Local labor, business groups support commuter service
BY JOE POTENTE

© Kenosha News

June 20, 2007

A pair of pre-eminent local labor and
business groups are united in their support for the
Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail proposal. At its meeting
Tuesday, the Kenosha County AFL-CIO Central Labor Council endorsed the
KRM, with the caveat that the umbrella labor organization would
strongly oppose any increase in the sales tax to fund the train. Last
month, the board of the Kenosha Area Business Alliance offered its
unanimous support for the rail proposal, its lone consideration being
that property tax money not cover the local costs of the $198 million
rail line, which would be funded largely by federal sources. AFL-CIO
Central Labor Council president Ronald J. Frederick said his
organization believes the KRM is a muchneeded service for the area, as
Americans have grown reliant on their cars and the foreign oil that
powers them. KRM would use existing tracks to link Kenosha, Racine and
Milwaukee with several stops in between and connections to
Chicago-bound Metra trains. "I think it's something
that's been needed," Frederick said Wednesday. When the
KABA board reconfirmed its support for KRM last month, it stressed the
mobility of the region's work force and the potential for
economic development that commuter rail could create. Karl Ostby, the
chairman of the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Transit Authority and
a member of the KABA board, said the labor/management coalition for
the train is interesting. He added that the Kenosha AFL-CIO is not the
first labor organization to join the plethora of business interests
that are supporting KRM; Ostby said some Milwaukeebased unions have
already signed on. "I think this is just an incredible economic
development tool to the region, and I just see it giving so much more
access to the jobs," Ostby said. "I think this is a great
place to live if you commute to the Chicago market or the Milwaukee
market." Both local groups' appeals are aimed at the
Wisconsin Legislature, which must approve a local funding mechanism in
order for KRM to move forward. In making its endorsement, the AFL-CIO
group offered support for the transit authority-backed plan to hike a
current $2 rental car fee to $15 per rental transaction. The fee is
charged in Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee counties. That funding scheme
would generate slightly more than the estimated $4.23 million needed
annually to cover local operating and bonding costs. While it failed
to pass the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee as part of
the 2007-09 state budget, Democrats are expected to try inserting it
into the state Senate's budget package. While some legislative
Republicans have bemoaned adding any kind of tax or fee increase to
the budget, Frederick said he believes the rental car provision is
fair. A loophole in the proposal would exempt the fee from
"service rentals," when a local resident rents a car
because his vehicle is being repaired. "You know what
we're talking about?" Frederick said.
"We're talking about probably 80 percent of the people
who rent cars are coming here from out of town."