By Andy Szal
WisBusiness.com
A new coalition headed by Midwest Environmental Advocates and Citizen Action of Wisconsin is urging state and federal leaders to invest billions in federal stimulus money toward “green” economic recovery projects.
The group, Coalition for Wisconsin’s Green Economy, held a news conference this morning in the Capitol to outline its “Blueprint for Wisconsin’s Green Economy,” which lists more than $2 billion in environmentally-friendly infrastructure projects that the group argues would create about 30,000 new jobs.
“We’re at a critical point where we can jump start our economy with targeted investments that build Wisconsin’s 21st Century green economy,” Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said in a statement. He advocated, in particular, spending on mass transit projects, which accounted for a large segment of the infrastructure proposals.
Among the projects listed in the blueprint are the KRM commuter line and Chicago-Milwaukee-Madison high-speed rail line, as well as improved buses and terminals in Milwaukee. The plan also suggests improvements to Milwaukee’s sewer systems and hundreds of millions in public and private renewable energy projects.
“With clean air, fresh water, reduced poverty, green manufacturing, and green education, Wisconsin will emerge as a sign of hope for a secure and sustainable green economy,” the report says.
