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Too much of any good thing can certainly sour one’s taste for
it. That can certainly hold true for this political season, which is
just now starting to heat up. We’ve already heard so many sound bites
and seen so many photo opts of McCain, Barack, Hillary, Mitt, Rudy,
Huckabee, and the myriad of presidential hopefuls that have
already slipped my memory, that the only thing I would be happier
seeing a conclusion to would be winter.
We’ve still got eight months before the November elections and I can’t
seem to get fired up about being part of electing the most powerful
person on earth. It’s not that I don’t care, it’s just been too much,
way too soon in the election cycle.
The sour taste in my mouth over the presidential race paled, however,
to how upset I got when I read about the way the six Minnesota
Republicans who broke ranks with Gov. (I’ll veto any tax hike) Pawlenty
were treated. The six state lawmakers were Rep. Ron Erhardt, R-Edina;
Rep. Rod Hamilton, R-Mountain Lake; Rep. Kathy Tingelstad, R-Andover;
Rep. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka; Rep. Neil Peterson, R-Bloomington; Rep. Bud
Heidgerken, R-Freeport.
These six Republicans decided the wishes of their constituents, and the
betterment of their state was more important than what Gov. Tim and his
Republican faithfulls were dictating when it came to the transportation
bill. (Let’s see, dictating…dictator).
Because our governor continues to feel posturing for the vice
presidential nod with McCain is so important that he’s willing to sell
out our children and grandchildren when it comes to fixing our roads,
he vetoed the transportation bill. Gov. Tim feels that bonding, which
in essence shoves the responsibility of paying for our highways and
bridges on our future generations, is the responsible way of fixing our
state’s infrastructure. Why should my 14-year-old daughter’s
generation, and the following generations have to pay for the roads and
bridges I have been using? Why would anyone want to put our future
generations in hock?
The transportation bill had wide support. The bill was supported by the
Association of Minnesota Counties, the Minnesota Association of
Townships, MN Farm Bureau, the MN Farmers Union, MN State Patrol
Troopers Association, Coalition of Greater MN Cities, County and City
Engineers Associations, the MN Chamber Commerce, as well as farm
commodity and environmental groups. This wasn’t some left-wing, ultra
liberal idea.
Minnesota Legislative Auditor James Nobles said in a recent report that
the state is at least $2.4 billion behind every year in transportation
funding. A lack of state funding for our roads and bridges has shifted
that cost to local property taxes - making property taxes the largest
single source of funding for local road and bridge projects in
Minnesota. $1.6 billion in property tax revenue is spent every year by
local governments on roads and bridges. That’s more than is brought in
by the state’s gas tax, and three times what is collected from license
tab fees.
The Minnesota gas tax hasn’t been increased in 20 years. Try to name a
single item we purchased in 1988 that’s still the same price today!
The average driver will spend about $50 more each year because of the
gas tax increase. Lower income Minnesotans will receive a $25 tax
rebate to offset that increase.
Our state’s Republicans should be ashamed of stripping the six legislators of their key committee leadership positions.
My father once told me a statesman does what’s best for his
constituents, regardless of how it might jeopardize his or her
political future, while a politician panders to his or her political
party and puts party politics and getting re-elected above his our her
constituents.
The majority of our legislators who wear the Republican name tag
certainly displayed their true colors last week, and it wasn’t red,
white, and blue!
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