A program that plans to improve the transportation options of low-income workers will receive more than $3 million in funding following approval from the governor Tuesday.
The $3,676,667 grant for the “Transportation to Jobs” program is meant to connect low-income workers with jobs through enhanced local transit services. The Wisconsin Employment Transportation Assistance Program plans to combine federal, state and local funds to assist transportation-provider groups in all parts of the state.
“WETAP’S Transportation to Jobs program helps Wisconsinites get back on their feet by helping them get to work,” Gov. Scott Walker said in a statement. “These grants will enable local communities to provide essential transportation services to their local workforce.”
Andrew Welhouse, spokesperson for Majority Leader Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, said Walker’s grant approval addresses the primary issue currently facing Wisconsin: job creation and getting people back to work.
Welhouse said he believes although some people are rooting against the economy and instead focus only on politics, Walker and the Republicans within the state of Wisconsin are taking solid steps in order to help people get back to work and improve the economy as a whole, “just like we promised we would.”
Still, not everyone is convinced that this plan and the general accomplishments of the Republican Party have proven to be beneficial for the people of Wisconsin.
Rep. Kelda Helen Roys, D-Madison, pointed out earlier this month that data was released that showed that Wisconsin lost an estimated 9,300 private-sector jobs and 1,900 county, municipal and school district jobs in October alone. These statistics marks the fourth straight month Wisconsin has lost jobs.
“Walker and the Republicans have demonstrated that their focus is not on job creation, but rather on forwarding their conservative social agenda,” Roys said. “Wisconsin’s families continue to struggle, while Walker and legislative Republicans continue to focus their attention on more special interest giveaways.”
Roys said although Republicans claim the new budget is meant to connect low-income workers with jobs through enhanced local transit services, the governor is simultaneously allowing low-income people to lose their cars, for many their only means of transportation to and from work, by reinstating auto title lending.
Roys said Walker’s special session ignored important job creation measures in favor of disruptive, special interest concerns.
“[Such projects include] pushing abstinence-only sex education programs, allowing guns in the Capitol, destroying consumer rights, protecting slumlords and even more giveaways to special interest campaign contributors,” Roys said. “Wisconsin’s families continue to struggle. Our middle class is eroding, and thousands of poor workers may be forced to lose their health care coverage thanks to Walker’s terrible budget choices.”
