Killing the KRM

On the front page of the Kenosha News today was another story on the KRM.

I had already heard from one of our state legislators that this was going to happen, but it is good to finally see it in print.

Another tax is being proposed to jump start the KRM. A tax of .35 cents for every one hundred dollars.

Only this tax would have to pass a referendum in each and every single municipality that the KRM affects.

A funding plan that could aid the proposed Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail line would involve a new sales tax — but only if voters approve it in local referendums.

This could get interesting.

I 100% agree that the KRM and it's tax needs to be taken directly to the voters of each community.

What we do not read in this article is that if the tax referendum fails in any single community-does that mean the KRM is dead?

What if the tax referendums fail in half the communities? How are they going to pay for the entire project?

Does the entire county and each municipality have to pass the referendum? The reason I ask this question is simple. There is plenty of shopping at car dealerships and shopping malls in Pleasant Prairie and Bristol. Why not drive 30 seconds up the road and buy the really big ticket items in their locations? Would you hire a contractor based in Kenosha to work on your house, or hire someone with a business in Pleasant Prairie?

Okay-say the tax referendum does need to pass in all of the county's communities-Why would anyone from Wheatland or Randall(Kenosha County) even bother passing this tax referendum? They do not benefit a whole lot by having a rail line in downtown Kenosha. It would take them almost an hour just to drive to the downtown train station in Kenosha. They would then sit on the train for about 45 minutes to get to downtown Milwaukee(depending on the stops). They would then have to hop on the bus to get out to Miller Park or whatever they are visiting. That would take another hour. Total travel time is about 2 hours and 45 minutes. It would only take them an hour and fifteen minutes if they drove themselves- and it would probably cost them less in gas than what it would cost in travel fees on the train and bus.

Imagine if you will- what if the tax referendum failed in Kenosha? Would you just have a Racine-Milwaukee commuter line?

As I said before, if you are going to charge the people living in Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee for this rail line- doesn't it make sense to at the very least give the people the opportunity to decide if they want the KRM?

We have seen business, such as Johnson Wax and Tax, are fully supportive of having that rail line run through their front yards.

How about the people that live in these communities? Do they want the train rumbling through their front yards?

Now it is time to see if the people want it!!!

The KRM folks are really excited that the Republicans in the legislature might actually get behind the bill that would require tax referendums.

Eggleston said this appeals to legislative Republicans who have balked at the idea of creating new sales taxes without voter approval. Rep. Robin Vos, R-Caledonia, who led a fight against a previously proposed 650 percent rental car fee increase to fund KRM, said he approves of the alliance plan.

Hey Rep. Vos- I fully support this idea too!

Hmm, I wonder why?