Chairman Bob Likes Transit

Chairman Bob of Roundy's issues a carefully-worded statement.

On behalf of the nearly 7,400 employees we represent, we wish to express the important role regional transportation plays in our economic future. We are committed to ensuring dedicated funding for a balanced regional transit system and encouraging our business colleagues to do the same.

Umnnnhhhhh...."regional transportation"? That's curious.

We represent two of southeastern Wisconsin’s largest institutions and provide critical services to thousands of local residents on a daily basis. We understand that a fully-funded transit infrastructure impacts our clients, customers, business, and the economic climate in southeastern Wisconsin. We have hundreds of employees that use buses to get to work every day, however that number continues to decrease as the bus system disintegrates. Continued cuts to the system impair our employees’ ability to get to work and our clients’ and customers’ ability to get critical services and products.

OK. Roundy's employees use the bus to get to work, and Roundy's customers use the bus to shop. THAT is empirically provable. No question about it. I get it.

But exactly how does "regional" (read: the KRM) transit fit that picture?

Frankly, I don't know anyone who lives in Milwaukee wants to shop at a food store in Kenosha. And I don't think that Roundy's can find too many of its employees who live in Kenosha and work at the Pick'N'Save on 124th/Capitol.

Yes, there are plenty of highly-paid executives and managers who commute from Chicago to Milwaukee---just like Chairman Bob does---but the key phrase there is "highly paid." One doesn't commute 60+ miles one-way for a $12.00/hour grocery clerk job. Chairman Bob certainly wouldn't.

So yes, let's "see that a politically and economically sound funding source for transit is implemented" as the Chairman says.

But don't try to spray the KRM foofoodust into the 'worker/shopper' equasion.

HT: FoxPolitics