Political grandstanding and the Hoan Bridge

In a press release issued yesterday, State Sen. Jeff Plale and State Rep. Chris Sinicki announced they are sending a letter to federal representatives asking for funding to stabilize safety issues on the Hoan Bridge portion of I-794. Due to a crumbling roadway, it was recently announced netting would be installed to catch dangerous debris falling from the bridge, and in response, Rep. Sinicki and Sen. Plale are requesting that a portion of the $810 million in stimulus funding designated for the Madison-to-Milwaukee high speed rail project be diverted to re-decking the Hoan Bridge or that other federal funding be secured to make the necessary repairs. In speaking about the request, Sen. Plale said, “This isn’t about wish-lists or wants. This is about needs. Thousands of our constituents cross that bridge everyday. It is a vital link between the South Shore and downtown. There is a very immediate need to fix the Hoan Bridge.”

James Rowen of The Political Environment has an excellent take on the press release issued by Rep. Sinicki and Sen. Plale, noting:

Road-building has gotten virtually all Wisconsin’s transportation (sic) budgeting forever: there is no relationship between fixing the Hoan and planning high speed rail.

Would they be asking for a rail repair from highway construction dollars if the circumstances were reversed?

I didn’t think so.

Over at Playground Politics, the Recess Supervisor has a slightly harsher take on the press release:

Nothing is more annoying than politicians who play the “oh look, I tried” angle.

Sinicki and Plale go out and demand that money that’s designated for a specific purpose be re-appropriated to an unrelated project by a level of government that neither serves in. “Oh look, I tried,” they tell their constituents, knowing full well that what they’re asking for isn’t possible in the first place. The only way you’re getting this money for the Hoan Bridge is if you run a train on it.

And in the harshest response yet, County Supervisor Chris Larson, who’s also challenging Sen. Plale in the Democratic primary in the 7th Senate District, blasted Sen. Plale’s press release as a political stunt:

“People in Milwaukee County have waited far too long to see the Hoan Bridge re-decked. Now, our legislators are turning a real problem into a political stunt instead of finding a real, viable solution. Netting and far-fetched schemes are a joke, not the answer. It was bad enough when the DOT studied tearing down an artery that families in my neighborhood use everyday – now, legislators are trying to grab headlines with a scheme that would require a sign-off by the President of the United States, Congress, the Governor, and the State legislature. You’d have a better chance at solving the problem using the money the Brewers had to pay Jeff Suppan to stop pitching. It’s not going to happen.

Inaction on this issue is unacceptable. Local leaders and citizens have taken part in a strong push to keep the Hoan alive. We have been demanding change in how we treat infrastructure funding and upkeep of vital pieces of our community like the Hoan bridge. Let’s focus on the real priorities of our neighborhoods. It’s time for leadership for a change. We need solutions, not stunts.”

To be honest, I’m shocked County Supervisor Pat Jursik didn’t join Sen. Plale and Rep. Sinicki in sending out their letter, given how staunch a supporter she’s been of redecking the Hoan Bridge. Then again, perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised, given the fact that Supervisor Jursik would probably rather institute toll roads in order to pay for redecking the Hoan.