Wisconsin is going through the same issues as Ohio, with a new Governor who isn’t interested in connecting his two largest cities by passenger rail, with additional connections to the two largest economies in the Midwest – Chicago and Minneapolis.
Madison businesses are unhappy. Where do Ohio businesses stand? Do they care one way or the other? I’m asking, because I don’t know. In all the reports I’ve read about the plan to connect Ohio’s largest cities with inter-city passenger rail, I don’ t remember seeing anything about any businesses, business groups, or chambers of commerce voicing either support or opposition for the 3C rail plan. It’s possible I’ve not seen something or forgotten though, so I’d be interested to hear if there are any major corporations asking the Governor-Elect to re-think this.
Business leaders in Milwaukee, Madison differ on train
By Jason Stein of the Journal Sentinel
Nov. 10, 2010Madison – Business leaders in Madison are trying to keep alive a proposed $810 million passenger rail line between the state’s two largest cities, but so far they’re getting little public support from business leaders on the other end of the tracks in Milwaukee.
It has some good quotes too:
Imhoff, the chief executive officer of First Weber Group, a statewide real estate agency based in Madison, said he feels that opponents of the rail line are giving up potentially large economic development benefits to avoid the costs of operating the line.
“To me it’s like somebody giving you $500,000 for a new home and you complaining that you have to pay real estate taxes,” Imhoff said.
Kevin Conroy, president and chief executive officer of the Madison biotech company Exact Sciences Corp., said the connection beyond Milwaukee is critical.
“Chicago is a very significant economy in the Midwest, and we want to be connected to it in a world where being connected accentuates growth,” said Conroy, who added that he would personally take the train on his regular business trips to Chicago.
Dick Granchalek, president of the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce, said the Chicago-to-Minneapolis train line has been a top priority for his chamber for a decade.
“It’s a shortsighted approach,” he said of opposition to the line. “Throughout history, transportation has been the crux of development, whether that was the river in La Crosse, the interstate, freight lines or airports.”
Watertown Mayor Ron Krueger said his community expects that its property tax base would grow by $20 million to $25 million because of development around a planned train station. He said that potential growth would far outweigh whatever Watertown has to spend on operating the station.
“We cannot turn down this opportunity to participate in one of the greatest gifts to come our way in a long time,” Krueger said at a Milwaukee news conference. “If we turn this down, I think we will be the laughingstock of the nation.”
[...] two years in prison for conspiring with convicted Columbus area home builder Thomas more… Where do Businesses Stand on 3C Train? « Xing Columbus – xingcolumbus.wordpress.com 01/01/1970 Imhoff, the chief executive officer of First Weber [...]
The Wisconsin Democracy Report (Google News via canadianbusiness.com) indicates that Wisconsin governor elect Walker recieved about half of the entire $190,000 contributed by Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association ($109,000 plus $25,000 to the Republican Governors Association) while the Democratic candidate Tom Barrett recieved just $11,250. Forget the Ohio predilection for simple things to say (Fox fair and balanced News, or the ads paid by the Koch brothers.) Status quo interests are not only road contractors, but include every schmuck that just fixed his slurpee machine because as they say in real estate: it’s about location, location, location. Enthusiasts of public transit, green living, sustainable agriculture and human exuberance need to weigh in with their wallets and live where transit service already exists so as to move those amorphous economic interests towards the good column. Incidentally, does such an election finance reporting organisation exist in beautiful Ohio?
I think they are. How many people have already moved from Ohio to Chicago, New York, Boston, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, etc… ? People leave Ohio for many reasons, but the quality of life in larger urban areas with more walkable places and decent transit is almost certainly one of them.
Here’s a question for any Ohioans living out of state such as myself. Do you want to move back? If so, would you even consider moving back if you didn’t have family in Ohio?
My answers to these questions are “Maybe” and “No.”
Sorry to be perceived as inexact but I was referring to neighborhoods of Columbus (per the 30 minute map) which already provide an acceptable level of transit service and whose retail concerns represent potential political allies. If you’re asking the question: Where Do Businesses Stand On 3-C Train, or public transit in general? I should think the answer is a matter of listing businesses patronised by transit customers as opposed to those concerns not frequented by those same customers, be they employers, retailers or landords (follow the money, economic determinism and all that). Anyways, is anyone familiar with political contributions reported for the last election regarding Kasich and the Republican Party for Ohio highway contractors?
Now that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has been told he can’t use rail money for highways, he is open to redirecting it to other rail projects. However, he still doesn’t want the train to go to Madison, because that would be like admitting he was wrong, which would be very embarrassing.
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Maybe Kaisch will take a page from this book and allow the Cleveland to Chicago line to be upgraded. That of course hasn’t been approved by the feds though like the 3C line.
Urban businesses likely are in favor, but I’m sure many will keep following the highways since that’s the incentive that’s being given. Whatever form is being subsidized is going to be the one that gets the most favorable reaction. In Columbus, I’m sure that existing inesses near Downtown would have liked it, but like you said I didn’t hear them make any noise about this issue. Finally, to answer your question with another question regarding several blighted business districts in/near the cores of our cities: what businesses?
I wasn’t thinking small businesses. I was thinking the big ones with the political pull. Banks like Key, PNC, Fifth Third, Huntington, and others like Nationwide, AEP, etc… I was hoping they might lean on Kasich, tell him they need this to improve employee recruitment and retention. I thought he might listen to them. No such luck though.
As a resident of Tampa, I’m happy that – as a result of the decision to turn down these funds – more money will be going to our Florida High Speed rail project. I’m looking forward to to taking the bullet train to Orlando and Miami
Where were these people when the 3C needed support?
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