Patrick Marley

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

MADISON - Gov. Scott Walker's transportation secretary told business officials and others last week he had talked to a London financier about selling off Wisconsin's highways but had rejected the idea.

Transportation Secretary Dave Ross told a group last week that Walker's administration was adopting new ways of getting its work done and mentioned in passing his discussion about selling off roads, according to people familiar with the meeting.

He then said he was not pursuing the proposal because Wisconsin has good contractors to maintain the state's roads.

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"This is what he explained to them, that there are folks out there who borrow money and spend it on your roads. That's just a different way of borrowing money. That's why he was saying it wasn't a good idea," Deputy Secretary Bob Seitz said Friday.

Ross disclosed the proposal at a Sept. 13 gathering at Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce headquarters in Madison where Ross and Seitz met with businesspeople interested in transportation issues.

Seitz initially said the first he'd heard of Ross' talk with the investor was at the WMC meeting. But later he said he had checked his calendar and found that he had met with the investor along with Ross in February.

He said they met with a man named Thomas Morrison but that he could not recall what firm Morrison represented.

"It was just a courtesy meeting," Seitz said. "I still couldn't tell you what hardly was said."

The meeting was scheduled to last 45 minutes but Seitz said he did not think it lasted that long.

At last week's meeting at the WMC office, Ross made clear he had immediately rejected the idea, said Cory Fish, WMC's transportation director. Others familiar with the meeting gave the same account.

Some said Ross referred to the businessperson as a billionaire, while others said he referred to the person as a financier or a representative of a private business.

The idea of selling highways comes as road funding emerges as a central issue in the GOP governor's re-election bid. Walker has fought raising the gas tax, but has faced pressure from some of his fellow Republicans who want to do that to get more projects done.

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Walker's Democratic opponent, state schools Superintendent Tony Evers, has made road funding a top priority and said he would raise the gas tax or implement tolls to get more work done. He hasn't said how much he would be willing to increase the gas tax of 32.9 cents per gallon.

Evers spokeswoman Britt Cudaback said Ross' talk with the financier was shocking and noted Walker's previous transportation secretary, Mark Gottlieb, this month said Walker has been "increasingly inaccurate" when talking about roads.

"Quite frankly, it’s staggering and absurd that Scott Walker would even entertain the idea of selling off Wisconsin’s highways to the highest bidder," Cudaback said in a statement. "No wonder his former transportation secretary has spoken out about his harmful roads policies."

Walker has said he plans to release a transportation plan this month.