My Inbox: Vote Yes

As you might imagine, I am very involved in our local community. As part of that involvement, I am a member of the Government Affairs Committee for both the Rochester Area Builders and the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce. This morning, I sat in on an interesting meeting about the "Vote Yes" campaign you currently see on TV with all the other political ads. Normally I shy away from sparking political discussions, but I thought this to be an interesting topic. Here's why:

Did you know that only about half of the sales taxes we currently pay on new and used cars and trucks go to improving our transportation system? The other half - $300 million per year - is diverted away from transportation. And, despite the need and effectiveness of public transit, Minnesota currently has no dedicated source of funding for transit projects.

Twenty-five years ago the Minnesota legislature passed a law dedicating all of the existing motor vehicle sales tax to transportation projects but that commitment has never been fulfilled. Since 1981, more than $6 billion of that transportation tax has been diverted away from our transportation system.

Minnesotans have a chance to make sure our transportation tax dollars go to the right place - roads and transit. If you think this is important, you can show your support for Minnesota's Transportation Amendment and "Vote Yes" on November 7th.

A YES vote on Minnesota's Transportation Amendment will bring an additional $300 million per year in new funding for roads, bridges and transit. I encourage you to visit their website and learn more about this important issue before you're in the ballot box on Nov. 7th.

Filed in: transportation, MN, VoteYes, politics, elections