Tarryl Clark Goes After Bachmann for her Abysmal Transportation Record

Tarryl Clark speaking at AFL-CIO convention (video from the Uptake). As you would expect, Tarryl Clark talked about jobs in the 6th CD but she also talked about transportation - how Bachmann opposes and votes against funding for transportation infrastructure projects and later shows up at the ribbon cutting. She also makes the point that the delays in improving transportation infrastructure caused by Bachmann's inattention and opposition will cost taxpayers many millions of dollars.

Listen:



Tarryl Clark mentions Bachmann's longtime opposition to Northstar. For more about Bachmann's opposition to this very important project, let's go back to what former Transportation Commissioner and 2008 6th CD candidate Elwyn Tinklenberg said in an interview:

Tinklenberg on Bachmann and transportation:

She is about partisan polarization. She is about divisiveness. And the result is she has not been able to accomplish anything as a (state) Senator and she’s not accomplishing anything except in a negative sort of way in the district currently. We think we represent a strong alternative to that.

The district is the focus of some major chages in transportation, not only in terms of improvements to the existing system, but changes in that system. Northstar is a big issue. And I’m proud of the fact that I helped get Northstar started when I was at Anoka County. And now we’re making some progress on that. It’s disappointing to me that it’s five year later than what it should have been. It’s $90 Million more than when we introduced it back in 2000. Back then it was going all the way to St. Cloud, now it’s just going to Big Lake. So we’ve lost time, we’ve lost half of the line and we’ve increased the cost as result of the delays that came out of the Republican controlled House back in 2000.

I bring a record of having to do some things in transportation and some important things, the Hiawatha light rail line for example, as compared to Representative Bachmann, who when she was in the state Senate fought every transportation initiative that came along, has been a constant obstructionist for transportation issues in the state and has carried that on even now in her Congressional seat. She has voted three times to hold up funding for the reconstruction of the 35 W bridge. And I think that represents where her priorities are in relation to transportation issues .

She hasn’t been able anything done partly because of that kind of partisan, ideologue approach she’s taken to so many issues. But also she has used what support she has given to transportation, principally PRT or Personal Rapid Transit, as a way of really distracting the discussion of kind of delaying tactics in terms of transportation. PRT is not something that’s going to work to serve commuters. It’s not something that’s going to work to serve the transit interests and concerns and needs of Minnesota. And she’s using it simply as a distraction. She doesn’t really mean or intend to support any kind of increased funding for transit and she’s just using this as a way of diffusing the issue.

Speaking of Bachmann's favorite fantasy transport concept, the recent MnDOT PRT "workshop" was a total flop. Let's go back a little further to this 2004 MPR article

Supporters range from Minneapolis City Council member Dean Zimmerman, a Green Party member, to Republican Sen. Michelle Bachmann of Stillwater. Bachmann says personal rapid transit, like many political issues, creates strange bedfellows.

"People on the right, people on the left, we have the common goal of moving people with transit, but doing it in the most cost-effective manner, in fact, in a manner that may end up costing no government subsidy, it may end up paying for itself," she says.

Remember that guy "on the left" Dean Zimmermann? He's still promoting PRT. Reporters need to ask if that person "on the right" - Michele Bachmann if she still supports PRT.