What about Milwaukee?

The KRM (Kenosha Racine Milwaukee) rail transit line was touted June 30th on the Diane Chamnes ‘feel good session’ Show on WISN Radio. The guests were Peter Beitzel vice president of Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, Mike Ruzicka of the Milwaukee Association of Realtors, and executive director of ‘Transit Now’ Rosemary Potter. They proclaimed their intention to file late an application for federal funding. The only economic development clearly outlined were the jobs actually needed to make it happen and new construction that would go on around the stations. My live e-mail question as to the dollar per rider cost or if consultants were held to any level of accountability for their projections went unanswered. Diane Chamnes on July 4th confirmed (by e-mail) the e-mail was received and said she had passed it on to ‘Transit Now’. Can I stop waiting now?

I may well have been in favor of rail transit if Wisconsin wasn’t the tax hell it is. It could promote responsible development, save on future road building and be beneficial to the environment. Unfortunately we already have ample roadways. There is still plenty of room for development between Racine and Kenosha along highway 31, six lanes, and the area is not overly congested. The area around the new Sturtevant Amtrak station is still open for development. The KRM is not needed to spur development. The cost of a rail system would not contribute at all to an increase in commerce and is redundant. The bus service and local amenities are meeting the needs of those without cars living in the target areas or they wouldn’t be living there.

Their comparison of Milwaukee to such cities as Chicago or New York is specious. The commuting pressures and absolute necessity for rail transit in those cities is self-evident and it will be decades if ever we reach such density. Chicago rail carries millions a week. Their comparison to Minneapolis is disingenuous. While Minneapolis ‘light rail’ annual ridership exceeds 10 million, going well beyond projections, the initial projection was over 6 million not the 1.7 million for the KRM. The Minneapolis ‘light rail’ line connects its downtown, a major University, an international airport and the Mall of America, destinations resembling more Amtrak’s existing service to Chicago less the neighborhood stops.

If we had any true visionaries in government willing to pay the personal price to make it happen they would have proposed a rail system long ago to where Wisconsin companies have been forming and expanding, the west. Little need now with all our new road construction and development patterns. Commuter rail running through smaller towns in Wisconsin could have tempted corporations with small dedicated communities along with Wisconsin’s best resources, its natural environment and ease of connection to the cultural and sporting events of Milwaukee along with its work force. Rather than vision we have the path of least resistance to achieve personal and political gain.

Why might the KRM succeed? Because it is not about serving Milwaukee it is about serving the northern suburbs of Chicago. The tax burden the line would put on already overburdened Wisconsin will only destroy any potential for corporate investment if any still exists. Good luck on collecting the payroll tax from Illinois companies for universal health care, which while guaranteeing the KRM lines success dooms Wisconsin to the depressed mediocrity of a true socialist state. Plenty of service and retail jobs will be created to cater to those working in Illinois and voting in Wisconsin. All free to enjoy fine food, festivals, sports and theater in Milwaukee, hunt our public lands, fish and boat on our lakes and rivers, use our trails and did I mention health care. New jobs and businesses no doubt and we certainly have an overdeveloped theater and sports market, but shouldn’t Milwaukee be so much more? When new national and international corporate headquarters set up in towns such as Waukegan, Zion, Winthrop Harbor and North ‘Chicago’ rather than Milwaukee then what will our politicians say?

Did you ever notice how communist nations declare themselves true democracies? Even putting ‘democratic’ right in their name. In fact the structure of a communist government much more resembles the system of government of the ancient Greeks where only families of substance actually had voting rights. The surrounding peoples and lands being in varying levels of servitude to the city-state. Congratulations! Milwaukee and Southeastern Wisconsin are officially suburbs of Chicago and its personal playground.

Resembling communist nations in structure with its increasing government care, or control, one might expect a nation such as Red China would be anxious to set up United States headquarters for their burgeoning corporations in Milwaukee or Wisconsin but they wont even let Yi play basketball here. Maybe there is hope for the Chinese after all.

As our major cities continue to build new skyscrapers and attract new companies and corporations one must ask “What about Milwaukee?” Of course our politicians could always offer immense tax breaks to any corporation they might want to attract, putting an even heavier burden on the public and keeping a short leash on the new money. And maybe that is what Wisconsin is all about. Control. Fear of a changing power structure that comes with the big money corporations bring into a community and the political process.