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State Representative Linda Slocum
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-7158
For more information contact: Joan Nichols 651-29X-XXXX
Column/LTE
Historic Structure Struck Down by Veto Pen
Dear Editor,
The buildings on the Upper Bluffs of Fort Snelling (Upper Post) are crumbling. Once the induction home to many of the WWII veterans we honored last weekend at the Capitol dedication of the WWII Memorial, this national historic landmark is now on a list of the top ten most threatened historic structures in the country. It also lies among this session's ruins, struck down by the Governor's lack of engagement in the legislative process and the veto pen.
I chief-authored the Fort Snelling Upper Bluffs Bill to secure funding to stabilize the buildings and stop the deterioration of these structures. Preservation efforts to restore the buildings would have used Sentence-to-Serve labor. Sentence-to-serve is an organization that provides low-level offenders with job skills training. Sentence-to-Serve helps these people with training for living wage jobs and entering the workforce successfully. Their success rate can be measured by their low rate of recidivism.
This legislation would mean help for this historic area today if the Governor had chosen to sign the Bonding Bill.
Instead these buildings continue to stand abandoned, in a state of disrepair, at the brink of becoming irretrievably destroyed. This is truly tragic. This stabilization project is the exact kind of project that fits the bonding criteria for this last session. It’s a shame that these historic buildings will deteriorate further.
The Fort Snelling Upper Bluffs is an important part of our heritage. It has battled the ravages of time and it stands in need of development resources to stave off further deterioration. If we don't stabilize these buildings and stop the deterioration, they're going to be destroyed. Such a loss will not only impact my communities Bloomington and Richfield, but also the communities of Greater Minnesota. Governor Pawlenty can count on seeing this legislation again when the Legislature reconvenes. The people of Minnesota deserve to have their history remembered and preserved.
Sincerely,
State Representative Linda Slocum,
District 63B Bloomington and Richfield
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