Transportation Matters
with Craig Thompson
July 2013
07/25/13No fat cats in these planes: Demonizing ‘corporate’ jets is counterproductive and unfairBad optics. That is the en vogue way to describe the scene in 2008 when Americans feared an economic meltdown and the CEOs of Chrysler, GM, and Ford arrived in D.C. on their respective companies’ corporate jets to advocate for a taxpayer bailout. In these days of the 24-hour news cycle, not much gets missed, and “optics,” especially “bad optics,” can gain a life of its own. I am sure Rick Wagoner of GM, Alan Mulally of Ford, and Robert Nardelli of Chrysler never contemplated for a nanosecond that their method of arrival to testify before Congress would become such a lightning rod. But it did. |
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07/01/13Seeing orange: A fresh perspective on those pesky barrelsSummer has arrived. This is not a time for serious introspection or analysis. And you certainly will not find it in this blog post. Summer is a time for all things frivolous and fun, right? The kids are home from school. That’s fun, right? Right? Mosquitos are out in full force. The Brewers are … well … trying their best. Those old familiar orange barrels are back out lining our streets and highways. Wait a minute. This isn’t sounding fun or frivolous at all, is it? |
Craig Thomspon is the executive director of the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin. Founded in 1971, the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin promotes the vitality and safety of the state's transportation system, including public transit systems, public-use and general-aviation airports, railroads, commercial ports, and roads. Thompson also serves as secretary for the referendum committee Vote Yes for Transportation. 
