Governor-elect Scott Walker is getting a head start stopping one of his pet peeve projects: The high-speed rail.
Walker said he is “exploring all legal options” to combat efforts to lock in construction of the high-speed rail project as of Thursday.
“We are continuing to work with members of congress on redirecting this money to fixing our crumbling roads and bridges,” Walker said in a statement.
Funding for the project was quietly agreed upon Tuesday by current Gov. Jim Doyle.
Doyle signed an agreement with the federal government locking the state into spending all $810 million of the stimulus grant for high-speed rail.
Both Walker and former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett have been critical of the secret nature of the deal.
Current Milwaukee County Executive Walker defeated Barrett, the current Milwaukee mayor, with 52 percent of the vote to succeed Doyle to the governor’s office. Walker will take power Jan. 1.
Throughout his campaign for governor, Walker has highlighted the need to stop funding of a potential high-speed rail project, calling it a “boondoggle” and vowing to use the earmarked grant money for other projects, the plausibility of which critics have questioned.
Supporters tout the project as an opportunity to build a rail connection linking the Midwest from Chicago to Minneapolis.
Meanwhile, Doyle called a halt to construction of the rail from Madison to Milwaukee Thursday following Walker’s statements at the Capitol that Walker will work to reallocate the funds toward other infrastructure projects.
State DOT Secretary Frank J. Busalacchi said in a statement he has asked contractors and consultants to stop construction on the rail for “a few days”.
Busalacchi said the agency needs to assess the real world impact of the project on Wisconsinites and their livelihoods before resuming construction.
Walker spokesperson Jill Bader refused to comment on whether Walker was involved in the decision to halt construction beyond Walker’s prepared statement.
State Democrats are already calling Walker’s move a “jobs killer,” predicting the federal grant money will likely go to Virginia or Florida if Wisconsin refuses to use the money for high-speed rail.
Doyle has echoed the claim that refusal to use the funds for the approved rail project would result in other states receiving the rail grant money.
“He claimed he would create 250,000 jobs. What he didn’t say is that he apparently is going to do it in Florida,” State Democratic Party Chair Mike Tate said in a statement.
Despite these Democratic claims, Walker is ascending to the position of governor following myriad campaign promises to help employers maintain and create jobs, among the promises to create 250,000 jobs through tax cuts while also reducing government spending.
Although Walker has fought against Doyle’s plans for high-speed rail since the beginning, during Walker’s tenure in the state Legislature Walker supported previous attempts to allocate money for rail projects.
Former Gov. Tommy Thompson made a $50 million provision for a commuter rail project between Milwaukee and Madison in the 1993 budget, which Walker voted for when he was a member of the state Senate.
