[TCMetro] Fwd: [Mpls] Sabo Opposes Delay of Hiawatha LRT Start Date

Eva Young Wed, 07 Apr 2004 06:11:01 -0700

From: "Moore, Olin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "'Mpls Issues List'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2004 17:15:47 -0400
Subject: [Mpls] Sabo Opposes Delay of Hiawatha LRT Start Date
Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

I thought this would be of interest to you.

Olin Moore
Office of Congressman Martin Olav Sabo
Sheridan

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NEWS from Congressman Sabo
Representing Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District

For Immediate Release

April 6, 2004

Sabo Opposes Delay of Hiawatha LRT Start Date

Washington, D.C. -- Congressman Martin Olav Sabo (DFL-Mpls.) today wrote to
Ms. Jenna Dorn,  the Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, to
oppose the Metropolitan  Council's request to delay the opening of the
Hiawatha Light Rail Line in Minneapolis until  April 30, 2005.  Sabo is the
chief congressional proponent of Hiawatha LRT, and has appropriated over
$300 million for the project.

"The Metropolitan Council's motives are transparent.  Sadly, the only result
of the Council's decision to blame the striking workers and delay the start
of Hiawatha LRT will be to derail our region's future transportation
development," said Sabo.

Mr. Sabo was joined by Representatives Oberstar, Peterson and McCollum in
signing the letter.  The text of the letter to Administrator Dorn follows
this page.

# # #

April 6, 2004

The Honorable Jenna Dorn
Administrator
Federal Transit Administration
400 Seventh Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C.  20590

Dear Administrator Dorn:

We write to express our strong objections to the Metropolitan Council's
request to delay  until April 30, 2005, the opening of the Hiawatha Light
Rail Line in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

>From its earliest planning stages, we have and will continue to strongly
support the  Hiawatha LRT line.  An FFGA amendment is necessary to make
modest changes to the project, and we fully support these changes that will
increase ridership and enhance Hiawatha's  success.

However, we believe that the Metropolitan Council request to delay the
Hiawatha in-service  date until April 2005, is an unfair attempt to extract
concessions from workers in an ongoing labor-management contract dispute.

There is no legitimate construction-related reason to delay the opening of
the Hiawatha  Light Rail Line for an additional 13 months.  Senior
management of Metro Transit, the  builder-owner-operator of the Hiawatha
LRT, freely acknowledges this fact, which reinforces  our suspicions that
the Metropolitan Council seeks to unfairly influence labor negotiations.

Therefore, while we support the underlying FFGA amendment application, we
strongly urge you  to reject the Met Council's request to delay the Hiawatha
Light Rail Line opening until April 2005.

Sincerely,

Martin Olav Sabo                Jim Oberstar
Member of congress      Member of Congress

Betty McCollum Collin Peterson Member of Congress Member of Congress REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait.

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