Barrett agrees rail deal should have been public

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett is agreeing with his Republican rival that a deal committing Wisconsin to spending on high-speed rail between Milwaukee and Madison should have been public.

State officials quietly signed a deal last weekend committing Wisconsin to spending $810 million in the federal stimulus money on the project.

Milwaukee County executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker has already criticized the deal as corrupt. Walker has vowed to work to kill the project if elected governor.

Barrett has supported the rail project, saying it will create jobs. But the Milwaukee mayor tells WTMJ-TV that the public should have known earlier about the deal signed just days before Tuesday’s election.

Information from: WTMJ-TV, http://www.todaystmj4.com