SWLRT: Obsolete, Expensive and Wrong Choice for EP

In his recent commentary in the Eden Prairie News, EP Councilman Brad Aho puts forth well-researched and practical reasons to oppose wasting almost $2 billion of our hard-earned tax dollars on another light rail boondoggle. He writes, “There is no logically defensible argument for creating a separate transportation system which only serves a few, is more expensive to operate and maintain and is unreliable in Minnesota winters – especially when maintaining/improving the existing roads and bridges and increasing bus service where/when needed, can be accomplished at a fraction of the cost.”  Just so.

He also correctly dismisses the “use it or lose it” argument as “no justification to waste those tax dollars on a bad transportation choice that will obligate us to pay millions more every year to maintain” and calls for all parties to return to the table to rethink how to meet our transpiration needs. I agree that the Federal government should also stop telling us how we can spend our own tax dollars. Remember, every supposedly ‘free’ dollar from them is actually a tax dollar from us.

He rightly points out that building a 19th century solution at 21st century prices is not what is best for Minnesota. There are very good reasons why Minnesota replaced the static and expensive rail system with flexible and cheaper bus service. We also see from the constituent survey results recently released by Senator David Hann that a majority of EP taxpayers agree with Councilman Aho.

Turning back the technological clock to recreate a mode of public transportation made obsolete more than half a century ago makes no sense unless you have a personal agenda for it being built. Setting aside the misguided social engineers and academic elitists who want to dictate how we all should live and work, what to eat, what news and opinions to read as well as what modes of transport we should use, there is another group of people which strongly advocates for building light rail – those who will profit from it.  They either profit from building it, profit from buying the land around it or profit from lobbying on behalf of the first two groups. This is a quintessential example of spending tax dollars on a special interest. I thought we’d had enough of that with all the sports stadiums we’ve built and are building for the personal profit of billionaires.

And like all good monopolies, these private profiteers will get government to shut down the SW bus service, their main competition, so commuters will have no choice but do as they’re told and use the train (when it actually is running, that is).  So, follow the money and it becomes clear why certain groups support this obsolete, unreliable and expensive transportation option.

Thank you, Councilman Aho, for standing up for hardworking taxpayers and against wastefully and inefficiently spending tax dollars on the wrong solution for Eden Prairie and all of Minnesota. And also for continuing to bring your common sense, reasonable approaches and sound business acumen to public service.

For more information on why Light Rail is the wrong transportation choice for MN, click on the link below.

Defining Success: The Case against Rail Transit - Cato Institute

http://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/pa663.pdf