So,, MN, what's up with your roads?

[liberalhistorian]

I live in SD and I love MN and y'all here, but I drove from SD to OH for the holidays, beginning Thursday, and the five hours of driving I did on I-90 through MN was horrendous. Icy, unplowed/unsalted roads with nary a snow plow or state trooper/policeman in sight the whole way. None of the rest areas were plowed at all and people were getting stuck.

Yet, about ten miles from the WI border at LaCrosse, it was totally different. Everything was plowed and salted, including the rest area. Does Timmy the Tool have a problem with having clear roads or something like that? Does he expect state residents and travelers to pick ourselves up by our own shovels and shovel our own way through the state? I knew he was bad, but still. I sure feel sorry for you fine MN people if what I experienced was normal.

[Angry Dragon]

1. I was told by little timmy that the plan was to not plow

to keep the riff-raff out
:hide:

I do not know........ usually the freeways are some of the first plowed
unless the wind was so bad down there that the plows could not keep up

[Generic Brad]

2. Credit a $6.5 billion shortfall

What really kicks me is that Timmy has the gall to claim he is leaving with a balanced budget. Only in Pawlenty's mind does "balanced budget" = negative $6,500,000,000.00.

[glinda]

5. He must have been referring to his balance of cutting good programs. "Check".

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Tim Pawlenty is what happened.

Minnesota is now a cold Alabama, thanks to Timmy and his budget-cutting.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

7. +1. Minnesota quickly fell to the middle in many areas under Pawlenty ...

... and even lower in some areas. It's a shame to see the state that was considered a destination for many in the midwest (I am from a neighboring state) continue to slip into fly-over status.

We've got a lot of work to do. But that is what happens when children are allowed the reins of power.

[CatholicEdHead]

8. And if the MN GOP would get its full way it would only get worse

and worse. They now control both parts of the legislature but Tom Emmer was a sign of the direction they would really like to go, which is to cut, cut, cut, cut. They use South Dakota as a state we should aspire to (low taxes, fewer business regulations, etc...). :puke: They discount how much the quality of life (brought about by higher taxes) attracts companies and people. The Cities art and culture background helps to keep many large businesses around.

[qb]

4. Part of the problem is inexperienced plow drivers.

Many experienced plow drivers were replaced by office personnel who volunteered to attend snow plow "boot camp" at Camp Ripley. These snow plow temps do their regular office jobs until they are told to plow the roads.
http://www.newsline.dot.state.mn.us/archive/04/oct/6.html#1

[glinda]

6. The same "Camp Ripley" that is training for "reporting on terrorist or suspicious activity"?

The same Camp Ripley that is pulling in police, fire and every State related office to "receive training there" to fulfill the Dept. of Homeland Securities plans? The same Camp Ripley that has just broken ground for an oversized and near windowless "training and mapping office"? The same Camp Ripley that after 9-11 was ear marked for a new prison? Hmmmmmmm.
And people wonder why I want to move.......