Issue of the Week: Walker Undermines High-Speed Rail

In reference to Wisconsin’s proposedhigh-speed rail, gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker’s current campaign cryis: “Elect me and we will stop the train.” In Mussolini’s fascist Italy of the 1930s, at least he claimed somemanagerial skill and “made the trains run on time,” whereas Walker in 2010 just wants to “stop thetrain.” In an embarrassing effort to look macho, Walker writes to his pal Charlie Sykes,“Think we can’t stop this train? Just watch me.” That adolescent bravado has noplace in building a strong economy. Virtually all of the serious, nonpartisaneconomists who have studied the issue state that high-speed rail can do a greatdeal to stimulate economic development, something Wisconsin desperately needs. The federalgovernment has provided Wisconsin with an $810million grant to build the Milwaukee-Madison high-speed rail corridor, one partof a high-speed rail system that will connect Chicagoto Minneapolis.Walker, appealing to the extremist right wing ofthe Republican Party, wants to forgo the jobs and long-term benefits ofhigh-speed rail with the argument that he doesn’t want Wisconsin to get stuck paying the bill.Scott, the federal government has agreed to pay for it. If you refuse themoney, it will just go to another high-speed rail project in another state.

Hero of the Week

Jim Braun

When their kids reachadulthood and leave the nest, many parents breathe a short sigh of relief andlook forward to some downtime. Not so with Jim Braun, who chose instead todonate his spare time to Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee.

For the past four years,Braun has spent a few hours each week serving as a friend and mentor to his“little brother,” Raymond. Braun says the most rewarding aspect of the programis “just to see the excitement on a kid’s face… the fact that they know you’regoing to be there for them.”

Big Brothers/Big Sistersmatches volunteers with youth who may be lacking a strong adult presence intheir lives. In addition to one-on-one mentoring, there is a site-based programin area schools. The organization is especially in need of male volunteers whowant to make a positive difference. Braun, an advertising executive, dismissesthe objection of those who claim they don’t have the time. “That’s a cop-out,”he says. “You can always find the time.”

Readers who wish to getinvolved are urged to call Big Brothers/Big Sisters at 414-258-4778 or visitwww.bbbsmilwaukee.org.

Jerk of the Week

Senate Candidate RonJohnson

Oshkosh businessman RonJohnson, a conservative Republican candidate for Senate, has a slim record inthe public arena. His one apparent community connection is the Oshkosh Chamberof Commerce, where Johnson was deeply involved in its Partners in Education(PIE) Council. His one notable achievement? Spending more than a year lobbyingfor a personal appearance before PIE by Charles Murray, the BradleyFoundation-supported author of the TheBell Curve, which was discredited as a racist tome. Murray argues that IQ is substantiallyinherited and that there are racial differences in cognitive ability. Accordingto the Oshkosh Northwestern, whichsifted through hundreds of e-mails and meeting minutes, Johnson “pushed to haveCharles Murray speak despite objections from other members.” He even paid for Murray’s $5,750 fee so that Murray could promote his latest book, Real Education, which argues that toomany students are going to college. That philosophy meshes with Johnson’s viewon the free market, in which there are “winners and losers,” and not much canbe done to help those who didn’t have the good sense to choose wealthy parents.