WITH DEBBY JACKSON
Wisconsin, like other states, has grappled with how to fund transportation for more than a decade. Earlier this year, the governor put forward a plan that would begin to address some of Wisconsin’s most urgent transportation challenges and cost the average motorist less than $4 a month.
Over time, the cost of most things goes up — food, clothing, rent. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and their Consumer Price Index (CPI), it takes about $1.25 today to buy what $1 would get you in 2006.
Wisconsinites are increasingly willing to “Just Fix It” and support a reasonable investment in transportation. This idea is counter to the narrative put forward by some who say while people may not like the condition of the roads on which they drive every day, they don’t want to pay more to fix them.
While much of the discussion about the poor condition of Wisconsin’s road network has centered on funding in recent years, the less covered story is the lack of planning.
There are precious few legislators from either house who don’t express, in clear terms, that Wisconsin’s current transportation revenue is inadequate to meet current needs, but in the end nothing changes.
Now that 2017 is in the rearview mirror, it is time to look back on what was a wild ride when it came to transportation funding in the state of Wisconsin. Google Maps could not possibly have mapped this route.
For years I have read surveys conducted by national site selection magazines that regularly ask CEOs across the country to rank factors for choosing where to locate, and “access to highways” is consistently the most important or second most important factor.
It took less than 10 days after enactment of the state budget for the first transportation casualty to surface.
There is a noteworthy project going on right now to celebrate and, more importantly, learn from the 14-year term of Governor Tommy G. Thompson.
The Village of Pleasant Prairie just chalked up yet another win. The announcement that German candy maker Haribo is opening its first North American candy factory in Pleasant Prairie is another hugely impressive accomplishment for this village with a population of a little over 20,000 people.
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Debby Jackson assumed the role of executive director of the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin after more than 15 years with the organization. In addition to her vast experience in association management and transportation advocacy, Jackson has a background in business. She leverages the breadth and depth of her professional experience, along with her knowledge of the membership and mission of TDA, to be a strong voice for robust transportation infrastructure in Wisconsin. Jackson started her career as a staff auditor with Price Waterhouse, which led to a series of accounting and corporate management positions with a major national retailer.
