Learn about the community campaign to halt the boondoggle loan to the DM&E

08/23/2006

DFLers, PLEASE ATTEND:

* Wednesday, Aug 23rd, 12-1 at the Peace Plaza in downtown
Rochester

* Roll-out of the community campaign to oppose the boondoggle loan
to the DM&E railroad

* Everyone is invited to hear the coalition (Mayo, City, County,
Chamber of Commerce) plans

MAYO CAN NOT FIGHT THE DM&E LOAN ALONE, they need our
help..........................................

Can you believe that our federal government has really come to this...?

................that a former DM&E lobbyist, now Republican Senator from
South Dakota, can insert language in the recent Transportation Bill
which will make it possible for a small, financially iffy railroad with
the worst safety record among the largest 43 railroads in the US
(2001-2005) to qualify for the largest federal loan to a private company
in US history? The value of the loan is estimated to be 25 times DM&E’s
equity! Don’t you think that the taxpayers will eventually hold the bag
on this one? This takes the concept of pork to new
levels...............

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Tim Walz, our DFL candidate for Congress said in an Ag debate with Gil
Gutknecht on Saturday at the Steele County Fair, that this loan should
be approved ONLY IF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE MET:

1. the DM&E is found to be financially fit enough to actually repay
this loan

2. the very real concerns of Rochester/Mayo are met

3. there is an ironclad agreement by the DM&E on how much ag
commodities they will actually carry when the project is complete

While he doesn’t necessarily oppose the project or railroads in general,
he does oppose the loan if these criteria are not met
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