Bridge Funding

Pawlenty asks Legislative Advisory Commission to approve request for additional appropriation

Today, October 15th, the Governor sent a letter to the LAC to request approval of sufficient funds to commence building the bridge. Read the news article....

The LAC is comprised of Senators Larry Pogemiller, Richard Cohen, Steve Murphy and Michael Jungbauer and Representatives Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Loren Solberg, Bernard Lieder and Doug Magnus.

The LAC met today. Here is the story.

Stopgap spending on roads, bridges sets up showdown
Legislators OK spending $60 million to stop delays. Pawlenty sought at least $145 million.
By Pat Doyle

Seeking to avert a threatened slowdown in road and bridge construction, legislators on Monday authorized the state to spend $60 million more over the next several months to keep projects on schedule.

But Gov. Tim Pawlenty said the extra money probably won't be enough to rebuild the Interstate 35W bridge and keep other needed construction projects on pace through the first half of 2008.

Finish the story here.

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The Dems just can’t give all the necessary funding for the bridge because that would remove the most significant reason to conduct their desired oversight of Mn/DOT and make political hay. Kelliher thinks there is a veil of secrecy at Mn/DOT. If this were a Dem administration, the LAC would have itched to give more to Mn/DOT than what was requested. These people go out of their way to stick their fingers in the eyes of the Governor and Lt. Governor.

Addendum

Here is the Pioneer Press article on LAC approving $60 million for bridge work.

And now two Minnesotans have filed suit against Mn/DOT for awarding the bid for the bridge. Read here and here.

Brian McClung, communication director for the Governor, wrote an editorial, stating that federal regulations make the state-hired bridge collapse investigation information confidential until the NTSB report is final. Here is one paragraph he wrote:

"Nevertheless, the Strib reporters, in what has become an all-too-common occurrence, virtually ignored the information provided to them in order to stir up a tempest with their article. Although the Minnesota Department of Transportation told the reporters that federal law required the investigative information to be nonpublic prior to completion of the NTSB's investigation, that fact was buried in the eighth paragraph, and the opposite sentiment was expressed in the headline."