Marklein and the Bucks

I salute State Sen. Howard Marklein of the 17th Senate District. Mr. Marklein voted for a new arena for the Milwaukee Bucks, when many people in the district did not want a new arena for the Bucks. 

When I personally called Sen. Marklein to ask him to vote for the project, he told me he would look at the economic side of the issue. What he found was that if the team left the state, the state would lose $6.5 million in income taxes each year. Also, if the team left, the state taxpayers would be on the hook for maintenance over the next 10 years on the BMO Harris Bradley Center. If a new arena is built, the taxpayers will pay $4 million a year for the next 20 years.

Sen. Marklein’s vote was the best economic decision for the district and the state. It took courage, but he did it, and I salute Sen. Marklein for making a tough vote choice.

Jerry Petitgoue
Cuba City

Petitgoue is the winningest high school boys basketball coach in Wisconsin history. The state Assembly passed the Bucks arena bill Tuesday 52–34, with Reps. Travis Tranel (R–Cuba City) and Todd Novak (R–Dodgeville) voting against it.