The Madison City Council deliberated all night Tuesday and well into Wednesday morning, reaching conclusions on two big issues. It voted down a resolution to impeach President Bush but voted in favor of supporting the Regional Transit Authority.
Impeachment Vote
At about 4 a.m. Wednesday, the council voted against a resolution calling for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney. The final vote was eight for, three against and eight abstained - 11 votes were needed to pass the resolution.
Ald. Eli Judge, District 8, abstained from voting and said many others did the same because of concerns as to whether this was a local issue.""
Judge said if President Bush were to be impeached, it would most likely do more harm than good for Democrats, especially in Congress, because the impeachment process would ultimately put a stop to the progress being made.
""We're in a good position to start making changes,"" Judge said, adding he feels the Bush administration has made poor decisions for the country.
Still, City Council President Mike Verveer said he did not agree with his fellow alder's argument that impeachment is not a ""local issue.""
""The federal government affects every aspect of city government,"" he said.
Verveer also said thousands of people signed petitions and stayed into the wee hours of the morning to speak on the issue, which just last month was passed by the Dane County Board of Supervisors.
Regional Transit Authority
While the City Council was at odds about impeachment, it was almost in synchronistic agreement in its support of the Regional Transit Authority.
The RTA is essentially a form of commuter rail that would help connect the greater Madison area and potentially ease the city's traffic congestion.
The Council voted 18-2 in favor, but one of the sticking points of the referendum was that it imposed another half cent to the sales tax. Verveer said by supporting the RTA, it can now create a much better case for federal grants, which would take some of the pressure off taxpayers.
However, Verveer said many steps remain in creating commuter rail in Dane County and that voters have the final say.
""An RTA will not be created unless the voters of Dane County approve,"" he said.
