Midwest Sale Looms Closer

JSOnline is reporting this afternoon that Midwest Airlines has agreed to open negotiations with AirTran Airways, the Orlando, FL based airline that has been seeking to buy Midwest for some time, and took a step toward that goal by electing three new members to the nine member board at the recent board meeting. While this is not yet the end, and Midwest can still decline AirTran's offer, it looks like a sale is looming ever closer. While I don't fly often, I am still holding out hope that we don't lose Midwest. They are a first rate airline, very comfortable, and they have excellent service to boot. But, only time will tell what will happen next.

HT: Steve at No Runny Eggs

One Last Spin

Dan at The Early Spin is reporting that tomorrow will be their last show on WISN-AM. While I was not a listener of the show (I do enjoy talk radio, just not early in the morning, weird I know) I enjoyed reading Dan's insights and posts at The Early Spin Blog. I do hope Dan will continue blogging, and I hope he will land on his feet in radio (Milwaukee or elsewhere) sometime soon. I spent two and a half years working in radio (on and off the air) and I know the business is cutthroat and crazy. You go in every day not knowing if it will be your last, you know it could happen any day, and yet it still takes you by surprise. I know that there are a lot of folks in Milwaukee who will be sad to see the Spin disappear, but maybe this won't be forever. Only time will tell.

Light Rail and Milwaukee

Eugene over at From Where I Sit has weighed in on this morning's editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about the ongoing light rail debate in Milwaukee. This post started as a comment on his blog, but I decided to post it here due to length.

A lot of the arguements for and against transit here in Milwaukee are the same ones that were floated in Minneapolis, before then-Minnesota governor Jesse Venture made light rail in that city a reality. To this day, the light rail is exceeding it's anticipated ridership, and the question of expansion is not if, but when. I suspect the city's layout has a hand in the success of that line, but I will say that it is extremely convenient and useful to residents there. My sister and brother in law have only been using one of their two cars in the time since they moved to a house near the light rail line (she works downtown, at the university), saving them money every month on parking, gas, and maintenance, not to mention she can do a host of other things while she rides the train. So much so, in fact, they are considering selling their second car, thereby freeing up their garage, and saving some money on their car insurance every month.

I'm not claiming to have all the answers to Milwaukee's transit woes, but I will say that Scott Walker needs to give light rail a fair chance, and Tom Barrett needs to let go of his idea of a three mile loop to nowhere downtown. I've said it before and I'll say it again: if we build a light rail that actually goes somewhere, and makes it easier and less stressful for people to get to work, it will be used, and it will be used a lot.

Government At Work?

Can I just say this is one reason I don't want the government having a bigger part in my life?

Long story short, these people are facing losing their home because the tax assessor couldn't open a phone book and determine their correct address.

Put not your trust in the princes of this world, for they will surely frig thee up. ~Stephen King

[HT: Real Debate Wisconsin]