Posted 9/5/01 Take back the power By T.W. Budig ECM capitol reporter Senate Minority Leader Dick Day, R, Owatonna, proposes Minnesota become a transportation lone wolf, break away from the federal government and handle its own transportation affairs. ìI want to put Minnesota back in the driverís seat,î said Day, speaking at a Capitol press conference on Thursday (Aug. 30). Day ó an outspoken critic of transportation planning in Minnesota ó said along with federal transportation dollars has come a long series of federal transportation mandates. He cited .08 blood alcohol limits, seatbelt regulations, and the recent federal denial for a proposed sane lane study as examples of federal meddling. Better the state break away from the federal government and keep the gas tax itís now sending to Washington, he said. ìI think weíre very capable of managing our own things,î said Day. But he conceded that no other state has yet broken its transportation ties to the federal government. Besides proposing to break the federal embrace, Day offered a series of transportation initiatives. All of his initiatives will come before the Legislature in bill form, he said. Day still proposes that a six-week HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lane or sane lane study be conducted. Despite the objections of the federal government, Minnesota has control over law enforcement in sane lanes, he explained. The senator proposes to waive fines for solo drivers on the I-394 sane lanes to allow MnDot to measure the laneís effectiveness. Other Day goals include passing a constitutional amendment dedicating 100 percent of the sales tax on vehicles to transportation funding. He also proposes siphoning 30 percent of the state lottery proceeds into the Trunk Highway Fund for interregional corridor systems. That should bring in about $13 million per year, he said. Some other initiatives include having English-only written driverís tests. It doesnít seem wise to issue driverís license to people who canít read traffic signs, he said. Another Day initiative would have highway cones and barrels placed on the highway just 12 hours prior to start of construction. Day complained that cones and barrels currently appear on the highway days before anything is done. ìIs that micromanaging ñ yes it is. But thereís no other way,î he said. Day also proposes to give the Commissioner of Transporta-tion greater authority in decision making on transportation issues. Right now, decision making is too diffuse, he explained. Dayís proposal would take transit decision making away from the Met Council. Day lamented what he sees as a lack of readership in Minnesota when it comes to transportation. ìExcept for what I call transit mentality,î he said. The federal government and state transportation leaders are fixated on transit, he explained. ìItís like a conspiracy,î said Day. ©Post Review