AP: "Lawmakers add $4 million for tiny Wisconsin airport near golf course"

Thanks to KLG for Scott Bauer's AP story on $4 million in state funding going to Wisconsin's Rapids' Alexander Field near Sand Valley Golf Resort.

Bauer's story implies that a $25,000 donation by golf developer extraordinaire Mike Keiser was the difference in Governor Scott Walker reversing a budgetary decision not to fund the airport renovation.

Bauer writes:

That donation was three weeks after Gov. Scott Walker released his budget without funding for Wisconsin Rapids’ Alexander Field. Keiser has given at least $65,000 to Walker and Wisconsin Republicans since 2012.

“It sure looks like Mr. Keiser’s campaign contributions to Scott Walker and Republicans teed up millions in taxpayer-funded improvements to help bring corporate jet ferried golfers to his Wisconsin courses,” said Mike Browne with the liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now. “Meanwhile, the rest of us will continue to have to deal with crumbling roads and bridges and delayed projects as these same Republicans take a budget mulligan and refuse to fix the state transportation funding crisis.”

The story also notes this, which suggests the plans were in place for 2021.

The state Department of Transportation had planned to pay for the airport upgrades in 2021, but it would be moved up to this year to meet the demand caused by the added air traffic due to the golf course, Krug said.