New Transit Bill Introduced, Our Work Continues

They heard us!  By George, they actually heard us!

Governor Doyle, along with members of the state legislature and several Milwaukee area business leaders announced the newest version of the transit bill:

The Regional Transit and Jobs Investment Act, developed by a coalition of elected officials, including Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, combines the KRM commuter rail line with other mass transit and continues the car rental fee for the project.

“Our commitment to direct property tax relief continues in this bill by removing transit from the tax levy,” said Sen. Lena Taylor, a Milwaukee Democrat and one of five southeast Wisconsin Democrats who sponsored the legislation.

The proposed bill authorizes creation of an Interim Regional Transit Authority in Milwaukee County funded by a 0.5 percent sales tax approved in an advisory referendum by county voters in November 2008. The bill also allows taxpayers in Racine, Kenosha, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee counties to vote to form their own interim transit authorities.

To be more exact on the details, there was a joint press release issued by State Senators Lena Taylor and John Lehman and State Representatives Peter Barca, Tamara Grigsby and Robert Turner:

Among the highlights of the bill are provisions:

Authorizing creation of an Interim Regional Transit Authority (IRTA) in Milwaukee County funded by a 0.5% sales tax approved by county voters in November 2008;

Allowing local governments in Racine, Kenosha, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee to vote to form their own IRTAs;

Allowing a non-Milwaukee County IRTA, with the agreement of all the creating municipal governments, to fund transit using a vehicle registration fee, the property tax or hotel tax revenue.  A local sales tax could be used only if it is voted on and approved by the governing bodies of each community forming an IRTA, the newly created IRTA board approves its use and the voters within the IRTA approve the use of the sales tax for transit in a referendum;

Requiring 100% of local transit costs to be removed from the property tax if a sales tax is used as the funding mechanism;

Providing a mechanism for local IRTAs to receive additional state incentive funding for mass transit;

Regionalizing mass transit service when three IRTAs meet expanded service and increased funding targets by placing their services under the umbrella of a regional Southeast Wisconsin Regional Transit Authority (SERTA);

Integrating the proposed KRM commuter rail line with local bus service through SERTA.

In Governor Doyle’s press release, he names some of the business leaders that recognize the importance of having a healthy and sufficient transit system to help their business and the local economy:

Governor Doyle was joined by CEOs and business leaders from some of Wisconsin’s largest companies to announce the plan at Bucyrus International in Milwaukee. John Dickert, Mayor of Racine; J. Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson; Robert Mariano, Chairman and CEO of Roundy’s Supermarkets; Steve Roell, Chairman, President and CEO of Johnson Controls; Scott VanderSanden, President of AT&T Wisconsin; Ed Zore, CEO and President of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance; and Julia Taylor, President of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, joined the Governor to discuss the importance of transit to economic development in Wisconsin.

Another worthy read on today’s events is at BizTimes. com.  The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also did a story, but their coverage leaves a lot to be desired, since they failed to report the large support this bill is receiving from all walks of life.

Of course, they are only echoing what we have been saying for six months.

So, with the majority of Milwaukee County voters wanting this bill to be passed for over a year now, state legislators and Governor Doyle supporting it, and many of the major local business leaders calling out for it, who in the world would think it’s a bad idea?

Why, only someone who is putting his own political and personal agenda ahead of the best interest of the community, again, that’s who.

But, my friends, our work is not done yet.  Please make sure you call your state representative and your state senator and if they supported this bill, thank them and ask for their continued support.  If they were not part of creating this necessary piece of legislation, tell them that they need to get on board (pun intended) and support our transit system.  It is too vital for our economy to let this bill fail as well.