Accessibility menu
State Representative Sandra Masin
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-3533
For more information contact: Charlene Briner 651-296-5809
Column/LTE
MINNESOTA CAN'T AFFORD TO WAIT FOR COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION BILL
To the Editor,
On Tuesday, September 11, the Minnesota Legislature overwhelmingly approved a disaster relief package for flood-stricken southeastern Minnesota. Within hours of the bill's final passage Governor Pawlenty signed it into law. By the next day state agencies were distributing funds to local governments and individuals facing a long and arduous recovery process.
The coordinated effort to work together to swiftly help fellow Minnesotans in their time of need demonstrated government at its best. So it's vexing that similar cooperation from the Governor was missing to put a comprehensive transportation plan on the special session agenda.
Minnesota has been unforgivably shortsighted in addressing transportation. Our state has grown and changed dramatically over the past 6 decades, and will continue growing at rates far outpacing the national average, with another 1 million people expected by the year 2030.
In the days after the tragic collapse of the I-35W Bridge, the Governor spoke about the need for a special session to address transportation and infrastructure, including using a gas tax increase as part of the total funding package. As the weeks went on however, he backtracked, saying he would only support a temporary increase in the gas tax, and even that would need to be offset by income tax decreases that would predominately benefit wealthy Minnesotans, thus providing essentially no new money for roads, bridges and transit.
It’s long past time to get serious on a comprehensive transportation plan that will sustain us in decades to come. Without one, the hole we're already in will continue to grow deeper, jeopardizing our economic competitiveness, our safety and our quality of life. It's long past time for the Governor to get serious too.
Sandra Masin
State Representative, District 38A
News Items
- Rep. Sandra Masin Sworn-In as Legislative Session Begins - (Posted: Jan 8 2013 3:10PM)
- Representative Sandra Masin: Special Session Delivers Flood-Relief - (Posted: 2010-10-18 00:00:00)
- EAGAN TRIBUTE & MEMORIAL DEDICATION State Representative Sandra Masin invites area residents to unveiling ceremony - (Posted: 2010-10-06 00:00:00)
- Archived News Items
- Subscribe to RSS News Feeds
- Read more about RSS.