Another thank you to the "Override 6"

I've written fairly often on the transportation bill passed in the last legislative session, because I keep seeing reminders of just how important it was for the future of our state. One of those reminders was an article in the Star Tribune about two of these courageous representatives--Jim Abeler and Kathy Tingelstad--highlighting the difficulties they've experienced since their override vote. I want to thank them for the sacrifices they made to help our state move forward.

The appalling state of our infrastructure--and the need for new investment to save it--continues to become more and more apparent. The Star Tribune reported today that yet another Minnesota bridge is being closed due to problems with its gusset plates. The closure will require commuters who use the Hwy. 43 bridge to drive a whopping 140 extra miles per day. Or, if you prefer to estimate the financial costs, if we assume an average of 20 miles per gallon, the closure will cost them approximately $28 per day! With the closure of the Hwy. 43 bridge, we now have a total of four bridges that are either wholly or partially closed due to structural dangers. Our transportation system is rapidly approaching the point where it is no longer functional. We desperately need to fix our roads and bridges--and the transportation bill at least allowed us to get started.

Now I'd like to hear from those who opposed this vital spending on our infrastructure. In particular, I want to hear from our Governor, who had the audacity to try to veto the bill. Can he really believe that the current situation is acceptable? What possible alternative would he suggest? Should we just continue to sit back and watch the collapse? In his veto message, the governor expressed concern that increasing taxes would harm the economy. Could it be worse for the economy than a system of bridges in such poor shape that our businesses need to send their goods an extra 140 miles to find a functioning bridge? His do-nothing plan was simply not acceptable. Ignoring the needs of our transportation system--letting it continue to crumble and drag our economy down with it--is not only irresponsible, it's downright despicable.

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