Governor Line-Item Vetoes Central Corridor Project
by Katie
By Art Allen, Communications Assistant
When the governor line-item-vetoed nearly all funding for transit in this year’s bonding bill, he line-item-vetoed his own desire for fiscal responsibility and economic growth in the state of Minnesota.
The veto is the latest in a string of the Governor’s attacks on transit funding. In addition to eliminating state funding to build Central Corridor, the Governor cut funding for nearly every transit project outlined in the Met Council’s regional transit plan. Earlier this year, the Governor slashed funding almost 40 percent of the general fund allocation to transit, a cut nearly 10 times greater than cuts to other general fund allocations.
Symbolic or not, the Governor’s actions put the entire region at risk: transit projects are, rightly or wrongly, one of the most scrutinized destinations of public funding, and every penny is agonized over. Even delaying this funding one year will cost as much as $40 million, not to mention the half a billion dollars in matching funds in federal money that Minnesota now stands to lose.
The Governor’s actions leave the Twin Cities region with two options: wait a year (or more) to get the ball rolling on Central Corridor (and, by doing so, increase project costs by $40 million), or scrap the project all together.
The future of Central Corridor is in the Governor’s hands. He needs to demonstrate his public promises to prioritize Central Corridor during this legislative session were made in good faith.
