Letters published in the Rochester Post Bulletin and the Kenyon Leader suggest that local critics of the North American High Speed Rail Group's controversial scheme to build a short-line bullet train between Rochester and the Twin Cities aren't going away quietly.
Indeed, the Republican rival to Senator Matt Schmidt, DFL-Red Wing, points to local opposition as a reason to vote the incumbent out.
Post Bulletin LTE
In Local residents need to be considered stakeholders in rail effort, Citizens Concerned About Rail Line (CCARL) organizer Barb Stussy writes:
North American High Speed Rail Group announced through the July 27 Post-Bulletin that its preliminary study regarding its proposed high-speed passenger rail between the Twin Cities and Rochester needed more time, and it has asked the Minnesota Department of Transportation to extend two of its three work permits.
There appears to be no formal press release or any notification to the public through the NAHSR website or to those persons who took the time to sign up for NAHSR's web contact list. If the public missed this article, how would people know?
Even the two extended MnDOT work permits have not been posted.
The June 24 P-B quoted NAHSR's Chief Manager Wendy Meadley: "Right now, I don't see any final barriers that would stop the project from going forward."
In the July 27 P-B, Meadley reportedly said the rail group needs more time to meet with key stakeholders to determine whether to push ahead with the project.
What does the possibility of a legislative special session have to do with stakeholder meetings? Hasn't NAHSR had enough time to lobby the MInnesota legislature? Aren't public citizens stakeholders?
Meadley cannot have it both ways. But, as usual, this project waivers back and forth depending on which way the public relations wind is blowing.
Something blows with this project, but Bluestem doesn't think it's the wind.
Red Wing Republican candidate raises issues about train
Via an August 1 post on state representative Steve Drazkowski's personal Facebook page (screenshot above), we found SD21 Republican challenger Mike Goggin's letter to the editors of the Kenyon Leader, Dear Residents and Businesses of State Senate District 21, which centers on the high speed rail project. Draz hopes that "we can hogtie this boondoggle" by electing Goggin. Goggin writes:
As I campaign throughout the District, I keep hearing from more and more people who are concerned about the proposed Zip Rail train between Minneapolis and Rochester.
Whether I am in Cannon Falls, Wanamingo, Kenyon, Pine Island, Mazeppa or Zumbrota, the residents of our Senate District are concerned for the future of their land and livelihood. There is a real fear that land which has been in families for generations will be taken away via eminent domain. There is a real risk that family farm land that has helped feed us since before statehood will be repurposed for a high speed bullet train, built for the elites on the backs of us ordinary Minnesotans. This proposal contains no foreseeable benefit for the people in our District. I find it hard to believe that taxpayers won't bear any of the enormous costs. Over the years I have traveled Highways 52 and 56 following my boys’ sporting events and those highways aren't even close to capacity.
Everyone knows that this train would be too expensive and unnecessary. In addition, there are significant concerns about such a train bisecting people's property, making it inconvenient or difficult to cross the line. Add to these concerns the often unmentioned threat to public safety that would come with an elevated 200-mile per hour bullet train and we are left with something that is simply a bad idea.
My opponent in this Senate race has said that he will do whatever it takes to see that Zip Rail isn't built. But even while legislation passed the House to stop Zip Rail, he hasn't done a thing in the Senate to protect us from Zip Rail. He wouldn't even publicly support or sign on to the Senate companion bill to HF 920, which would put safeguards in place for people who would be affected by Zip Rail.
Leading up to his election, Sen. Schmit was quoted in a Winona Daily News article dated March 31, 2012 saying, “in my case, the walk will match the talk” when elected. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case for Zip Rail.
I want all residents and businesses of Senate District 21 to know that when elected I will take action to protect us all from Zip Rail. The first piece of legislation I will author in the State Senate will be the Highway 52 & Highway 56 Farmer, Business and Landowners Protection Bill, with the following three requirements for any train project to comply with:
- There will be no government money to be granted, given or borrowed to any company.
- There will be no use of the government's powers of eminent domain allowed to acquire land for such a project. ALL land must be purchased at fair market value from willing sellers.
- A fully-vetted decommissioning fund will have to be in place before one shovel of dirt is dug to ensure that the residents of Senate District 21, or anyone else in our State, does not get left stuck with a mess if the project is not completed or fails.
An overwhelming majority of the residents in our District are rightfully opposing this Zip Rail train project. When elected, I will fight for our District residents’ rights! Unlike my opponent, I promise you that my walk will match my talk! I will put the public servant back into public service.
Will Schmit pick up the gauntlet and defend his record on the project? We'll share it in a new post if he replies.
Images: A CCARL member asking questions about ziprail (top); Steve Draz not impressed with the high speed rail project (bottom).
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