Politicians, I need to see proof that putting rails in ground spurs development more than increasing bus service frequency does. Until you can provide proof rather than mere assertions, the only pavement ripping and repair I want to see is through systematic replacement of our 100-year-old sewers and water infrastructure. Our quality of life will go downhill fast if we only respond to disasters instead of preventing them. Replacing aged infrastructure spurs jobs as much as streetcars and won't buy kickbacks from developers. Sports team owners gave big bucks to both political parties in the 1990s, so I won't vote for any politician who made taxpayers buy stadiums. Same with streetcars. If you want to pour my tax money down a hole, make sure there's plumbing at the bottom of it.

SUSAN FRENZEL, Minneapolis