And so all our young grandsons join hundreds of thousands of Americans who know a gunshot victim personally. This past weekend, our grandson's hockey coach was shot to death in his front yard ( "'Senseless act' kills St. Where is the accountability for Zelle and the Met Council? What is our government doing to ensure that our tax dollars, which are some of the highest in America, are not being flushed down the drain by blundering buffoons? If any one of us working in the private sector were even close to being this bad at our jobs, we would be fired and possibly sued for such ridiculous incompetence, and the idea of continuing to work in our industry or trade would be laughable. Here is the lesson from that: You have failed at an astronomical level, and you should not be anywhere near the Met Council for the rest of your life.
The SWLRT is now projected to be $1 billion over budget and over nine years behind schedule. The audit of the Metropolitan Council has uncovered some quite serious flaws and malfeasance as to how they managed the project, and Zelle's answer to this is that he needs this second term to capitalize on "the complicated lessons" he's learned. Personally, I'd rather spend a few more dollars now to invest in our communities, protect our investment and make sure that public transit is the gift that it can be for everyone in Minnesota.Ĭan someone please explain why a Senate committee voted to reappoint Charlie Zelle to the Met Council? ( "Senate panel OKs Zelle for 2nd term as Met Council chair," May 4.) This man presided over what could be considered the most egregious mismanagement of a public project in the history of our state. staff community safety officers at each station and on the train?.develop thoughtful community programs to combat gang violence and victimless and violent crimes?.invest in low-cost or public housing for our neighbors experiencing homelessness?.build a safe space for addicts to use and eventually be treated for addiction?.So, in the spirit of public spending, how much more do we have to spend to both help our most vulnerable community members and protect our latest investment? On top of $2.8 billion, what is a few million more to.
However, for anyone who has taken a ride at any hour of the day, you could argue that $2.8 billion going to fund a warm place to sleep, a safe space to shoot up or a conference room for drug deals, drinking and smoking cigarettes inside.Ĭall them pretentious, judgmental or intolerant, but if I know one thing about the communities on the outskirts of the proposed transit line, for most riders, there will not be a second ride after seeing one of the terrifying experiences that are, unfortunately, commonplace on today's light rail. While I am only gambling $2 on the light rail the state of Minnesota is gambling an estimated $2.8 billion! In theory, this incredible sum will connect communities, reduce greenhouse gases and modernize an infrastructure that needs modernizing. A risk of seeing an overdose, experiencing secondhand high from the drug du jour or in the case of Council Member Jason Chavez, seeing a bullet tear through a member of our community ( "Shooting at light-rail station spurs call for action on safety," May 9). However, it sometimes feels like I am putting my last two bucks on double-zero and spinning the wheel - riding the light rail today is a calculated risk. For me, it allows me to get from my home in the North Loop to the airport at almost any hour of the day for about two bucks (or less).
Opinion editor's note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes letters from readers online and in print each day.
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