Tuesday, November 13 2007, 10:32

by Steve Schultze

Walker budget vetoes cut $9 million 

Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker today issued budget vetoes that cut nearly $3 million for parks, $2 million for courts and $1.2 million for alcohol and drug abuse programs.

He also rejected a 4% pay increase for county supervisors, saying it was a last-minute budget addition by the board that gave the public no chance to weigh in. And Walker cut $2 million the board had earmarked for a rainy-day fund and trimmed several other pet programs of supervisors, such as $200,000 for youth athletics.

In all, Walker’s vetoes chop some $9 million in spending from the County Board-passed budget, bringing it back to nearly the same $241 million tax levy figure for 2008 that Walker had initially proposed in September.

In many cases, the cuts Walker made were in areas the board had plugged holes with county property tax levy to make up for reduced state or federal funding. Walker said it was important to hold the line on local increases in those instances.

To “backfill” with property tax levy in those cases would remove leverage the county might have in trying to lobby for restoration of state and federal funding, Walker said.

Walker did not disturb the $3 million in funding for bus and paratransit service added by the board, which restored bus routes that otherwise would have been trimmed and eliminated some fare increases that Walker had proposed. That was possible because of an unexpected extra $3.2 million in state transit aid included in the state budget.

His vetoes shouldn’t be taken as a sign he’s at war with the County Board, Walker said in his veto message.
“I am battling against the reality that Milwaukee County finds itself in a fight to keep businesses and families from leaving because our taxes are too high,” he said.

He pledged to work with Circuit Court Judge Kitty Brennan, the county’s chief judge, and the County Board in lobbying the state to increase court funding. Meanwhile, the $2 million courts funding cut could force trims that Brennan has told Walker and the board are unacceptable.

The County Board will take up the vetoes on Wednesday and needs 13 votes, or a two-thirds majority, to override them.

Board reverses budget cuts

County spending plan would raise taxes 3.7%, restore funds for parks, transit

By STEVE SCHULTZE
sschultze@journalsentinel.com

Posted: Nov. 5, 2007

The Milwaukee County Board on Monday restored proposed cuts to parks staffing, public transit funding and drug treatment spending by decisive margins, adopting a $1.34 billion budget that would raise property taxes by 3.7% next year.

The budget would restore some $9 million in items cut by County Executive Scott Walker, who has proposed six consecutive budgets that sought to hold the property tax levy to the previous year’s level. Supervisors said the increases they inserted are needed to maintain the social safety net and protect vulnerable citizens.

The vote on the overall budget was 14-5, with Supervisors Mark Borkowski, Paul Cesarz, Dan Devine, Joseph Rice and Jim “Luigi” Schmitt voting against it. That margin is veto-proof – assuming at least 13 of those who backed the budget stand by their votes in a veto showdown.

Schmitt said he was voting the wishes of residents of his Wauwatosa district who “feel they are taxed enough.”

Despite the solid majority in favor of the added spending, Walker threatened to veto the board’s entire increase.

Walker promised to veto the budget down to a 0% increase, saying he may find some creative ways to do so.

Walker urged taxpayers to call their county supervisors to support paring back the board’s levy increase.

He said he was heartened by the public opposition to Milwaukee Public Schools’ proposed double-digit levy increase last week.

The board is to take up Walker’s vetoes Nov. 14.

Next year’s county property tax levy would rise to $250 million with the County Board’s $9 million boost over Walker’s budget plan. The proposed $3.88 per $1,000 tax rate would mean a $6.19 property tax increase next year for the owner of a Milwaukee home valued at $150,000, if the board’s action stands.

“We’ve got a guy upstairs who thinks zero, zero, zero – no matter what,” Supervisor Roger Quindel said of Walker, whose courthouse office is one floor up from supervisors. Walker forced the County Board to repair overly harsh and unrealistic trims, Quindel said.

County Board Chairman Lee Holloway called the budget “about the best we could do right now,” given Walker’s cuts and other constraints.

Supervisor pay rate increase included

The budget includes a 4% pay raise for county supervisors that would take effect after the April election, raising supervisor pay to $52,080 next year and $52,704 in 2009. The increase passed 12-7 – one vote shy of a veto-proof majority.

Walker hinted he will veto the pay raise, calling its inclusion in the budget an unprecedented and unwise move. Holloway, who sponsored the amendment for the pay increase, said it was deserved and would be the first in more than seven years.

If no raise is approved by Dec. 1, supervisors’ pay would remain frozen at $50,679 through 2012.

Points of disagreement

In contrast to some recent budgets, the full board essentially rubber-stamped the changes made by the board’s finance committee over the past month and softened many of Walker’s cuts.

His plan to cut 81 park worker positions was shelved, as was his corresponding idea of hiring more summer seasonal help to plug the gap. That was one of the costliest increases made by the board at $1.9 million. The board went along with Walker’s plan to hire 12 new park bicycle patrols – part-time summer help to monitor the busiest parks.

The board reversed more than $3 million in cuts to transit, including shortening of several bus routes and eliminating a proposed 75-cents-a-ride increase in Transit Plus rides for people with disabilities. That would keep the paratransit fare at $3.25 a ride. The board ratified Walker’s 25-cents increase in bus fares, raising them to $2 a ride – one of the highest fares in the country. Adult and student weekly bus passes won’t rise, however.

An additional $3.2 million in state transit aid approved by the Legislature after Walker submitted his budget should be used to avoid cuts or fare increases proposed by Walker, supervisors said.

The board agreed on restoring $600,000 to partially make up for the loss of federal money for drug treatment programs; another $302,000 for drug and alcohol abuse prevention programs; and $280,000 to keep the 211 hotline, which provides social program referrals.

The board let stand Walker’s plan to increase spending on mental health by some $2.7 million, including $1 million to help private developers build more housing and $1.3 million for extra staff at the Mental Health Complex in Wauwatosa. Those moves were spurred by Journal Sentinel articles disclosing squalid living conditions for people with mental illness and the deaths of several people in the county’s care.

About $850,000 was restored by the board for court operations, and a new $1 million “inclusive housing fund” was approved with the money coming from proceeds of anticipated county land sales. The fund would help subsidize affordable housing.

The budget also includes a 75-cent increase in admission to the county zoo and a $1 increase in zoo parking.

The board also restored funding for University of Wisconsin Extension programs and the farm and fish hatchery at the House of Correction.

Supervisors warned that the budget still may be on shaky footing, in part because of its reliance on saving some $10 million next year on the county’s pension payment through refinancing its pension debt. The Legislature has not given the county the authority to issue 30-year pension bonds.

Do not fear Scott Walker’s veto:
STOP THE BUS CUTS AND FARE INCREASES!

Statement of the Milwaukee Transit Riders Union (www.transitridersunion.org):

October 29, 2007

The Transit Riders Union was founded earlier this year because we, as riders, were tired of a deteriorating bus system and politicians who have done little about it.  For too long, we’ve been dealing with fare increases cuts to service, and, with over 500 members and growing, our goal is to improve public transit in Milwaukee by giving riders a voice in the decision making process.

We believe, and stand side by side with the thousands who rely on the bus, that all service cuts and fare increases are unacceptable, and that if the public truly had a role in forming their county budget, these cuts wouldn’t happen.  The proposed fare increase will make life more difficult for all of us and this is why we will continue to fight the cuts and fare increases.

Furthermore, the proposed service cuts will cut many off from bus service, making it more difficult to get to work, school, or medical appointments. To be sure, cuts in service and increases in fares do not make long-term financial sense. They will make our bus system run less efficiently, as its cost per passenger and per mile will rise significantly as the number of passengers falls. The bus cuts and fare increases will the deepen the already appalling levels of racial, economic, and social injustice in our community.

We urge the County Board to show leadership and further amend the budget today and tomorrow, to remove all cuts in services and increases in fares because Milwaukee can’t afford anything else.

Thank you.

The Milwaukee Transit Riders Union

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Milwaukee Transit Riders Union (MTRU)
www.transitridersunion.org
(414) 273-9778

Join the Milwaukee Transit Riders Union and
Ride with us or Collide with us!

TRANSIT JUSTICE NOW!

*Please forward widely and be present*

RALLY FOR TRANSIT JUSTICE:
STOP THE BUS CUTS AND FARE INCREASES!

For too long, we’ve been dealing with fare increases cuts to service.  Now, County Executive Scott Walker has proposed raising bus fares to $2.00 – tied for highest in the nation. He also has proposed drastic reductions in routes, shortening some and eliminating others.

Milwaukee Transit Riders Union (MTRU)
www.transitridersunion.org
(414) 273-9778

Join the Milwaukee Transit Riders Union and
Ride with us or Collide with us!

October 2, 2007

Contact: Samuel Jensen (414) 273 9778, transitridersunion@gmail.com
Matt Nelson (414) 273 9778, mattnelson64@hotmail.com

Lying has no place in Government
Transit Riders Union not fooled by County Exec. Walker’s Budget

It may be okay in Scott Walker’s world to lie to the public about cuts to transit. But it’s not okay in ours. Please join us in calling on the members of the Milwaukee County Board to withdraw their support of Scott Walkers budget and restore funding for public transportation. Mr. Walker wants the public to believe that there will be no cuts and this is a lie.

We must stop Mr. Walker’s destructive fare increases and service cuts from entering the final 2008 Milwaukee County transit budget and it is critical that you call your County Board member and demand full funding for transit. You will be joined by the Milwaukee Transit Riders Union – over 500 and growing – bus riders from all across Milwaukee County in this fight.

To find your County Supervisor, visit: http://www.milwaukeecounty.org/CountyBoardofSupervi7708.htm or call (414) 278-4222 and ask to talk to your Supervisor.

“If every member of the County Board receives 100 letters and 500 phone calls from bus riders saying we have to stop the cuts, the crisis in public transit could be addressed, the final budget would be different, and our bus service restored.” Said Matt Nelson, organizer with the Milwaukee Transit Riders Union.

We’re hoping to get at least 100 people from each County Board district to send a letter to their representative along with at least 500 phone calls urging them to vote against Mr. Walker’s transit budget and instead improve service in next year’s final Milwaukee County Budget. We call for a significant increase in service, a freeze on fares, and a new organizational structure for the Milwaukee County Transit System that includes riders in the decision making process.

County Executive Walker’s 2008 proposed budget for transit still includes significant cuts in routes: 31,11, 12, 20, 19, 15, 80, 67, 27, 23, 35, 40, 49, and 55, as well as an increase in fares for adults, the elderly, young children, and the disabled. Half-price bus tickets would rise $1.50, and half-price cash fares would rise 15¢ to $1.00, causing significant financial strain to many elderly Milwaukee County residents on limited incomes. Transit Plus fares for disabled Milwaukee County residents would also be raised from $3.25 to $4.00. Regular cash adult fares would rise to $2.00 under Mr. Walker’s proposal, and Freeway Flyer fares would also rise to $2.50, an increase of 25¢.

These cuts and fare increases are an attack on our public well-being and will not be tolerated. They will increase the already appalling levels of racial, economic, and social injustice in our community, limiting lack of access to employment, and further destabilizing neighborhoods.

The Milwaukee Transit Riders Union is collecting signatures for a petition to show the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors that improved transit service is vital to our communities. The Transit Riders Union is also preparing a report to present the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors that will detail the stories of how individual county residents are affected by cuts in transit service as well as outline a series of recommendations for immediate action to improve the Milwaukee County Transit System.

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The Milwaukee Transit Riders Union meets every Saturday at 11:15 a.m. We meet at Brewing Grounds For Change Coffeeshop, 2008 N. Farwell Ave. on the East Side. We are transit riders committed to organizing other public transit riders to build a unified voice and movement for better public transportation in Greater Milwaukee. We are always looking for volunteers to help in the fight for dignified public transit that serves the needs of all Milwaukeeans. For more information, visit our website: www.transitridersunion.org , call (414) 273-9778, or write to MTRU: 2008 N. Farwell Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53202.

Brewing Grounds is accessible from MCTS Routes 15, 30, and 21. Route 30 stops southbound directly in front of the coffeeshop and northbound one block east at Prospect and Lafayette. Route 15 stops one block west at Oakland and Lafayette, and Route 21 stops along North Ave., 3 blocks to the north.

—
Milwaukee Transit Riders Union
2008 N Farwell Ave. Milwaukee WI 53202
(414) 273-9778
transitridersunion@gmail.com
www.transitridersunion.org

The Milwaukee Transit Riders Union has changed telephone numbers in order to be able to more efficiently respond to calls. The new telephone number is (414) 273 9778. It will be more regularly manned than the former number was. Calls to the former number (414) 921 5513 will no longer be answered.

the Milwaukee Transit Riders Union
2008 N. Farwell, Milwaukee, Wisc. 53202
tel.: (414) 273-9778

Independence First will be holding a rally in the Milwaukee County Courthouse to protest cuts to bus service and increases in fares. All interested in improved transit service in Milwaukee are encouraged to attend.

Join Us in a Rally to

Support Affordable and Reliable

Transportation Options that

Are Important to Milwaukee County

Residents

· Oppose Fare Increases for Paratransit and Bus Riders

· Oppose Any Bus Route Cutbacks

· Show Support for a Dedicated Funding Source for Our Transit System

When: Wednesday, September 26th

10:30 – 2:00

Where: The County Courthouse

901 North 9th Street, 3rd Floor

Accessible Entrance Located on 10th Street

We will meet on the third floor in front of the County Executive’s office. Please bring informational signs without handles. Signs with any type of sticks attached will not be allowed in the courthouse.

For More Information: Contact Autumn Manz

(414) 226-8387 (Direct Voice/Relay 711) amanz@independencefirst.org

Your efforts to stop cuts in transit service have made an impact but more action is still needed to stop all cuts and fare increases!

Walker wants bus fare boosted to $2

Proposal wouldn’t eliminate routes

By LARRY SANDLER
lsandler@journalsentinel.com

Posted: Sept. 17, 2007

Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker said Monday that he will recommend raising bus fare from $1.75 to $2 in his 2008 budget, but he won’t call for eliminating any bus routes or cutting back on paratransit service for the disabled.

It’s possible his budget will seek to shorten some Milwaukee County Transit System bus routes, Walker said, but he would be willing to work with the County Board to minimize service cuts as supervisors craft their version of the spending plan.

The basic bus fare would be the highest for any major U.S. public transit system, equaling the charge for bus and rail transit riders in Chicago, New York and Philadelphia. But Walker said preserving service is a higher priority than holding down prices.

Transit officials had proposed ending 13 bus routes, shortening 13 others and scaling back Transit Plus from its current countywide door-to-door service to the federal minimum standard, which is service within three-quarters of a mile of regular bus routes. Some bus routes would have been extended or restructured to cover a few areas that otherwise would have lost service.

Maintaining transit and paratransit service is crucial for residents to reach jobs and schools, Walker said. And during budget hearings, “people said overwhelmingly they wanted access to paratransit and no route eliminations,” he said, noting that sentiment came from employers as well as riders.

Reaction to Walker’s proposals was mixed, however, as riders expressed relief at the recommendation to keep service but dismay at the proposed fare increases, which include a boost from $3.25 to $4 for the Transit Plus vans for disabled riders.

“I’m glad he’s not making cuts, but I think it’s still an awfully big raise for a lot of people who can’t afford it,” said Arlene Conley, chairman of the county’s Transit Plus Advisory Council, which advocates for paratransit users. “That’s $1.50 round-trip.”

Matt Nelson, one of the organizers of the fledgling Milwaukee Transit Riders Union, was more outspoken.

“Any fare increases or cuts in service are unacceptable and will be fought by our membership,” now more than 400 strong, Nelson said. “A fare increase is a regressive tax and another example of Walker’s disregard for Milwaukee County residents.”

Walker said the fare increase would not affect the most loyal bus riders, because he is not seeking any change in weekly passes and sheets of 10 tickets. But he conceded those prices have risen $3 in two years, from $13 in 2005 to $16 now.

Some paratransit riders also receive free or discounted rides through various health care programs, Walker and Conley said.

If supervisors approve, this will be the eighth straight county budget to either cut bus service, raise fares or both. Walker and other local leaders are discussing creation of a regional transit authority that would take buses off the property tax, but they have yet to agree on a plan to present to the Legislature.

Riders had mobilized to protest after the transit system’s budget request became public. Nelson’s group launched a petition drive, Bay View residents staged weekly protest rides on targeted buses and disabled riders and their relatives pleaded their case in phone calls, letters and e-mails.

Transit officials said they proposed the cuts to meet Walker’s goal of holding the line on property taxes. But Walker said rising benefit costs and other factors also figured in the budget request.Nelson said his group’s efforts would now focus on supervisors. Walker is to present his budget Sept. 25, with board action in November.

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY***

August/23/2007

CONTACT:
Samuel Jensen (414) 405-6753, transitridersunion@gmail.com
Matt Nelson (414) 273-9777, mattnelson64@hotmail.com

Milwaukee Transit Riders Union (MTRU) position statement:
Democracy Missing from Walker’s RTA Plan

Milwaukee County executive Scott Walker has proposed a regional transportation authority to run all of the region’s bus systems, but forgot to include transit riders in his plans.

The Milwaukee Transit Riders Union supports the idea of regional co-operation in public transportation, however, we do not support transferring power in decision making from one body to another if that body is not democratically run and publicly accountable.

We believe that both the SEWISRTA and SEWRPC must undergo significant reform before either is in a position to control any of the Milwaukee area’s public bus systems. This reform must include proportional representation on the boards of both agencies based on the population of each individual county, representation from the larger cities in the region, also based on population, and the moving of both agencies’ offices from Pewaukee, where they are far removed from the center of the area’s population and inaccessible via public transportation, to the city of Milwaukee, where they can be accessed by bus riders. Both agencies must also develop plans for citizen oversight, such as citizen committee members or a people’s oversight commission, as well as public involvement in the planning process.

Access to good quality public transportation is a Civil Right and has a distinct impact on addressing racial, economic, and social inequality in our community. All Milwaukeeans deserve access to good quality public transportation and the ability to be active members in the planning of that system of public transportation. Only after that is achieved will we see serious improvements in the economic stability of our community.

For more information or to donate to the Milwaukee Transit Riders Union, visit our website: www.transitridersunion.org , call (414) 921-5513, or write to MTRU: 2008 N. Farwell Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53202.

The Milwaukee Transit Riders Union
2008 N. Farwell Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414)  921-5513
transitridersunion@gmail.com
www.transitridersunion.org

The Milwaukee Transit Riders Union meets every Saturday at 11:15 a.m. We meet at Brewing Grounds For Change Coffeeshop, 2008 N. Farwell Ave. on the East Side.  We are transit riders committed to organizing other public transit riders to build a unified voice and movement for better public transportation in Greater Milwaukee.

Brewing Grounds is accessible from MCTS Routes 15, 30, and 21. Rt. 30 stops southbound directly in front of the coffeeshop and northbound one block east at Prospect and Lafayette. Rt. 15 stops one block west at Oakland and Lafayette, and Rt. 21 stops along North Ave., 3 blocks to the north.

###

Bus plan meets protests

$2 fare would be tops in big cities; group calls service cuts attack on poor

By LARRY SANDLER
lsandler@journalsentinel.com

Posted: Aug. 5, 2007

Milwaukee County bus riders would pay the highest fares of any major U.S. transit system if the County Board approves a proposed 14% fare increase, figures show.

And if that fare increase is coupled with a proposed 13% service cut, riders would be paying more money for less service – a prospect that is drawing concerned passengers together in a new grass-roots movement to fight for the future of the bus system.

Among the nation’s 25 largest bus agencies, the Milwaukee County Transit System’s $1.75 basic cash fare is already higher than any other system that runs buses alone, according to figures from the American Public Transportation Association and individual transit systems. Only three big transit systems charge more, and all have rail networks that charge the same fares as their buses.

But if County Executive Scott Walker and supervisors raise the fare to $2, as transit managers recommend in their 2008 county budget request, the Milwaukee County bus fare would be tied for first place with bus and train fares in Chicago, New York and Philadelphia.

Of the seven biggest U.S. transit systems without light rail networks or heavy rail subway lines, the next highest fare after Milwaukee County’s is $1.50, for Chicago’s suburban Pace buses and Detroit’s city buses.

The transit system is seeking the fare increase and service cuts to meet Walker’s goal of holding the line on property taxes.

Unlike most of its counterparts across the nation, Milwaukee County’s bus system competes with other county agencies for property tax support.

Bus system spokeswoman Jacqueline Janz said the budget request demonstrates the need for a separate, dedicated source of funding for transit, something that elected officials have long debated but have yet to agree upon.

“Of course, proposing fare increases and route cuts is not what we want to do, but what we need to do in order to operate the system with the resources and funding available,” Janz said.

Public opposition

Higher fares and less service are not what the Milwaukee Transit Riders Union thinks the bus system needs. The 4-month-old group is rallying passengers against the proposals.

“We’re tired of the cuts in service, we’re tired of the cuts in funding, and we’re tired of the increases in fares,” riders union organizer Matt Nelson said. “The transit system is in a state of neglect and a state of deterioration.”

Nelson, the co-owner of Brewing Grounds for Change café, and Sam Jensen, a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee freshman, helped found the riders union in April, in response to a dire prediction from the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission. The planners warned that the transit system could face a 35% service cut by 2010 without new state or local funding.

“The idea of another 35 percent cut in service was just too much to bear,” said Jensen, of Shorewood. “We view these cuts as a direct attack on the poor people (who are) trying to get to work.”

In addition to rejecting the requested fare increase and service cuts, the riders union wants the County Board to freeze fares, restore services cut since 1998 and add express routes, Jensen said.

The group agrees a dedicated funding source is needed but is concerned that the latest County Board plan wouldn’t produce enough money to prevent future bus cuts, because revenue from the proposed 1% sales tax would be split among transit, parks, public safety and property tax relief, Jensen said. Walker has vowed to veto the board resolution calling for a referendum on the plan.

More than 250 people have already joined the riders union, which meets at the café, 2008 N. Farwell Ave., Jensen said.

The group is trying to gather testimonials to show the impact of service cuts and fare increases on riders, he said.

A separate organization, Bay View Matters, is calling for transit riders to protest cuts proposed for routes serving the south side neighborhood. Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic and group members wearing green plan to ride a Route 15 (Oakland Ave. to Kinnickinnic Ave.) bus in morning rush hour Monday.

Although the budget request calls for slicing Route 15 and eliminating Route 11 (Vliet St.), the transit system has proposed creating a new Route 11 that would include part of the old Route 11, and extending Route 55 (Layton Ave.) to replace the discontinued part of Route 15, Janz said. Creating the new Route 11 and extending three other routes also would replace some of the other routes and pieces of routes scheduled for elimination, she said.

Even with those changes, however, the budget request would still end regular Routes 28, 64 and 68, plus four Freeway Flyer routes, three school routes and an industrial park shuttle route, along with pieces of two other Flyer routes and at least eight regular routes.

The budget request also calls for raising the Freeway Flyer fare from $2.25 to $2.50.

Walker is reviewing the transit system request as he prepares to submit an overall budget to the board in September.

He has said he considers raising fares preferable to cutting routes.

Final budget action by the board is set for November.

link to article: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=642593