City government
Say what?
I read with great interest recently Leah Shaffer’s article on the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit project, the LRT route connecting Eden Prairie and a few other communities to downtown Minneapolis. As one who already commutes into the city each day via SouthWest Transit, (which I think very highly of by the way) the prospect of having LRT as an option is very appealing.
So ... I’m reading along, my excitement building as Ms. Shaffer details some of the recent progress including route options discussed and a planned environmental review. Sure, the proposed cost seems high, but then again, when doesn’t it when you are looking at large projects like this. What cools my excitement comes a little further into the article where I read that the project, although possibly next in the queue, is not slated to begin until 2015. Say what? 2015, are they serious?
Approaching this concern without any mass transportation or similar project experience, please excuse my naïvete as I ask myself, and I hope you will too; for crying out loud, what in the heck is the reason we can’t accelerate the progress on this important project? I’m thinking we should start this thing next weekend or the following Monday at the latest. 2015 is millions of gallons of gasoline from now!
Sure, we can aggressively go after more energy resources to fit in with our current needs and habits, but come on folks, this is a no brainer. Not only are we ignoring the fact that at some point, these non-renewable resources will be gone, or at the very least, the cost of oil/gasoline will become so expensive that it will be priced out of many people’s reach before we have mastered an alternative. More importantly, we are being careless and abusive to this planet we call home. In my humble opinion, we are beyond the point where we can leisurely stroll along considering this, contemplating that. We should be doing everything possible to make the Central Corridor something more than a proposed project with years of study and red tape before actual construction begins.
Whose pant leg do we need to start tugging to get their attention on this? Collectively, is there something that we can do as a community? As progressive as we like to think of ourselves here in Eden Prairie, personally I can’t think of a better way to prove it than by highlighting this project and skyrocketing it to completion. Let’s make the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit project a priority, and then, when we have this crucial piece of infrastructure in place, let us tackle some of the other dreams that we have for Eden Prairie.
Joel Skelton
Eden Prairie

Where are the
recycle bins?
In this age of “reduce, reuse and recycle” I find it difficult to understand why there are no recycle bins beside the trash bins in our parks. They weren’t even available at the Fourth of July celebration at Round Lake Park when it would have been easy to designate some of the special trash receptacles brought in for the event as being for recyclables. Think of how many cans and bottles we sent to the landfill on that day alone. Other communities are providing recycle bins in their parks and people do choose to use them more often than not. When will our parks give us the opportunity to do the right thing without bringing our recyclables home with us – something most people will not choose to do?
Leslie Fuller
Eden Prairie

Flying Cloud Airport
Expands on
commentary
At my very first meeting on the Eden Prairie City Council I made a motion which passed, to investigate the city’s legal options for protecting the community from larger airplanes and uncontrolled growth at Flying Cloud Airport. There was major concern from residents that noise, air and water pollution would harm the community and safety concerns with the increased air traffic. I would expand on Ron Case’s commentary from two weeks ago, that people on the north side of town were calling about air toxins, tax-base loss and real estate values also, which would affect all of Eden Prairie.
The City Council ended its deliberations a year later, with a mediation group reaching the best legal protections possible. Two council members represented us at these intense sessions (past Mayor [Jean] Harris and past Councilmember Case). It should be noted that the council desired greater limits, but settled on the agreement that was deemed by our legal counsel as the ultimate attainable.
Jan Heinig Mosman
Eden Prairie
Editor’s note: Mosman is a past Eden Prairie City Council member.

Election 2008
Supports
Jenifer Loon
We are writing this letter to emphatically support Jenifer Loon for Minnesota state representative for House District 42B. Jenifer is the Republican-endorsed candidate running to fill the seat that Erik Paulsen is leaving for his run for Congress. Jenifer is a more than capable replacement for Rep. Paulsen at the Capitol in representing our community interests and voicing a fiscally conservative message. Gov. Pawlenty needs the support of reasonable, committed House members to support his efforts to keep taxes and spending in line. Jenifer will pick up where Rep. Paulsen leaves off.
Jenifer has significant experience working within Congress as an assistant to several Congressmen and U.S. Senators – particularly in implementing the “Contract with America” in the mid 1990’s. Putting forth original ideas and articulately supporting those ideas to those who may question them will be her strength.
There are forces in St. Paul who wish to increase taxes rather than make government more efficient, socialize medical care rather than keep it free market, affordable and effective with patient-centered reforms, and who would rather strangle our education system with more top-down, bureaucratic rules and regulations rather than keeping decisions within our school boards. Jenifer will be a voice of thoughtful reason just as Erik Paulsen has been. Please join us in enthusiastically supporting Jenifer Loon for Minnesota State Representative seat 42B.
John and Kathy Tyler
Eden Prairie

Education needs
consistent funding
We’ve celebrated graduations and we’ve all settled in to enjoy the Minnesota summer. But all too soon we will be faced with the challenges of the start of the new school year – and that includes the need for consistent, reliable funding for our public education system.
Minnesota has a long history of valuing and benefiting from a strong public education system. In 1971, after 10 years of research and work, a bipartisan group of state leaders enacted a series of laws to respond to rising property taxes, disparities in the quality of education and a general concern over the lack of consistent funding for education. These bipartisan laws became known nationally as the “Minnesota Miracle of 1971.”
During that time, Minnesota became recognized as the “State That Works.” We were a national leader, in large part because of our well-educated work force. The laws that created the “Minnesota Miracle” remained in force with minimal changes until 2001. Since that time, we have been riding an education funding rollercoaster. Our kids and our property taxes are suffering because of it.
Our legislators and governor need to be accountable for providing a bipartisan solution that once again stabilizes education funding at a responsible level. But accountability at all levels will be key for long-term success:
* Students must be accountable for a commitment to work and a respect for others
* Parents must be accountable to encourage their children to learn and support students and teachers
* Teachers must be accountable for providing a motivating learning environment and helping students reach agreed upon standards
* School administrators must be accountable for effectively monitoring student performance and allocating resources to maximize student performance
We can find the appropriate means for providing consistent, responsible funding. Our elected representatives can begin by reviewing the data from past studies including the Governor’s 2003 Task Force, P.S. Minnesota and others. Most of all, they can begin by acknowledging that the “system” we currently have in place simply does not work.
It’s not only important to re-establish Minnesota’s position as an international leader in education, it’s essential. The future economic health and social vibrancy of our state depend on it. We need to create our own Minnesota Miracle in 2009.
Jerry Pitzrick
Eden Prairie
Editor’s note: Pitzrick is running for state representative in House District 42B.

Supports Paulsen
I don’t believe I’m much different from most folks who are pumping gas at the local station. I look at my alternatives and find that I have no choice but to put at least some in my tank even though I may not be able to bring myself to fill it. At my next stop, the grocery store, I encounter higher prices due to higher corn prices and trucking costs. It seems I am able to buy about half as many groceries for the same cost I paid just months ago.
I haven’t been to my favorite stores, Best Buy and Home Depot, for months as I can no longer afford buying toys or improving my home.
My financial strength and quality of life has deteriorated faster this year than in the past 20 years. I see no light at the end of the tunnel, and because we are starving ourselves of energy, I expect things to get worse. It’s not the evil oil companies; it’s not President Bush and it’s not the Wall Street trader. It’s the people we elected to represent our interests in Washington.
It’s the representatives who apparently have their own agenda who have made it illegal for American companies to explore and harvest resources within our own borders and have stonewalled domestic energy production for the past 40 years – except to triple the price of my cornflakes and drain a few wetlands so they can produce a few gallons of ethanol.
The Chinese are exploring 60 miles off the Miami shoreline, but not us. Brazil has found undersea oil, and I suspect many other developing countries are also heavily invested in exploration. We are filling the coffers of sworn enemies such as Hugo Chavez and radical Middle Eastern groups every time an American fills their tank!
I’m all for taking care of our wonderful planet and God’s beautiful gifts to us. But, I believe the best way for us to manage both our energy needs and maintain our planet is not to outsource energy exploration to America’s sworn enemies, but rather for America to become energy independent and hold ourselves to high environmental standards. I hope you pay attention to what our candidates are saying this year. Far too many candidates are playing games and not addressing the real problem. I know Erik Paulsen gets it. I know he will represent us well in Congress. Please join me in voting for Erik this fall.
Bill Cullen
Minnetonka