Public hearing Dec. 3
To the Editor:
It appears that Wisconsin and Southern Railroad is not providing a Santa Claus train this holiday season for the children of Plymouth. Could it be that they’ve finally gotten the message that we citizens of Plymouth don’t want to go down the same irresponsible fiscal route that our state of Wisconsin has traveled?
Our state has been ranked No. 10 among the most financially troubled states in the union. We now join the ranks of California, Florida, Michigan, etc. for that distinction. There will be no Santa Claus to bail any of us out.
Do you remember Gov. Jim Doyle’s announcement of seven grants worth $27,213,138 to cover 80 percent of rail-line rehabilitation in our state?
We’re just one of those grants, and it approximates $13 million of the $16 million needed to restore the rail line. The remaining 20 percent of approximately $3 million will be picked up by the city of Plymouth by charging $10 a boxcar if there are enough boxcars coming for industries that may come to our industrial park.
Also, we will need to amend our current TIF 4 district arrangement by adding approximately $9 million for safety crossings, heavy-duty road construction, another electric sub-station, and whatever else potential industry in the district might demand. Remember in TIF 4, we already have $33 million of indebtedness to be paid off over a period of 23 years according to state law. All the property taxes collected from industry in the district will go to pay off this debt. These taxes will not go to finance our schools or other jurisdiction for 23 years. This is not fiscally responsible in these difficult economic times.
Let’s show financial wisdom rather than taking on more debt. In fact, let’s send the $13 million in grant money back to the state treasury. It appears there are many more emergency projects like the crumbling Milwaukee Zoo interchange, which carries 350,000 vehicles a day that could use the money. We don’t need to rehabilitate a 25-year-old inactive railroad because we have some “pie in the sky” vision.
Remember to attend the Thursday, Dec. 3, meeting of the Planning Commission at 7 p.m. in City Hall. A public hearing will be held where you can express your views, before the regularly scheduled meeting to discuss this important issue.
Jean Hamm
