When the DFL raised the gas tax in 2008, they promised Rod Hamilton that they’d fix Highway 14 if he voted to override Gov. Pawlenty’s veto. Rep. Hamilton voted to override Gov. Pawlenty’s veto. The DFL still hasn’t kept their promise:
It’s just so easy to say “if you want new roads, raise taxes.” Lawmakers raised the gas tax in 2008. We’re still waiting for a completed Highway 14. Democrats had complete control of state government for the past two years. They could have enacted the governor’s higher gas price plan at any time during their tenure and it would have sailed into law as Republicans would have been powerless to stop it.
This isn’t surprising. The DFL is famous for not keeping their promises. Unfortunately, that isn’t the only thing that the DFL is famous for. The DFL is altogether too famous for raising taxes rather than keeping their promises.
Gov. Dayton should’ve intervened in 2011 and ordered MnDOT to prioritize the Highway 14 project. Instead, they’ve delayed the Highway 14 project, then insisted that another tax increase is what’s needed. Republicans should utterly reject the DFL’s gas tax increase. They should tell Gov. Dayton and the DFL that they aren’t budging on the gas tax.
Rep. Torkelson is fighting the right fight:
Minnesota has not provided the funds necessary to maintain statewide roads and bridges. Doesn’t that alone suggest that what we’re doing, such as depending on tax revenues from gasoline sales, isn’t working? That maybe it’s time for a new approach?
The DFL keeps returning to the same things that failed because they don’t know how to solve problems. Doing the same thing again and again but expecting different results is foolish.
It’s time for Minnesotans to reject the DFL’s failed solutions. It’s time they started supporting policies that work.
