The Wisconsin State Journal has a “man on the street” about the proposed 50 cent increase in bus fares in Madison. This one wasn’t too convincing.
Name: Dave O’Gorsky
Age: 40
Occupation: Magazine vendor
Why are you riding the bus? Shopping.
How often do you ride? Three to four times a week.
What would you rather spend 50 cents on? Cigarettes or food.
Would you prefer fare increase or service cuts? Service cuts
What would you tell the mayor right now? This is not the time to be putting a fare hike when we’re having banking companies take our money from us.
Then again, maybe he needs the 50 cents to pay for Doyle’s tax hike.
He will certainly need an additional 62 cents to pay for the new Federal cigarette tax - $1.01 a pack as of April 1, to fund the expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program to the tune of $32.8 billion. But don’t look at it as a tax increase - Obama said no increase for anyone making less than $250,000.