable

I'm angry that our federal government steals from the American people and then gives that money to states to build trains.

They should only be built in the private sector. that is not happening because it won't be profitable. its just like our federal government to that kind of money on something that wont be profitable. our government needs to stop wasting our hard earned dollars. but hey, they dont want to stop spending, because to stop spending means to stop buying votes. its all a con. the answer to them is "lets steal a higher percentage of money"

your thought process amazes me. its almost like you dont understand where the federal tax money comes from.

"dont do it yourself, force someone else to pay for it"

And your thought process amazes me.

Guess you didn't read my previous posts in the thread?

Guess not.

You know, where I said, "Now you'll just have to divide your personal cost share between the population of Wisconsin (dollars), rather than the population of the United States (pennies)"

200 million compared to 800 million. thats like $8 per taxpayer (more than pennies) when you consider the % of the country that doesnt pay taxes.

Wow - you are really ... guessing at that math, aren't you? LOL! You came up with .... oh, $8?

Just pulled that figure out of clear air, huh? :D

Try and follow this: Walker now has to borrow a little over $24 million to pay for necessary essential upgrades. That $24 million was in the federal grant.

Walkers state bonds don't get the rate US Treasury Bonds do for the cost of borrowing that money, btw. So it's more expensive money, to the citizens of Wisconsin, than taking the federal money. That's just a given up front.

The citizens of Wisconsin now have to pay for that $24 million on the state level, divided only among the taxpayers of Wisconsin.

Rather than pay their share of that $24 million through their federal taxes, divided among millions more people, the taxpayers of the United States.

Now, your argument is that it is better to pay their share of only $24 million, and not have the equipment upgrades, new trains, new track, new lines which you say won't make profit, jobs, etc; than pay their share of the greater cost among the 50 states. Well, Walker agrees with you.

thats not how it works, Ms person who skews everything to try and justify her garbage.

810 million dollar grant. thats what you've been arguing Wisconsin should have accepted the entire arguement. dont skew now.

810 millions dollars paid for by the maybe 100 millon taxpayers. $8.

i certainly didnt pull it out of thin air. I actually took it from you and only you.



Madison - The Legislature's budget committee voted 12-2 Tuesday to spend $31.6 million on the Milwaukee-to-Chicago passenger rail service, costs that could have largely been paid by a federal grant that would have extended passenger rail from Milwaukee to Madison.

Democrats backed the passenger rail measure. But they pointed to an estimate from the Legislature's nonpartisan budget office that found that at least $22.4 million of the additional costs stem from Republican Gov. Scott Walker's move to cancel an $810 million high-speed rail line connecting Madison to Milwaukee and Chicago.


Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) called the canceled contract an example of "Walker math" that is costly for the state.

"We had an opportunity to take advantage of federal funding in one of the tightest budgets in years," Taylor said.

[snip ... ]

That brings the total cost of the train car acquisition to roughly $70 million, about 47% more than the original $47.5 million price tag, according to the department's funding request.

But former Transportation Secretary Frank Busalacchi, who served under Doyle, has said most of the costs would have been covered by an $810 million federal stimulus grant awarded to Wisconsin last year to extend the Hiawatha to Madison, as part of a larger plan for high-speed trains connecting Chicago to the Twin Cities and other Midwestern destinations.

Walker, however, campaigned against the 110-mph route and after his election in November opposed it as governor-elect. The federal government then yanked the funds.

After the original grant was withdrawn, the Walker administration unsuccessfully sought $213.3 million in federal money earlier this year for Hiawatha upgrades, including additional trains, retrofitting the Talgo plant as a permanent maintenance base and improving the tracks between the plant and the downtown Amtrak station.

The costs of building and equipping both the temporary and permanent maintenance bases would have been covered by the $810 million federal grant. That grant also would have paid for more train cars and locomotives, which would have been serviced at a $52 million permanent base in Madison.

I didn't skew, Ms person who is spewing weirdness and apparently didn't read all my previous post?

I said: "Now, your argument is that it is better to pay their share of only $24 million, and not have the equipment upgrades, new trains, new track, new lines which you say won't make profit, jobs, etc; than pay their share of the greater cost among the 50 states. Well, Walker agrees with you."

Now, if you want to get an accurate number, don't forget to add interest to the $810 million grant, and spread it over 10 years.

I was wrong. 24 million, not 200 million.

24 million vs 810 million sounds a heck of a lot better to me.

you wanted them to take the 810 million for the high speed train.

are you seriously coming up with this now?????

:zz: I've always supported the high speed rail. The meeting where Walker needs to borrow just happened. It's in today's paper.

lol, typical crazy goverment math:

"we will save $50 this year by cutting this."

goverment:

"we will save 50 gazillion dollars over the next 100 million years by cutting this"

:zz: I haven't said anything about you pulling the $810 million out of thin air.

I said you were pulling the $8 out of thin air.

you said they should have used a small fraction (24mil) of the federal stimulus funds (810million) to pay for the upgrade.


I would rather a state come up with ways to fund 24 million than take 810 million from taxpayers wallets.

or in government terms:

all 50 states would pay 1.2 billion to upgrade existing trains

compared to

the government giving all 50 states 40.5 billion to build new trains.

I didn't say that. The article said that the $24 million he's now borrowing from scratch, would have been included in the federal grant (those funds, for the purpose he needs it, were included).

And now they will indeed have to do that.

Walker turned down the grant, then went and immediately tried to borrow the federal funds again. He doesn't have any real problem accepting federal grants (except during campaigns. Like Perry in Texas) He was turned down. Now the state has to pay for it.

The state will come up with a way to pay for it now. It's called taxes.

When you consider the population and number of travelers into/out of Chicago v. Madison the decision to wait on building a super expensive hi-speed rail system to Madtown, when technology is changing yearly, and the State wants to balance its budget not go more into hock, while going ahead with the section from Milwaukee to the IL border makes perfect sense. Again wish the President would learn a few things from WI and IL would become more self reliant.

On Wisconsin!

I personally find it to be highly responsible for Walker to only ask for 24 million compared to accepting 810 million. a guy who's actually looking out for the best interest of Americans, imagine that!

you know for sure it will be taxes?

they cant do the responsible thing... the thing that all Americans have to do... cut one thing to pay for another, more important thing?

thats the main problem today and why we are stuck in this mess, we cant seem to cut anything, but just want to steal more from the taxpayers and borrow more from China to pay for new things!!

politicians literally act like 15 year olds when it comes to spending.

You mean like how to refuse federal grants that would have paid for the massive immediate repairs your old rail system needs, then immediately beg for the federal grant again, then when you don't get the federal grant you said you'd refuse but begged for again, borrow millions you don't have and go into hock while busting your budget by $24 million?

Do you and reality have a serious relationship, or just the rare hook up?

No. It could be magic. Or voluntary donations.