Gov. Scott Walker on Wednesday approved a $1.75 million project that will add two new parking lots to the regional airport in Mosinee.That comes to be $2,611.94 per parking spot. For some reason, I wouldn't be surprised if that contract goes to a Walker campaign donor. But, hey, CEO's of paving companies gotta eat too, right?
The project will add an additional 670 parking spaces to the two-runway airport. CWA currently has about 1,000 spaces.
Business must be booming to require that kind of expenditure. Not really, as I pointed out at the beginning of the year:
It's been said time and time again. When you take money away from the people who would spend it, the economy starts to go stagnant and then the businesses start to suffer. It's no different in the world of travel:Until we get Walker, who's been tanking the state's economy and driving businesses to flee the state or just shut down, out of office, people will not be able to afford to travel as much, if at all. And no businesses are going to come to a state where the government is as corrupt as Walker's administration is and where the quality of life is resembling Mississippi's.
A dramatic drop in traffic at Central Wisconsin Airport in 2011, combined with increasing fuel costs, has officials worried that 2012 could bring flight reductions that would crimp travel for people in the region.
More than 248,000 people flew into and out of CWA on commercial flights between January and November, a decrease of 14.5 percent from the same time period in 2010. Airport Administrator Tony Yaron blamed a sluggish economy and flight reductions by the airlines as reasons for the decline.
I'm sure that once Governor Barrett starts fixing the damage done by Walker, things, and business, will improve.
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You make some good points about what is happening to discretionary spending in Wisconsin, but I believe you've added an extra zero to the cost per parking spot.
ReplyDeleteleave it to a lib to complain about supporting a transportation mode that actually works while they will whine and cry about the slow speed train that no one would have used being cut.
ReplyDeleteWe need both trains and planes in this state.
DeleteThe math is correct. And if you have read the article it seems this mode of transportation is not working as air traffic is down. this is a single location with declining population and no real business growth. So why be spending money there. The train would have served multiple communities, created businesses along the line (how many businesses will a parking ramp create?) and expand transportation options. Dont be so short sited and narrow focused.
ReplyDeleteWATF, if you were a conservative you would know the root of the word is "conserve."
ReplyDeleteIf you owned a vehicle, you'd know the worst thing for it is stop and go driving. Among a lot of other benefits, trains and trams and buses extend the life of passenger vehicles.
Since you brought up whining and crying, ask the king of whining and crying, Charlie Sykes when all the SUSTAINABLE jobs in COMMERCIAL FISHING are coming back to Lake Michigan.
Air travel is the most government subsidized form of transportation, while, surprisingly, trains are the least subsidized (even with the government control of Amtrak). In fact, part of the reason for the death of passenger rail was taxes that were meant to encourage people to fly.
ReplyDeleteIf people had to pay the real cost of flying, nearly no one would be able to afford it.
Or true cost collecting at tolls ...
DeleteJanesville to Madison on 90 is a cheap billion dollars, what the toll be to recoup that?
Why is he giving state work to Michigan contractors?
ReplyDelete"As part of his efforts to create jobs and make sure Wisconsin is open for business, Governor Scott Walker recently signed a $194,000 contract to improve 37 structures located along US 10 and US 45 in Waupaca and Outagamie Counties. Work is currently scheduled to begin April 23 and is scheduled for completion in early June 2012.
Ram Construction Services of Michigan, Inc. is the prime contractor for the project. Crews will preserve the structures by sealing the decks."
http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/opencms/export/nr/modules/news/news_3280.html_786229440.html
Damn good question.
DeleteI've wondered the same about Illinois firms doing much of the contract work around Milwaukee County?
Need to think about those donors, don't we?
DeleteThe Parking Lot to Nowhere.
ReplyDelete