Logos of the Bogus

All Aboard!?

Posted by Bernard Hall on Aug. 3, 2010 | 1 comment

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The Secretary of transportation was in Wisconsin last week. He and Governor Jim Doyle were making pronouncements about the so-called high speed train is coming to Wisconsin. Although there is a lot of opposition to it, they are proclaiming that it cannot be stopped.

Their approach to this message indicates that we are having another public program shoved down our throats whether we like it or not. And we don't. There cannot be a better example of mis-spending by the government at the federal level causing dissatisfaction at the state level and trying to render everyone helpless.

If we have over $800 million in a slush fund waiting to be spent, there are plenty of other projects that need to be dealt with first. What about the Hoan bridge? This bridge is falling apart, has plenty of daily users, yet cannot get the money reallocated for something that has better use. What about the sewer system? Even if hundred million dollars will not fix that, yet people will be able to look forward to more sewer backups, more big dumps into Lake Michigan, and more inaction by the current mayor while they look for their little shovels in order to do a groundbreaking. Isn't government supposed to be responsive to people?

The way these bills are crafted, once the money starts flowing in, you have absolutely no say in how it gets spent except towards this boondoggle. If you change your mind, you have to repay the money so that it can be similarly wasted in another state. Of course, all of this money is being made available by the 862 billion dollar stimulus package. This is supposed to be forward thinking by the progressives. If anyone knows how this actually makes, or can be considered progress, let me know.

I certainly hope no one believes that the money being given to us so generously by the federal government will cover the cost of construction and operation. If it did, it would be the first. Even Doyle doesn't think that. Yet he seems determined to make this high-speed rail his legacy as governor. Being one of the worst governors Wisconsin has had, what is his legacy? I can't think of one either. Other than being one of the worst governors.

Why do we even get asked to go to the polls every four years, or two years, if this is the kind of crap that is being shoved down our throats by the people we send there to be responsible with our money? The progressive movement seems to think that any money, any wealth that anyone has should be shared by all. But what about the effort that it takes to make this money? That has to be left to a certain few people. The declining number of people who are paying taxes in the state are going to be left with a huge burden. Were going to be left with a train that nobody writes, a bridge that is falling down, and sewers that flow both ways. And we can't forget those generous pensions for all the people that we sent to fix these problems.