Lt. Gov./MnDOT Commissioner Carol Molnau has been in the line of fire ever since the I-35 bridge collapse.

However, long before serving a dual role as lieutenant governor and as head of Minnesota’s transportation department, she was a Chaska city councilor.

Molnau and her husband, Steve, lived on a 40-acre farm (now the site of a soccer field and townhouse development) next to Chaska High School along Pioneer Trail.

She served as a councilor from 1989 to 1992. She then represented Chaska in District 35A in the Minnesota House of Representatives, where she served as chair of the Transportation Finance Committee.

Then, in 2002, Tim Pawlenty chose her as his running mate, stating that she would be a “one-woman road and bridge SWAT team” and spend her first six months finding ways to speed up road projects and construction.

After the ticket was elected, Molnau said the SWAT team comment was a “little strong,” adding, “No matter where you go in government, there are areas where we need to improve. MnDOT is no different.”

When Pawlenty announced that Molnau would also serve as transportation commissioner, she had this to say: “Going into a whole new agency and (restructuring it) is a monumental task. … I think we’re going to look at the way the administration is set up and make sure it’s the most effective, to get to a team approach rather than an individual approach. So we’re going to be looking for more accountability, Molnau said.

Five years later, Molnau is now being regularly taken to task for her work with MnDOT.

What do you think? Are the criticisms valid? Is Molnau becoming a transportation scapegoat? Post your thoughts.