LIVING AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHERS? The Southeast Wisconsin Regional Transit Authority is considering a special sales tax to pay for the commuter trains.

The rail line, meanwhile, has attracted relatively little controversy to date, but that could change once new taxes are on the table, [authority chairman Karl] Ostby conceded.

"I think everybody loves things until they have to pay for them," Ostby said.

By comparison, the five-county sales tax levied to pay for building Miller Park is 0.1% - twice the rate under consideration for commuter trains alone, or one-fifth of the combined bus and train tax. The stadium tax drew bitter opposition when the Legislature imposed it in 1995.

Sales taxes are among the most common ways of funding new commuter rail lines nationwide and transit systems in metropolitan areas about the same size as Milwaukee, the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission staff has told the authority.

Editorial writers at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel approve of the sales tax (which is the way Chicago's Metra receives funding.)

Milwaukee is one of the largest transit systems in the nation that relies on the property tax; most transit systems rely on sales taxes. The result: a steady deterioration of the system.

So the RTA proposed that the three-county authority consider asking for legislative authority to levy a 0.05% sales tax to cover the local share of building and operating the rail line. The authority would also consider asking the state to give each of the three counties the option of levying up to 0.45% more in sales taxes to replace property tax support for their buses.

They'd like to go a bit further.

These are legitimate concerns. Fortunately, there are other options, including an idea that Walker likes - as do we - by Rep. Jeff Stone (R-Greendale) to earmark part of state sales tax on motor vehicles for transit purposes.

The RTA isn't wedded to its proposal, a spokesman says, but would like to hear other suggestions and not just grumbling.

Good point. The region needs commuter rail and has the continuing need to fund other transit. The property tax is overburdened. A sales tax should be on the table, but it shouldn't be there alone. Let's look at that tax on motor vehicles as well.

Pigouvian taxation? Countervailing subsidies? Discuss.