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State Representative Paul Thissen
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-5375
For more information contact: Chris Shields 651-296-8873
Column/LTE
CROSSTOWN PROJECT FUNDING IS SYMPTOM OF MORE SERIOUS PROBLEM
To the Editor:
The project to upgrade the Crosstown 62 Commons is set to begin soon. Unfortunately, MnDOT has not yet gotten reliable financing in place. The state will take the unprecedented step of taking contractors to front the money to get the project moving. The effect is that Minnesota contractors very likely will not be able to bid for the project and large out-of-state companies will reap the profits. Why doesn't MnDOT have the money to pay its bills?
The problem is state transportation policy that can no longer keep up with growing needs. We are not paying as we go. Instead, because of the state’s unwillingness to make sufficient transportation investments, MnDOT has been forced to repeatedly borrow money by issuing bonds. In 2005, $40 million of the state trunk highway fund (the money used to for roads and bridges) was spent on debt service. And faced with growing needs, the Governor announced a plan earlier this year to put another $2.5 billion in transportation projects on the state's credit card and pay down debt over 20 years. As a result, more and more of our transportation dollars are being spent on interest rather than on building roads and transit.
We need a new approach. Last year, a bipartisan majority in both the House and Senate passed a comprehensive transportation bill that realistically confronts our great needs. The Governor vetoed the bill. The only piece of the legislation left after the veto is a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot this November dedicating 100% of the existing Motor Vehicle Sales Tax to transportation. It is a start.
Sincerely,
Rep. Paul Thissen &
Rep. Dan Larson
-30-
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