The Way I See It!

Mayor Ryan McCue doesn't support Unelected Taxing Boards - Wait, What?

Posted by Randy Hollenbeck on July 23, 2009

Cudahy, Milwaukee County, Mayor, RTA

Mayor McCue - “I do not support unelected boards like MATC and MMSD having the authority to levy taxes, and I fear that is what could happen under his proposal.”

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/51359837.html (please note - two people speak out in the MJS article on Walker’s plan of breaking up Milwaukee County government, both with former ties to Milwaukee County Government)

Which Mayor McCue is saying that?

Maybe McCue doesn’t know what the RTA – Regional Transit Authority (aka Regional Taxing Authority) is? 

The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Transit Authority called Monday for the Legislature to turn the authority into a permanent agency that would oversee all public buses and commuter trains in a three-county region, funded by a sales tax of up to 0.5%.

But to win the legally required six-vote supermajority on the RTA's seven-member board, the recommendations also call for cutting western Racine County out of the new RTA, and for giving municipalities the power to levy 0.15% sales taxes to fund public safety services.

Any transit sales tax should replace all property taxes now used for public transit in Milwaukee, Kenosha and eastern Racine counties, the RTA recommended. The sales tax also would raise additional revenue to expand the Milwaukee County, Racine and Kenosha transit systems and to build and operate a new commuter train line, the KRM Commuter Link, connecting Milwaukee and its southern suburbs to Racine and Kenosha.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/34206369.html

Mayor McCue supports the RTA and that is an unelected taxing board!  So how can we believe him?  I think McCue wants a shot at Walker’s job and doesn’t want to see the chance disappear and see his buddies unemployed!

Mayor Ryan McCue, Cudahy, supports the recommendations of the SE WI RTA and KRM Commuter Rail

http://www.transitnow.org/SignOnEndorseRTAKRM.htm

Even when McCue was County Supervisor, he supported the RTA.

Supervisor McCue said since it was lumped together, he supports the transit system and the RTA's number one legislative priority.

http://www.co.milwaukee.wi.us/ImageLibrary/User/nsebastian/IGR/IGRm022607.pdf

Just so we are clear as mud on McCue’s position.

The ideas drew criticism from Cudahy Mayor Ryan McCue, a former Milwaukee County supervisor.

"If elected governor, would (Walker) support adding thousands of jobs to the state's payroll, because that is what would have to be done under his proposal," McCue said in an e-mail.

"Why blow up one form of government only to turn around and create another one, i.e. parks and transit?  I do not support unelected boards like MATC and MMSD having the authority to levy taxes, and I fear that is what could happen under his proposal."

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/51359837.html