Steve Murphy: Molnau and her aide fling blame, deflect responsibility

11/28/2007

It's clear that both must be removed from their transportation duties.


by Steve Murphy | Star Tribune | November 27, 2007


Reading the excerpts of an interview with Lt. Gov. and Transportation Commissioner Carol Molnau and her assistant, Bob McFarlin, published in Sunday's Star Tribune, I became even more convinced that Gov. Tim Pawlenty needs to remove both of them from their duties.

These individuals were questioned regarding the leadership demonstrated at the Minnesota Department of Transportation both before and after the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge. On several occasions, rather than taking responsibility for the state of affairs at MnDOT, both Molnau and McFarlin said they were not making the decisions. They shifted the blame to other parties, whether past administrations, the federal government or department employees.

When asked who chose not to reinforce the I-35W bridge with steel plates, Molnau said "of course I'm not the one making the decision" and said engineers and "bridge people" had worked with the firm that recommended the reinforcement. McFarlin went so far as to call out the state bridge engineer by name as the one ultimately responsible for this decision. This attempt to push accountability from the top of the agency down demonstrates the clear lack of respect these individuals have for MnDOT employees.

Molnau said this administration's "innovative" financing has moved more projects forward over the past five years than in the previous 12. She failed to mention that the innovation is debt. The Pawlenty administration has relied on borrowing to fund transportation and as a result has increased transportation debt repayments by 657 percent over the past five years. Further, she has squandered the $155 million surplus that MnDOT had before the Pawlenty administration took office.

Molnau blamed a lack of transportation resources on federal earmarking. Yet in the most-recent federal transportation appropriations bill, only $24 billion of the total $286 billion package (or 8 percent) was set aside in earmarks for district-specific projects. This 8 percent hardly supports the argument for out-of-control, pork-barrel spending at the federal level.

When asked about her opposition to a gas tax increase, Molnau rehashed the argument that the state could reprioritize to provide more resources for transportation. Once again, rather than taking a stand for increased funding for our roads and bridges, she pitted these needs against affordable health care for Grandma and Grandpa and a quality education for all of our kids. Minnesota deserves a transportation commissioner who's willing to advocate for increased funding to meet the safety needs of our infrastructure to the governor. Instead, we have a political mouthpiece.

This lack of leadership and accountability is unacceptable. Molnau is responsible for managing a safe transportation system for Minnesota. From this interview, it is apparent that she and McFarlin do not understand and are not capable of doing what is expected of them.

For the first time in three years, the number of individuals dying on our roads is increasing. The commissioner has refused to support the funding needed for road preservation and maintenance and to increase the number of State Patrol officers on our roads. As chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, I simply cannot allow this to continue.

If Pawlenty were truly interested in a safe and efficient transportation system, he would have removed Molnau long ago. It is simply too much for one individual to take on two major roles within the state government, especially when that person has a political agenda.

If the governor does not do the right thing for the state of Minnesota, the Senate will do it for him. At the beginning of the next legislative session, Lt. Gov. Molnau will have substantially more time to focus on her elected position.

Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing, is a member of the Minnesota Senate.