With a weakened economy, it’s comforting to know the city of Madison is keeping its priorities straight.

Recently, the city announced its plan to shell out $50,000 per bus shelter for the seven bus shelters being re-built around the Capitol Square in 2004.

Leaders of the project say this large sum of money is necessary to replace the aging shelters that are worn down and missing bricks. In addition to upgrading the out-dated shelters physically, the design team wants these new shelters to be more artistic and pleasing to the eye.

What happened to a bus shelter being just that — a shelter for someone to wait in during the rather unpleasant Wisconsin winters? Why must they be great artistic masterpieces?

While the money for this project isn’t coming directly from taxes, the money is still coming from federal funding and tax incremental money, which means the money is not required to go toward this shelter building fun.

We find it hard to believe that in a city of this size, there is no better way to spend this money.

Instead of boasting of the best bus shelters in the country, wouldn’t the city be more proud to say its residents are totally satisfied with the way their government is spending money to improve the quality of life in Madison?