According those pesky college students over at I Don't Hate America, who posted DM&E REJECTED - The Decision We Wanted!, our blogs tied for first posting information about the denial of the DM & E loan by the Federal Railroad Administration. Other Netroots response can be found at The Wege, Across the Great Divide, Minnesota Monitor, Jeff Fecker in DM & E Loan is Toast, Sky Blue Waters in DM&E - No deal!, GraniteGrok in US taxpayers get rare piece of good news... and Evil Bobby in DM$E Down in Flames: Dick Day Reconsiders. Hmm.
The Mankato Free Press's Mark Fischenich does some real reporting in DM&E loan application rejected. The Rochester Post Bulletin quickly compiled a synopsis from staff reports, and promises more extensive coverage in tomorrow's edition. Tom Scheck at MPR fields a good overview.
The Pioneer Press runs an Associated Press story that's being widely published across the state and country. Reuters concentrates on Boardman's decision and leaves out elected officials' responses. The Wall Street Journal hides its reportage behind a subscription firewall. Tom Scheck posts at Polinaut. The Strib actually manages to include a one-sentence quote for Tim Walz (Schieffer, the guy whose loan was denied, gets four paragraphs. Subtle--you'd think the Strib's readership was concertrated in Sioux Falls.).
Television stations across the area are covering the story. KTTC reports here quoting Walz. WCCO runs the AP story but edits out Walz (shame on them).
In Sioux Falls, KELOLAND TV reports that DM & E CEO Kevin Schieffer and Thune are thinking they're the little guys crushed by the system, while Tim Pawlenty is happy:
"From our perspective, I think the financial plan that was put forward was a very sound one and I had not heard that concern before from FRA or anyone else," said DM & E President Kevin Schieffer of Sioux Falls.
Schieffer told KELOLAND news in an earlier interview last year that if the loan fell through, the company may use private investors to finance the project. He wouldn't comment on that today.
"There are a lot of different options that need to be considered Don we are going to be assessing those and when it's appropriate to make an announcement we will," said Schieffer.
Senator John Thune, a strong supporter of the project, says today's decision was a case of special interests beating the little guy.
"There was a huge amount of money spent to sabotage this project from powerful special interest and their higher guns, " said Thune.
The Mayo Clinic and the city of Rochester are strong opponents to the plan. Both were concerned the increased high-speed train traffic through the city could threaten the safety of patients at the clinic, just a few hundred yards from the tracks.
While it's a set back for DM & E, Schieffer says it's not the end of the line.
"There are an awful lot of people in South Dakota and throughout our service region that are relying on this to happen and we're committed to doing everything we can to make it a reality," said Schieffer.
Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty called the decision "really good news."
LaCrosse's station WKBT concentrates on Schieffer's reaction in DM&E president says its too early to say if project doomed .
We're with the Tims (Walz and Pawlenty) on this one.
CCAGW declares victory in a press release.
We'll have more in the morning, but now we're going to curl around a glass of old Canadian and watch the Colbert Report. It was one of those days.
You can get free online access to the Wall Street Journal and those other subscription sites with a Netpass from: http://news.congoo.com
This was in lots of blogs lazst week.
Posted by: Greg Huchinson | February 27, 2007 at 08:55 AM