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MOLNAU DEFENDS HERSELF

Politics comes first

Lt. Gov./Transportation Commissioner Carol Molnau says that the state bridge engineer had the final word on what should have been done on the Interstate Hwy. 35W bridge ("We haven't been standing still," Nov. 25).

I don't buy it -- the final word was political, keeping the Republicans' promise not to raise taxes.

Why hire consulting firms if you're not going to go by their recommendations?

I doubt that anyone will be held accountable for the collapse, and the same people I believe are responsible are making decisions about other bridges around the state.

Do you feel safe? I don't.

CARL DESPIEGELAERE,

BLOOMINGTON

Gas tax benefits

I was struck by the faulty logic in Carol Molnau's comment that a mileage-based revenue system is somehow better than a gasoline tax for funding Minnesota transportation needs. Both systems raise revenue from Minnesota drivers and would be equally capable of raising revenue.

As we use less gasoline, an increase in the gasoline tax rate will compensate for the lost revenue without increasing the net cost to drivers. The use of gasoline and wear on our highway system roughly increase with the weight of the vehicle, so a tax on gasoline more accurately raises revenue in proportion to the burden on the transportation system.

This approach also has the benefit of encouraging less gasoline consumption through more efficient vehicles, which should help lower the price of gasoline and reduce emissions.

DAN MCINTYRE, ST PAUL

RITCHIE UNDER FIRE

Strib an attack dog

On Nov. 12, DFL State Chairman Brian Melendez called for GOP Lt. Gov./Transportation Commissioner Carol Molnau's resignation for continuing mismanagement at MnDOT, stating, "Firing one person at MnDOT doesn't even come close to addressing that department's dysfunction, which begins with the utter failure of Lt. Gov. Molnau as commissioner. ... Molnau should step down so that our state and transportation infrastructure can recover from years of mismanagement and underfunding by the Pawlenty administration." Yet the Star Tribune did not report this news.

On Nov. 20, Minnesota GOP Chairman Ron Carey called on Secretary of State Mark Ritchie to resign for allegedly using public data publicly. And the Star Tribune is all over it like a cheap suit.