MADISON — Whether he realized it or not, WTBA Executive Director Steve Baas found symmetry between a pop culture reference and the need to solve a more than $1 billion transportation funding shortfall.
“When you listen to what we’re doing here, in this whole campaign, the theme is: we’re trying to bring sexy back,” Baas told the crowd at TDA’s Annual Meeting.
Indeed, the last time Wisconsin raised its gas tax (2006) happened to be the same year Justin Timberlake released his mega hit “SexyBack.”
A nominal gas tax increase coupled with indexing for inflation could be a potent option to give the Transportation Fund a significant boost, Baas noted during his portion of the program.
Baas presented alongside TDA Executive Director Debby Jackson, serving as the kickoff duo for the event’s unifying theme: we’re all working toward the same goal.
Most people across Wisconsin can agree–whether they’re men, women, Republicans, Democrats–fixing roads and bridges is incredibly important. It was the second-highest rated issue when people could pick multiple options in recent polling.
When asked their most important issue, though? Transportation falls to fourth, behind taxes, health care, and education.
“We’re trying to be that issue that is the first one asked to the prom,” Baas said. “Right now we’re the wallflowers. We’re sitting home. And that is our challenge.”
While transportation investments are up, the Legislature and Gov. Tony Evers have largely paid for them through massive one-time General Fund transfers. That likely won’t be an option in the 2027 state budget, leading to the need for a concerted effort that includes partners like WTBA, TDA, counties, municipalities, and trade unions.
“It’s going to take all of us working together to get this across the line,” Jackson said. “When we’re talking about advocacy, there is no right answer or wrong answer. You can’t go Google it and say, ‘What’s the best way to tell somebody?’”
Baas encouraged the crowd to make transportation a top issue for people in all walks of life, urging them to recognize it’s a bipartisan issue with broad support that needs to be talked about frequently.
It’s why the coordinated campaign, which WTBA and TDA are spearheading, will touch on local roads, bridges, and major projects while being flexible in its messaging and solutions.
“There are a million different ways that people view transportation and where it touches their lives,” Baas said. “The key here is to find the entry point for individuals that works for them.”
