|
If you'd like to contact Rep. Dippel, please do NOT reply to this email. Rep. Dippel can be reached at [email protected]
Hello from the State Capitol,
With Minnesota soon to be dealing with a $6 billion budget deficit, if lawmakers can find wasteful spending, that spending should be eliminated immediately.
One project that should be front and center in that wasteful spending discussion is Northstar commuter rail. This line, which runs from Minneapolis to Big Lake, has been nothing but a money pit. The trains are practically empty, yet they continue to operate. Because ridership is so low, taxpayers are basically paying $115 in subsidies for every passenger that boards.
It is the textbook definition of government waste.
Even Governor Walz’s transportation commissioner and the Metropolitan Council said the line is not cost-effective transit and they are looking into replacing it with bus service.
Not long ago, the Minnesota House transportation committee approved a bill that would request federal approval to shut down the Northstar Line.
It’s time to stop throwing good money after bad. There are better – and cheaper – options to transport people to and from Minneapolis. Let’s recognize that Northstar failed and stop the continued waste of taxpayer dollars on this boondoggle.
REPEALING CALIFORNIA CAR MANDATES
With the goal of making car prices more affordable in our state, legislation is moving forward in the Minnesota House that would eliminate the California cars mandate that was put into place through administrative rulemaking by Governor Walz’s administration.
The governor made this action a few years ago, and it was controversial because he knew the legislature would not approve it. In doing so, he put a handful of unelected bureaucrats in California in charge of Minnesota’s car emission rules, which ultimately will raise the cost of new cars here by at least $1,000.
The mandate imposes California’s emission rules on all cars sold in Minnesota this year. This includes a zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) standard – which also requires automakers to provide more low and zero-emission vehicle options, such as electric vehicles. This forces auto dealers to carry more electric vehicles – whether there is public demand for them or not - and fewer vehicles that are popular in Minnesota, such as pickups and SUV’s.
There’s no reason to limit consumer choice when it comes to vehicles, especially when you consider California’s winters to ours. Minnesota should be in charge of its own emission decisions, and you shouldn’t be paying more for a new car because of the choices an unelected group in California is making.
Have a good weekend,
Tom
|
