To the Editor:
Perhaps State Rep. Dario Anselmo has a great car that never breaks down. Or perhaps he has friends who can give him a ride at a moment’s notice. Or perhaps he has the magical ability to teleport himself to wherever he wants to go. Whatever his reasons, how fortunate for Anselmo that he never has to worry about how he will get around!
It might explain why he voted on March 31 to slash Metro Transit regular route bus service by a whopping 40 percent (House File 861). This would literally cripple mass transit in the metro area, dealing a devastating blow to people who rely on buses for jobs, medical appointments and regular daily routines.
And because bus service is a vital lifeline for people with physical disabilities, a reduction of this magnitude is downright cruel. Anselmo’s vote would also mean a death blow to the Southwest Light Rail Transitway, a fully vetted project with $160 million already expended/committed to it. And, this vote handcuffed the role of local municipalities to spend money on mass transit projects, thereby jeopardizing future light rail and bus rapid transit projects metro-wide.
Anselmo’s vote would almost guarantee even more metro area gridlock,
forcing mass transit users to return to vehicles – for those lucky enough to even have that option. And those who don’t? Obviously mass transit users are not Anselmo’s concern.
Chuck Prentice, Edina
Edina Sun-Current, May 15, 2017