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Monday, May 4, 2015

At Her Own Crossroads: Will Representative Fenton Lead or Appease


Representative Kelly Fenton (R) of District 53B in Woodbury is now at her own crossroads. She must decide, will she lead or appease regarding the Gateway Corridor/ Gold Line bus rapid transit corridor as the 2015 legislative session winds down. In her very own recent survey, 600 of her constituents responded with 45.6% stating they want the corridor; yet only 26.8% of them said they'd be willing to pay the necessary higher taxes to pay for the $485 million dollar corridor. 

Thankfully, we live in a republic not a democracy. We have elections to appoint representatives who we assume do their due diligence to research on the best way to lead. Weighing cost vs benefit of every decision. Here the evidence is staring her in the face. Like a parent with a child who has little understanding of money when wanting every toy... 45.6% of her constituents are saying they want the Gateway Corridor; yet only 26.8% of them stated they'd be willing to pay more on even just one of the revenue sources for the corridor such as this (the sales tax). Like any responsible legislator or parent, they'd see this disconnect as an opportunity to educate and state that you can't have something without paying for it. Furthermore, understand the added costs of the purchase, etc. 

Woodbury is waking up to this expensive reality of the Gateway Corridor. A brick is yet to be laid, yet support for the corridor has fallen 12% according to a 130 page survey recently released from the city.
Recently elected, Fenton appeared to be the perfect candidate for this delicate job of explaining the common sense principle of having to pay for what you buy. She campaigned as a strong fiscal conservative "I will work steadfastly to ensure that government services are provided efficiently and that dollars are spent wisely. Fiscal restraint and effective, smart government are complementary to each other and I will work on your behalf to promote both in St. Paul." She was outspoken against wasteful spending and numerous times referenced the Gateway Corridor as a prime example of wasteful spending in her district. 

However, once elected she surprised us all and has joined with the far left to support the Gateway Corridor. Far left, because the Corridor was denied State funding requests even with majority democrat control of the legislature the two previous sessions. Her outspoken base was alerted to this when she authored House file 1616 this year to fund the Gateway Corridor with $3,000,000 and defended it in a House Committee on March 25th. One previous supporter, Bob Tatreau stated in the Woodbury Bulletin, "Fenton’s performance presenting this transit request on March 25 is a stunning turnaround from her campaigning statements I heard condemning and decrying this spending. I heard her speak against wasteful transit spending."


Will Representative Fenton lead based off the results of her own survey and campaign promises or will she appease the special interest groups with vested interests in seeing this corridor built regardless of the mounting evidence the cost of the corridor is far greater than any perceived benefit? 

Please contact Representative Fenton:
rep.kelly.fenton@house.mn

Representative Fenton is up for Reelection in 2016 and could face a tough primary if challenged by an actual fiscal conservative republican.



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Saturday, May 2, 2015

Newport Transit Station, $6.45 million, No Riders, and No Surprise

The $6.45 million dollar Newport Transit station, the first expensive part of many to the Red Rock Corridor had their open house last Monday and from all accounts the vast majority who attended were only the politicians, planners, and people with vested interest to see it built. They spoke of being surprised of it's lack of use... BY THEIR OWN REPORT they shouldn't. Here's their nearly two year old 2030 prediction of 7 riders a day at this stop:





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Thursday, April 30, 2015

WC Share is Over $100,000/yr for Optional Solid Waste Management Board

"help the environment" we're told... just like CTIB, the solid waste management coordinating board is another very expensive group we're not required to be in (ie: Scott County isn't). This board that one other metro county and over 80 other MN counties aren't in is one that does very little except take care of it's own interests.


Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Gateway Corridor Citizen Advisory Committee Chair Speaks Up on the Fundamental Flaws of the Project

Authored by Linda Stanton:

I have been a member of the Citizen Advisory committee for the Gateway for over 1 ½ years now and am the current Vice Chair, so I've been to all the hearings and meetings; heard the plans and the positives and negatives of the corridor.
The Gateway Corridor project only favors select groups of workers: county government, planners, consultants and construction workers and only addresses the needs of possibly 2% of the travelers in this area whereas 98% drive cars.
We already have a very successful Express Bus service in Woodbury that is well used. The Gateway Corridor duplicates the Express Bus services at a very high cost of $450 Million and that does not include the future cost of maintenance, repair and replacement.
The Express bus could be supplemented by the extension of selected bus routes or a circulator at much less cost.
The Gateway does not address the improvement of roads and bridges.
It will take 30 minutes to get from Manning Avenue to Union Depot – which is not a competitive time compared to auto travel even in traffic.
Other challenges:
· Studies show that about half of the people who do not have cars, don’t ride transit, but drive a borrowed car, car pool, walk or bike to where they need to go.
· Research shows that people are more upwardly mobile when they drive a car. A fixed guide way bus along Hudson road will not benefit a resident who needs to get to a job in a timely fashion that is not directly along the corridor. It will keep people “transit dependent” who could improve their economic status better by driving a vehicle, thus giving them the ability to travel to higher paying jobs. (Transit Link and other services can help those who are unable to drive).
· Much of the development, if any, that happens will either be already planned or subsidized by the government.
· The tax dollars spent on the Bus Rapid Transit will not be available for other programs and will add to our overspending problem.
· What about the traffic slowdowns that will be an everyday occurrence due to not being able to make a left turn in front of the bus or out of a driveway?
AS you can see, I favor the addition of lanes for cars and the select extension of regular route buses over the excessive spending of the Gateway Corridor. I hope the Legislature will reconsider it's support of this wasteful spending project.

Linda Stanton, Woodbury resident

(WCW stock photo of Stanton)
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County and Local Legislators Seek to Boost a Fully Sponsored Fundraising Project with $189,000 Tax Dollars

Update 5-6: Due to the Woodbury City Administrator Clinton Gridley this correction piece is in place: Local Government Jepordizes Local Private Fund Raising Effort


In early April we were alerted to House File 2183 a $189,000 State bond request authored by Representative Kelly Fenton (R) to fund a woodbury city park. The park is the Madison Place Play Ground that is going to be added to the $22 million dollar tax payer funded Bielenberg Sports Center. On April 21st the Washington county board voted to use tax payer resources to lobby support to vote for HF2183/ SF2032 in a letter: page 23

We e-mailed the County board and the legislators who authored and co-signed the bills to understand the full context of the request. Stating this project was supposed to be funded by the Madison Claire Foundation as their first project according to their site.

We Stated it is NOT the role of the tax payers.. let alone State tax payers... to bailout failed fund raising efforts like this.  Going on to explain: the fund raiser herself Dana Millington said it best: “People think we have plenty of playgrounds already” in this Star Tribune article.

Also at this time we had an e-mail out to the city of Woodbury to check on the status of their end of funding the $1 million dollar park. We were Shocked to find out the fund raisers exceeded their fund raising goals by $70,000 in February after the Woodbury Polar Plunge! The Woodbury City Administrator Clinton Gridley explained the Madison Claire Foundation was about $130,000 short; However "The group has generated significant momentum coming of its partnership with Special Olympics and the first annual Woodbury Polar Plunge held at Carver Lake. This event raised more money and had more participants than any other first year Polar Plunge in Minnesota and the Special Olympics' commitment to the Madison's Place project is a minimum of $200,000..."


 we e-mailed all the members of the County board and the legislators who authored the bills supporting the bond request and received no response.

Update 4-30-15: Senator Housley has removed her name from the bill based on the facts in this article and thanks to your efforts to contact her. Thank you Senator Housley for listening and doing the right thing.

Update 5-5-15:
We wrote to Representative Fenton and Lohmer:
"As you can read below or see for yourself, Senator Housley has listened
to the facts and has taken her name off SF2032.If you check out the
e‑mail we sent you several days ago the attached official letter that
we got from the Woodbury City Administrator... he confirms that the
Madison Claire foundation not only met their funding goal, but exceeded
it by $70,000 after the Polar Plunge campaign in February from generous
private sector donors. (as charities should be funded)

Will you do the right thing and also take your names off the companion
Bill HF2183? If you do not, this bill will likely get rubber stamped
costing tax payers $189,000. The city administrator said it himself in
the letter we sent to you that the Madison Claire foundation would likely
not turn down the money even though they secured the funding they needed
privately. A bill that requests money for something only to have it
diverted is unethical and a violation of the voter's trust.

Democrat State Representative Joann Ward (who is on the bill and will
keep it alive) has already responded to me in a half page letter
blasting me: "Thank you for contacting me to express your opposition to
any public funding for the proposed Madison’s Place playground at the
City of Woodbury’s Bielenberg Sports Center. While we appreciate your
input, we must strongly disagree with you."

we are writing a follow up story to: County and Local Legislators Seek to
Boost a Fully Sponsored Fundraising Project with $189,000 Tax Dollars .
Please respond by Tuesday evening if you plan to either keep your name
on the bill or remove it. If you happen to not reply I'll state that you
didn't reply and direct readers to also follow the bill on whether you
change your mind or not."

Update 5-5: Representative Fenton and Lohmer both stated in e-mails that they are NOT taking their names off HF2183 despite the unethical nature of requesting funding for a project that actually doesn't need the funds to complete the project named in the request.
Something's wrong with our Government when they ignore citizens who cry foul when they're caught playing politics with tax dollars by hijacking a private fund raising effort. For what? All to make themselves look bi-partisan and generous. And apparently there's no stopping this beast even when faced with the truth that the fund raisers exceeded their goals. But why should they care? It's only tax dollars.
Please contact the County Board and the politicians who are so far as we know still un-apologetically pushing this bill forward:

fran.miron@co.washington.mn.us          651-430-6211 
ted.bearth@co.washington.mn.us          651-738-2425 
gary.kriesel@co.washington.mn.us         651-430-6213 
lisa.weik@co.washington.mn.us              651-430-6215 
karla.bigham@co.washington.mn.us

Susan Kent (651) 296-4166 (D)
John Hoffman (651) 296-4154 (D)
Ann Rest (651) 296-2889 (D)







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