Commentary; Posted: 5/5/04

Opponents should reconsider Northstar bonding

Don Heinzman

Suburban and outstate communities sometimes get little respect at the Minnesota Legislature. What is most disconcerting is those who are elected in suburbs, mostly Republican Party members, who canít get together and vote for what their constituents want.

Case in point is the House Ways and Means Committee last week stripping the North Star Commuter Rail project of $37.5 million from the stateís bonding bill. On Thursday, the full House voted 102-30 to pull the Northstar funding. Without that money, the project stands to lose $125 million in federal funds.

Despite pleas from their Gov. Tim Pawlenty and their House Speaker Steve Sviggum, some suburban Republican legislators, including Forest Lake Rep. Ray Vandeveer and Lindstrom Rep. Pete Nelson, are snubbing their noses at Minnesota residents who favor commuter rail as an alternative to waiting in long lines of traffic.

If Republican legislators were to defeat Northstar Commuter Rail, it will be a major blow to any alternative transit not only for Highway 10 but for the entire suburban and outstate community area.

Some suburban legislators are on board the Northstar bill, particularly Rep. Kathy Tingelstad of Andover who is leading the charge.

It was a suburban legislator Rep. Bill Haas of Champlin who authored a sneaky amendment to strip Northstar from the bill and to insert $20 million for a busway to Maple Grove in his district and to fund pet highway projects for committee members, forcing them to vote for the amendment.

And it was a suburban legislator Rep. Phil Krinke who authored the amendment requiring a vote by any county government bonding for Northstar.

But the battle isnít over to aid the fastest growing traffic corridor in Minnesota. The proposal will be amended back into the bonding bill and moved through the House and Senate and finally to the Conference Committee where Gov. Pawlenty will wield his power.

Why is it hard to convince legislators that this most cost-effective rail project which is projected to carry 5000 commuters a day is what people want?

Youíd think the opinion of their voters would be convincing. In poll after poll, up to 70 percent favor Northstar Rail. Many of them say they will take the rail option to work.

Legislators opposed, say they donít believe the polls, and insist the North Star line is too expensive and wonít make a difference in the number of cars on Highway 10.

Talk about cost effective. It will cost $3.7 million per mile for Northstar, $10 million per mile for an exclusive busway system and $12 million per mile to add a lane to Highway 10.

A study by the Federal Transit Authority concluded the Northstar Proposal would be effective if it were changed to stop and start at Big Lake instead of St. Cloud.

Opponents say people wonít take the trains and the highway will be just as crowded. Again the polls say 5000 people a day will ride the rail from Big Lake to Minneapolis.

The Republican legislators who live along the rail stubbornly believe that building wider roads is the only answer, and are still smarting over the light rail transit line about to open in Minneapolis that got through the Legislature.

It is time for motorists who are trapped, going to and from their jobs, to write their legislators and urge a yes vote for Northstar, and to write Gov. Pawlenty and thank him for leading North Star to a successful destination.

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