Molnau deserves every bit of criticism she is receiving. Even the most inept folks can hold down jobs they shouldn't because they surround themselves with great minds. The opposite seems true with Molnau and MNDOT. The waste and wrongdoing being unciovered at MNDOT is appalling with people travelling the globe on our dime under the cover of phony overseas business. As for her fast-tracking of highway projects, that was nothing more than essentially putting those projects on a credit card of sorts. Her accountability statement is interesting -- if you can't achieve that task in five years, when can you get that job done?

THe I35 bridge collapse notwithstanding, I will name projects that have been completed or startedduring her administration.

494 expansion from Hwy 100 to Hwy 394 - complete.
Hwy 312 in Carver/Hennepin Counties - nearly complete
494/US61 interchange in Wakota - nearly complete
New 35E bridge over the Mississippi at St Paul - complete
Reconstruct of 35W/MN62 commons - begun
Reconstruct of 35E/694 commons - nearly complete
Rebuild of I35 between Lakeville and Northfield - complete

...and those are just in the metro area. I can name more if you like.

This administration has done more road building that any other administration since the 1950s and with a continuing erosion of funds. Regardless of the consitution, there is gas tax money that gets diverted to the general fund - I know this because my father served in the Legislature for 14 years until 2006 and my uncle served for 14 years prior to that. Now we have this 'transportation amendment' which will divert even more money from road and bridge building and in to 'transit'.

Yes, the I35W bridge collapse was an absolute tragedy. However, I fail to see how increased taxes would have prevented it or how Molnau is at fault - the bridge had been listed in bad condition going back to the Perpich administration. Our problem is we have priority problems with how our transportation dollars are spent which forces the administration to borrow the money with bonds so that the money is 100% dedicated to road and bridge projects. Without the bonding we are at the whim of the legislature to dole out the funds and they are more privy to do light rail and commuter rail over fixing roads and bridges.

Besides that, you have that NSP dial watcher from Red Wing - Sen Steve Murphy - who thinks he's a transportation whiz because he's the committee chairman in the Senate. His job at NSP in Red Wing - watch the dials and if they do beyond a certain level, call someone. Nice. He's nothing more than Homer Simpson and about as smart (I know him personally - I used to live in Hastings where he represented for 10 years and met the man countless times) and his solution is just raise taxes. Well, couple that with the amendment and that won't make one bit of difference to fixing our roads and bridges.

I am sure we will find out that an unforeseen calamity brought down the bridge. Not Carol Molnau - she's done a good job as far as I am concerned.