Gubernatorial candidates discussed policy initiatives intended to combat transportation spending Tuesday with the Wisconsin State Journal Editorial Board.
Wisconsin’s Department of Transportation currently has a $680 million deficit for the 2015-17 budget, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. In the meeting, both candidates stated their intentions of dissolving the funding shortfall. Each candidate also noted their individual proposals but neither had a definite plan.
Gov. Scott Walker said he might propose the elimination of the fuel tax, where consumers have a 31 cent tax per gallon for motor vehicles. The governor's methodology behind the tax elimination was to replace the gas tax with a sales tax at the pump so that the state can generate more revenue by reaching consumers of both alternative and fossil fuel sources.
Democratic candidate Mary Burke opposed Walker’s suggestion.
“The last thing we want to do is have the transportation budget be subjected to these wild fluctuations in gas prices,” Burke told the Wisconsin State Journal.
The former Trek Bicycle executive suggested a potential plan that would reevaluate current projects with an overarching priority placed on “economic development and safety.” She supported her position with information drawn from a report by the liberal Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group that noted a prediction of traffic increase that was disproved.
Burke continued her tentative proposals by stating she was also open to adopting the recommendations by the bipartisan state transportation commission WISPIRG also suggested adopting.
