<div style="font-size:10pt;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;color:black;"><div id="AOLMsgPart_2_71a75f40-0212-4599-be30-3ba20ec811db">
<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">This is an article I planned to put in the July newsletter, but there will be no July newsletter. So here it is.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span>Thank you for your attention to this,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span>Gerry Flakas</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Transportation in Waukesha County and Beyond</strong><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">A common thread in vibrant metropolitan areas is good public
transportation; the “El” and “Metra” in Chicago,
the “T” in Boston, the “Metro” in Washington
DC, and light rail even in oil-rich Houston!
What’s missing in metropolitan Milwaukee?
Exactly that! It takes someone in Milwaukee
up to 2 hours to go a few miles by bus, and service to outside Milwaukee
County is almost non-existent.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Green Sanctuary Committee has been partnering with the
Sierra Club, WISDOM/SOPHIA, Common Ground, and other Waukesha
County organizations to try to
bring about a more equitable and environmentally-friendly transportation system
to our area. We co-sponsored a couple of public transportation events in
Waukesha, one on Milwaukee, and participated in a major WISDOM event in Madison
to call attention to the transportation needs of the elderly, disabled,
job-seekers, and just about everybody else. But so far, our appeals have pretty
much fallen on “deaf ears” in the Legislature and Governor’s office, with their
obsession with building expensive super highways to enrich their donors.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">This is your country, so what can you do as citizens?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Long term, vote for political leaders who will take the
responsibility for public transportation as part of our civilization seriously,
and will support it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Short term, contact the political leaders who are now in
charge:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>The message</b>:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">We urge our elected officials to balance transportation
priorities to serve everyone:</p>
<ol style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 0in;" start="1" type="1" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<li class="MsoNormal">Restore
previous cuts and increase transit funding by $34.4 million. This amount
was recommended by the Governor’s commission in 2013 to be added each year
over a ten year period.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Adjust
specialized transportation funding levels to reflect the increasing demand
from those with disabilities and the growing population of older adults
unable to drive.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Increase
the percentage of state reimbursements to provide needed investment to
restore local roads to good condition.</li>
</ol>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> <b>Who to contact: </b>(if
you don’t know who your legislators are, see https://legis.wisconsin.gov/ )</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Waukesha County
Senators: Waukesha
County Representatives:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Sen. Kapenga (SD 33) 608-266-9173 Rep. Allen (AD 97) 608-266-9173</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Sen. Craig (SD 28) 608-266-5400 Rep. Neylon (AD 98) 608-266-5120</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Sen. Vukmir (SD 608-266- 2512 Rep. Duchow (AD 99) 608-266-3007</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Sen. Darling (SD 8) 608-266-5830 Rep. Wichgers (AD 83) 608-266-3363</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Sen. Fitzgerald (SD13) 608-266-5660 Rep. Kuglitsch (AD 84) 608-267-5158</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Sen. Nass (SD 11) 608-266-2635 Rep. Sanfelippo (AD 15) 608-266-0620</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Rep.
Hutton (AD 13) 608-267-9836</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Rep.
Kooyenga (AD 14) 608-266-9180</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Rep.
Brandtjen (AD 22) 608-267-2367</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Rep.
Horlacher (AD 33) 608-266-5715</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Rep.
Kleefisch (AD 38) 608-266-8551</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">2017 Joint Committee on Finance:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Sen. Darling 608-266-5830 Sen.
Nygren 608-266-2342</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Rep. Kooyenga 608-266-9180 Sen.
Vukmir 608-266-2512</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Sen. Olson 608-266-0751</p></div>
</div></div>