Call Me...Irresponsible
Gov. 'willing to accept' central corridor, with conditions
From the Daily:
Gov. Tim Pawlenty opened the door Wednesday for lawmakers to move forward in funding the Central Corridor this session, but some lawmakers say the University is getting in the way.
While legislators had asked the governor to outline his position, Rep. Alice Hausman, DFL- St. Paul, said the condition relating to the University is one the Legislature has no way of fixing. It exists solely between the University and the Metropolitan Council, she said.If the issue goes unresolved, it could lead to the end of the Central Corridor, at least in this session.
Calling the University-related condition "problematic," Hausman said the school is a "big, big obstacle" in the project's path and its Northern Alignment position the "biggest threat" to the future of the whole project.In its part, the University maintains Northern Alignment is the best way to pursue the Central Corridor, University spokesman Mark Cassutt said in an e-mailed statement.
"This is a billion-dollar public investment that will have a lasting impact on our region and campus," he said. "It'd be irresponsible to not do it right."