Tuesday, April 7, 2009

A True Public Servant

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being one of the people that went with Zach and his daughter to Lobby Day in Madison.

While there, I had the chance to sit and talk with Senator Tim Carpenter, and express my concerns about Wisconsin's and Milwaukee's futures both as a union member and as my own self. This was despite the fact that he would be late getting to Milwaukee for the public budget hearing which was held at State Fair Park.

Last week I received a lovely letter from Senator Carpenter thanking me for my time to come out and talk to him.

Now I learn, via folkbum, that he is opposed to the expansion of I-94 from Milwaukee to the state line:
State Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) said Tuesday he will try to pass a law that would prevent the Department of Transportation from expanding I-94 in Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties.

"Reconstruction of the freeway is needed; expansion is not," Carpenter said in a press release.

The department has begun preliminary work on widening I-94 from six to eight lanes from southern Milwaukee County to the Illinois border. The total project will cost about $1.9 billion, with about $200 million of that going toward the lane expansions.

Carpenter said the $200 million could be more wisely spent to create jobs. The project is funded primarily with state and federal gas taxes.

Senator Carpenter is truly a true public servant and a man that represents his constituents, and himself, well.

2 comments:

  1. Carpenter's one of the good ones...you're lucky to have him representing you.

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  2. I agree with you on this one. Unless something has changed in the past 3 years, the drive from Southern Milwaukee County to the State line is a pretty easy drive, unless there is an accident.
    I think they are throwing a bone to the road construction companies if they are going to do this. I would not even support reconstruction, unless something is in bad shape.
    And Carpenter seems like a good guy, as he has shown independence in the past.

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