Governor’s budget again fails to fix roads

There is much to like in Governor Walker’s budget proposal unveiled this week. Unfortunately, plans for fixing our roads is not one of them. For years now, we have seen Wisconsin’s roads continue to deteriorate. Our roads are now ranked as the worst in the Midwest, and among the worst in the nation. That is because our lawmakers have put off road projects as a way to save money. The money they have spent has been borrowed money, with the state deciding to let our children figure out how to pay for it. Governor Walker’s new budget provides only more of the same. A number of planned road projects are being put off. Those road which are to be rebuilt or repaired are to be paid for with more borrowing. Walker wants to borrow another $500 million to pay for roads over the next two years. That is an unsustainable funding model, and still fails to cover the costs of needed repairs. And that’s assuming the DOT is figuring those costs correctly, which has been a problem in the past. Walker refuses to consider new funding models for our roads, refusing to even consider a higher gas tax or higher vehicle registration fees as a funding source. There is hope that state legislators will buck the Governor on this one, and finally realize we can’t continue to put off needed repairs, and keep borrowing money to pay for it. We can’t just keep kicking the can down that pothole-filled road.