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Support for a permanent Regional Transit Authority (RTA) in SE Wisconsin and
Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee (KRM) Commuter Rail

As of May 10, 2009   

Provided by Transit NOW, Coalition for Advancing Transit, WisPIRG, and Launch Milwaukee

Local government groups:

• Milwaukee County Board
• Supporting the full RTA recommendations contingent upon support from Racine and Kenosha Counties and the appointment of additional members to the RTA
• Milwaukee Common Council
• In favor of a 0.5% sales tax increase for transit and KRM
• Kenosha County Board
• Supports and encourages Governor Doyle to seek federal funds for the KRM project
• Racine County Board
• Supports the creation of an RTA, with reservations
• Racine Common Council
• Unanimously supports the recommendations of the RTA

• Racine Democratic Party
• Supports the recommendations of the RTA and the proposed KRM commuter rail project
• Mayor Tom Barrett, Milwaukee
• Supports the recommendations of the SE WI RTA
• Mayor Richard Bolander, Oak Creek, supports the recommendations of the SE WI RTA
• Mayor Kieth Bosman, Kenosha 

• Supports a permanent regional transit authority in southeast Wisconsin and property tax relief through a dedicated funding source of up to 0.5% sales tax for transit

• Mayor Tom Friedel, Racine

• Supports a permanent regional transit authority in southeast Wisconsin and property tax relief through a dedicated funding source of up to 0.5% sales tax for transit and KRM Commuter Rail.

• Mayor Ryan McCue, Cudahy, supports the recommendations of the SE WI RTA and KRM Commuter Rail
  Mayor Al Richards, St. Francis, supports the recommendations of the SE WI RTA and KRM Commuter Rail
• Mayor Tom Zepecki, South Milwaukee, supports the recommendations of the SE WI RTA and KRM Commuter Rail
  

Business improvement districts (BIDs):

• Milwaukee Downtown BID #21: Supports dedicated funding for transit, the creation of a regional transit authority and the KRM commuter rail project
• The Gateway to Milwaukee supports a permanent regional transit authority in southeast Wisconsin and property tax relief through a dedicated funding source of up to 0.5% sales tax for transit
• The Racine Business Improvement District endorses the RTA and KRM
• The Kenosha Business Improvement District endorses the RTA and KRM

Chambers of commerce and business groups

• The Greater Milwaukee Committee supports dedicated funding for transit, an enhanced RTA and the proposed KRM commuter rail project. Champions from this group include:

• Mike Grebe, Foley & Lardner
• Fred Luber,  Super Steel
• Bob Mariano, Roundy’s
• Ed Zore, Northwestern Mutual
• Tim Sullivan, Bucyrus
• Gale Klappa, Wisconsin Energy Corporation
• Sheldon Lubar, Lubar & Co. Inc.

• RAMAC supports the recommendations of the RTA and the proposed KRM commuter rail project. Champions from this group include:

• Randy Baker, Case IH
• Mike Batten, Twin Disc
• Tom Burke, Modine Mfg. Co.
• Ken Buser, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-All Saints
• Jim Eastman, Merchants Moving & Storage Company
• Dave Eberle, Norco Mfg.
• Jerry Franke, WISPARK
• Dick Hansen, Johnson Financial Group
• Jane Hutterly, Johnson Keland Management, Inc.
• Dr. H. Fisk Johnson, S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
• Dottie Metz, McDonald’s Restaurant
• Jeff Neubauer, Kranz, Inc.
• Al Ruud, Ruud Lighting, Inc.
• Jerry Ryder, InSinkErator

• KABA businesses support the recommendations of the RTA and the proposed KRM commuter rail project. Champions from this group include:

• Ray Forgianni, Kenosha Harbor Market
• Ed Emma, Jockey International
• Mark Jaeger, Jockey International

• Metro Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce supports the implementation of a regional transit authority and remain open to the use of an incremental increase in the sales tax, dedicated solely to funding transit
• The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce supports the recommendations of the RTA and the proposed KRM commuter rail project
• The African American Chamber of Commerce supports the recommendations of the RTA and the proposed KRM commuter rail project
• The Hispanic Business and Professionals Association supports a permanent regional transit authority in southeast Wisconsin and property tax relief through a dedicated funding source of up to 0.5% sales tax for transit.
• The Hispanic Business Association supports a permanent regional transit authority in southeast Wisconsin and property tax relief through a dedicated funding source of up to 0.5% sales tax for transit
• Metro Builders Association supports RTAs and property tax relief through a dedicated funding source for transit
• Downtown Racine Corporation support a permanent regional transit authority in southeast Wisconsin and property tax relief through a dedicated funding source of up to 0.5% sales tax for transit.

Labor groups

• Kenosha County AFL-CIO: Supports a permanent Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee regional transit authority and a 0.5% sales tax for transit
• Southeastern Wisconsin Building Trades: Supports the recommendations of the RTA and the proposed KRM commuter rail project
• Milwaukee Building and Construction Trades: Support the creation of a permanent RTA, the construction of the KRM and a dedicated sales tax of up to a 0.5%.
• Amalgamated Transit union, Local 998: Supports  a dedicated sales tax for transit, the creation of a permanent RTA and the proposed KRM commuter rail project
• Racine County AFL-CIO: Supports a permanent Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee regional transit authority and a 0.5% sales tax for transit
• Wisconsin AFL-CIO Supports a permanent Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee regional transit authority and a 0.5% sales tax for transit
• Racine Education Association Supports a permanent Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee regional transit authority and a 0.5% sales tax for transit

Other local and state organizations:

Support a permanent regional transit authority in southeast Wisconsin and property tax relief through a dedicated funding source of up to 0.5% sales tax for transit.

• 1000 Friends of WI
• Alverno College Dept. of Community Leadership & Development
• Citizen Action of Wisconsin

• Cultural Alliance of Greater Milwaukee

        Supports a permanent RTA along with a dedicated local funding source for transit

• Fight Asthma Milwaukee (FAM) Allies
• Friedens Community Ministries, Inc.
• League of United Latin American Citizens
• The Make it Work Milwaukee Coalition
• MUSIC Developments
• NAACP, Milwaukee

• NAACP, Racine
• Racine Interfaith Coalition

• Sierra Club, State Chapter
• Sierra Club, Racine/Kenosha Gateway Group
• South Side Progressives
• Transit Matters
• Transit NOW
• Urban Economic Development Association of Wisconsin (UEDA)
• Urban League of Racine and Kenosha 
• Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters
• WISDOM Interfaith Coalition

• WisPIRG

• UW-Milwaukee Center for Economic Development