The highway expansion questions are linked very strongly to housing
supply. Look at where 35W goes through. Many houses were "selectively
cleared" for the expressway. Ask Pat Griffin, the pastor of St. Stephans
Church about the promises the city made at that time to produce more
affordable housing. We can pinpoint the political policy issues from that
era and compare them with today's policies. As Tony Soprano might say
about the rheteric: "Hey, cut out the New Jersey dialogue!"
There are outstanding regional debts still owed to the affected
neighborhoods in the city from the highway construction. Social and moral
debts. The policy issues of highway expansion or whatever other
alternatives must include housing. Wizard is right about federal
committment to housing. They are long gone and it is foolish to count on
the feds to do anything with financing new affordable housing. It is up
to the city and the other locals to do it. How? One way would be to look
at highway construction money and develop creative ways of tapping those
funds to either get replacement housing or new housing as part of any
"infrastructure improvements" or new highways.
David Wilson
Loring Park
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