Chisago County is GOP has had a poll open, asking if Transportation Commissioner Carol Molnau should resign. While the Dems want to make political hay by calling for her resignation, Phil Krinkie attempts to address the real problems. This opinion piece is found on True North, which got it from St. Paul Legal Ledger.
A New Commissioner At MnDOT Would Have Little Impact
By Phil Krinkie
When the state legislature wrapped-up a special session in one day last month, Minnesotans thought that they would get a break from politics for a few months until state lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene in February. But it seems some legislators just can't pull themselves away. They persist to debate transportation funding with a "he said, she said don't blame me, it was MnDOT's fault" attitude. All of these discussions seem to end with a standard DFL solution, a call for Lt. Governor Molnau to resign as Commissioner of MnDOT, a position she has held for the past 4½ years.
Some of the loudest voices calling for her resignation are State Senator Steve Murphy, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, and Speaker of the House Margaret Kelliher.
While they are certainly entitled to their opinion, after serving in the Legislature for 16 years, I would take a very different tack. What seems to be lost to these legislators, and the public at large, is that MnDOT is a huge bureaucracy, and given its current structure, it is doubtful that anyone can manage that Department effectively. A change at the helm will not fundamentally change MnDOT's operations. Real change will only come through a great deal of legislative leadership and the courage to change the status quo.
Read more....
A New Commissioner At MnDOT Would Have Little Impact
By Phil Krinkie
When the state legislature wrapped-up a special session in one day last month, Minnesotans thought that they would get a break from politics for a few months until state lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene in February. But it seems some legislators just can't pull themselves away. They persist to debate transportation funding with a "he said, she said don't blame me, it was MnDOT's fault" attitude. All of these discussions seem to end with a standard DFL solution, a call for Lt. Governor Molnau to resign as Commissioner of MnDOT, a position she has held for the past 4½ years.
Some of the loudest voices calling for her resignation are State Senator Steve Murphy, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, and Speaker of the House Margaret Kelliher.
While they are certainly entitled to their opinion, after serving in the Legislature for 16 years, I would take a very different tack. What seems to be lost to these legislators, and the public at large, is that MnDOT is a huge bureaucracy, and given its current structure, it is doubtful that anyone can manage that Department effectively. A change at the helm will not fundamentally change MnDOT's operations. Real change will only come through a great deal of legislative leadership and the courage to change the status quo.
Read more....
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