projects even though the Mpls delegation is solidly behind the
Northstar Corridor project. The easiest answer may be simply
because he can.
Also because he sees our projects as "local" and not of
statewide significance. The planetarium would be the only one
in the state, but HE sees it as local. The empowerment zones.
Our other projects are nonprofits, which he hates: the Guthrie,
the Children's Theatre, Colin Powell Youth leadership Ctr, and
so on. I have a modest $375,000 project for People Inc.'s
Northside program, which serves homeless veterans and
others. This was a project originally passed 4 years ago. The
building they first wanted had underground drycleaner tanks, so
that one was unusable. Then building prices soared, and
options lessened. Anyway, 2 years ago, the house blocked my
modifications and this year they tried again. I finally got them to
agree to continue the funding, because People Inc. now has
found a terrific location and can proceed but needs the money.
Now the Gov has it in his sights.
The bonding bill blew up a couple of nights ago over where the
$13 million for 800-mHz radio would be spent -- metro or rural,
specifically Rochester and St Cloud. That still hasn't been
resolved, and meantime the Gov weighs in to say we must do
the train or everything in the bill that he considers to be of lesser
importance than the train will be vetoed. That probably leaves one project
left -- the combined ag/health laboratory for $60 million.
Also on the chopping block: about $60 million in UofM projects,
$50 million for MNSCU (state colleges) projects, Planetarium
and everything vaguely arts-related (Guthrie, Children's,
Bloomington Ctr for the Arts, Trollwood Performing Arts School,
Rochester Art Ctr). I haven't seen the entire list of his targets,
but I'm curious about how the St Paul projects will fare, since
they have several. And when you start, when do you stop, in his
mind. How about the Greater MN business development grants,
the Livable Communities Grants, the asset preservation money
for the Veterans Homes, the Grand Rapids Discovery Museum,
the Historical Society sites, and so on and so on.
The bonding bill traditionally is a carefully crafted piece of work
that reaches virtually every corner of the state. A lot of the bill is to
repair and restore our existing structures -- the universities and college
buildings; heating, air conditioning, and mechanical systems; roof
replacements; etc. I suspect these will escape the veto pen.
Natural resources might take a big hit. Who knows? We've
deferred much too much maintenance for our park systems,
and now propose to take care of a lot of those kinds of things.
Also in natural resources is money for the metro regional parks
and trails, St Cloud regional parks, reforestration, state trails
connctions and park acquisition, flood hazard mitigation grants
(which contain money right now for the Jordan neighborhood
flood pond and the Victory one, as well as money for Lake of
the Isles), fish hatcheries, native prairie easements, and so on.
The zoo has money for asset preservation and phase 1 of the
new Asia Trail.
There also is $4.5 million for renovating the gov's mansion.
Transportation projects total $91 million, including the $13
million radio system that blew up the bill, $45 million for local
bridge replacement/repair, $2 million for greater MN transit and
such. The NW metro busway's $20 million is counted not as
transportation but as Metropolitan Council.
If the Gov had engaged a few weeks earlier with his demands,
things might have changed. But the House has dug in deeply
against the Northstar Corridor and at this point, it may be
impossible to get it to move on that issue. It would make these
last two days much easier... But it would mean $50 million taken
out of other projects that now have been agreed to on both
sides.
I had two fortune cookies for lunch. My fortunes? "Be careful
what you wish for. You may get it." and "Pleasant surroundings
and a happy time await you."
By the way: on the naming of the Phillips neighborhood.
Wendell Phillips (great?)grandson, also named Wendell
Phillips, is a Delegate (their term for legislator) from Maryland.
He says the Wendell Phillips credit union in the Phillips
neighborhood is also named after the original Mr. Phillips.
Linda Higgins
Old Highland
(who hasn't posted in months and now has written twice in one
day. Waiting for conference committees is tough.)
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