Post in Mitch Berg: Defeating Moderate Republicans Is More Important than Defeating DFLers

May 05 00:33 UTC

Mitch Berg: Defeating Moderate Republicans Is More Important than
Defeating DFLers
http://lloydletta.blogspot.com/2008/05/mitch-berg-defeating-moderate.html

Peterson explains his vote in an oped to the Strib here:
http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/16001922.html

But the user fee for gas is just one part of the bill. In the bill is
municipal state aid, with $11 million for Bloomington, $4.8 million
for Edina and $150 million for Hennepin County. This money will be
available for street repair and improvements over the next 10 years.

If these dollars do not come to our county and cities through this
allocation, residents in my district will eventually pay for the
improvements through increased real-estate taxes. That is the bottom
line. The cities and the county will have no other choice but to go to
their primary source of funding, our real estate taxes, to get
transportation needs met. With this bill, I voted to avoid higher
property taxes.
• I supported the bill because we have a slowing economy in our state.

People have suggested that an economic downturn is not the time for a
bill like this. I believe it is the time. This bill will support
thousands of jobs -- jobs with salary dollars that will stay in
Minnesota.

What is the remedy for a slowing economy? Jobs. We need these dollars
in Minnesota. Our way of life here and our future depend on a strong
economic base. We bemoan the loss of 900 jobs at Macy's downtown, but
we are losing many times that number in our construction industry
alone. Think of the positive effect of thousands of Minnesota jobs in
the next decade. With this bill, I voted for a stronger economy.
• I supported the bill because of the recently released legislative
auditor's report.

Legislative Auditor James Nobel used the words "downright grim" when
looking at the current status of roads and bridges. In his testimony,
he gave me no reason to question the talented men and women who are
engineers and planners in the Department of Transportation (MnDOT).

He did give me the reason MnDOT is in such a mess. Follow the money.
We are asking MnDOT to do more and more with less and less. It is a
shell game with horrific outcomes. Maintenance deferred, construction
postponed -- it is all part of the MnDOT mantra.

A MnDOT employee I know well said that it is hard when you can't be
proud of the place you work. Without funding. MnDOT's hands are tied.
With this bill, I voted as a legislator to accept my part of the
transportation problems in this state.
• I supported the bill because as a solo business owner, I know the
reality of inflation.

Over the last three years, we have lost two opportunities to
adequately fund road maintenance and construction. This is the third
time that a transportation bill has been passed and vetoed. Over this
same period, according to the auditor's report, the cost of
construction has gone up almost 40 percent. It will continue to
escalate, and a transportation bill will keep coming back, each time
with a higher price tag, not to do more, but to do less. The reality
is the old adage "pay now or pay more later." With this bill, I voted
against inflationary increases for transportation.

***********************************************

Berg interviewed Jan Schneider, who got the Republican endorsement
over Neil Peterson, partly because Peterson voted to override the
transportation, but also because Peterson doesn't kowtow to the
anti-gay Minnesota Family Council.

This is a laugh:

    "Jan needs your help, of course; Peterson is supported by a
phalanx of big unions, including the construction unions that'll be
the big beneficiaries of the Transportation Bill."

Berg fails to point out that the Chamber of Commerce also supported
the Gas Tax Increase.

Berg concludes:

    "Defeating the DFL is important; knocking off the Override Six is
almost even bigger, since the long-term viability of this state is so
closely tied to the viability of the GOP."

And Berg likes to call himself "center-right".

Meanwhile, where has Mitch Berg and others concerned about tax policy
been about the Mall of America boondoggle?  Marty Seifert is on record
support that, and why isn't he being held accountable.  It reminds me
of how the Governor and many "no-new taxes" Republicans were never
held accountable by the no-tax crowd for voting to increase taxes in
Hennepin County for the Twins Stadium.

Eva Young
Minneapolis
Lloydletta's Nooz
http://lloydletta.blogspot.com