To the Editor –
2015 is going to be the year of transportation. Governor Mark Dayton, Senate Majority Leader
Tom Bakk and House Speaker Paul Thissen have all declared transportation
funding to be the top priority next year.
Minnesota needs to expand its transit options, make better connections
for bicycling and walking, repair its aging roads, and replace its 100-plus
deficient bridges.
Fixing the transportation deficit will create jobs, and improve our safety,
our health and our environment.
Peter Perovich, the DFL candidate for the State House in District 35A,
writes (http://peterperovich.org), “Our transportation must be safe and
reliable for families and businesses; we need to improve our roadways. I will
continue to invest in roadways and Anoka County’s transportation. I will
work to make Highway 10 a freeway, not a highway that slows commuters. I will also work to address the public concern with
Highway 47.”
To be fair, Peter Perovich’s
Republican opponent has also put forth a strong pro-road safety and Highway 10
improvement package among her key issues.
But, that’s meaningless when her party votes against responsible
transportation bills, simply to oppose the DFL majority. In 2013, HF 1444, the Transportation Finance
Bill Conference Committee Report, was opposed by conservative groups such as
Americans for Prosperity, and sure enough, area Republicans Abeler, Scott and Petersen
each voted against it. Why would we expect
differently from Abigail Whelan? The
last time a Transportation Bill had helped our area, in 2008, both Republicans
Abeler and Tinglestad became notorious members of the “Override Six” for voting
against Governor Pawlenty’s veto – and Tinglestad was later forced out.
The DFL-led legislature
accomplished much for Minnesota in 2013-2014.
By electing Peter Perovich on November 4th, voters can expect support
for these DFL platform positions in the 2015-2016 legislative session:
·
Support a comprehensive transportation-funding
package that will generate new economic development opportunities throughout
the state;
·
Support strong public investment in
transportation infrastructure to address structurally deficient and
functionally obsolete bridges and roads;
·
Support healthy urban growth through regional
light rail and other mass transportation systems.
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