Special session needed to make fixing roads a priority

It is time to put Wisconsin lawmakers back to work. Back to work fixing our roads. Wisconsin lawmakers are on their summer break, and aren’t scheduled to return until the next legislative session begins in January. But we can’t wait that long. Wisconsin’s roads have become some of the worst in the nation. The poor condition of our roads is affecting everyone…drivers, bicyclists, transportation companies and even the state’s economy. The state’s repeated failure to develop a long-term, sustainable transportation budget has led many local governments to pay more to repair roads. La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat is earmarking almost $3 million to repair some roads in the city. So even if the state isn’t coming up with the money to fix our roads, we’re still paying for the improvements. The state has resorted to borrowing, nearly $2 billion in recent years, to pay for road projects, yet needed improvements throughout the state are being put off for years because there still isn’t enough money to pay for them. Our lawmakers are enjoying a nice vacation, with the next seven months off. They should get back to Madison, and dodge the potholes along the way, to do their jobs and fix Wisconsin’s roads. Governor Walker has called special sessions of the legislature for less important reasons before. He should schedule a special session now and order lawmakers to come up with a plan to fix our roads. Because the longer we wait, the more expensive those repair bills will be.