Republicans, of course, are skeptical of anythingnew and unproven.
In this case, the federal government is showering$823 million on Wisconsinto build the latest version of one of them newfangled high-speed train systems.Even though rail transportation has existed in this country since the early1800s, Republicans think trains should be given more time to prove themselvesbefore we jump whole hog into anything so revolutionary.
Bringing high-speed trains to the Midwestactually is a pretty radical idea. Usually, it’s only really important peoplewho work in Washington, D.C.,or New York City or maybe Philadelphia who get the benefit of thelatest transportation technology.
But Wisconsin justhappens to be an important link in a high-speed system that will connect themajor cities in the Midwest: St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukeeand Minneapolis-St. Paul.
And building such a system over the next five yearsfits perfectly with President Barack Obama’s announced plans to pump billionsof dollars into creating jobs in states such as Missouri,Illinois, Wisconsinand Minnesota.
Madison and Milwaukee are theoverwhelming beneficiaries of the nearly $1 billion lavished on modern railtransportation in the state.
Good daily rail service between Milwaukeeand Chicagoalready exists, and it will get even better. But the majority of the funds willcreate the high-speed link for the heavily traveled Milwaukeeto Madisoncorridor.
An auxiliary benefit is a potential development boomaround the three stops along the way in Brookfield,Oconomowoc and Watertown.Frankly,Waukesha County deserves to be left outaltogether. Local politicians have fought any rail connection between Milwaukee and Waukesha County for years.
They wouldn’t have minded riding into Milwaukee in comfort to work. But theycouldn’t figure out any way to prevent people from Milwaukeeyouknow, people of colorfrom riding the train west into Waukesha County.
As many conservative Waukesharesidents watch a high-speed, national transportation system pass them by, theycan create their own souvenirs by flattening pennies on the tracks when thetrain barrels through really fast.
Baffling Opposition
Waukesha County is only the most extreme example of thesmall-town Republican mentality toward rail transportation that has blockedrail projects in southeastern Wisconsinfor years.
Anyone from Milwaukeewho visits other major cities around the country knows every one of them hassome form of commuter rail serving everyone from executives in suits to thejanitors who clean their offices.
When I lived in Chicago, I rode the “L” to work every day, asChicagoans had been doing since 1892. A friend living in my building had hiscar stolen and didn’t know it for weeks, we drove so seldom.
People in other cities are baffled by the battlesbetween liberals and conservatives over rail transportation in Wisconsin. Suburban andexurban Republicans are the primary beneficiaries of commuter systems in othercities. They think we’re crazy for fighting traffic instead of relaxing,reading or working on our laptop computers as we ride to and from our jobs.
Another thing that bothers Wisconsin Republicansabout the $823 million windfall for high-speed rail right now is that it is abig win not only for President Obama in the Midwest, but also for WisconsinGov. Jim Doyle and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.
That’s what the president is talking about when hesays the political hostility between the parties has become so toxic thatanything one party can accomplish to benefit people is automatically opposed bythe other side.
The real irony about Republicans whining about Wisconsin receivingnearly a billion dollars in federal funds to become part of a high-speed trainsystem is that, perhaps most of all, the windfall is the result of hard work bya Wisconsin Republican hero.
Former Gov. Tommy Thompson not only served on theAmtrak Board of Governors for two terms while high-speed rail was beingdeveloped, he was its chairman. Thompson was such an enthusiastic supporter ofhigh-speed trains that one of the early Acela locomotives was named after him.
In whatever positions he rose to nationally,Thompson made a point of looking out for his home state. As secretary of Healthand Human Services under George W. Bush, who was hostile to stem cell research,Thompson protected the stem cell lines pioneered at UW-Madison.
Planning directed by Thompson is a big reason Madison and Milwaukeeare the next big beneficiaries of a national high-speed rail system.
That makes sniping by small-time Republicans lookreally small.
