Gov. Tim Pawlentys line-item vetoes of the bonding bill last week were a mixed bag. While we wont complain about his excising money for a gorilla exhibit at St. Pauls Como Park Zoo or a volleyball center in Rochester, the veto of $70 million for the states contribution to the construction of a light rail line that would connect the Twin Cities was short-sighted.
If the state doesnt come up with its share for the project by September Minnesota will leave $450 million in approved federal funding on the table for some other state to use. Minnesotas transportation needs are too dire to be walking away from this partnership with the federal government. Like any big construction project, a delay means that the costs will go up when the state finally does go ahead with the project.
Now, the DFL-controlled Legislature could have made Pawlentys job easier and whittled down the price tag of the bonding bill to a figure that would have been more palatable to the governor. Instead, they put Pawlenty in a position where he will take the credit or the blame for cutting of individual projects.
Pawlenty does deserve credit for using the line item veto and not vetoing the entire bonding bill. There were many worthwhile projects in the bill - the fire alarm improvements at Central Lakes College comes to mind - that have been put off long enough.
Lawmakers and the governor are faced with the tough job of financing must-do infrastructure projects without busting the bank on the more frivolous items on legislators wish lists. The task is a difficult one but thats why they were elected.
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