Thanks boohoo, evidently some of those posting can't think beyond "whats MY immediate benefit". I believe much of the stimulus is money well spent COMPARED to what was given "lending institutions". The Republicans squawked about how much the banks needed a bailout and all the banks did was turn around and hand out millions in bonuses, continue to throw lavish parties, pay outrageous wages to top management and hoard our tax dollars. And the Fed, under Republican control, never even bothered to set any limits on how that money was used. Brilliant!! Yes I can see now that using some of the stimulus package to buy less polluting buses is wasteful. Really Joker, reading is not the same as understanding. (Huh!?)

I think PanamaRed meant the stimulus money spent will help keep people working and create jobs at the plants that build the buses. The positive effect on the enviroment is a separate benefit.

Keep in mind, this is Madison - with state government and the university, Madison is nearly recession proof. Neither has downsized or cut pay.

well said joker

Great. Madison now will have green buses for all the unemployed people to ride to the jobs they no longer have. Shrewd maneuver Mad-town.

I'm with you Joker. This so-called stimulus wasn't so much stimulus as it is pork-barrel earmarks. The problem is people who voted for Obama and went along with his stimulus plan can't seem to realize that he was/is wrong. They can't believe he is going down the wrong road.

Panama Red, do you even read what you post? First you tell us that the purpose of the stimulus is to keep people working and help create new jobs. In your next sentence you say that purchasing these buses have the added benefit of improving our air quality and reducing our dependency on foreign oil. HUH?!

How the heck does improving air quality and reducing dependency on foreign oil help create new jobs and keep people working? Who are you crapping?

Can someone please tell me how this brings jobs to the Madison area or helps the economy?
What a waste of money when it needs to be sent elsewhere to really help people out.

Gillig makes the busses, and GM division Allison Transmission makes the electric drives they use.
http://www.gillig.com/New%20GILLIG%20WEB...
http://www.allisontransmission.com/produ...
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cheddar, the stimulus supports job creation and retention by increasing aggregate demand. Because manufacturing and construction employees keep their jobs, they continue to spend money, thereby keeping others employed. This replaces the function of the reduced interest rates that the Federal Reserve is no longer able to perform (as interest rates are already near zero).

The goal of the stimulus package is to keep people working and help to create new jobs. Purchasing these buses have the additional benefit of improving our air quality and helping to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Of course it's always easier to sit around, offer no useful ideas and whine about how silly it is to do anything that improves our environment.

Actually the Madison buses were made by Gillig, that produces them in Hayward CA USA.

i hope janesville follows suit so the thirty riders each day have new busses to ride in. i wonder what the ratio to people that ride and pollution from the busses is? maybe the green earth phonies can answer that one.

The first 5 were GM made http://www.cityofmadison.com/metro/Hybri... I'd assume these will be the same.

OK!

I also want to know where the buses are manufactured. The only way the stimulus increases employment in the US is if US jobs are created.

Hybrid technology is licensed by General Motors to Allison Transmission, which assembles and sells the hybrid transmission to bus manufacturers

I'm willing to bet they are assembled here in the U.S. The one's Madison already has are GM buses, and I highly doubt it is very economical to transport these overseas.

How dare anyone question the green stampede or its methods. They're trying to save the planet, you know. That's more important that jobs or economic stimulus or jingoistic nationalism. America first is so gauche.

great question - I'll wait for the answer before hammering the "stimulas" benefit of mass transit.

Where are the buses manufactured?