Residual Forces

Just what happened to responsible Government? And why is Government now blaming us, the citizens for them squandering the money we gave them?

State feels bumps in the budget for roads Did anyone even bother to ask if all the extra funds being taken by Commuter and Light rail had an impact on this?

After underestimating the cost of highway building and overestimating federal funding, the Minnesota Department of Transportation this year found itself $300 million short of what it needed to complete the next three years of metro road projects.

To keep the Crosstown Hwy. 62-Interstate Hwy. 35W reconstruction on schedule to start this spring, the agency has poached $50 million intended by Congress for local road, bike, transit and walking projects in the metro area. And it has gobbled the entire $100 million increase in federal highway money to pay for cost overruns of metro area projects, leaving none for outstate roads.

hidden in the story is the usual subliminal suggestion by DFLers and leftist to raise taxes. They always raise the issue of funding shortfalls, but never give suggestions to their solution. As usual, they stand on the sideline and cast stones.

The DFL pushed for just as much spending as the GOP in the past, if not more. Both parties are guilty for the lack of funds for roads. (ahem, earmarks exist locally too!) Both parties, plus the bureaucracy known as MNDOT should be taking blame for squandering our money on fruitless pursuits at social engineering and nanny state programs (half the budget goes to education, and we have to borrow money to pay for new roads, that doesn’t make sense to me!). One of the highest priorities of MN’s government should be transportation which to 95% of us means roads and highways.

Here we have Minneapolis and St. Paul ganging up to rob another $800 million (yeah right, it’ll be a billion) dollars for a train down University and then there is the boondoggle called Commuter rail. These legislators in St. Paul and their pons at MNDOT wouldn’t know a functioning transportation system if it bit them on the arse. Why are we allowing them to tell us what we need? We know that the highways need major work.

(Don’t get me started about how the Anoka County Board has its hands out at the capital, while also having it firmly over the mouths of their residents, refusing to let us say yes or no to a stadium. Every chance they get, the people we place in power, are corrupted with what we gave them. The power is going to their heads.)

Roads and highways are the number one form of transportation. Get that through your fat skulls. Stop the fluffy feel good crap. Prioritize the most dangerous spots, and fix them. Then prioritize the most congested and fix them.

Oh and where should we get the money from? Take if all, 100% from our vehicle taxes. Take 100% of the gas tax and fix our roads. If MNDOT and the legislature as a whole would stop pushing their personal agendas, and listen to 95% of the people, this crap wouldn’t be happening. Roads, roads, roads. Build us the roads we need. When you get all of our bottlenecks and congestion dealt with,. if there is money left over, we can talk about the rest of your social engineering program. But until then, that crap should be on the back burner.