[milwaukee-electric] Governor supports passenger rail.

[mrcooby]

Doyle's budget proposal supports transportation

February 18, 2009
Gov. Jim Doyle on Tuesday warned that Wisconsin is facing its largest
budget cuts, but he also promised a boost for the state's
transportation system.


With Tuesday's passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Plan, Doyle touted the ability to increase investment in the state's
transportation fund by 20 percent.

"We will be able to get to work on fixing bridges and roads," he
said during Tuesday's budget speech. "We will connect more of
Wisconsin with passenger rail."

As in his previous biennial budget proposal, Doyle said he wants to
secure money for state roads by taxing big oil companies.

"These companies make money when people drive on our roads, so it is
appropriate that they help maintain them," he said. "And we will
go after companies that break the law by passing that assessment on to
consumers."

But legislative opinion on the oil assessment proposal, which failed 
in
the last session, remained divided.

"If it passes, it's destined to go to court," said state
Rep. Jeff Stone, R-Greendale. "And that's a quarter of a million
dollars for transportation that the state doesn't get."

State Sen. Robert Jauch, D-Poplar, agreed the bill would probably be
challenged, and he said a court could rule companies can pass the
assessment to customers.

But he said it's also an idea worth trying.

"You can't balance a $5.7 billion budget deficit with cuts
alone," Jauch said. "If it was me, I might have proposed a
different set of tax increases, but they might not have had as much 
of a
chance to pass. (The oil assessment), I believe, can pass. You talk
about a five-cent gas tax increase, that's not going to pass."

Doyle also announced Tuesday his budget proposal lets, after several
years of debate, communities form regional transit authorities.

"If a region agrees to cooperate on building rail lines or
coordinating bus service," he said, "we can help make that
happen."

--- End forwarded message ---