From a document on the Phillips Partnership
website. . . .called "I-
35W Access Project Summary"
http://www.phillipspartnership.org/Infrastructure/I-
35WAccessProject_Summary.pdf
"Since receiving the high priority
designation, $10.7 million of
federal funding has been appropriated and another $34 million is
being requested over the next three years. MN/DOT HAS
COMMITTED $98 MILLION FOR THIS PROJECT ON THE
CONDITION THAT TRANSPORTATION FUNDING WILL
INCREASE BY STATE LEGISTLATIVE ACTION IN EITHER 2003
or 2004. ANOTHER $10 MILLION WILL BE NEEDED FROM
REGIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. The total project cost is
now estimated at approximately $153 million including nearly $30
million for the mitigation/enhancement features."
Author--Tom Johnson, Smith and Parker
Emphasis--Mine
From the STRIB editorial yesterday.
. .
"Pretend for a moment that you are Minnesota's new governor and your first job is to eliminate the $4.2 billion biennial budget deficit announced at the Capitol on Wednesday. Would you: Lay off one- third of the state workforce? Close half of the campuses of state colleges and universities? Or shutter every state park for the coming two years?
The correct answer is all of the above -- and that would still solve only half the problem."
Let's get real.
Russell Raczkowski
Bancroft
