Oh Governor-elect Scott Walker, how are you and your brown bag doing? There is no rest for the political and barely a week after the midterm elections that made Democrats cry, Republicans rejoice and pundits try to fill lots and lots of airtime on the various cable news networks, you're already having choices being asked of you.
We sort of find it hilarious, to be honest, how it always work where the incumbent isn't out the door yet and the new person is already starting to take over. It's like if you were fired from your job and they hired a replacement and for a couple months you had to share the same cubicle as them because your end date wasn't for a bit. Sort of awkward right?
Anyway, Governor-elect Walker is making headlines this week when he sat down with the Associated Press for an interview and said he would most likely pull the plug on the proposed high speed, reinforcing his campaign promise to stop it. The money for the project, expected to cost $810 million would be paid for with federal stimulus money, Walker has stated he didn't want the state to have to pay $7.5 million a year in upkeep; Gov. Doyle has countered by saying he believed that 80 percent of that would come from the federal government.
Anyway, with the plan seemingly dead in the water, other states are licking their lips at a chance to get a hold of the money promised to Wisconsin for the high speed rail with both Illinois and New York throwing out that they would gladly take the funds off Wisconsin's hands. Because states are gracious that way we suppose.
In honor of the high speed train mess, we've together this little choo-choo of a mixtape.
George Carlin as Mr. Conducter tells you to get on fucking board.
First up jazz great Abbey Lincoln tackles the Bing Crosby classic "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?"
The theme song of the Great Depression, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" first appeared in the 1932 musical New Americana. It details the plights of the men who built the railroads, the skyscrapers, served in World War I and then found themselves on the bread lines.
Decisions like the one Scott Walker has to make does not make us envious of his position. We have enough difficulties deciding whether or not to get the French silk pie with lunch when we go to Festival Food. The reality of sending away the project is a decision not made lightly, especially when people like Gov.-elect (and more importantly to us, Food Network personality Sandra Lee's boyfriend) Andrew Cuomo has no problem saying to the Department of Transporation, "DOT, can you spare a dime? And by dime, we mean a few million dollars."
Because when it comes to making the world spin, it's the not the gravitational pull of the sun (okay, technically yes). It's all about the Benjamins baby.
The state of Wisconsin needs some major Benjamins at this point as the state faces a $3 billion shortfall. I love how in the world of politics, debt is just sort of a part of life. I'm down to my last ten dollars until my paycheck on Friday and have pretty much stopped eating anything that doesn't have the word RAMEN across the packaging. What to keep, what to cut is a no-win situation for a governor. I mean, I know I couldn't do it. The reason why I'm down to 10 dollars is because I couldn't say no to a pair of plaid skinny jean pants. Just think of that mentality on a millions-of-dollar scale. Terrifying. Yet fabulously well dressed. Naturally.
Lastly, The Marvelettes and their "Destination Anywhere"
We've never been on a high speed train. We've just been on a regular ole train. There is something weirdly fabulous about it, we must say, especially when you arrive in a big city like Chicago. Less glamorous is the way they completely rob you blind with the prices. That's probably the upside of the high speed rail. Time flies by so fast you can't tell you're being fleeced on the prices for soda and blueberry muffins.
Whatever happens with the high speed rail, it can't be any worse than the Starlight Express.
IT WAS A MUSICAL ABOUT TOY TRAINS COMING TO LIFE. Lordy, Andrew Lloyd Webber. That still seems like a better idea than a SEQUEL TO PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.
All we can say is:
No comments:
Post a Comment