MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WTAQ) - Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett joined over 100 people Monday to protest Governor-elect Scott Walker’s successful effort to scrap the high-speed train to Madison.
Barrett – whom Walker defeated for governor last month – joined other officials in lamenting the loss of up to 4,700 construction jobs for the train – plus the 55 who would have run it.
Sheila Cochran of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council said she couldn’t see how the Republican Walker could declare a victory – even though scrapping the train was one of his biggest campaign promises.
Cullen Werwie of Walker’s transition team responded that taxpayers would best be served by, “stopping this boondoggle.” Werwie also said the governor-elect did his best to try and keep train-maker Talgo from leaving in 2012. The company said it would keep a maintenance base in Milwaukee – but it would move its main operation to one of the states that’s getting the federal stimulus money Wisconsin gave up.
State Senate Democrat Spencer Coggs of Milwaukee said the operating costs would have been a tiny part of the state’s transportation budget. Milwaukee Alderman Nik Kovac said the business community should have spoken out for the project.
But a survey of executives by the Metro Milwaukee Association of Commerce showed that they were split on the issue. Wisconsin Citizen Action sponsored Monday’s rally. The group also called on Walker and lawmakers to focus on inner-city jobs during their session on the economy next month.
