Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Legislative panel kills transit study plan after Doyle veto

[marmar]

Legislative panel kills transit study plan after Doyle veto
By Stacy Forster and Steve Schultze of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: June 30, 2009


Madison — Stung by Gov. Jim Doyle's veto of a potential Milwaukee sales tax increase to fund transit programs, members of the Legislature's budget-writing committee on Tuesday killed a study of a commuter rail plan for southeastern Wisconsin.

The funding for the study was a small amount - $35,000 - but lawmakers on the Joint Finance Committee, including several Milwaukee Democrats, saw it as a way to make a statement about the veto.

They said Doyle's veto undid their work on regional transit and would hamper efforts to improve Milwaukee County transit while promoting regional transit and providing property tax relief.

The veto also drew a tongue-lashing Tuesday from Milwaukee County Board Chairman Lee Holloway, who separately pledged to fight the proposed Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee rail line in response to the veto.

"It's just terrible," Holloway said. "I'm very critical of (Doyle). I thought he was a friend of Milwaukee County."

State Rep. Pedro Colón (D-Milwaukee), was among those on the committee who voted against the request for funding the rail study. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/49559282.html