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State Representative Tim Mahoney
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4277
For more information contact: Matt Swenson 651-297-8406
Column/LTE
EXCUSE ME MR. GOVERNOR – IS MY BRIDGE SAFE?
81,000 vehicles cross the Lafayette Bridge over the Mississippi River in St. Paul every day. Those 81,000 working men and women are making their daily commutes to and from work, dropping their kids off at soccer practice, and going about their daily lives – just like the victims of the I35W Bridge collapse.
But what many of those 81,000 don't realize is that the Lafayette Bridge is in worse condition than the I35W Bridge was when it fell into the Mississippi River last month. In fact, it has a sufficiency rating of 49.5 out of 100 and, frankly, it's a disaster waiting to happen.
MnDOT officials are currently inspecting the Lafayette Bridge and over 300 other "structurally deficient" and "functionally obsolete" bridges throughout the state to determine whether or not they are fit for travel. They have been spurred into action by the tragic events that unfolded in mid-August – and by a Governor scrambling to cover his tracks.
Why did it take a catastrophe for people to finally realize that we have neglected our transportation system for too long? Should a thorough inspection of our infrastructure only occur when innocent Minnesotans die? How did we get to the point in Minnesota where bridges just fall down?
Poor leadership and a lack of commitment to adequately invest in our infrastructure over the course of the last several decades put us in this position. Neglect and ignorance have landed us here. This is the result of poor leadership on behalf of a slew of Governors unwilling to take the politically unpopular course – responsible leadership.
Our gas tax – the main source of revenue for our roads and bridges in Minnesota – has not been raised since 1988. We are billions of dollars behind in road and bridge maintenance and now we're struggling to provide safe avenues of travel for Minnesota commuters. And despite the fact that our transportation system is literally starved for adequate funding, Governor Pawlenty smiled as he vetoed a comprehensive transportation package this session that would have put our state on track to recovery.
Is this the kind of Minnesota that we want to live in? Ask any Minnesotan and they'll tell you that the answer is NO.
My colleagues and I in the Legislature have called on the Governor to bring us back to the Capitol to correct our state's gap in transportation funding to adequately repair and maintain Minnesota's infrastructure. We have asked him repeatedly to call a special session so that the Legislature can provide flood relief assistance for the people of southeastern Minnesota.
Still, the Governor stands silent in the wake of these tragedies that have deeply affected Minnesotans across the state. Still, the Governor clings ignorantly and unwaveringly to the policy that got us to this point in the first place – that tired old phrase, "No New Taxes." He refuses to lead. And in doing so, he refuses to allow us as a state to recover and move forward.
But until the Governor decides to lead, the people of southeastern Minnesota will still be without homes, jobs, and infrastructure. The 81,000 who cross the Lafayette Bridge every day, and the millions who cross structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridges throughout our great state, will still remain uncertain of their safety. But more than that, the future of our state will remain unclear.
Minnesotans deserve more than empty phrases and sound bites. We need action, and we need it now – before it's too late.
Please contact me at (651) 296-4277, 591 State Office Building, 100 Martin Luther King Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155 or via e-mail at rep.tim.mahoney@house.mn.
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