State to blame for potholes, road work delays

Better get used to all those potholes. Wisconsin’s roads are in bad shape, and getting worse. A significant lack of state road funding has already led to a number of delays in roadwork already planned. Now it appears the problem is going to get worse before it gets better. Wisconsin Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb says the upcoming budget request to Governor Walker will contain no major tax or fee increases to pay for needed roadwork. He acknowledges that will further delay road projects throughout the state. An unlike in his past budget request, the Transportation Secretary says this one won’t outline ways to pay for fixing Wisconsin roads. Are we not even going to try anymore? No doubt Gottlieb is frustrated that his previous budget, which called for increased gas and vehicle purchase taxes, was not adopted by the legislature. So he is leaving it to lawmakers to figure out how to pay to fix Wisconsin’s crumbling roads and bridges. But this is the same legislature which has for years failed to figure out a sustainable, long-term way to pay for roadwork throughout the state. As a result, Wisconsin’s roads are ranked among the worst in the country. Without a new revenue source, we expect lawmakers will resort to more borrowing, and even more delays even to road projects already planned. So watch out for all those potholes.