August 6, 2008 NewsletterIn this issue:House Passes Oberstar Bridge BillUpcoming Events Duluth Obama Office Opening Candidate Spotlight: John Persell, MN 04A House Passes Oberstar Bridge BillLast week the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed Congressman Oberstar’s National Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act of 2008 (H.R. 3339), a bill that mandates state and federal transportation agencies work together to prioritize replacing bridges that pose the most immediate risk to the traveling public.The bill instructs the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to require that states certify that there are no structurally deficient bridges in their interstate system before they can shift federal bridge funds to other programs. A recent study by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee found that many states have diverted federal money from the Highway Bridge Program to other programs. In Minnesota, nearly half of its federal Highway Bridge Program money has been diverted to other items over the past 5 years. "My legislation sends a clear message to the states: fix your most critical bridge issues first; certify you've done that; then you can transfer those remaining dollars elsewhere," Oberstar said. The bill will also authorize $1 billion nationally for states to repair their structurally deficient bridges. "On Monday, I toured the construction site of the new I-35W bridge and I was amazed at the progress that was being made,” said Oberstar. “But we owe the victims and the survivors of that tragedy much more than a new bridge; we owe them a new bridge policy that ensures that the traveling public is safe. We have over 72,000 structurally deficient bridges in the United States - 1,156 of them are in Minnesota. It is time to begin systematically repairing and replacing those structures." The bill would also require the FHWA to develop new bridge inspection standards, utilizing the best technologies available. "This bill is a good first step," said Oberstar who is chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. "Next year, we will begin work on a new surface transportation bill that will fund all of the nation's roads and bridges for the next six years. That bill will include a comprehensive program to address the problem of structurally deficient bridges." Upcoming EventsJim has been back home numerous times in July, walking in parades, talking with voters, and visiting project sites that he has helped secure as Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.In the near-future, some of his upcoming events include:
For more information about the above events, if you’d like to help out, or would like to invite Congressman Oberstar to an event of your own, please contact Blake Chaffee at (218) 310-4376. Also, be sure to check out www.oberstar.org/events for upcoming events, too. Duluth Obama Office Now OpenLast month, the Duluth Obama for America office officially opened. Since the Minnesota DFL Coordinated Campaign will also be staging its operation out of the office, the 302 E. Superior St. location will likely be ground zero for local organizers and activists interested in helping DFL campaigns this year. (The Oberstar campaign, however, will continue to be based at its 222 W. 1st St. office.)The opening was celebrated by local activists and city councilors Roger Reinert, Tony Cuneo, and Sharla Gardner; the Coordinated Campaign staged a door-knock after the event. To contact the office, call (218) 727-2284 or visit the office at 302 E. Superior St, Duluth. The Range parades came a week before Jim was in Two Harbors for their Heritage Days parade. This upcoming weekend, he will be in the Twin Ports for Hermantown’s Summerfest parade. Candidate Spotlight: John Persell, MN 04ANext in our series of 8th District DFL candidate profiles is John Persell running in an open seat being vacated by Rep. Frank Moe.Candidate: John Persell District: 04A, Cities: Bemidji, Remer, and surrounding area. --Not sure what district you're in? Just visit the Minnesota District Finder on the State Legislature's official website. DFLer John Persell is running to fill the open seat of retiring Rep. Frank Moe, who has held the seat for two terms. Running on a theme of "Common sense for the common good," Persell seeks to be a force of change for his North-Central Minnesota district. Asked to name an important issue he aims to tackle in the State House, Persell said, "We have to fix the property tax dilemma. This problem is driving elders and others out of their homes and it needs to be one of the top issues the state legislature deals with next session." Like property taxes, Persell sees the rising cost of healthcare as putting an undue burden on working class families and seniors. "We need to establish a system for everybody, but it can't just be the State of Minnesota working on this issue. I have worked with Congressman Oberstar before on projects, and our State Legislators will need to have a working relationship with the Federal Government and Minnesota's Congressional delegation to come up with a solution to this crisis. I look forward to working with Congressman Oberstar on this issue." IHis campaign has also put an emphasis on an issue important to many Minnesotans, the environment. Persell, who has lived in rural Bemidji for over 32 years, can draw upon his experience as a water quality specialist and environmental policy analyst to help craft the policy for a new generation of so-called green-collar jobs. "I'm big on green jobs and it's going to be one of my priorities in St. Paul," Persell said. "The only wind turbine in the county is on my property - that will change. We have a tourism-oriented economy here in Central Minnesota, so not only is protecting the environment smart from a sustainable resource management perspective, it's also one of the best ways to support an industry that brings tourism dollars to our district. And on top of that, we're creating a whole new workforce with new jobs across the state when we invest in green industry." For John Persell, common sense also means funding our education system adequately. "I will work to make sure that all education levels, early childhood, K-12, and higher education, have the funding they need to educate the next generation of Minnesota's workforce." If you would like more information about John Persell's campaign for the Minnesota House, please visit his website at www.johnpersell.com. |
|