A Disappointing Jim Stingl Column

I thought Stingl was smarter than this.

Dude...really...most of us voted for Walker to kill the train.  There is no empirical evidence the train will "create thousands of jobs" over the long term. It will create a number of construction jobs that might be of more use fixing the crumbling existing infrastructure, but any long-term jobs will more likely be in the 100's. Further, the $810 million isn't going to build the project.  It might purchase right-of-way, but that will be just about all.

But the biggest issue I have with the train is this:  I can get in my car and go where I want when I want; I don't need anyone's OK (except maybe Deekawife 3.0).  On a train, I need a ticket, ID (thanks, Patriot Act), probably a search and who knows what else.  The conspiracy theorist in me says this is just a means to attempt to control the movement of the population.

We have trains.  We've HAD trains.  There is no indication this will be true "high speed".  There is no indication there is an extensive ridership for it.  The economic, but more importantly the political hurdles to building said train are enormous, especially when one begins to destroy habitat and buy up land belonging to Lefties in Madison.  Want to build it?  Get committments from property owners first, then perform the Environmental Impact Study, then come back with a REAL number for construction $$$$$$$$$$$.  in the meantime, Stingl has nothing.