Highways, byways and the price of things to come.

Some interesting facts to consider.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is proposing that we spend $1.9 billion on reconstructing and widening I-94 between Illinois and Mitchell Field.

The Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail line has been given zilch. And there is no meaningful plan for any kind of regional transportation upgrade to serve our urban and lower-income residents.

Hold those thoughts while we mention some more facts.

For the first time ever, the price of oil has topped $100 a barrel. Today, oil is almost five times more expensive than it was just five years ago.

If we think that’s going to turn around, here are some more facts to face: oil is getting harder and harder to find and produce. Developing nations that need the oil are asking for it in ever increasing amounts. The countries that have the oil are trying to get their hands on more of the profits. And ethanol made from corn is really just robbing Peter to pay Paul.

So how are we dealing with this situation?

By investing all our money – all our money – into bigger freeways.

Speaking of Mitchell Field, here’s a historical fact: in 1921, General Billy Mitchell, the man the airport was named for, demonstrated how a couple of new fangled things called airplanes could sink a battleship. But the people who built those battleships didn’t want to give up the present and face the future. Mitchell was demoted and eventually court martialed.

Oil. Five times more expensive in just five years. $1.9 billion for roads. Nothing for anything else.

Anyone want to buy a battleship?

Rails and beer.

From time to time, we’ve touched on issues regarding the economic growth of the Chicago/Milwaukee/Madison triangle. Obviously, as an advertising/marketing/pr firm, Blue Horse is acutely interested in attracting new business to the area and expanding those that are already here.

Recent developments would merit some comment. Let’s start with railroads. We’ve written Blogs here and in the Small Business Times about the importance of completing the KRM connection with Chicago. At the risk of being yet again accused of being baguette-eating elitists, we can’t help but scratch our head about why this continues to lag. In the face of the rising price of gas, the tax burden for roads, increased traffic congestion and pollution, and with the desire to provide easy access to tourists and workers alike, why, why, why are we not getting this done?

The Small Business Times has had a series of telling articles providing reasons for this to go forward ranging from smart economics all the way to just simply getting people together. They’ve pointed out that despite what talk radio airheads would have us think, the business community is solidly behind this concept.

This brings us, fittingly enough, to beer.

It will be revealing to watch the contest between Denver and Milwaukee over the location of the Miller/Coors corporate headquarters. Kudos to Mayor Barrett for aggressively going after this issue and to all who join the campaign.

We don’t know how this will turn out. Clearly, we think Milwaukee is the place for Miller/Coors to be. And we have many advantages we can sell.

But what we don’t have is an integrated, coordinated and visionary transportation system. And this is key. KRM is needed for executives, for workers and for all the support companies that follow, from equipment manufacturers and suppliers to coffee shops. And that applies to revamping our urban system as well.

Denver learned the hard way when they lost out to Chicago on Boeing that a coordinated and enlightened program of local transportation is a key factor in the decision of where to locate.

Michael Cudahy said it to Mayor Barrett and County Supervisor Scott Walker, “If I had run Marquette the way you guys are managing this issue, it would have dried up like a prune.” We have $91 million in federal money that is languishing and in danger of vanishing if we don’t come to an agreement on a new urban transportation system. Cudahy has published a plan in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that makes sense.

Does it take having a Miller/Coors decide to go elsewhere to wake us all up?