Congratulations, Wisconsin. Today was a healthy bipartisan spread of stupid decisions that will hurt the state for years to come. First, Governor Scott Walker reaffirmed his decision to turn away thousands of private sector jobs and over a billion dollars in private economic development despite an offer by the Menominee to essentially indemnify the state taxpayers for any possible losses that may result from building the Kenosha casino AND give $220+ million to build a new arena for the Milwaukee Bucks.
With that decision, Walker also made it exceedingly difficult to pass any state funding bill to help build a new arena for the Bucks. Many people from outside Milwaukee already opposed taxpayer support for an arena, and now they likely won’t support a dime of my tax dollars going to build an arena in Milwaukee since Walker is turning down over $200 million in private funding for that project. Walker’s decision makes it quite unlikely that Wisconsin will have an NBA team in 36 months and all of that private investment and economic activity will leave the state too.
To cap it off, Mayor Tom Barrett finally got his trolley in Milwaukee, thus obligating the taxpayers to hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer expense for decades to come.
And people wonder why Wisconsin’s economy lags…
Back in January he said that the decision could not be reversed. As it turns out, current reporting says the feds would allow him to change his mind if he did that before February 19.
Of course, he could blame somebody else for this bit of misinformation and try and demonstrate how responsve he is to his constituents and the legislators who have been asking for a do over.
That would make for a great piece of political theater wouldn’t it?
If you wonder why Wisconsin’s economy lags, just compare us with Minnesota.
As far as the casino goes it’s not about the additional jobs or the hold harmless by the Menominee or the offer to significantly fund a Bucks arena; it IS about what Walker believes will serve HIS interests in Iowa and beyond.
If you are correct Dave, it would seem to back up Old Baldy’s contention in the stewardship thread on bureaucrats versus elected officials.
Dave,
Your “hold harmless” clause is predicated on fact that Menominee would be good for it.
The compact allows the Poto recover tax money paid in since the start of the compact.
There is no guarantee, the Menominee can afford to cover what your awful gov. did, diamond Jim Doyle.
What was undercovered, was Democrat Tom Barrett celebrating Milwaukee’s future bankruptcy like a drunken Roman politician heading to an orgy.
You need to push Obama to give Barrett a job in his administration. That’s how we killed the stupid trolley project down here in San Antonio. Mayor Castro went to HUD and the temporary mayor killed the trolley! Now we need to cut funding for his solar energy projects.
Tex,
Excellent point!
Can’t some Democrat in this state help us out on getting Barrett appointed to something in D.C.?
Or is Barrett damaged goods for losing to Walker 3 times?