I Don’t Hate America!

Over two months after Minnesota Reps. Tim Walz and John Kline .ast squared off on the big blue couch on Twin Cities Public Television’s Friday night staple Almanac (that time about the Iraq war) the two will return to the program to discuss this week’s House vote to approve transportation and housing funding. Included in the bill was funding for the reconstruction of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, the Northstar commuter rail corridor and funding for US Highway 14 in southern Minnesota, which is, well, in craptastic shape.

Walz voted for the bill; Kline voted against it.

From the Almanac Producer’s blog:

Congressional Tussle Over Funding the New 35W Bridge
U.S. House members John Kline and Tim Walz took different sides on a big House Bill that would fund –among other things– the final construction costs of the new 35W Bridge in Minneapolis. They join us live to explain their positions.

7:00 p.m. on KTCA 2.

The US House of Representatives today approved a transportation and housing bill today by a vote of 270-147.  The only members of the Minnesota delegation voting against the bill were Reps. John Kline and Michele Bachmann, both Republicans.  The bill includes $195 million for funding the reconstruction of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis.

Steve Sarvi, the only announced DFL challenger to Kline so far, released the following statement:

“I’m in shock. John Kline has been grandstanding on this issue for the past month – and now, when he actually has the opportunity to deliver the funds authorized to Minnesota in the wake of the bridge tragedy, he votes against the bill. He chose a smoke-and-mirrors attempt at convincing his constituents he’s willing to invest in the infrastructure they count on every day over actually doing anything about it. This was a horrible vote for the people of Minnesota. An unthinkable vote.”

President Bush has threatened a veto based on grounds it “doesn’t hold spending to reasonable and responsible levels.”  It’s too bad that Kline and Bachmann are more concerned with helping Bush reinvent himself as a fiscal conservative with a year remaining in his term than investing in infrastructure.

Want to talk about playing politics with the bridge?  Kline, Bachmann and Bush offer the prime example of that with their votes and threatened veto, respectively.

Crossposted at Minnesota Campaign Report

On Tuesday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced the appointment of two individuals to the state Firefighter Training and Education Board.

According to a press release from the Governor’s office, “the Board of Firefighter Training and Education reviews fire service training needs, establishes standards for educational programs and establishes qualifications for fire service training instructors. The Board consists of 15 members, including 14 appointed by the Governor.”

While these positions are filled by the Mr. Pawlenty, at least one is being pushed off, namely the position of State University student to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) Board of Trustees.

The individual to be appointed was scheduled to begin serving his or her term July 1.

In the mean time, the previous/current/interim/who-in-the-hell-knows-anymore student trustee, Michael Boulton, has continued to serve. During that time the board has taken up important issues such as the system-wide bonding request for the next legislative year, the election of a chairman, the selection of a president at Normandale Community College, and the tuition reciprocity agreement between Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Applying for the position are Minnesota State University Student Association recommended candidates Ezra Kazee and Adam Weigold. A third candidate, Luke Hellier, also applied.

Former according to former board Chair Bob Hoffman, the learning curve for this position is “almost two years.” The qualifications of the candidates not even in consideration, how effective can a trustee be when over 5 percent of his or her term is already evaporated before appointment when the term is already barely longer than the learning curve?

The last time we criticized Gov. Pawlenty about his non-appointment we speculated that it may have been due to golfing with other governors.

This time we understand he has been overwhelmed with the I-35W bridge collapse in downtown Minneapolis so greater patience is being given, however, sooner or later this appointment must be made.

While no one will question the importance of quality firefighters, students deserve representation on the statewide board, too.

Just stunning. This is absolutely horrible.

They are saying six dead and many more injured.

Sad. Also sad is the fact that partisan hacks are already trying to politicize this event.

I would call on people from both sides of the political spectrum: It’s been just over three hours. Politics does not need to be brought into this yet. Show some class.

[Update] A part of me thought my simple request would be futile, and boy, I couldn’t have been more correct.  I am absolutely sickened by the rhetoric from both the right and left being exhibited in the media and on blogs and through comments replying to them.

There will be plenty of time for fact-finding, finger pointing, and being “know-it-alls.”  Seven families (for now) are mourning.   Others are looking at the process of recovery.  For the sake of these people, back off the politics. [/Update]