I wish I could say that I’m surprised that the St. Cloud Times Editorial Board is recommending Republicans cave into the DFL’s transportation plan:
Finally and fortunately, Minnesotans have enough details from legislators and Gov. Mark Dayton to weigh in on what they want for transportation funding statewide in the next 10 years.
House Republicans this week put forth their proposal, which spends $7 billion through tapping the state surplus, borrowing, increased efficiencies and spending general-fund money now used in other state programs. It’s unclear which programs would be cut, but it amounts to $3 billion in 10 years. The plan does not raise taxes. It also does much less for public transit than Dayton’s plan.
I can’t dispute the fact that the Republicans’ plan doesn’t do much for “public transit.” I can’t deny it because it’s designed not to do much for “public transit.” The GOP plan tells the Met Council that it’s responsible for metro transit.
That’s only fair because light rail isn’t a big thing in outstate Minnesota. If the Twin Cities wants light rail, let the Twin Cities fund that.
Here are some suggestions to make this much-needed initiative a reality by session’s end in mid-May:
New revenues (also known as taxes and user fees) are more forthright and stable than funding shifts (aka cutting other programs.) Higher taxes and fees, which admittedly nobody likes, clearly identify who will pay them. Shifting $3 billion from unidentified state programs not only creates unintended consequences for residents with no stake in transportation, but future legislators could easily trump these choices, further delaying much-needed improvements.
Contrary to Rep. Thissen’s spin, there aren’t any funding shifts in the Republicans’ transportation plan. The Republicans’ plan proposes dedicating the sales tax on auto parts, car rentals and car leases for fixing roads and bridges. Those existing taxes would be part of the Transportation Stability Fund.
In the latest KSTP-SurveyUSA poll, 75% of Minnesotans said that they didn’t want a tax increase to be part of the transportation plan. Republicans shouldn’t cave on this. If the DFL wants to fight an election over this, I’d just tell the DFL that we’re willing to fight that fight anytime anywhere.
Compromise isn’t necessarily a virtue. Doing what the vast majority of people want is a virtue.
Technorati: St. Cloud Times, Mark Dayton, Transit, Met Council, Middle Class Tax Increase, Paul Thissen, DFL, Transportation Stability Fund, Roads and Bridges, MNGOP
We don’t need more LRT or heavy rail “transit” in the metro or in the outstate. Junk both of those systems and buy electric or natural gas run buses (those would please the environazi’s) with the money saved and start moving more people a lot more efficiently.
Also, there will be unintended consequences for those of us who have no stake in dumping more money into the rat hole of public transit and it’s called more money in our bank accounts.
If people want more public transit money, pay for it at the source, on the bus or train.