WALKER'S TRANSIT PERFIDY SHOVELED TO NEW DEPTHS

CITY OBLIGED TO SHOVEL COUNTY BUS STOPS FOR FREE

WALKER REFUSES TO REIMBURSE

BECAUSE SHELTERS HAVE "CITY-ISSUED PERMITS"

DPWs COLE CALLS POLICY "CIRCUITOUS" --

-- "CROOKED" IS MORE LIKE IT

Special to the Readers of Milwaukeeworld.com 

By Michael Horne

And The Milwaukee World Hound Dog Team

Anybody who suspects that Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker keeps his budget lean by transferring his legal responsibilities to other taxing jurisdictions will find disturbing proof in the proceedings of the City of Milwaukee Public Works Committee at its hearing of Wednesday, December 9th, 2009.

Committee chairman Ald. Bob Bauman hauled in personnel from the Department of Public Works to give a communication relative to preparations it has undertaken for the 2009 - 2010 snow season. [File 091097]

During the hearing, it was revealed that city contractors provide snow removal at County bus shelters within the city limits, even though it is explicitly the responsibility of the county. [You can follow this colloquoy on video starting at 141:32.]

Alderman Robert Puente: "It's Milwaukee County's responsibility, but we're not getting any type of compensation for it. Is that correct?"

DPW: "That is correct."

Alderman Puente: "And what have we done since last year to be reimbursed by Milwaukee County for our efforts and labors?"

Chairman Bauman: [aside] "We've urged the Mayor to run for Governor, that's one thing. [Laughter]

Preston Cole, DPW: "We have had some conversation and their perspective is the City of Milwaukee permits these shelters. If we didn't want those shelters, we could stop permitting them in the right-of-way. ... It's our citizens who use those shelters and it is to their benefit that we have them there. It is their [the county's] opinion that if we don't want them there, stop permitting them there. Then we don't have to take care of them."

Alderman Puente: "Then nobody's going to be using their buses. It's contradictory." 

Preston Cole: "It's very circuitous, but our perspective is, we're going to take care of them. We're not going to wait for them. We're going to get more calls, and you're going to get more calls. We have do do them."

Alderman Puente: "Well then we should be compensated for those things." 

So, there you go. Rooted in his absurd premise, and ungrounded by any legal principles, Scott Walker absolves himself of the financial responsibility of providing a safe place for citizens to wait for and board county buses and transfers the responsibility to the city and its taxpayers.

The take-it-or-leave-it approach regarding bus service is further evidence of Walker's disdain for public transit, as well as for The Public.

But why stop there?

Walker should forbid using County Health Department employees at hospitals and health facilities in the city. That could save a fortune. After all, the city issues permits for hospitals (for example this Temporary Occupancy Permit for the new Columbia St. Mary's Hospital). So why not make the City of Milwaukee Health Department take over the county's work with the hospitals -- and pay for it.

And if the city doesn't want to do so, why the city just doesn't have to go around issuing occupancy permits for hospitals.

So there!

--Michael Horne

I checked the City of Wauwatosa and found it, too, expects the County to maintain its bus shelters, yet the County does not. --Ed.