Coleman won't support DM&E's cash grab

If a railroad wants to borrow money for track improvements in such large amounts that they are unlikely to ever recoup the investment, will our government approve the loan? Of course they will but Minnesota's Republican Senator Norm Coleman says he won't support it. After all, DM&E railroad is in the business, mainly, of moving coal which is for some reason still the backbone of the nation's electrical supply and we can't break ourselves free from the shackles of the dirtiest form of power so we'll pour billions of dollars ($2-6 billion) into track improvements enabling a railroad company with a rather shoddy safety record to pollute more and snarl traffic and create hazards at the nation's most recognizable medical center and so many communities along their path.

That's right, the tracks in question run nearly across the street in Rochester, Minnesota from the world renowned Mayo Clinic. Rather than work to protect the economic heart of Minnesota's third or fourth largest city, the elected officials outside of Minnesota who will decide the fate of this ill-conceived loan will instead endanger a facility that supports the entire city. Not to mention the countless smaller cities and towns that the tracks pass through creating headaches and dangerous scenarios with relatively high speed coal trains rumbling down racks that are currently relatively quiet.

While this is a very "Minnesota" issue, the fate of the southern portion of our state's economy will be at stake here. The hundreds of legislators voting on this particular bill know little to nothing about the areas which will be affected. It is sad that while this is a Minnesota issue, the fate of our state will be decided at a national level by people who don't exactly have Minnesota's best interests in mind.

But what does the rest of the nation care, we're just flyover country here. There are only about 5 million people living here and that's small potatoes comparatively speaking. In the end, they'll just (pardon the pun) railroad the damn bill through and Minnesota's small towns will become exponentially more dangerous, noisy and dirty.