I just saw Gov-elect Pawlenty on the KSTP At Issue
program.
Pawlenty said that we all have to pitch in and do
our share. That's good...but what will the wealthy do?
He discussed the meaning of the word "cut". Pawlenty
talked reassuringly at about the budget problem. BUT
the shortfall is so severe that there will have to be
severe cuts by anybody's defininition.
Pawlenty said and then repeated that we will have a
serious debate on who pays for light rail. He
suggested Hennepin county and "people who benefit" as
possibilities. Does that mean nearby property owners
as was proposed at the Legislature?
Maybe property owners who live within a mile of
freeways should get huge tax bills to cover the cost
of the freeway. SURPRISE! That's a bad idea. If that
was done, nobody would ever want a highway built or
improved in their area.
If LRT is built but doesn't run, the Feds will
demand their money back since most of the project was
built with Federal funds. The Feds write their
transportation contracts to prevent states and
localities from backing out of federally-funded
projects.
What would happen if the state tried to make
Hennepin county, Minneapolis or nearby property owners
pay the whole cost of running LRT?
The House Tax Committee chair is from suburban
Hennepin county. The Twins stadium bill last year
didn't include Hennepin county because suburban
Republicans teamed up with St. Paul interests.
The state signed contracts with the Feds. I'm
pretty sure Hennepin county signed contracts. Did
Minneapolis sign LRT contracts with Feds?
What would happen if Minneapolis had its local aid
cut severely and had to pay the whole operating cost
of LRT?
The new administration needs a slogan for its urban
policy. How about "Delenda est Carthago"?
In Latin, that means "Carthage must be destroyed".
A Roman senator, Cato the Elder, ended every speech by
saying "Delenda est Carthago".
Cato got the war he wanted. Hannibal, a
Carthaginian general, crossed the Alps with elephants.
After ten years of war between Rome and Carthage the
Romans destroyed Carthage, slaughtered its population
and plowed salt into the soil.
Maybe this is a signal to Minneapolis. We better
watch our step. Mayor R.T. Rybak and city council
members should NOT ride elephants while lobbying at
the State Capitol!
Ed Fesler [EMAIL PROTECTED] Minneapolis
Corcoran
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