The minute Republicans proposed their transportation bill to fix Minnesota's roads and bridges, Gov. Dayton, the DFL and Move MN have criticized the proposal.
House Minority Leader Thissen accused the Republican plan of "siphoning money from our kids' education" and "running up the credit card." It's stunning that Rep. Thissen enthusiastically supports putting low-priority items like renovating cages for gorillas at Como Park (2009) and a sheet music museum in southern Minnesota (2013) but protests the use of bonding to fix Minnesota's bridges.
The Met Council says it doesn't "invest" enough money in light rail projects. The Met Council's claim is actually accurate.
House Speaker Kurt Daudt said that's because the money should be focused on roads and bridges. Amazingly, the Met Council is accusing Republicans of keeping their campaign promise of fixing Minnesota's roads and bridges.
They're also accusing Speaker Daudt of funding high priority items and not funding lower priority items. I'm betting that the percentage of people in the Brainerd Lakes area that put a high priority on transit projects is either tiny or non-existent.
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Move MN is essentially a DFL front group on transportation. Anytime they've been interviewed on radio or TV, they've talked about roads and bridges. Visit their website, though, and they spend considerable amounts of time talking about "sustainable" transportation, transit and my favorite, "pedestrian infrastructure."
I've got a better idea than raising taxes to fund everything on the transportation lobbyists' wish list. Let's not raise taxes and fund the things that are actually important.
In 2008, the DFL raised the gas tax, justifying the increase by saying it would provide enough money to fix Minnesota's roads and bridges for 25 years. Just seven years later, they're back telling us they need more money.
Frankly, I don't believe them.
Gary Gross
St. Cloud
Gross is a conservative blogger and activist.
