McDonell on Rail Referendum

McDonell: Vote No on Phony Rail Referendum. Or Don’t.

There’s a lot at stake next Tuesday. We’ll go to the polls to choose our next governor, a U.S. Senator and Congressional Representative. These are serious times, and our elections should be taken seriously.

That’s why I’m disappointed that conservatives and Tea Party types are playing games on your ballot.

Many communities in Dane County will have a question on the ballot asking whether a half-percent sales tax should fund commuter rail from Middleton to the Town of Burke.

Let me be perfectly clear: you should vote no. Or yes. Or skip the question entirely. It doesn’t matter, because this referendum is a fake.

It has nothing to do with Regional Transit Authority. A “Yes” vote does not mean rail will be built, and a “No” vote doesn’t mean it won’t be built. They’re playing games with your vote.

In the future, voters will face a real choice on whether and how to support a full suite of real transit solutions that could include regional buses, express buses, commuter rail, special transit for the elderly and people with disabilities, and other options.

But they don’t want you to know that. They want to pass this fake referendum and then point at it and say, “See, told ya so, people don’t want commuter rail.”

The fact is, no one has proposed using a half-percent sales tax to fund commuter rail by itself. And no one really wants that to happen.

So let’s let them have their little fake referendum. I urge you to join me in voting for responsible, serious progressive candidates like Tom Barrett, Russ Feingold, Tammy Baldwin and Trish O’Neill. Go ahead and join Nancy Mistele and the rest of the Tea Party crowd and vote “no” on the phony commuter rail referendum. Or vote yes. Or skip that one. It really doesn’t matter.

And in the future, when they’re playing the “told ya so” game, those of us who take public policy seriously can move forward with real transit solutions.

Scott McDonell serves as Chair of the Dane County Board of Supervisors and is a candidate for Dane County Executive.

I like the urging people to vote no . . . cuz its all non-sense. If I could vote, I think that is what I would do.