More Madison Handouts: Farmers Elevator Gets $100K Free Rail Crossing Upgrade

If we could draw an organizational chart of Madison's power structure, we might find Madison Farmer's Elevator somewhere near the top. Other businesses and organizations, like East River Electric and James River Equipment, have to ask nicely for their subsidies. Madison Farmer's Elevator gets $100,000 of work done on its property for free by the City of Madison without even asking:

Also scheduled in 2011 is the railroad crossing upgrade on Highland Avenue. Comes said this $100,000 project is 90 percent funded through a railroad grant.

Don't forget: vote in the latest Madville Times poll on what great project Madison's taxpayers should subsidize next!

Mayor Gene Hexom asked if the Madison Farmers Elevator would be contributing funding for the project, since that company actually owns the railroad crossing.

Comes said the elevator hasn't been approached about providing cost-share toward the project [Elisa Sand, "City Reviews Five-Year Street Improvement Plan," Madison Daily Leader, 2010.06.22].

Ah, the Madison free market at work. Imagine if the city would just appear on your street one day, fix all the sidewalks, and not even knock on your door to ask you if you want to chip in to cover the cost.