Kalin and Transportation: Part 3

Rep. Jeremy Kalin (D-17B) issued this news release on February 22, 2008

Reading Kalin’s press release and reading this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, and others, one gets the impression that there is a common Democrat writer producing talking points for legislators and reporters.

If there is any question, Kalin’s following paragraph:

"According to MnDOT's own projections, Minnesota is $2.4 billion behind every year in keeping up our current system. This serious lack of state funding has driven property taxes to record levels. Local governments struggling to maintain essential local roads and bridges have been forced to spend an unprecedented $1.6 billion of property tax revenue on transportation needs every year. That's more than revenue raised from the state's gas tax, and three times the amount brought in by state license tab fees."

is also found here in exact words. It looks like both writers blocked and copied a script written for them. I guess these Dems need to have someone else write a press release so they get the party line straight.

And one more thing. If Minnesota is spending $2.4 billion too little every year, then why did the Dems pass a bill that spends just $6.6 billion over ten years? That’s just $0.66 billion each year, no where near the $2.4 billion supposed to be needed. That’s only 27.5% of what is alleged to be needed.

So if we need $2.4 billion every year, then the Dems should count themselves a failure. Haven’t the Dems continued the failure that they lay at the Republican doorstep?

Instead of spouting the party line without evidence, Kalin owes it to all of us to provide source documents for his assertions. Is that too much to ask in an easy to use electronic world? If Mn/DOT has projected a $2.4 billion shortfall per year, then Kalin should be able to give us a link to that document. And we should have the privilege of reading and understanding it for ourselves.

So Rep. Kalin (we know you stop at our blog) please use your press releases and web site to give us links to these important documents. If you don’t, we will assume you are hiding something and/or just spouting the party line.