Just a heads up that, today, activists with WISPIRG (Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group), a statewide public interest advocacy group, will hit the streets of Eau Claire on as part of a grassroots campaign to build support for public transportation and high speed rail in Wisconsin. They say, for Wisconsin, public transit and high speed rail will create jobs, reduce traffic and pollution, and stimulate local economies. WISPIRG is pushing Congress to prioritize more and better public transportation and an investment in a high speed rail network connecting the midwest.

So, throughout Eau Claire from 10am to 5pm today, WISPIRG activists are canvassing small businesses to generate endorsements from business owners that support more public transportation and high speed rail, and basically walking around to ask passers-by to sign petitions.

On Thursday Aug. 12 at 1030am there's a public meeting on the steps of Eau Claire City Hall concerning the high speed rail project.

In related news, Wisconsin recently received the second part of its $810 million in federal stimulus money that will go toward building a high-speed rail line between Madison and Milwaukee. Meanwhile, Republican candidates for governor have come out against the project and say they’ll actually stop it if elected, wishing they could use the money on roads (which they can’t actually do).