Where’s the ‘official’ push to keep Talgo in Milwaukee?
Published: November 30, 2010
Tags: blog, Broydrick, Hot Topics, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, Milwaukee 7, Nora Friend, Pat O’Brien, Rohde, Talgo, Tim Sheehy
By Marie Rohde
Remember the day when it was announced that Talgo, the Spanish train car manufacturer, was establishing its U.S. headquarters in Milwaukee?
Behind the podium were the logos of those who worked so hard to bring the plant to Milwaukee — the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the city of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee 7, that group of regional leaders devoted to regional cooperation for economic development.
One of the welcoming speakers on that cold day in March was Tim Sheehy, the president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce.
Just nine months later, Talgo is asking: What happened? Where are you guys?
What happened is simple: Scott Walker, who says the high-speed rail connection between Milwaukee and Madison would be too costly, was elected governor. The $810 million Wisconsin was awarded for the rail connection is likely to go to another state.
Talgo announced that if Wisconsin wasn’t going to have any use for high-speed trains, they wouldn’t have much use for Wisconsin.
As Bill Broydrick, a Washington D.C. consultant with Wisconsin ties put it: “If the Wisconsin money goes to New York, why wouldn’t Talgo move there too?”
Bombardier Inc., Talgo’s major competitor, has a strong presence in the Empire State, Broydrick points out.
In a pointed e-mail last week, Talgo spokeswoman Nora Friend noted that Milwaukee business leaders had played a major role in convincing her company to come to town. Now, she says, it’s time for those same business leaders to speak up if they want her company to stay in town.
Sheehy did not return calls on the topic.
Pat O’Brien, M7’s executive director, noted that his organization has a public policy committee. In order to take a stance, two criteria must be met: An issue must have regional impact and the group must come to a consensus on a policy.
“Clearly, this is of regional importance,” O’Brien said. “But we are divided on a policy.”
Friend could not be reached. She was traveling outside the country Monday, according to her voice mail.
Marie Rohde is a staff writer at The Daily Reporter. She can be reached at (414) 225-1807.
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Thank you for this coverage. I, personally, am deeply troubled by the prospect of Talgo leaving. it makes perfect sense to me that if our state drops the High Speed Rail system, the Co would go to a different state where it will find support in the actions of product usage. I was very excited when I initially heard that Talgo was choosing Milwaukee, with the plans to expand their industry after getting established. To me this was the very thing our future needs to build green jobs, boost our economy. i would think, that just as there are other support industries that would sprout up, and create a new product economy in the midwest, dependent on the success of Talgo and High Speed Rail.
lets not also forget the huge contribution to the health of the planet this new growth ca help provide. While I am not a scientist, i did have a math professor for a father, and we would crunch the numbers together to demonstrate how efficient trains were to trucks, or cars. The nos. (we would gathered from the Milwaukee Journal, usually), demonstrated an average ability to move more that 30xs to 200Xs what an average auto could achieve. ( the no.s made an impact on me, and I was only 12.) While vehicles have gotten more efficient, yet HSR has gotten much more efficient. The other issue that i never hear mentioned is the health cost to all of us. There is the high correlation of high carbon fossil usage to rates of asthma, w/ an average child population of 30% in urban areas. Single user, versus mass transits, are great contributors to this problem, and we are all paying!. Some how we don’t want to acknowledge that our behaviors and “needs” for conveniences is impacting us in some detrimental ways. i really hope we change our orientation and come out in mass support to keep High Speed Rail so we can combat these other issues. Scott Walker, please think, others, please act. Thank you.