Scott Walker’s Record on Infrastructure

Roys says that under Walker, on a percentage basis, Wisconsin is “spending twice as much on debt service for just basic road repair and maintenance” than before he took office. The portion of road revenue being used for debt service was 11.5 percent during the final budget year for Doyle, Walker’s predecessor. The figure is projected to reach 20.9 percent during the second year of the current two-year state budget Walker signed, which is nearly doubling. With the caveat that the figure for the current budget is an estimate, we rate Roys’ statement Mostly True.

[PolitiFact, 06/11/2018]

The state of Wisconsin will be receiving $86 million less than what it requested from the federal government to pay for upgrades and expansion of Interstate 94 south of Milwaukee in conjunction with the Foxconn Technology Group project. But Gov. Scott Walker said Wednesday the work will still be completed by 2021 as planned. The state is being awarded $160 million after requesting $246 million. Walker spokesman Tom Evenson says the difference will be made up by tapping transportation revenue bond cash balances. The state was counting on receiving the full grant amount to pay for about half of the entire cost of the interstate project. But Evenson says all work will still be completed by 2021.

[WBAY-TV, 06/06/2018]

New weight restrictions were placed on nearly 200 Wisconsin bridges — most on county and town roads in the western part of the state — this spring as highway engineers try to account for the strain from newer trucks that use tightly-spaced axles to carry more weight in a smaller frame. As a result, farmers and truckers have been forced to take detours to get their products to market and haul half-filled loads from “landlocked” fields… On Friday Gov. Scott Walker announced a list of 113 bridges slated for replacement with $76.4 million in state assistance. But only eight of the 184 restricted bridges are on Walker’s list. “It’s unacceptable in an agricultural state like Wisconsin that we have no schedule for when these bridges are going to be replaced,” said Craig Thompson, president of the Wisconsin Transportation Development Association.

[La Crosse Tribune, 05/30/2018]

Funding for state road projects could be reduced as much as $90 million by mid-2019 in order to pay for roadwork related to the $10 billion Foxconn Technology Group plant in southeast Wisconsin.

[Associated Press, 02/28/2018]

Gov. Scott Walker reopened Thursday the possibility of raising the state’s gas tax to pay the state’s share of a proposed $1.5 trillion federal infrastructure package… “We’re willing to invest to obtain those dollars to grow and build our infrastructure here,” Walker said. “I’m willing to look at ways to add to our revenue in the transportation budget as long as we have a net neutral or really a net reduction for the overall burden to the taxpayers in this state. If we could cut taxes, income taxes or other taxes, we could look at revenues in the future, particularly if it helped us leverage federal dollars.”

[Wisconsin State Journal, 02/02/2018]

While it is hoped the recently signed “Mining for America” bill will spur the local economy through the creation of new jobs, Gov. Scott Walker noted during the bill signing ceremony Dec. 12 real growth in jobs in the northern part of the state will hinge on greater access to high-speed internet. To that end, Walker said he and the state legislature have been pushing for an increase in state funding to expand broadband infrastructure. “In this last budget, we have invested over $35 million in broadband access, whether it is through direct access loans or whether it’s through the TEACH Program,” Walker said after the bill signing. “We know that the North offers tremendous opportunities in terms of quality of life with work-life balance, but you have got to have access to high-speed internet connections and other things that are part of technology. That’s why we invested so much and why it’s such a giant step forward in this most recent budget to make sure that every part of the state is wired and there is more ways to attract venture capital and other things that would invest in small companies and start-up companies.” In an October radio address, Walker likened improving broadband to rural areas to the arrival of electricity generations ago.

[Northwoods River News, 01/02/2018]

Gov. Scott Walker has three words for state lawmakers: “Get it done.” The governor called on the legislature to get the transportation budget completed during a stop in Neenah. The transportation budget faces a nearly $1 billion shortfall.

[WBAY-TV, 05/25/2017]

Gov. Scott Walker joined Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald on Thursday, May 11th in denouncing separating transportation funding from the state budget, saying there’s no reason to take that unusual approach to break an impasse in the Republican-controlled Legislature over how to pay for roads. The Republican co-chairs of the budget committee said Thursday they were open to that idea, which Fitzgerald and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos discussed in a private meeting Wednesday. But Fitzgerald and Walker were quick to reject the idea.

[WITI-TV, 05/11/2017]

After rejecting Gov. Scott Walker’s transportation budget, state Rep. Dale Kooyenga, R-Brookfield, and Assembly Republicans put forward a new plan to fund state transportation last Thursday. It includes applying sales tax to gas sales, cutting the gas tax, cutting state income taxes, opening up the possibility of toll roads and increasing fees for electric vehicles and hybrids.

[Capital Times, 05/07/2017]

Assembly Republicans’ plan to pay for Wisconsin roads by applying the sales tax to gas has run into a roadblock in Gov. Scott Walker. The GOP governor and Assembly Republicans have been grappling over how to fill a projected $1 billion shortfall in the state’s transportation fund. Walker’s state budget calls for delaying projects and borrowing $500 million; he also has said he would support pulling more money out of the state’s general purpose fund for roads. He has adamantly opposed raising the gas tax or vehicle registration fees.

[St. Paul Pioneer Press, 05/06/2017]

Gov. Scott Walker signaled skepticism Wednesday of any quick approval of a proposed flat income tax even as he repeatedly held off on commenting on most parts of a larger tax and transportation plan from Assembly Republicans. In an interview, Walker said he’s waiting to see the full details Thursday on the sweeping GOP proposal to raise taxes on gasoline while slicing those on income. But when pressed, the governor hinted he may not be ready to embrace two of the plan’s key elements: cutting the state’s required price markup on gasoline; and putting the state on a path to a flat income tax.

[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 05/03/2017]

An Assembly Republican alternative to Gov. Scott Walker’s funding plan for roads may include a new sales tax on gasoline along with cuts to income taxes as part of an overreaching tax overhaul, a different approach to what other GOP leaders have advocated. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported details of the plan Tuesday that’s being discussed privately among top Assembly Republicans. State Rep. Dale Kooyenga has been working on the Assembly GOP alternative plan and was expected to release it publicly as soon as Thursday. Kooyenga declined to comment Tuesday, saying he didn’t want to talk about the plan publicly until Thursday.

[Associated Press, 05/02/2017]

Gov. Scott Walker said Monday he has no interest in raising the gas tax or vehicle registration fees in the budget, but he supports using general fund taxes to help pay for roads. The comments Monday signaled the direction Republicans may be headed as they try to break up a logjam on how to fund transportation in the 2017-19 budget. The Legislature’s budget committee has decided to rewrite Walker’s transportation budget proposal from scratch as some GOP lawmakers have expressed concern about proposed delays in major highway projects in southeastern Wisconsin.

[Wisconsin State Journal, 04/25/2017]

Gov. Scott Walker remains opposed to raising the gas tax, but he’s not shutting the door on higher vehicle registration fees. Walker tells WKOW-TV in an interview Thursday that “there might be some other ways” to paying for roads in Wisconsin other than gas tax hikes. He did not rule out raising transportation-related fees as part of the solution.

[WITI-TV, 04/21/2017]

The State of Wisconsin is freeing up $100 million for additional highway projects. The decision comes as the Wisconsin Department of Transportation is projecting $38 million in additional revenue. “Today, I am directing WisDOT to advance $65 million in projects statewide into state fiscal year 2017,” Governor Scott Walker said. “In addition, WisDOT is projecting an additional $38 million in revenues, which the Legislature can allocate into the 2017-19 biennial budget.

[WBAY-TV, 04/13/2017]

Last week, the leaders of the Legislature’s powerful budget committee tossed out dozens of Gov. Scott Walker’s proposals — including his entire transportation budget — though some could be coming back as lawmakers write their own version of the state’s new two-year spending plan. The 83 proposals stripped out of the 2017-19 budget were identified by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau as nonfiscal policy items, which lawmakers of both parties have historically used to enact laws that might have a tougher time passing outside the cover of a sweeping biennial budget bill.

[Wisconsin State Journal, 04/09/2017]

In another sign of trouble for Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to borrow more and delay road construction projects, the Legislature’s Republican-controlled budget committee announced Thursday it would start its negotiations from scratch rather than from the governor’s road-funding proposal.

[Wisconsin State Journal, 04/07/2017]

In a move not seen in at least 24 years, top lawmakers yanked dozens of provisions from Gov. Scott Walker’s budget bill, including the entire transportation plan put forward by their fellow Republican.

[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 04/06/2017]

The leader of the state Assembly kept the brakes on rebuilding a section of I-94 in Milwaukee on Wednesday, a day after a coalition of prominent business officials asked lawmakers to make sure the project gets done. “The delays on the I-94 N-S in Racine County have continued for far too long,” said a written statement from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester). “We will not move forward on the East-West project unless the North-South is on track. Our state can’t afford to ignore a major section of our interstate system.”

[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 04/05/2017]

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos on Thursday slammed Gov. Scott Walker for changing his position on a possible gas tax increase in the state budget and called the transportation secretary’s position on the issue of road funding “delusional.” “I’m waiting for an actual rock-hard position I can trust people to stick with and I haven’t seen that yet,” the Rochester Republican told reporters. “The Senate doesn’t have a position. The governor gave his position and then he switched it, so I just want to make sure the current one is the one he’s going to stick with.”

[Wisconsin State Journal, 03/31/2017]

Some of the sharpest criticism of the governor’s plan came from Joint Finance Committee co-chair John Nygren, a Republican from Marinette, who focused on a recent audit and a DOT report that showed the condition of Wisconsin’s roads had steadily declined and were poised to get even worse. “How do you, as a secretary of department of transportation, feel good with a budget that is not meeting our priorities, leading an organization that is going to see the further decline of our roads and have them become less safe?” Nygren asked in one of several unusually sharp exchanges with Ross, a cabinet secretary from his own party.

[WPR, 03/30/2017]

The vexing challenge of how to pay for Wisconsin’s roads and bridges has a simple solution: Build less and prioritize more, new state Department of Transportation Secretary Dave Ross told lawmakers Thursday. “It’s a spending problem, not a revenue problem,” Ross said. Ross, testifying to the state Senate Transportation committee, placed new emphasis on what he called a key contributor to excessive transportation spending: committing to build too many large highway expansion projects at once.… Ross’ testimony complements Gov. Scott Walker’s no-new-tax stance heading into a potential transportation budget battle with Assembly Republicans. That fight could escalate in the coming months as Walker and lawmakers craft the state’s next two-year budget.

[Wisconsin State Journal, 03/17/2017]

Gov. Scott Walker said Wednesday the state can match or exceed $100,000 in state taxpayer subsidies to house 18 F-35 fighter jets at Truax Field, but he emphasized that money won’t be the deciding factor. “It’s not a question of money,” Walker said. “If that’s the case, we certainly could match or exceed that,” he said, referring to a bill Republican Idaho Gov. Butch Otter recently signed committing $100,000 to help land the federal contract. “But that’s really not what they’re looking at,” Walker added. “They’re looking at what’s the most appropriate place for the operations of the F-35.”

[Wisconsin State Journal, 03/02/2017]

Officials from the state Department of Transportation faced questions from lawmakers on Tuesday in light of a critical audit that found the agency significantly underestimated the costs of ongoing and completed major highway projects. The DOT underestimated cost estimates for 16 ongoing major highway projects by a total of about $3.1 billion and did not adequately account for the extent to which inflation and unexpected expenses could contribute to cost increases, the audit, released last month, found. Costs for 19 completed projects exceeded estimates by $772.5 million.”This is a very consequential audit that points out a number of problems within the agency,” said legislative audit committee co-chairman Sen. Robert Cowles, R-Green Bay.

[Capital Times, 02/21/2017]

Despite concerns from some legislators, Gov. Scott Walker said his proposed budget will cover the state’s transportation priorities without the need to raise taxes or implement a gas tax increase.

[Appleton Post-Crescent, 02/09/2017]

Gov. Scott Walker reiterated his opposition to raising the gas tax to pay for roads on Thursday in the face of Republican legislative leaders who were looking for alternatives to key parts of his budget, including the proposal to cut University of Wisconsin tuition by 5 percent. Walker previously had said he would consider gas tax increases if there were corresponding cuts elsewhere, but he appeared to back away from that approach in his budget address and in comments as he toured the state Thursday in support of his spending plan.

[Associated Press, 02/09/2017]

A coalition of Milwaukee business leaders already is gearing up to challenge Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s decision to drop his earlier plan to fund rebuilding a stretch of Interstate 94 near Miller Park, the Milwaukee Business Journal has learned. The budget address Walker delivered late Wednesday afternoon did not include money to advance the I-94 project. That would represent a reversal for Walker, who in May 2016 wrote the Federal Highway Administration to say he intended to advance the project in his proposed 2017-2019 state budget. The project covers 3.5 miles of I-94 between 16th and 70th streets, including the Stadium Interchange. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation proposed spending $1.1 billion rebuilding and widening the interstate to eight lanes while adding one driving lane in each direction. The construction work is expected to take four years to complete.

[Milwaukee Business Journal, 02/08/2017]

Gov. Scott Walker says he remains opposed to increasing the gas tax despite an audit last week that showed major highway projects in Wisconsin have cost more than initially estimated over the past decade. The Republican governor said Wednesday that now is “not the time to raise any tax” because the state is seeing a big increase in tax collections. The state audit released last week found the Wisconsin Department of Transportation underestimated the cost of completed or ongoing projects by more than $3 billion.

[WTMJ-TV, 02/02/2017]

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos conceded Wednesday that gas taxes “probably” aren’t going to be increased to pay for road improvements, given Gov. Scott Walker’s opposition to that approach… The biggest budget fight this year is expected to be over transportation funding. The state faces a nearly $1 billion shortfall, and Walker is proposing fixing it by delaying major highway projects and borrowing about half a billion dollars, a plan that’s been met with resistance by Vos and other Republicans. Vos and other Assembly leaders have said a gas tax and vehicle registration fee increases should at least be considered. But Walker has said he would veto any such increase without a corresponding tax cut elsewhere.

[Wisconsin State Journal, 01/19/2017]

A new poll finds most Wisconsin voters are against the approach Gov. Scott Walker wants to take to deal with a nearly $1 billion budget shortfall for road projects. The Marquette University Law School poll released Wednesday shows that 43 percent of registered voters would support a gas tax or registration fee increase to pay for roads. Walker has said that’s off the table. Only 33 percent say they would cut all or some spending for road projects to avoid a tax or fee increase. And just 12 percent say they would support borrowing money to plug the gap.

[WSAW-TV, 08/10/2016]

Gov. Scott Walker has asked President Barack Obama’s administration for a federal disaster declaration for nine northern Wisconsin counties and the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa tribal nation in the wake of torrential rains and flash flooding. Thunderstorms moved across the region beginning July 11, producing heavy rain, damaging winds and hail. Walker’s office said Wednesday that the storms caused more than $25 million in damage to roads and public infrastructure.

[WEAU-TV, 08/03/2016]

As Gov. Scott Walker talks about cutting Milwaukee highway megaprojects to avoid gas tax hikes, he’s telling federal officials that he’ll greenlight another nearly $1 billion job in southeastern Wisconsin…in a May 13 letter, the GOP governor told the Federal Highway Administration that his administration wants to kick off an $850 million project to widen an east-west stretch of I-94 between the Marquette and Zoo interchanges from six lanes to eight… The state still needs to finish two other mega projects: the Zoo Interchange and the north-south section of I-94 between Milwaukee’s south side and the Illinois border. Currently, the state faces a $939 million expected shortfall in the road fund over the next two years.

[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 07/31/2016]

A Republican lawmaker in Wisconsin is proposing the state raise its gasoline tax or levy tolls on state highways to avoid a $940 million transportation revenue gap over the next two years, but fellow-Republican, Gov. Scott Walker, opposes that idea. “We need to bring in new revenue that will help buy down our transportation debt and structure a sustainable plan for Wisconsin’s infrastructure,” said Rep. John Nygren, a Republican from Mariette who is co-chairman of the Joint Finance Committee. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau said earlier this week that the state needs $939 million over the next two-year budget cycle to keep highway funding at the current level… Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker almost immediately rejected Nygren’s revenue proposals. “Raising taxes and fees is not the answer,” Walker said. “I am confident we can do better than placing new taxes on Wisconsin citizens.”

[The Bond Buyer, 07/28/2016]

Lawmakers gave Walker’s administration the ability to ask for an extra $350 million in borrowing — $200 million this fiscal year and $150 million for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The Joint Finance Committee can release or withhold those funds. Walker’s Department of Transportation last month asked for $200 million in bonding to help put the five major projects back on schedule. Nygren put forward a motion making all $350 million available over the two years. The vote prevents a repeat of another internal squabble on the issue in 2016 — an election year. The plan is to pay back $175 million, or half of the bonds, out of the transportation fund, decreasing the future cash available for road building and repairs… The budget panel also voted to: Release $147,000 this year and $220,000 next year to put two additional state prosecutors to work pursuing gun violence cases in Milwaukee. The panel approved these measures 16-0. The money was set aside as part of the budget approved by Walker and Republican lawmakers in July, and lawmakers from Milwaukee have continued to push for the money to help respond to a decade-high homicide total in the state’s largest city… Democratic Rep. Chris Taylor of Madison and Sen. Lena Taylor of Milwaukee said they supported the measure but added that more needs to be done to stem gun violence, such as addressing racial achievement and criminal justice disparities and requiring criminal background checks for all gun sales… Walker has strongly backed the proposal, which he took up as a major cause just days after he dropped out of the race for president in September. He has said the civil service rules for 30,000 state workers need reworking to become more efficient and help hiring keep up with the crush of retiring baby boomers.

[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 11/04/2015]

While Gov. Scott Walker wanted to bond $1.3 billion to keep transportation projects on track, Republicans balked at that level of borrowing and reduced the amount to around $850 million, with the caveat that $350 million would be held in reserves by the Joint Finance Committee. While DOT Secretary Mark Gottleib has made the request to release $200 million this year to shorten delays to the projects, at least one of the members of the committee objected, triggering the need for a formal hearing. While Assembly Republicans have indicated they want to reduce the funding delays, those on the Senate side of the committee have been reluctant to approve more borrowing.Thompson understands the hesitance to rely on bonding. He said that when Gov. Scott Walker first announced the $1.3 billion number, his organization said the level of bonding was too high and called for a reduction. They also thought the number set by Republicans in the Legislature was too low.

[Sheboygan Press, 10/31/2015]

Gov. Scott Walker on Tuesday urged Senate Republicans to approve additional borrowing to help put back on track at least some of the five major highway projects that are facing delays. Walker’s administration announced last week it was delaying the five projects and disclosed Monday it would be pushing back work on other, smaller ones. The Department of Transportation has not yet revealed which additional projects would be delayed. Walker and a panel of lawmakers have the ability to issue an additional $350 million in debt for roadwork. Of that, $200 million could be issued now and $150 million in the fiscal year that begins July 1. “We think there are ways that we can squeeze out some savings and find some ways to work with you on that, but I would be hopeful that at some point in the future at least some portion of that could be freed up,” the GOP governor told Republican senators. Walker did not take questions from reporters afterward. It’s unclear how much the additional borrowing would mitigate the delays.

[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/06/2015]

Gov. Scott Walker isn't backing an increase in the gas tax and instead wants to rely on $1.3 billion in borrowing to fund transportation projects over the next two years. Under the Republican governor's plan, bonding for transportation would rise by about 30%, but the state's overall borrowing would drop. That's because Walker is recommending that the state delay construction of buildings that haven't already gotten initial approval, including for the University of Wisconsin System...The plan will allow Walker to tout his opposition to raising taxes as he considers a possible run for president. But the increased reliance on borrowing to fund highways may not go over well with his fellow Republicans who control the Legislature...Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) greeted the plan with deep skepticism. "To continue to just borrow and spend isn't fiscally responsible," he said in a statement. "We will certainly be pushing for a permanent fix instead of just more bonding."

[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 01/30/2015]

An email from Walker’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Timothy Russell, sent shortly after the tragedy reads: “Where is SKW (Scott Walker)? This is going to be a problem, whether we did (or didn’t do) anything or not. Barrett has already been there. Scott cannot be at a fundraiser or something like that. He’ll be eaten alive.” The email from Russell to other staffers continues as Russell writes: “Perhaps grasping at straws, but there is a vacant parking space at the north end of the area where the slab was hung. Could a car have jarred it?” A spokesperson with the Friends of Scott Walker Campaign replies: “Scott is down at the scene, and should be attached at the hip with Sheriff Clarke. He needs to lead and be on top of the entire situation. Scott needs to be front and center for the media.” As live television coverage of the tragedy continued, an email was sent from Russell to other staffers, reading: “Harold Mester, the County Board PR flak was just on Channel 6 expressing the chairman’s concern about the backlog of maintenance and politicizing this. I strongly think SKW needs to shoot back at him with both barrels for politicizing this.” Another email from the Friends of Scott Walker Campaign to Kelly Rindfleisch – Walker’s top aide at the time reads: “The political concern about blame for the tragedy is clear. Make sure there is not a paper anywhere that details a problem at all.” The next day, Rindfleisch responds to a friend, who asks what happened the previous day besides the parking lot falling on some kid. Rindfleisch responds: “That was our structure. The headlines are going to be ‘Scott Walker kills 15-year-old.'” Adding to the drama of the moments immediately following the tragedy, emails between staffers mention that they can’t get a hold of Scott Walker because his cell phone had burned out. Instead, they had to go through another staffer who was apparently traveling with him.

[WITI-TV, 02/19/2014]

Gov. Scott Walker worked simultaneously with his campaign staff and county aides in coordinating responses to media inquiries, open records requests and news stories about the 2010 O'Donnell Park tragedy, according to newly released emails. The records show that Walker was integrally involved in the efforts to challenge any negative publicity after a concrete panel fell from the Milwaukee County-owned O'Donnell parking structure, killing a 15-year-old boy on June 24, 2010, on his way to Summerfest. The incident occurred in the middle of the 2010 gubernatorial campaign. ”It is disgusting that anyone would use a tragedy for such blatant political purposes," Walker wrote in a draft statement that he sent on July 20, 2010, to a small circle of campaign and county staff, including campaign manager Keith Gilkes, campaign adviser R.J. Johnson and Chief of Staff Tom Nardelli.The individuals in this small circle regularly emailed each other about the Walker administration's response to the incident. "Scott is down at the scene receiving briefing and should be attached at the hip with Sheriff (David) Clarke," Gilkes wrote to Walker's top county staffers. Gilkes continued: "We also need to know every detail on this structure and every piece of paper associated with this structure since it was built — information is the key to Scott dealing with this issue. His response will be the focal point of everything." [...] Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Christopher Foley released the emails as part of a lawsuit by the boy's family. Retired Appeals Judge Neal Nettesheim, who oversaw the John Doe investigation of Walker's staff, had earlier authorized prosecutors to cull records compiled for the secret probe that had some links to the O'Donnell accident.

[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 07/30/2013]

On the day of the O'Donnell accident, a county aide to Walker raises the issue of whether a car striking the concrete panel might have jarred it loose. "Perhaps grasping at straws but there is a vacant parking space at the north end of the area where the slab was hung," Timothy Russell wrote in an email to four Walker campaign aides and two other county employees. "Could a car have jarred it?" Russell writes. The notion that some vehicle may have struck the panel that fell has become a key part of the defense mounted in pretrial filings by Advance Cast Stone.

[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 07/30/2013]

Gov. Scott Walker said Tuesday that his top campaign staffers began advising and directing his Milwaukee County aides on their response to the 2010 O'Donnell Park tragedy because Walker's political foes were trying to hijack the issue. "Literally, within moments — I think even that day in your paper's story — there were comments from people involved in other campaigns," Walker said during a Tuesday press briefing. "So it involved the campaign not by virtue of us but by others who brought it up. Some of his aides' emails suggest Walker's team was doing more than responding to other candidates. Instead, they were focused primarily on fending off any negative publicity during the 2010 governor's race. For instance, Keith Gilkes — Walker's campaign manager — told a Walker county staffer in a June 24, 2010, email "to make sure there is not a paper anywhere that details a problem at all." [...] In the hours immediately after the accident, one concern was Walker's whereabouts and how that would be perceived. "Scott cannot be at a fundraiser or something like that," warned Timothy Russell, Walker's former deputy chief of staff, who was then his housing director. "He'll be eaten alive." Walker's cellphone battery had died; within an hour, Gilkes assured Russell and others that Walker had arrived at the accident scene. "He needs to lead and be on top of the entire situation," Gilkes reported. "ALL of us need to back him up and ensure he is on top of the entire situation — Scott needs to be front and center for the media." As more media outlets reported questions raised about county maintenance of the O'Donnell facility, more advice flowed between the campaign and county staff. Nardelli advised Walker's campaign aides not to reply to criticism that came from county Supervisor John Weishan Jr., a frequent Walker critic. In fact, Weishan and Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic are dismissed as "dolts" by Nardelli, in reaction to a news release the two issued saying Walker's administration hadn't kept county supervisors apprised of the O'Donnell probe.

[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 07/30/2013]

Walker signed into law $9.6 million in cuts to mass transit operating expenses for the biennium. The cuts have the biggest impact on the Milwaukee and Madison transit systems ($5,576,500 and $1,465,200 respectively). (2011-13 Executive Budget Comparative Summary, Department of Transportation, page 667; 2011 Assembly Bill 40, introduced 3/1/11; Senate Roll Call; Assembly Roll Call) [2011 WI Act 32, 06/26/2011]

In the budget, Walker signed into law a provision that allows the Department of Transportation to take money from other major projects funded through major highway development, state highway rehabilitation, and southeast Wisconsin megaprojects programs for costs associated with the reconstruction of the Hoan Bridge and I-794 in Milwaukee County. (2011-13 Executive Budget Comparative Summary, Department of Transportation, page 686; 2011 Assembly Bill 40, introduced 3/1/11; Senate Roll Call; Assembly Roll Call) [2011 WI Act 32, 06/26/2011]

Walker signed into law $27.5 million in cuts to transportation aid to local governments for maintenance of local roads. (2011-13 Executive Budget Comparative Summary, Department of Transportation, page 666; 2011 Assembly Bill 40, introduced 3/1/11; Senate Roll Call; Assembly Roll Call) [2011 WI Act 32, 06/26/2011]

Many long-standing regulations on traditional landline telephones will be dropped under a bill signed Tuesday by Gov. Scott Walker that is the first big rewrite of the state's telecommunications laws since 1994. AT&T Inc. and other backers of the legislation passed earlier this month on bipartisan votes said previous state telecommunications law was premised on a former monopoly for landline providers that had been broken up by cellular telephone companies.

They say the legislation removes outdated regulations that require AT&T and other telecom companies to invest in copper-line technologies used for landline telephones, freeing up money to invest in new technologies such as wireless and voice-over-Internet (VoIP) phone services. "This law will allow the telecommunications industry to better serve Wisconsin's consumers and it will spur economic growth and job creation," Walker said in a statement.

But opponents say the proposal removes protections for consumers in rural areas where alternatives such as cell phones and broadband Internet aren't always available. During debate on the measure, Democratic lawmakers offered amendments - defeated by Republicans - to restore some of those protections. The Citizens Utility Board, a consumer advocacy group, opposed the action. "We're very worried that customers who have no choice in landline service will see either very high rates for that service or see that service disappear," Charlie Higley, the board's executive director, said.

[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 05/24/2011]

Walker signed into law a bill that eliminates many regulations on telecommunications utilities and alternative telecommunications utilities. It also lowers the rates that telephone companies charge for use of each other's lines and reduces the Public Service Commission oversight of landline phone service, which has been on the decline as consumers switch to wireless phones. The law eliminates all authority for the PSC to regulate rates over the price of basic phone service in areas with little or no competition. 2011 Special Session SB 13, introduced 4/28/2011; Senate Roll Call; Assembly Roll Call)

[2011 WI Act 95, 05/24/2011]

Thursday, President Obama officially withdrew $810 million from Wisconsin and announced he will re-allocate it to other states...Supporters said the project would create thousands of construction jobs and create an economic boom along the rail line. Governor Doyle released a statement calling this a "tragic moment" for Wisconsin. Madison was already planning a major transformation to the downtown to accommodate the rail station. Mayor Dave Cieslewicz released a statement saying, "This is a black day for Wisconsin's economy." [WMTV-TV, 12/15/2010]

“Wisconsin will keep only a fraction of the $810 million it won in federal high-speed rail money, while the rest will help fund train lines in California, Florida, Illinois and other states, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced Thursday. Governor-elect Scott Walker had vowed to kill the planned 110-mph Milwaukee-to-Madison passenger train route that was to be funded with Wisconsin's share of $8 billion in federal stimulus dollars.”

[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/09/2010]

One Wisconsin Now delivered the names of over 7,000 Wisconsinites from every corner of the state to the office of Gov.-elect Scott Walker who signed One Wisconsin Now’s “Save the Train” petition demanding Walker drop opposition to the high speed rail project for Wisconsin.

[One Wisconsin Now, 12/02/2010]

Over 7,000 Wisconsin supporters of high speed rail have signed One Wisconsin Now’s petition calling to “Save the Train” and called for Republican Gov.-elect Scott Walker to drop his opposition to the high speed rail project, which will create thousands of Wisconsin jobs and increase the state’s ability to attract new business and commerce.

[One Wisconsin Now, 11/18/2010]

The overwhelming benefits of high speed rail set for Wisconsin, including 13,000 new jobs, billions of dollars in benefits and reduced dependence on foreign oil, are the subject of a new One Wisconsin Now video produced by University of Wisconsin-Madison senior William Barnes. The video is available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEwgv1fQDSQ.

[One Wisconsin Now, 10/13/2010]

Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker’s hollow criticism of the Talgo bidding process, which was not awarded to the company of his $13,000 donor and 2006 gubernatorial co-chair, is even more hypocritical given that Walker voted to create the no-bid statute in the 1997 state budget, according to One Wisconsin Now.

[One Wisconsin Now, 03/17/2010]

Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker’s criticism related to the Talgo company comes just two weeks after the company owned by a top Walker campaign donor and finance co-chair of his failed 2006 gubernatorial campaign did not receive a contract from the Spanish train maker.

[One Wisconsin Now, 03/16/2010]

“Milwaukee Supervisor John Weishan also charges that Walker has drained funds that should have gone to maintaining the county's infrastructure to instead maintain his pledge never to raise property taxes. ‘He's looted our capital account,’ says Weishan. ‘There's no money for roads or sewers.’ The lack of infrastructure investment is a consistent complaint against Walker, especially his perceived failure to maintain Milwaukee's famed park system. ...Today, Milwaukee County residents commonly complain about overgrown grass and weeds, locked or unusable bathrooms, shoddily maintained softball fields, the elimination of water fountains, and a shortage of staff to deter gang activity and keep the parks safe and family-friendly.” [Isthmus, 11/20/2009]

“Recently, after the county workers' union accepted a two-year wage freeze in exchange for no layoffs, Walker outlined a budget calling for 3% pay cuts, furloughs, pension and health-benefit cutbacks, and replacing 222 county housekeeping, security, social worker and computer technician workers with lower-paid private workers.” [Isthmus, 11/20/2009]