The Political Environment: Minnesotans Love Their Rail Expansion

Monday, December 14, 2009

Minnesotans Love Their Rail Expansion

Wonder why Minnesotans have a "can-do" attitude about public works that Wisconsinites can't muster.

3 comments:

Anon Jim said...: James - understand why you would get all excited about a bunch of kindred spirit Socialists in Minnesota saying build a choo-choo train no matter what the cost.

Exactly how much of the $1 billion do the 5,000+ good citizens of Cambridge planning on chipping in?

Or like the Hiawatha in Minneapolis, will they expect the Feds to foot almost the entire bill?; December 14, 2009 at 8:44 PM
Anonymous said...: To Anon Jim:

Where are you getting your figures? Are you a serious person of dialogue? I'm completely taken aback by your assertions, which fail to recognize what a large chunk of our taxes pay for - highway (re)building. Highways aren’t bad in my opinion; the point is to have transportation options.

You speak about here and now non-solutions. People with political will and vision speak about the future. But I guess you raise your kids to drive for a living. Don't take this the wrong way. I don't invent the facts. Go ahead, take a poke at me. I'll agree with you. But seriously, you disregard the point of transportation. It is proven highways and manufacturing plants located near housing contribute to poor air quality. In turn, this can lower the standards of living. In fact, it is proven that pollution from cars and manufacturing plants can lead to severe respiratory problem especially if you live by a house or said facility. There is much noise pollution associated with being located by highways. There are many cases when schools, for example, can only build a facility on the edge of a community next to a highway. And it has been proven the air pollution and noise quality around a school can reach dangerous levels. So I guess you would be pissed the Feds would have to foot the bill to help find a solution for these issues. Trust me, I can send you 20 case studies where this is an issue in the U.S.

We planners are just trying to tackle all the issues associated with both driving and alternative modes. No one is saying take away our right to drive. I like driving because of the convenience factor. But public and elected officials also have a responsibility to develop communities in a comprehensive planning approach. These are state laws, not made up laws.

Please think about this. In fact, why don't you report to anyone on here what's it’s like to take a bus or train? Have you ever ridden on these modes of travel? They may not be the most convenient or best smelling atmospheres. But then again, people don't complain on blogs that their own personal vehicles stink too.

Grow up!; December 16, 2009 at 9:48 AM
enoughalready said...: Great story! People said "just get it done" no matter what the cost! (I can't believe they are all socialists, either.)

Also, gotta love the phone number of the reporter at the end of the article. Will the conservative-leaning Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, afraid of offending local business leaders, dare to cover this story? Never.; December 17, 2009 at 8:27 AM