Commuter rail? NO! 13 against, 4 in favor in WSJ Forum 8/23/07

The Wisconsin State Journal asked their readers if they "support commuter rail for Dane County" in Aug 19 paper. Here are the thirteen "NO" answers and I could not resist adding my own-even if it didn't get published. For the four in favor, please see the link above. Important: Please see Eileen Bruskewitz's Guest editorial here on "Why the Trolley is not dead" and a plea for a truly comphrehensive transportation study- not just a WE WANT A TRAIN!!! groupthink that is Transport 2020. Put train lovers together with car haters like County Exec. Kathleen Falk and Madison Mayor Dave and their appointees - politicians and urban planners who see private property rights as a threat, add in consultants* that consult on building commuter rail and those who will be building the project, provide public money, time, meeting space and Surprise! you get a unifed push to build commuter rail with a recommendation to raise taxes to do it. * The same consultants (Parsons Brinckerhoff) who gave Boston "the big hole" that tunnel in Boston that has run multiple times over budget and you wonder why citizens here are grasping their wallets and purses? Here are the letters against commuter rail from the primitive thinkers (as we were characterized by County Supervisor Matano and the cavemen - Supervisor Soebig.) County needs to expand bus service A common sense look at a Dane County map virtually screams: "expanded bus service i- yes; commuter rail - no. Commuter rail works well on the Eastern seaboard, where New York City, a huge job center, is flanked by a long, narrow corridor of high density suburbs. An average New Yorker's rail commute might run 40 or more miles, one way. In Dane County we are spread out, at fairly low density, in all directions around our lakes, and most people prefer to keep it that way. Buses are the obvious public transit solution here. I would support a regional transit authority with a focus on buses, especially electric hybrid buses. Hybrid buses average 30 percent to 40 percent better fuel economy than diesel buses, and since they accelerate using electric power, they cut typical diesel emissions by around 90 percent. Hybrid buses are still more expensive than their diesel counterparts, but since they are heavily used, even the present cost penalty is usually recouped, and then some, in fuel savings alone, during a bus's operating lifetime. Perhaps most important, federal money is available for buses, not just commuter rail. Bus money can come from the Department of Transportation, and for hybrid buses, also from the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. Responsible policy makers should have made the public aware of this a long time ago. - Tony Finch, Madison Commuter rail won't help traffic congestion Dane County doesn't need commuter rail. Other communities that have built rail systems continue to experience traffic congestion without experiencing greater economic growth than Wisconsin's fastest growing county. Those communities also have the burden of covering their systems' operating deficits, making them less competitive than ours. We are told that the Regional Transportation Authority will address the rail system costs with a half-cent sales tax. Dane County already has such a tax, used to build the jail. With the jail completed, how about using that tax to fund transportation improvements? Why invest additional taxing authority in an undefined RTA and the same group that shifted the "jail tax" to other purposes? On Sept. 1, our transportation corridors will be clogged as 70,000 badger fans head to Camp Randall, even though these fans will be car pooling and Metro Transit will be augmented with private sector buses. A week later, with the Badgers traveling, those fans will be watching from dispersed locations, causing no congestion. Large congregations of people are the cause of congestion. Why don't we follow the path less traveled and look to disperse our growth throughout the county, thus spreading the wealth and avoiding the congestion? - Bob Bucci, Fitchburg Time isn't right for commuter rail idea One day, perhaps, rail will be needed, but presently, no. The plan as presented takes care of Middleton, Sun Prairie and employees of the University of Wisconsin and University Hospitals. How will other communities be served and when? A plan to integrate the rest of Dane County hasn't been presented. Begging the question, has it been considered? Furthermore, nothing is being said as to how buses will integrate into this plan. We are being asked to buy into a Dane County rail plan, and the funding, without a comprehensive plan. As presented, we simply can't afford this idea. - Gari Berliot, Madison Let the voters decide this contentious issue Mayor Dave Cieslewicz says the RTA will enhance life in Madison, but at what cost? The estimate for this rail service is $250 million, but it's wise to multiply estimates by four for the real cost. It could be $1 billion. And what about the cost during construction? University Avenue is a main artery and major retail strip in Madison. How much business will be lost when it's torn up constructing the route? How many small business's will suffer or close? Madison is already getting a reputation as a city that does not want small business. Cieslewicz may be choo-choo crazy, but something this important should be put to the voters in a referendum. Let the people of Madison vote yes or no for the RTA. - Michyle Glen, Columbus Madison continues to wage war on cars Since a couple of mayors and decades ago, Madison has waged war on cars in the city. This time around with the RTA, the nanny-city and controlling county might be about to succeed. Imagine paying hundreds of dollars more in property taxes for a train you'll never use. But even worse, imagine being slowed down on your daily trip to the inner city because trains have the right of way. How will you react when you see passengers from out of town co-opting that right of way, and trains as empty as the buses that already roll over most of the city? Won't you be tempted to move outside the county to avoid RTA taxes so that you can put your money into your personal choice - your car? Tell that to your city and county representatives before they effectively take away your choice. - Bill Fetzner, Madison Derail commuter train idea for Dane County I would like to see commuter rail for Dane County derailed. A more immediate solution to the commuter problems in Dane County would be to expand the present bus services to outlying areas and increase services within the city. It would not take a multi-million dollar sales tax increase to accomplish that. - Linda E. Gerke, Madison Taxpayers railroaded into transit authority First, thanks to those Dane County Board supervisors who took the time to write back expressing their views on the RTA. It's reassuring to know that some of you listen and do not simply vote for a pre-planned political agenda. I oppose the RTA not because I may be against commuter rail, but because I feel we as taxpayers are being railroaded into it. I would like to know: Is it true the Transit 2020 Committee was made up of mostly pro-rail members? Is it true that the Madison trolley is imbedded in the 2020 plan? What would be the effect on the Beltline and University Avenue if there was a North Beltline? Why not test the light rail proposal by putting an express bus on the same route. The bus fare could be 50 percent of the rail fare. Give it six months, then discuss the need for a $250 million project. Questions like these must be answered so citizens who do not simply vote for pre-planned political agendas can make informed decisions. - Russ Frank, Madison Bus and road options cost less, work better I don't want an increase in our sales taxes for the proposed commuter train system recently passed by the Dane County Board. There is no need for a train system in this county when the problem of transportation could be solved with a better bus system or a north or south bypass. This would be a more economical alternative than an expensive train system. Why would the County Board choose an expensive alternative that only 1 percent to 5 percent of the Dane County population would actually use, versus a less expensive plan that 90 percent or more of the population would use? Write your representatives in opposition to the RTA, commuter rail and the large sales tax increase. - Bill McDonald, Middleton Madison, Dane County priorities out of order The city and county need to get their ducks in a row before they are given the opportunity to start taxing $42 million a year for commuter rail. Show the taxpayers they can handle the taxes they are taking now before they ask for more. How? First, they need to get their priorities in order. Give the police the tools they need so every neighborhood is safe before they consider bringing commuter rail to Madison. Then consider the county taking over Metro Transit and expanding it to serve all the communities that have a need for the service, include using vans and contracting out. Consider road construction that will divert traffic around Madison. Once ridership is established, do a cost effectiveness evaluation of a rail system. If it is determined that a rail system is needed and will have users, address all the taxpayers' concerns, lay out the phases of the planned RTA and how its board will be selected. Meanwhile, continue to plan ahead and take into consideration the rail system when planning new developments. Call it the Dane County Transportation Network until other counties hook up, then go for the RTA. - Dorothy Borchardt, Madison, former City Council member Don't tax Oregon for Madison transit plan As residents of Oregon, we think the Regional Transportation Authority is an unjust taxation area for those living outside of areas requiring mass transit. Mass transport should be supported financially by those in that area. Taxation of the entire county to primarily support any rail or trolley system is not justified. In any case, a bus system is much more economical and feasible. - James and Ann Hillestad, Oregon Please, no more taxes The proposal for light rail between Middleton and Sun Prairie is too expensive and will serve far too few people to be economical. My preference would be to extend Interstates 39/90/94 to Highway 12 in Middleton, thereby creating a loop around Madison to provide an alternative to the South Beltline and provide a safer route from the Northeast Side of Madison to Middleton than the current Highway 113 to County M to County Q. I can remember the opposition years ago to building the Beltline through the marsh and for re-constructing Broadway. Can you imagine how congested Broadway would now be if we had gone that route? Let's do it right and build a north highway route, let traffic flow un-impeded and let travelers drive safely with off- and on-ramps, not stoplights and cross traffic. A look at a map of the U.S. shows that most larger cities are surrounded by a highway loop allowing for efficient and time-saving routes, not a hodge-podge of partial highways, light rail, park and rides, etc. The people of Dane County do not want the added taxes that this light rail will incur just to serve a few individuals. We already have a bus system that is working, is flexible and allows for adjustments to accommodate changes in demographics in and around the Madison area. Please, no more taxes. No expensive, inflexible light rail. And no to the RTA. - Mike Cerro, Madison Reader doesn't trust mass transit planners There's bad news for those who ride the bus and like the convenience, price and efficiency. Transport 2020 and Regional Transit Authority people plan to remove the efficient Middleton-to-Madison bus line in favor of a feeder bus to the rail. To artificially boost the projected rail ridership numbers, the bus trip will "count" as commuter rail and make the ridiculously low rail numbers look better. In fact, after the train is in, any bus line that "competes" with the commuter rail will be converted to a feeder system to take riders to the train depot. No more near doorstep-to-workplace, 15 minute bus commutes for UW, Capitol or Downtown people. Now they'll take a bus, wait for the train, take the train and maybe take another bus to the final destination. That's a great example of efficiency in government. Why do they think people will use a more complex, expensive and time consuming mass transit than the present bus system? I think I'll start driving my car to work. - Bonnie Abrams, Middleton Bus transit upgrades make more sense When I was an engineering student in the 1950s, my co-op employer was GM's electromotive division, at that time the world's largest diesel-electric locomotive manufacturer. My lifetime interest in trains has included visits to several steam narrow-gage railroads, rail museums and other railroad attractions. In retirement, one of my hobbies is a garden railroad. I should be pro-commuter rail, right? I am not. To paraphrase the line from the baseball movie, "Field of Dreams," what if you build it and they don't come? We will then have millions of dollars invested in rail bed and rolling stock that will require a draw on taxpayers if ridership doesn't provide at least break-even revenue. A far more flexible solution is to expand the bus transit system, which can be rerouted to meet changing needs without laying down new tracks. - Ron Tilley, Madison I'm fudging it here- I submitted the letter below but it didn't make it in. Myths about trains, trolleys and traffic congestion I attended last Thursday's County Board meeting and heard several myths about trains and traffic congestion repeated by the proponents of commuter rail. The 2006 book, “The Road More Traveled" Why the Congestion Crisis matters more than you think… by TED Balaker, Sam Staley has facts on better mobility in Dane County. My review on Amazon.com is here. Myth: Americans are addicted to driving. Not Addicted, just smart. The car is a better tool than public transportation. Office workers avoid typewriters for computers to accomplish tasks faster, more efficiently. Same with cars to transit. 96% of commuters use cars, less than 2% use transit. Myth: Key factor for commuting by transit or car is gas prices. NO. Key factor is Wealth. Wealthier people around the world choose the convenience, comfort, efficiency, flexibility, freedom, privacy, safety and advanced technology, advantages of driving themselves. 80% of poor people also use cars to commute - with 31% of America's poor owning two cars. Anti-Car policies make driving more miserable, cities less vital, exacerbate the ill effects of congestion, reduce mobility, lower the quality and standard of living. Myth: Public transit reduces congestion. False. Kathleen Falk, Mayor Dave made this statement at the June 28 press conference. Transport 2020 report says trains and trolleys will increase congestion at all crossings and not get drivers out of their cars.

Wis. State Jrnl. Forum Section Su. 8/12/07 Your Views: A War We Just Might Win

Some irony here - Bob Hall, former Marine Vietnam era Vet and 5 time MASS. legislator, me (4 years Marines 66-70, 26 yrs Warrant Officer in Army N.G. (all as a noncombatant) (treasurer) and Wendy Fjelstad married to career Air Force/Air Guard 4 tours in Mid East. (Pres. of Vote No to Cut and Run) the group that fought the "Bring the Troops home now" for the last 2 years all got our letters to the editor published on 8/12/07 WSJ. Opposing views can be seen by following link above. Question: Should Congress sustain the troop surge in Iraq? War is unwinnable, thanks to Democrats If Forum columnists Michael O'Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack think that Iraq "is a war we just might win," these Bush critics will find themselves the subject of attack. There is no chance to win the war, or even achieve stability in Iraq, because the Democrats, led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, have staked the future of their party on an American defeat, and they must now do everything possible to deliver that defeat. That Bush's inept leadership of the war gave them the chance to advance their party at great cost to America will be his worst legacy. O'Hanlon and Pollack recommend Congress extend the "surge" until 2008, but the Democrats were saying it had failed before it got fully under way. What happens in Iraq no longer matters; only what happens in the media. Robert A. Hall, Madison Continue surge to honor commitments Indications are that the "surge" may need to be sustained. Gen. David Petraeus should be the one to determine the number of troops required to maintain and improve stability in Iraq. The number of troops needed there should decline as security levels improve and political stability is attained. It is ironic that the opinions of two individuals from the Brookings Institution, both describing themselves in the State Journal Forum section as liberal and anti-war, seem to have more weight politically and with the "mainstream media" than Petraeus has. Our military won the war in short order in Iraq. What has been won by "the surge" is the perception that, despite the sniveling and politicization of this war, the U.S. intends to honor its commitment as specified by the Congress and as a condition accepted by the president, that we not only topple Saddam Hussein, but stay until a stable government is in place. If a continuation of "the surge" is needed to honor our commitment, it should be continued. Jerry Johnson, Sun Prairie

Continue surge; drop 'Cut and Run'

If it takes "two analysts who have harshly criticized the Bush administration's miserable handling of Iraq" to convince people that the military surge and new commander is working in the Iraq war, so be it! Before the war began, the President pledged, "When the Iraqi troops stand up, we will stand down." That statement and the definition of victory when the Iraq nation has established democratic institutions and achieved a stabile security for its citizens is as clear an exit strategy as any commander in chief has ever declared, even after a war is over. What is our exit strategy from Germany, Korea, the Balkans? The surge is working. In spite of the Democrats in Congress and their investment in defeat, led by our own embarrassing Sen. Russ Feingold and meekly mimicked by U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, the constant white flag waving is not working. Their "Cut and Run" retreat is not a winning strategy for anyone. However, the surge is working. Yes, if we have the will to continue real support of our troops we will win in Iraq. Is now the time to finally ask, "Do you want to win or lose in Iraq?"

Bill Richardson, Middleton, treasurer, Vote No to Cut and Run Petraeus, troops need help from homefront We are winning in Iraq and now we need to win at home. Our troops are performing brilliantly under Gen. David Petraeus and they deserve our continued support until their mission is completed. Even the liberal mainstream media can no longer ignore the success our military is having in Iraq. Those on the left, who hold a deep-seated animus towards President Bush and the U.S. military, can be expected to continue their drum beat for withdrawal. But the improving situation in Iraq calls for a fresh assessment by fair-minded Americans, who understand the importance of success and the seriousness of retreat and failure. We can either have confidence in Gen. Petraeus and the successful efforts of our troops, or we can let the defeatists at home prevail in their efforts to bring about failure in Iraq. Wendy Fjelstad, Cottage Grove (President, Vote No to Cut and Run)

Questions and answers about Traffic Congestion, Fix the transportation systems we have now,Polution, Choice

Questions for the Dane CTY Exec. Falk, Transport 2020 David Trowbridge, Cty Chair O'Donnell, others at the Combined Dane CTY Towns and Cities meeting, 7:30 pm Fitchburg City Hall W Aug 8, 2007 (Video available on Fitchburg cable)

This one was posed at this meeting:

Kill this proposal for now or table it and have the RTA Referendum at the regular elections next April - then decide.

Given that: The Feds - FTA (Federal Transportation Agency) in charge of RTAs (Regional Transit Authorities) have as one (of many) criteria that they need to know if the local area supports commuter rail before they will fund it.

Both the County Exec and Madison mayor haved stated they will not build any rail system if the FEDS do not provide money.

Then why not have the commuter rail Referendum next April during regular elections? The county Exec has said it will be "years" before a final decision is made on this issue. If so, kill this resolution now (or table it) until after the April 08 Elections that would include the RTA referendum question.

Why spend time and tax dollars now setting up the Wisconsin Legislative initiative to get approval for a RTA and the FTA pitch for Federal dollars before you know if the people support it?

After the referendum you will know either way. Then, either drop it or move on with it depending how the vote goes. Why waste time, tax dollars ptiching this to the State Legislature and the Feds if you don't know if the public supports it? Traffic congestion Is one of the problems you are addressing with commuter rail and Trolleys Traffic congestion as stated several times in the recent City of Madison and the Dane County resolutions favoring the RTA? Isn’t it true that the transport 2020 Report states that a Commuter rail system will INCREASE traffic congestion, not decrease it? Isn’t it true that Commuter rail stopping traffic in both directions on all the highways it crosses during rush hour up to 13 times an hour will cause sudden and massive traffic jams at every one of those crossings? Won’t it take a lot of time to disperse that traffic after each train crosses? Won’t this rail route effectively shut down a great deal of the North to South internal Madison traffic also? Do you really think the 90,000 car/truck commuters daily into the Madison area ( Mayor Dave’s numbers from the last meeting here in July) while waiting for the third or fourth train to cross will just smile, relax and say, (sweetly) “Who’s great idea was this?” or, Will they say, (sarcastically) whose great idea was this? Then get on the cell phone to the Mayor or County exec’s office. Fix the transportation systems we have now! (Questions) What is the largest most comprehensive Transportation system we have in Dane CTY? (Roads) What transportation system have we invested the most money in over the last 50 years? (Roads) What transportation system is used by about 96% of our Dane County citizens as well as tourists, travelers, businesses, manufacturers? (Roads) Wouldn’t it make more sense to spend more money on roads for the 96% of the population that uses them rather than a billion dollars for a trolley and commuter rail system for the less than 2% of the population that are projected to use rail?, What would you estimate is the total investment we have in County Roads only? Wouldn’t it make more sense to upgrade our huge investment in roads and their proven mobility, rather than spend millions for a new, unproven system? What condition would you judge our Dane County roads to be in?

Excellent- well maintained and built ahead of growth and usage, Excellent mobility at all times. (Free flowing traffic at all times very little traffic congestion) Good – fairly well maintained and keeping pace with growth and usage. Good mobility at most times. (Free flowing traffic with traffic congestion in rush hours) Fair – not well maintained and barely keeping pace with growth and usage. Fair mobility some of the time (heavy congestion at rush hours) Poor – poorly maintained, way behind in keeping pace with growth and usage. (Congestion can happen anytime)

(If the answer is anything but excellent isn’t that where we should be spending money?) How many cars were there in Dane County 1856? How many roads in Dane Cty in 1856? Why build new transit systems - commuter rail and trolleys that are based upon 19th Century technology –surface rails that were not built for commuting (elevated or subways) but were cutting edge rail roads in 1856? (And, that will only serve less than 2% of our population?) Is this rail system going to be an elevated one or a subway like many of the cities you are comparing it with? Pollution One of the arguments you have offered is that commuter rail and trolleys will help cut pollution. If both or even one of these systems is built, traffic congestion will increase, not decrease due to the RR crossing main highway arteries and the 6 mph pace of the trolleys. The fact that a Trolley will hog the middle of the street and be immobilized by any errantly parked delivery truck in their path will have a huge and immediate impact on traffic congestion as will all the train crossings for the Commuter rail. Free flowing traffic means cars and trucks are running efficiently and not polluting anywhere near as much as when they are stalled in traffic congestion. Today’s cars compared to those of 1960 run 98% cleaner. (Balaker and Stanley book) 50% of the pollution comes from 5% of the vehicles. Get the polluters off the road and you can reduce pollution markedly. (Balaker and Stanley Book.) Do you have the kahunas to take away smoking jalopies from poor people to really reduce pollution? (That is the question.) Choice One of the County board members Supervisor Al Matano District 11 in defense of the Commuter rail and Trolley system said at the July 19th meeting, (paraphrased here) but V-tape available here "any one who can't see the advantages of commuter rail is guilty of 'primitive thinking' and “I walk, I bike, I take the bus. I drive my car, but I want to have the CHOICE of taking a train to a county board meeting” My reaction was twofold One: I would like the choice of a red head, a blonde or a brunette when I get home. But I won’t have that choice. Suck it up, put your big boy panties on and get used to not getting all your choices - particularly at other people’s expense. My second reaction to him was; You paid for your shoes to walk, you paid for your bike, your bus pass, your car. Are you willing to pay $45 to $65 dollars to ride the train one way to go to a County Board meeting? If not, why should we have to pay for it.?

Need more info? Please see the book "The road more Traveled"by Balaker and Staley. New and used available online, and at Madison Public library.

Dave Blaska strikes again: Dane CTY blows $2,$3 Mill a year shuffling prisoners-Death of a trolley-why can't the Left pay for their campaigns

Dave Blaska has a great column in WisOpinon about how the Dane Cty. Exec. (Katherine "Queen of the Falklands" Falk and most of the Dane County Board of Supers maintain "Supervisor denial mode" that we need NOT drop some cash on a new prison (sarcastic side note from me-"NOT drop a billion buck$ on a train and trolley folly"- and the really big bucks spending comes later). NEWS FLASH: Madison Mayor Cheesesandwich just announced he is dropping the Trolley folly for Madison and he is just sick about it. A week of pouting will need to be held for the far Lefties to regain their composure. How can we "live" without a Trolley!! Anyway- I digress onto parallel tracks about how the County has a tin ear on spending- one last shot- 25 million bucks to buy up prairie land so that the evil developers can't get their hands on it? OK take our tax dollars to buy up land at $30K per acre so that it can not be developed? That also means nobody is paying taxes on that land now - so you will now pay more taxes to make up for the loss of taxes on the land your taxes paid for. Only in the Soviet Union or Madison would this make sense. And on Thurs. Aug 16 they are spending their time and your taxes on a Resolution to urge us to "Impeach the Pres. and V.P" contact them via E-mail at "Email all supervisors" link and very politely include your name address and phone and ask them to just do their job- they are not in charge of Congress or the country- the County not the Country! Question: Everyone else has to pony up for a cause. Raise money to oppose a trolley, buy ads in newspapers, and radio or TV to convince the public to do something like write or call their congressman and ask that they Impeach the President. But the PEE DEES (progressive danes) think YOU the taxpayer should finance their hate campaign and the city councils and Dane county Supervisors should put their stamp of official government approval on a strictly individual action and a blatantly partisan one at that- I guess the myth of PEE DEES being 'nonpartisan' does not apply in this case. WHY does the Left here feel it is the job of Government to carry their tainted water. Get out of the public trough long enough to pull a $20 out of your own pocket- you pay for it ,not the rest of us!

TEN steps to [Traffic] Congestion Relief

Ten Step to [Traffic] Congestion Relief

A condensed version of the Balaker & Staley Book. Talking points to oppose rail transit for Dane Cty as a solution for traffic congestion. Most are exact quotes from the book.

Dane Cty. Exec. Kathleen Falk specifically mentioned building a rail system to “reduce congestion” in her press conference with Madison Mayor Dave on June 28 2007. Since about only 2% of commuters use transit, bus and rail additions have not reduced traffic congestion.

Adding 6-13 train stops per hour blocking all lanes of traffic in both directions, even if only for 45 seconds to a minute (as stated on 8/8/07 in the Dane Cty. Towns Assoc. meeting by Mr Trowbridge of Transport 2020) will cause a massive and sudden increase in congestion and travel time in the Madison area. Do we want to spend 800 million dollars to prove that?

FROM: The Road more traveled; Why the congestion crisis matters more than you think, and what we can do about it. By Ted Balaker & Sam Staley. Rowman & Littlefield Pub. 2006. $24.95. Available in new and used editions at http://amazon.com/ and at the Madison Public Library.

Traffic congestion is a top quality of life issue in America. Because congestion in Madison area is “not nearly as bad as Chicago, Minneapolis or St. Louis” does not mean we should accept deteriorating traffic flow, poor highway and intersection design, increasing commuting times and an underperforming bus system. Accept it, and eventually you will have that level of congestion as the cities mentioned above.

From page 177 “final thought” – The notion that we cannot build our way out of traffic congestion is wrong. Wrong historically, wrong technically.

Projects in U.S. and worldwide show us that we have the engineering skills to build new capacity and manage existing networks more effectively. High levels of congestion are due to our failure to make reducing it a local and national priority.

Mobility must be established at the local, county, state and national level as a high priority.

What has been lacking is leadership. “America has never had permanent shortages, except in one thing: transportation. Many Americans think congestion is inevitable; it is not. It is a breadline, it is un-American, and we should not tolerate it” (Texas legislator Mike Krusee who ramrodded the change of legislation in Texas to change the laws to allow public-private projects.)

Pages 168-176 Ten Steps to [traffic] congestion relief.

1. Step one: Admit that mobility is Good

Many urban planners and other “experts” believe congestion is a good thing. It is considered a tool to force commuters out of their cars by making congestion intolerable enough that they will spend more time, energy, money, give up personal privacy and choices to conform to the trolley/train/bus schedule.

Accepting the “congestion is good mantra” means surrendering to a lower quality of life and a lower standard of living.

Congestion is the effect of a failure to keep road capacity and the transportation network on the same pace as economic growth - an indication of a shortage. When one blocks market forces to supply a demand-free flowing, efficient transportation- the result is a Cuba/Soviet style acceptance of shortages and a lower standard and quality of living.

We don’t accept this in any other area of our lives, why would we accept it here?

In Dane Cty. and Madison, we have had in place for years an anti-car moratorium on building better, highways that are more efficient and parking facilities. When was the last major highway built in Dane County or Madison? Road construction is nearly all for maintenance only.

Even Hwy 12 & 18 Middleton to Sauk city took far too many years to approve and rebuild into a modern (1970’s) highway. It handles traffic much better today, but is a study in compromise with stoplights and cross traffic major roads that are an invitation to an accident.

At the very least, roads need to be built to keep up with growth and usage. At best, in a progressive community, transportation networks should be built ahead of demand. Dane county has road capacities that should have been dealt with 15-20 years ago. They have been intentionally ignored. Adding road capacity needs to be a fundamental and defining component of a modern transportation network.

2. Step Two: Recognize that sound transportation Policy should Increase Mobility. (Amazingly enough, this obvious statement needs to be emphasized.)

Local, county and state efforts to force people to change their commuting habits do not work. Nearly 98% of commuters CHOOSE to drive because it is comfortable, convenient, efficient, and flexible, utilizes state of the art technology and is safe and private.

52% of drivers make stops before and after work to run errands, pick up kids, do myriad after work activities that a transit system simply cannot do. 78% of Europeans drive to work and that rate is growing faster than America’s driving rate even though their rail/bus system is firmly established as top notch, more advanced and efficient than ours is and gas is much more expensive there.

Level of wealth of the individual is the single most reliable indicator of choice using a private auto or using public transit. Even 80% of our “poor” have autos.

Madison’s bus system costs $40 million a year in federal, state and local tax subsidies ($9 million from Madison) with only 20% coming from rider fares. In the Transport 2020 report (which could be renamed “Transport 1920” for its championing of trolley/rail and ignoring upgrading the bus system, the least expensive method recommended for improving mobility was streamlining the bus system, not a rail system. The trolley/rail proponents have ignored this recommendation.

Forcing higher housing densities, using zoning to restrict housing choices and growth diminishes both our quality of life and our standard of living. New county motto: “Dane County: We will tell you where to live, where to work, how and when you will move between them and how much it will cost you”

3. Step Three: Recognize there is No Free Lunch

Roads and transportation systems are not a free lunch. We have built roads that are not the right roads in the right places at the right capacities and we have allowed capacities to be grossly exceeded instead of increasing capacities with usage. We need to use fees to tie costs to benefits more directly. Public/private alliances to rebuild and build new capacities in mobility and the wider use of user fees- tolls, gas taxes are needed to pay for the lunch.

4. Step Four: Choose tools that make sense.

Would road tunnels or elevated double Decker quadruple one way reversible express or bus lanes relieve congestion? Would a relatively small investment in computerized and controllable traffic light coordination relieve congestion and speed a free flowing pattern?

Would widening bottlenecked roads, improving intersection design, adding bus and express lanes, brand new toll roads with variable tolls, private sector building and running of toll roads work? (Chicago now leases the Skyway to two companies recently rec'd $1.83 Billion, Indiana has approved leasing out their Toll way to private concerns and rec'd $3.85 billion)

Would upgrading local and arterial roads improve overall mobility? Would faster response times to traffic incident removals increase mobility?

From Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) database find bottlenecks, where most congestion occurs most frequently and determine if it is lack of capacity- road lanes- or poor management of existing infrastructure- traffic lights, turn signals, poorly designed intersections, on/off ramps, lighting etc.

5. Step Five: Identify Leaders and Champions

No one will address congestion unless there is leadership. Identifying the right people to take charge is critical to success. Only a highly visible pro-mobility campaign will identify them. In Dane County and Madison not only do we lack this leadership, the leaders are firmly in the anti-automobile camp.


Business community must be involved. High or rising levels of congestion or higher taxation than surrounding communities for transportation systems that do not relieve congestion is simply a waste of their money and will heavily affect their bottom line.

Measure the number of hours of delays removed per millions of dollars spent to prioritize congestion reduction funding. (Most bang for the buck is NOT a rail system, but higher capacity and better-designed highways/toll ways for bus/car mobility in nearly all cases in U.S. is.)

6. Step Six: Enable Real Solutions

Must have the right legislation locally and statewide to encourage innovation and creativity.

Rule of thumb: New services should be allowed if they make money when users pay for them. This applies to transit as well as new roads. Dismantle government monopolies and controls on transit, taxicabs, and roads and let market forces pay for transportation options rather than only tax dollars.

Provide an environment where different approaches can be tried over a reasonable timeline is critical to transportation policy. Congestion reduction strategies need to embrace the most effective tools for local area- queue jumpers, ramp meters, signal optimization, High Occupancy Toll way (HOT) lanes or express busways.

7. Step Seven: Cut off Ineffective programs

Transit, while popular among the elite, simply has too limited a role in most places to be a major player in congestion reduction.

Transit investments need to focus on maximizing mobility for the transit dependent. Since this segment is normally less than 2% of the commuting population, transit has too limited a ridership to influence regional congestion and mobility for the other 98%.Similarily, roads that do not significantly add to mobility in a region should not be built.

All transportation projects should be subject rigorous cost-benefit analysis that gives a more prominent role to congestion reduction.

Applying cost-benefit analysis to all transportation projects that will reduce congestion will eliminate inefficient projects.

8. Step Eight: Adopt performance measures

Performance measures must be tied to congestion reduction to maintain accountability transparency. Texas and Houston specifically adopted standards that measure the hours of delay and average travel times that became benchmarks to measure effectiveness of congestion reduction and became the benchmarks for measuring other transportation projects, which limited patronage and pet projects appeals.

Performance standards will force policy makers to make commitments to specific goals and standards. Example: a 1:10 travel time index- where peak-hour travel is 10 % longer than free flow travel time on average for the typical commuter. Highway redesign, traffic signal optimization, turn signal coordination can all be evaluated with this tool.

9. Step nine: Require Accountability

Measurable congestion reduction, travel time reduction can be built into the institutional accountability. Congestion fighting is not a one-time event. It is ever changing and must be measured regularly to meet the challenges in a variety of ways. Having congestion travel time triggers in place that automatically start congestion reduction projects must be long term and ongoing goals. Waiting until congestion cripples the local economy and lowers the standard and quality of living is waiting too long and is too expensive to repair.

Accountability should include:

Transitioning to new effective policies as the region changes
Terminating ineffective programs based on performance measures
Expanding effective programs in a timely manner

10. Step Ten: Take the long View

Use hard data and evidence to determine congestion and mobility problems. Local regional planning agencies may be helpful, though some must be forced through the Freedom of Information Act to provide the needed data.

Meet with groups, individuals that have vested interests in seeing mobility improve-business community, community organizations.

Consult experts who have a record of accomplishment for designing and implementing successful congestion relief strategies in U.S. Dane Counties' RTA consultants are the same ones that did Boston’s “Big Dig” Tunnel that is running about ten times its estimated cost. Are these the experts we should be talking to?

Develop long range strategic planning for improving mobility, with measurable targets for routes and corridors (travel speeds not falling below 10% of free-flow travel) specific strategies (variable rate toll roads, HOT (High Occupancy Toll way) lanes, traffic signal optimization) and a timetable for implementation

Develop a ten-year implementation plan, which includes public education, marketing for moving the project forward, with benchmarks for achieving specific elements of the plan

Bill, the media whore on WIBA this morning talking about Commuter Rail

I was invited to appear on Mitch Henck's radio show, "Outside the Box" this morning on WIBA AM 1310 from 9 to about 9:30.

The subject: Commuter rail and the trolley folly here in Madison as proposed by Mayor Dave and County Exec. Falk at a NEWS conference around June 27 or so.

Mitch is truly an amazing guy. Funny, (he does professional stand up) smart, (also works as a Mortgage Banker) and a memory that is pornographic....ah. ... photographic. Note how he pops out dates like when the rails were put in Madison.

He is a lot of fun to work with and has been way out ahead on the traffic congestion and the crushing effect a RR or Commuter rail system will have on traffic congestion. He grew up in Lafayette, Indiana where freight trains just stopped auto traffic cold for long, long times....he knows of what he speaks! His mind travels at the speed of thought.

I have linked the show to 'show' above but have never put up a audio link before, so if you try it give it about 2 minutes to load- big file- but if it doesn't work for you fagettaboutit! (I will check to see if it works first.)

It works! On my DSL connection it took about 2 min to download and then a few more seconds before it begins. Get a cuppa coffee and a donut and it will be waiting for you by the time you toddle back.

We need to be upgrading our present shaky transportation system- Madison Metro Bus system and the circa 1975 condition of Dane County's highways and county roads, but.....guess what they what to drop a mere billion bucks on?

Yep. A commuter rail that even the Transport 2020 (the study committee)
says will "increase traffic congestion" and may only take 4500 people of 90,000 commuting by car off the road! Yipes!

"The Return of Dumb and Dumber- The Rail Plan" for Madison comes to mind. The commuter rail will stop traffic 13 times an hour in all directions on nearly all of the major highways during rush hour. At the top of this posting is what it will look like on Day ONE if this tax boondoggle is allow to be birthed.

SEVEN myths about traffic congestion.(from "The road more traveled" book)

The Seven myths about dealing with Congestion on our highways.

FROM: Recomended book: The Road More Traveled: Why the Congestion Crisis matters more than you think, and what you can do about it. Ted Balaker & Sam Staley Rowman and Littlefield 2006. $24.95. (Available at Madison Pub Library.)

NOTE: I have contacted the authors and they have given me permission to do the summaries and to quote them freely with proper attribution. If anyone does quote from their book or this site, please do the same. Please see below:

From: Sam Staley

Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:28:54 EDT

Subject: Re: Thank you for your book-'The Road more traveled'

To: Mr. Bill,
Feel free to quote liberally and cite the Road More Traveled as much as you want. I don't think distributing summaries violates copyright protections. In fact, I see it simply as a way to market the book!
Also, anything on the reason.org web site (or reason.com) is effectively public domain as long as the source is properly attributed.

Here is my summary of seven of their "myths about traffic congestion." Any errors are mine. Go to the link above-below title - for reviews of the book. This is a book the Transport 2020 group SHOULD have read before recommending a billion dollar trolley/train boondoggle to Dane County.

Seven Myths about Car-Crazy Suburbia p.43-75 of "The road more traveled" book.

1. MYTH one: Americans are addicted to driving. Not ADDICTION, just smart. The car is a better tool than public transportation. Office workers avoid typewriters for computers.

Reasons: to accomplish tasks faster and more efficiently. NY Met area it takes twice as long to get to work on transit than driving. www.demographia.com/db-msajtwtime2000pdf (Us census bureau)

80 % of poor households own at least one car. Even those w/o cars are twice as likely to travel by car as by transit by borrowing a car or riding with someone.
B. Related Myth 1: Europeans ride the rails. Nope. America = 88% of travel. Europe 78% and car driving is increasing twice as fast as America. (Gas is over $5/gal there and rail transit is well established.)
C. Related Myth 2: Key factors in choosing to drive are population density, transit availability, gas taxes or attitudes about commuting.

WRONG!

Key factor is Wealth. Wealthier people around the world choose the comfort, convenience, efficiency, flexibility, freedom, state of the art technology, safety and privacy of driving themselves. More wealth means people will drive and drive more often. Anti Car policies merely make driving experience more miserable, make cities less vital, exacerbate all the ill effects of congestion and lower the standard and quality of living.

2. Myth two: public transit can reduce congestion. (Kathleen Falk (Dane County Exec.) made this statement at press conference with Mayor Dave of Madison in a recent (late June 07) press conference.

A. Use of Public transit has been decreasing, not increasing. 1960-2000 added 63 million workers. Total using transit declined by 2 million. Percentage of workers using transit has fallen 63% since 1960 and now is at 5%* 5% is inflated due to NY numbers being included. Nationwide transit ridership is closer to 1.5%. 25% of NYC workers use transit, 11% in Chicago, no other city breaks 10%.
B. The reason people use transit is they do not have access to cars. Telecommuters outnumber transit commuters in 27 of 50 of the most populous met areas.
C. Transit ridership has dropped wherever wealth has increased. From 80-1995 ridership fell 14% in London, 24% in Paris, 19% in Stockholm, 60% in Frankfurt
D. 52% of American Commuters do not go straight to or from work. Drop kids, dry cleaning, grocery shopping, errands is incompatible with transit.
E. Locally, adding 6-13 stops per hour to auto traffic from commuter train crossings/stops to major/minor roads would paralyze auto traffic, not relieve congestion.

3. Myth three: We can only cut air pollution if we stop driving.

A. April 2004. EPA Admin Mike Levitt. Air standards are getting tougher to meet and are higher than they were. “This isn’t about the air getting dirtier. The air is getting cleaner” Since 1970 driving has increased 155% and the aggregate emissions of the six principal pollutants gave been cut 48%. Ozone levels are lower now than in 1980 and expected to continue to drop.
B. Driving increased about 1-3 % /year but average vehicle emissions are dropping about 7-9% a year.

REASON: Better cars. Today’s cars are 98% cleaner than in 1960’s. 50% of on road carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons comes from 5% of cars. Remove the bad 5% using infrared beams. Clean running new cars driven by wealthier commuters are not the problem, the old jalopies are. Target the polluting vehicles, not ALL vehicles.

4. Myth Four: We are paving over America! (95% of US is open space)

A. There are as many trees in America now as there was 100 years ago. We plant more trees than we cut by a wide margin. Trees take up 1/3rd of America’s space. ... six times as much as development.
B. HOMES: Lot sizes between 1970-2000 shrunk from 14,000 SQ ft to 10,000 Sq.ft (nearly 30% reduction) even though house size increased dramatically (1500 to 2260 Sq. ft. between 1970-2000) If we gave our population into 4 person households each with one acre, we could all fit into area one half the size of Texas. ( by 2050 we would need two thirds of Texas)

5. Myth five: We are running out of Oil! (The OPEC countries started with 412 Billion barrels produced 307 Billion and now has about 819 billion left.)

A. 1874 John Newbury predicted world oil supply would soon run out. 1979 Pres. Carter, “the oil wells are drying up all over the world” M.I.T. economist M.A. Adelman,”The doomsday predictions have all proved false” reason: Ignorance and Ingenuity. Not knowing how much was left and using new technologies to find new reserves-off shore, 10,000 feet deep. When asked when we will run out of oil Adelman answered, “Never”. Coal was predicted to run out, wood never run out, we have never exhausted a major source of energy.

Gas prices adjusted for inflation are cheaper today than in 70’s we spend 6% of income gassing up now and 8 or 9% in the 80’s. An increase from 2.50 to 3.00 a gallon = 300 dollars a year more cost. When prices get too high, new energy sources will replace gas.

B. Myth 6. We are supporting terrorist in the Middle East by burning their oil. 13 % of our oil comes from the Middle East. The majority is from Canada and Mexico. If we lifted restrictions on Alaska and off shore drilling off American coasts we could greatly increase the oil supply domestically.

6. Myth 7. We cannot build our way out of congestion. False. Of the ten largest urban areas, L.A. has the least amount of pavement per person. Dallas has twice as much pavement per person and half the congestion.

A. EXAMPLES of Building out of congestion: Interstate Highways.
Madison's South Beltline. Interstates were Completed in 1980 and congestion not severe as it is today.

In the last 20 years driving doubled but roadways increased by only 4%. Urban travel (vehicle miles traveled) increased by 168% while urban highways increased by 51%.

Portland built transit, Phoenix built roads. Portland has four times as much congestion as Phoenix, even though Phoenix has had a much larger population growth.

B. If you build it, they will come. TRUE. Triple convergence happens when a road is built. People change their commuting behavior.

1-time of travel

2-route,

3-mode.

Example: Madison's South Beltline. 20 years late in being built but today carries massive local and through traffic. Those cities that build ahead of usage control congestion those that ignore congestion increase congestion all around- local, City County, state and US highways. An empty bus or empty train car is evidence of the lack of usage same for a highway. Unlike transit, nearly all highways are used day in, day out, year after year. The congestion in rush hour illustrates the need for more capacity, more roads.

If you build a new school and it fills up few concede we should not have built the school. If gets overcrowded, we build another school, we do not say, “what a waste of money”. Same with highways.

7. We cannot deal with Global Warming unless we stop driving.

FALSE!

A. If you build more highways and have less congestion, you will have less pollution as cars burn less fuel when they are free flowing and not in stop and start congested conditions.

B. Are there problems that are more important, more urgent than global warming?

Yes. Terrorism, the aids epidemic, (2.5-3.5 million killed) malaria 1-3 million killed, world malnutrition……

C. Deal with the increase in problems a slight warming will cause. Clean water world wide to drink, using air conditioners more, improved building codes, more public health training programs, more effective surveillance and emergency response systems.

Was Osama Right?

Bombing of USS Cole in Yemen 2000

Terrific article in today's (051607) Wall St. Journal. by Bernard Lewis expert on Muslim culture and retired Prof. from Princeton. U.

He points out how Osama bin Laden and his followers had written years ago that the two obstacles to a world Muslim state were the Soviet Union- who they feared for their quick retribution if attacked by Muslims - and the weaker of the two, the U.S.

They viewed the fall of the USSR as their victory - not the free world's-Stage one removal of the infidels - the first and hardest Jihad work for their plan for world domination.

The U.S. was viewed as Stage two - taking it to the enemy- as the easy part based upon the non retaliation, angry threats w/o effective action, hand wringing or offers of aid to those that hit or threatened the U.S. (1979 Tehran hostage crisis, 83 bomb attack on Marines in Lebanon, NY trade center and Mogadishu attacks in 93, Riyadh 95, Kenya & Tanzania embassies in 98, U.S.S. Cole in Yemen in 2000).

They were surprised by the counterattack of the Bush administration in Afghanistan and Iraq. But now, due to the unrelenting negative main stream press coverage and the Democrats rush to Cut and Run, they are convinced they were right in the first place..... America is a pushover.

I have been using this quote that I have discovered was attributed to Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War that to me perfectly sums up the Finegold/Murtha/Kennedy/Pelosi/Reid anti-American, anti-freedom blather and their "defeat at any cost" utterances:

"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled, or hanged." - Though Lincoln did not say it, it still fits.... as J. Michael Waller, "Democrats Usher in An Age of Treason." Insight magazine, 23 Dec. 2003 used it as an introductory quote.

Outdoing Kevin Barrett 911 conspiracy man at UW

Friend of mine at the UW-Madison penned this take off on the 9/11 conspiracy wackos led by Kevin Barrett a part time instructor and full time wack. Dear Editor, After reading "Crash Melts Freeway" and looking at the evidence presented, I'm convinced that this was an inside job. There's no way that one truck carrying gasoline could have created the temperatures needed to melt a highway! Engineering friends of mine will testify that explosive charges were placed beneath the bridge to make it appear accidental. We all know that cars have been perceived by the leaders of California as the 'axles of evil' and these leaders have long looked for a way to rid CA of pollution and lead people into using mass transportation. By the way, the Lieutenant Governor of California was in the Governator's bunker orchestrating this attack. If you think you can handle the truth visit: Freeway580truth.com Jim

America was attacked, it's the right war.

Letter to the editor for Sunday April 15,07. ( From link above it is second on the left side of page). This letter was in reply to the question posed by the Wis. ST Journal: "When your child goes off to fight the wrong war " by Steven Wright. In my opinion, the newsman in CA. Mr. Wright, and his "wrong" war is a guy who puts his politics above his country and even his own son, with this article about his son who enlisted in the Army and is going off to the 'wrong' war. Interestingly enough, on the week following the headline was changed to "When your child is sent to war" Come on WSJ play fair, be consistent-words have meaning- you would think a Newspaper would be aware of that! Here is my letter: America was attacked, so it's the right war Would the mission be supported if the fighting was here? Every parent seeing their child going off to war at some time thinks, "This is the wrong war!" Sunday Forum columnist Steven Wright, however, still does not get it, and his son, who joined the Army and is going off to war, does. Over 3,000 innocent civilians were murdered on our soil in one day. We witness threats and real bombings worldwide by fanatic Jihadists. Plans to convert, conquer or kill all infidels -- non-Muslims -- are broadcast or telecast around the world. There are videotaped beheadings and sniper shootings of American soldiers, car bombings, women and children with bombs strapped to them vaporizing themselves and innocent bystanders in civilized Western countries. Yet he and most Americans still don't get it. Have the people who've been trying -- often successfully -- to kill America, the "Great Satan," changed their minds since Sept. 11? When the unhinged radical Muslims again attack America in America, will that be the "right" war? -- Bill Richardson, Madison

WAKE UP AMERICA!

I live in a City where 9/11 has been forgotten, or, simply ignored with 70% of Madison in full DENIAL.

Please click on the link above (video used with permission) and remind yourself why we have troops in harm's way far from America fighting for the protection of our way of life and that of Western civilization.

Ask yourself: "Have the people who inflicted the deaths of 3,000 innocent civilians on our soil on 9/11/01 changed their minds?"

Top ten (+ 1) Q's about Illegal Aliens in Madison/Dane CTY

1) How many Illegal aliens are there in Madison? 2) How many illegal aliens in Madison are employed,? 3) How many are unemployed, drawing medical, housing other public welfare assistance? 4) What is the cost to Madison and Dane County residents for these services? 5) How many children of Illegal aliens are going to Madison schools? 6) What is the estimated yearly cost of educating these children? 7) How many illegal aliens are serving in Dane Cty jails or, are on probation? 8) What is the estimated cost for these prisoners? 9) Are Illegal aliens that are arrested automatically fingerprinted, photo ID ed and the information automatically sent on to I.C.E., state and Federal enforcement agencies? 10) Are Illegal aliens deported back to their home country after they have served their sentence? 11) Does Dane Cty receive any Federal or state funding to offset the costs of law enforcement of Illegal aliens?

LEST we Forget....the Left wing of the Democrat Party has..

Lest we forget......please click on the link above.

Earl C. Johnson, survivor of 9/11 who escaped the N. tower that day on the War on Terror: "Have the people who murdered 3,000 innocent civilians on 9/11 changed their minds?" Please see his new book, "StairWELL to Heaven.

All the leading Democrats are falling over themselves to see who can Cut and Run the fastest in Iraq. "out by Sept 08" No "out by March 08"," No wait..... I can beat that" (Especially Wisconsin's own embarrassment, Sen. Russ Finegold, who appears have taken over Rep. Murtha's cynical and traitorous "slow bleed" of our troops Iraq policy completely.)

Now that they are in charge, they are living up to what Sen. Ted Kennedy called recently their finest hour - when the Democrat controlled House and Senate in 1975 cut all aid - military, humanitarian, ALL aid to South Vietnam AFTER our troops had left. Remember the helicopter lifting off the apartment roof (not the U.S. Embassy) in Vietnam? The war was lost at home not by our soldiers.

The NEW! Improved! Democrats now want to Cut all funding before the troops are out of harm's way. These are the same people we call "the Troops, BUTheads" as in "I support the troops, BUT" and then spew their hatred for all things Bush, military, and American.

They never speak of the three million people who were slaughtered in Laos, Cambodia (Killing Fields) and S. Vietnam after that Chopper Cut and Run. They continue to live up to "The Democratic Party, Helping America's enemies since Vietnam" bumper sticker.

Mayor Dave uses taxpayer funds to campaign

Austin King must be pleased. It appears we do have taxpayer financing for the Mayoral race in Madison. (pls. see link above). Today's mail brought to me a full color 8 1/2 by 11" mailer with Mayor Dave and four good looking firefighters and Local 311 members in full gear on duty (drawing pay?) inside a fire station and ready to roll! While writing this, I hear on the radio George Dreckman - the head Garbage (Not the band, the stinky stuff) and Madison's Recycling Czar) doing the voice over for a taxpayer paid (public service?) ad about how Madison's water is drinkable and by implication, don't even think about our Water Utilities' bridge over murky waters, even though it is a campaign issue for both candidates for Mayor. Is the fact that the head garbage man is doing the ad mean that maybe he holds a lower standard for our drinking water? Rejoice Austin! You won! We do have one candidate for Mayor who has financed his campaign using our tax dollars!

Sean Penn: The apple falls close to the rotten tree

Just read an article http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54887#about Sean Penn's statement a few days ago comparing the U.S. with Iran in terms of both being morally equivalent 'evil empires'. Turns out his Dad did something wierdly similar in 1939 (and he was Jewish) saying Hitler/Germany was no different than FDR and U.S. society and defending the Nazi's - since at that time Germany had signed a mutual defense pact with the USSR and Leo Penn was a very committed Communist, supporter of all things Commie. Yeah, many forget that Stalin helped build Hitler's air force in Russia in the 30's as they orginally planned to be war buddies and conquer the free world. Hmmm. Today we have radical Islamofacists who have written, screamed, videotaped the same message. As 9/11 survivor Earl Johnson, author of "Stairway to Heaven" his homage to the firefighters who were ascending the stairway of the North Tower of the Twin Towers as Mr. Johnson was escaping said on the UW campus last week, "Have the terrorists who murdered over 3,000 people on 9/11 given up?" What is your answer?

Supreme Court case: HS Student flag;"Bong Hits 4 Jesus"

Wisconsin State Journal Sunday 3/25/07. Forum Section. " First Amendment Case sparks unexpected alliances." (ACLU and Center for Individual Rights) http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/forum/index.php?ntid=125702&ntpid=1 On 1/24/02, a HS student in Juneau, AK was dismissed (as was the entire school) from HS specifically to attend a rally Honoring the Olympic torch passing the HS. Joeseph Frederick made a huge flag and waved it during the parade past the school that said, "BONG HITS 4 JESUS". A teacher and the principal took away the flag, the kid sued and it has gone all the way to the Supreme Court. This is my response which was published on Sunday April first. The issue of free speech will turn out to be a tertiary consideration when the court decides. The primary ones, “were the students still in school" under the custodial/educational care, control of the teachers and administration, and “did the ‘Bong’ flag disrupt learning?” will be the deciding issues. Based on what Romero/Pell wrote, (in the Wis. St Jrnal article) students were dismissed from regular classes solely to attend a rally for the Olympic Torch parade the school had deemed to be their educational experience for that day. The school still had custody of the students during the parade, its message and theme fully school supported. Had the rally been inside the school the "Bong hits for Jesus" flag would have been confiscated since it obviously would "disrupt the message, theme" (from an earlier Supreme Court ruling) the school was teaching that day. The fact that it was across the street from the school is irrelevant. The school was still in charge of the students and the “Bong” flag clearly disrupted learning. If a student wore a shirt or brought a flag to a school sponsored learning activity that said, “Allah smokes Hash” or “Budda hits the Bong” would the reaction be any different?

STICKER SHOCK PHOTO

'W' Still the President Bumper Sticker See link above and bottom of the page photo under "Sticker Schock"

Traditional GOP values will Triumph

Forum Question: What's the state of the GOP? Sunday 3/3/2007 Wis ST. Journal Traditional GOP values will triumph Sunday Forum columnist Curt Gielow nailed what the GOP needs to do: Stay focused on important issues; reconfirm our convictions about a strong national defense; protect innocent lives; increase the flow of qualified, non-felon immigrants who accept assimilation of American values while closing the borders to illegal aliens; deal with the reality of the millions of illegal immigrants already here while stopping their exploitative employers with fines and jail time. Be realistic, positive and constructive. Cooperate with those across the aisle who are willing to do the same. Confront or ignore the negative, anti-American whiners whose defeatism brings all progress to a halt. Recall the necessity of American businesses downsizing in the 1980s and '90s to become leaner, more efficient, effective and productive to compete in a global market. Apply those painful principles to local government units -- police, fire, public schools -- which have successfully resisted structural changes or consolidation of services. Nationally, for over four years we maintained a modest growth rate, shrank the deficit in the last three years while maintaining low unemployment and interest rates and creating millions of new jobs, all due to cuts in tax rates that increased total tax revenue. It works. Keep it up. -- Bill Richardson, Madison

Vote Steinhauer in Madison's 13th District on Feb.20, 07

Please click on link to short letter. Thanks!

Letter to editor submitted 2/14/07 North Korea's "Poverty" led to Deal

All Americans (and most Koreans) are pleased that North Korea has agreed to a permanent dismantling of their nuclear facilities in exchange for President Bush lifting the freeze on their accounts in a Macau Bank and other sanctions. It’s a carrot and stick, or trust but verify method using international bodies to verify compliance that rewards the Koreans after they change behavior, not before they act as we did in the 90's. The reporting by the AP (reporter Burt Herman) however is laughable in the sense that instead of giving credit to our President for his steadfast insistence on 6 nation talks that provided the needed pressure to reach this agreement - as opposed to the Clinton model of one on one nation talks that the democrats in Congress have been insisting on - the AP says the agreement was due to the "North's Poverty" and the new Democrat majority in Congress! North Korea's poverty has been brutally enforced since the 50's by the tyrannical family in charge of the country and the Democrats have been against the President's negotiations from the start. Give President Bush credit for what he accomplishes instead of twisting the "news" to fit a bias ...please! Bill Richardson MADISON, WI.

Louise's Pics of HHS reunion 10/1/05

Louise's Pics from 10/1/05 HHS reunion

Artists are not exploring "The cutting edge" but staying in the "Safe Zone"

Please click on link above to read number 26 that I posted on 31 Jan 07 Thanks!

Huber Center Sounds too Comfy

Temporary unable to post this one. Please follow the link above.

Call For Troops is Cause for comment in Madison Circles

Call For Troops Is Cause For Comment In Madison Circles The Capital Times :: FRONT :: A4 Wednesday, January 10, 2007 By Kate Raiford The Capital Times/Medill News Service (NOTE: I did not write this, just interviewed for my comments. Please see about 10 paragraphs below- Bill) For many scholars and activists in Madison, President Bush's expected call to deploy 20,000 more troops only reinforces doubts over the Iraq war. Others, though, see it as fulfilling a moral obligation to see the war through. The increase would raise the number of U.S. troops in Iraq to more than 160,000 in an attempt to stabilize Baghdad and end violence against civilians. In a recent Washington Post-ABC news poll, just 17 percent of Americans supported a troop increase. For the American people, "any surge in the troop levels in Iraq will mean more of the same types of losses, more men and women will be put in the line of fire, and many more will be killed or injured," said Middle East scholar Samer Alatout in an e-mail exchange. He is an assistant professor of rural sociology and at the Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Alatout argued that neoconservatives and corporations like Halliburton and Bechtel won the war as soon as it began because they profited regardless of the outcome. In military terms, sending in troops won't have much impact on the war, said Jon Pevehouse, a UW-Madison associate professor of political science who researches the Middle East. "I don't think sending more troops will hurt, but it's not likely to help," he said. Some of those interviewed just want the war to end. "For the good of the world, the troops should come home," said Buzz Davis, a member of Madison chapter of Veterans for Peace and chairman of the Impeachment/Bring Our Troops Home coalition. He served in the Vietnam War. "Iraq has turned into a civil war that is encouraging more terrorism," he said. "If we don't pull out now, it will end up with more Americans and Iraqis dead." He saw the "surge" as a possible early example of the "incrementalism" of troop deployment used in Vietnam. First it's 20,000 troops, next it's 40,000, he suggested. Pevehouse disagrees. Unlike past requests, he argued, this one would not leave the door open for more troops. He said he sees the troop increase as a last-ditch effort. Stay and fight: Bill Richardson, treasurer of the organization Vote NO to Cut and Run and former warrant officer in the Army National Guard, said that sending more troops to Iraq is a "terrific idea." "Americans don't leave until it is absolutely stable," he said. "We've made a moral choice, and we need to finish it." By sending the 20,000 troops, Americans would begin to stabilize Baghdad neighborhood by neighborhood, Richardson said. If troops leave, he added, the terrorists will know that America is weak. For some, supporting the troop increase depends on the situation. Mike Gourlie, a retired National Guard lieutenant colonel, said he would support an increase if Bush offered a plan with a specific timeline and guidelines. Gourlie served in Vietnam and in Afghanistan. "If we have a policy that doesn't have an endgame, how are we going to win?" he asked. He said Bush has an open checkbook and an open calendar, adding that the troops should be there to train, build an army and provide equipment. Pay up and impeach: Davis said more than just pulling out the troops, Americans should be taxed for the cleanup effort, especially the wealthiest 4 to 5 percent. They have profited the most from the president's tax cuts, he said. The president and vice president should be impeached as well, he said. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., "should have the political courage to call a spade and spade and must move for impeachment to remedy the abuses of this administration," he said. "It's her constitutional duty."

Fuzzy thinking snags 'bring the troops home' backers

Fuzzy Thinking Snags Bring Troops Home' Backers The Capital Times Guest Editorial A9 Saturday, March 4, 2006 by WILLIAM RICHARDSON First, we have to admit that being taken apart by John Nichols, an editor and writer of national stature, while not an honor, is at least a tribute to the fact that we must have been doing something right to be flogged by a famous editor! We have been working on the VOTENOToCutandRun.com Web site for the last three weeks and just put it up officially a few days ago. We agree with him on at least one thing: We think the site is "slick" too. Thanks! Expensive? No. Hard work? Yes. New appreciation for what a writer must do? Yep. The three founding members of Vote No to Cut and Run, Wendy Fjelstad, Sam Johnson and I, are newly minted Republicans, joining the party in the last two years and elected a year ago to serve as Assembly district chairs for the Republican Party of Dane County. But the source of our funding was strictly grass-roots -- it started in our own pocketbooks. Republicans, independents and Democrats (so far no one from Progressive Dane, but we are hopeful) have donated $10, $15, $25 amounts mostly, with one individual stepping up to help fund some of the start-up costs. No money has come from the Republican Party at any level. How about a follow-up story on all the Bring the Troops Home Now referendum supporters and their funding? We are not "so-called" -- we are called VOTE NO to Cut and Run. (Wouldn't that be called an editorial "cheap shot"?) Nichols calls it "peddling armchair slogans." We call it trying to get reasonable people with common sense regardless of their political orientation to look at the referendum -- which is: "Resolved: The U.S. should bring all military personnel home from Iraq now" -- and say, "Now?" We ask them to imagine what would happen in Iraq, the Middle East, the United States and the world if we withdrew all our troops now! We grant we are amateurs at writing and persuasion and Nichols is a master at his craft. However, he did not mention, quote or discuss the actual referendum in his column or what would happen if we did remove all our troops now. Why? Will he now? We believe the important thing now is to address not how we got there -- the historians will handle that -- but what do we do now: finish the job of stabilizing a struggling, proudly purple-fingered democratic state or cut and run now as the referendum dictates. Also agreed: We did not address several issues Nichols raised; we need to do so and will. Freeing 27 million people from Saddam and sons was already known, we thought. Shouldn't reporting the good news in Iraq be your job, too? However, the Web site does allow our soldiers, the Iraqi people, our governor and prominent Democrats to speak about the wisdom of an immediate withdrawal. The site shows how this referendum is a direct attack on the morale of our troops in Iraq, how our Wisconsin troops are reacting to being undermined by their hometowns and how this is, in fact, more about an anti-military referendum than it is about peace and justice and "just let the people decide" foreign policy in each city across the state. The fact that 41 Wisconsin soldiers re-enlisted recently while serving in Kuwait/Iraq speaks to how high their morale is. Not every soldier who has, or is serving, likely agrees with every reason why they are there, but they are serving and deserve our support, not our criticism, or second-guessing their mission. The Green Party, Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice, Code Pink, World Can't Wait, Not in Our Name, Answer and many other anti-military left groups have made this a partisan issue by placing it on the ballot in nearly 30 communities in Wisconsin, using tactics that included lawsuits to force it on each city, and make them pay for it, too. Check the minutes in most of the cities. They did not want to join Madison and pay local tax money to pretend they set national foreign policy. We are reacting to those tactics. On our Web site, we define the background of the referendum groups and show how their literature and historical stance have been anti-military for many years and this pose of "caring for the troops" now is just that, a cynical pose. Nichols mentioned that voting is a way for citizens to provide a "check and balance" on their elected leaders at all times. This referendum does not address our elected leaders; it is a local referendum in April. Voters had the choice of an anti-war candidate during the national Democratic primary for the 2004 presidential election and will again in coming elections. What is the real reason this referendum is being pushed? Finally, to call the Bring the Troops Home Now referendum rammers (hiding behind multilayered, well-funded, far-left front groups) "true" patriots (look at their history and anti-American literature) who are acting in an "American tradition" is beyond the pale, unless you are referring to their own old, worn-out playbook from the early '70s as a "tradition." William Richardson is a retired UW-Madison professor, retired member of the Wisconsin Army National Guard and treasurer of the anti-referendum group VOTE NO To Cut and Run.

Simple Solution to educating 'on the cheap'

Simple Solution To Educating 'on The Cheap' Wisconsin State Journal :: OPINION :: A8 Wednesday, December 27, 2006 For all those in the state who agree with the writer of the letter to the editor in the Dec. 22 State Journal who said she is paying less tax to the school district now than she was in 1994, there is very simple and cost-effective method to provide more money to our state's public schools. Include an extra $1,000 in your December property-tax payment earmarked "for the public schools" and throw in another grand with your state income tax return that you will file for 2006 earmarked "for state aid to education." If all the teachers, administrators and parents who believe we are, as she stated, educating our kids "on the cheap" at $11,000 plus per student (in Madison) will make this extra $2,000 deductible contribution, the schools will be overflowing with cash. -- Bill Richardson, Madison.

Iraq Study Group: Why no ideas on victory, stabilizatioin?

Your Views: Iraq Study Group Wisconsin State Journal FORUM C1 Sunday, December 17, 2006 Question: Is the Iraq Study Group Report a step toward a successful completion to the war in Iraq? Why no ideas on victory, stabilization? After three years of the media reporting only the "if it bleeds it leads" headlines about Iraq, the bland appeasement and surrender statements of the Iraq Study Group are no surprise. The most glaring omissions? Ideas on victory and stabilization of a brand new democracy in the Middle East. I would like to know what the military commanders in Iraq would do to win the peace, not the musings of retired politicians who never left the Green Zone in Iraq. -- William Richardson, Madison

Thanks to Paul Bucher, family and Staff for a terrific effort.

To: Paul Bucher Candidate for WIs. AG. Sa. 9/16/06 Paul, Can’t tell you how proud of you I was last Tues. at the hotel when you gave your concession speech. It is not the speech anyone wanted to hear. It must have been extraordinarily difficult for you and your family, but you handled it the way you ran your campaign and live your life - you saw the reality, made your decision and dealt with it the way one should- without hesitation, but with honor, grace and thanks to all who assisted you. My opinion: The best man did not win tonight, but J.B. Van Hollen is hands down better than what we have had in the AG office and hopefully his victory will prevent the state from being "Falked" on November 7th. The fact that you endorsed his candidacy on 9/14 shows your strength, character and the ability to let go of temporary frustration for the overall good of the citizens of the state of Wisconsin. I know you will find a silver lining in this temporary defeat and will find positive and life affirming events will follow. I am honored to have been able to get to know you. Count me in should you ever need help. Like you said, “Do the right thing” You did, we all know it, and respect you for doing so.

Bucher is tough on crime, criminals

\ Bucher is tough on crime, criminals WSJ Thurs 9/7/06 Spectrum The race for Attorney General of Wisconsin I talked to a sheriff in Waukesha County about his "top cop," District Attorney Paul Bucher, and what kind of man is he. He said Paul is a guy who looks you straight in the eye, tells you exactly where he stands, what should be done and then he does it. Bucher is not a "politician" in the negative sense that word is usually used. He also said Bucher is a "cop's cop" -- he personally prosecutes cop killers and nearly all murders in Waukesha County, and he's never lost a murder case in over 20 years as DA. Abuse your spouse and you will be charged in a week and ordered into mandatory treatment. Drunken drivers are in front of a judge within seven days. And if you kill someone while driving drunk in Waukesha, you'll do hard time. His county is the only one in the state that will be arresting, jailing, tracking and deporting illegal aliens who commit a felony, because Bucher made it happen. Restore the justice department to a law enforcement agency instead of a social experiment. Vote for Bucher on Sept. 12. -- Bill Richardson, Madison