Why Was Madison Left Out of the Midwest Rail Boom?

Killing the train was really all about sticking it to Madison, denying a Democratic city a transportation option for tourists, students, business officials and university researchers.

Though some Amtrak improvements will take place in Wisconsin, Republican Scott Walker was not going to allow out-going Democratic Governor Jim Doyle to get any credit, or Madison receive any economic benefit from modern train service.

Walker instead bowed to his right-wing, suburban talk radio base and succeeded in getting Wisconsin's $810 million in federal funding won by Doyle from the Obama administration pushed to other states.

Sacrificed for right-wing politics: thousands of construction jobs, a Milwaukee-based train assembly and repair factory, and an extension of the Chicago-Milwaukee "Hiawatha" Amtrak line to Madison.

That extension was to be a segment of the planned Midwest regional high-speed system - - but Walker used the issue as a campaign cudgel against cities, Democrats and even Doyle even though Doyle was not on the ballot.

Light rail, commuter tail, Amtrak rail - - it's the same partisan, anti-urban dog whistle, even though the stance costs the state commerce and employment.