DFL legislators will try to fix MnDOT

I wrote yesterday about how MnDOT under Pawlenty doesn't seem to care about crumbling highways. It's an understatement to say that we need to restore the public's trust in MnDOT, but at least that's a start. So while Pawlenty is traipsing around the country for McCain, five DFL legislators have a plan to fix the department.

The recommendations include:

• Ensure bridges are inspected at least once every 12 months
• Include safety in the department’s mission statement
• Planning requirements must include performance targets
• The commissioner or deputy commissioner must be a professional engineer
• An annual report on bridge inspection quality assurance
• A state salary cap exception would be allowed for MnDOT engineers.

These policy changes should not cost additional money, and might actually save money. There are two big lessons we should take from this piece of news:

First, the DFL is the party of fiscal responsibility; they have found cheap solutions to help a chronically underfunded department. While the DFL has often needed to raise taxes, that's a sign of just how poorly funded our state has become. Overall, the DFL is great at doing more with less.

Second, the GOP is incompetent. We already know that they don't want to spend money on infrastructure; they'd rather give it to the wealthiest 1 percent. But there are solutions out there that don't require extra money. Why haven't Republicans adopted these solutions? Because they're not interested in governing--they're interested in showing that the government is incompetent.

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