Minnesota Majority - Standing Together for Traditional Values

Location: Blogs Drew's Blog
Posted by: Drew Emmer	2/27/2008
This morning Minnesotans were forced to muddled through another daily dose of predictable propaganda from the StarTribune. Letters to the editor read like a promotional package from the group of lobbyists and special interests that made the transportation bill happen this year. Lori Sturdivant criticizes any scrutiny of the six Republicans who abandoned their party and sided with the Democrats to override the Governor's veto. Driving to my office this morning I heard a few different radio ads sanctifying the heroic victory for the people that the transportation bill passing so "definitely" represents. Once again, media playing it's critical role in managing public opinion rather than reporting on it. The choreography is precise and the playbook shrewdly crafted. And it's all made to look like what happened last week in the legislature was the result of some organic grassroots effort to remedy our sick transportation system. If the people only knew the truth. Surely every Minnesotan deserves to know the real players behind the power and influence exerted in Minnesota. This is all public information so it can't be corrupt, right? Weigh the details for yourself. Make up your own mind. Let's take a look at the "powers that be" behind the scenes on this shrewdly crafted outcome "for" Minnesota. Let's start with the Transportation Alliance. Ames Construction Parsons Brickerhoff Bonestroo HDR HTNB Short Elliott Hendriksen SRF Consulting 3M Worldwide WSB Ayers Associates Bolton & Menk Surveyors Amalgamated Transit Union URS Corporation MN Building Trades Council (AFL-CIO) International Union Of Operating Engineers Local 49 Jacobs, Edwards & Kelsey Teamsters Local 120 Now lets take a look at the massive mob of organizations under the advertising campaign I heard this morning under the Progress In Motion moniker: Professional Associations The Minnesota Transportation Alliance A statewide coalition of approximately 275 public and private sector organizations involved in the development, construction and operation of Minnesota’s transportation system. Alliance members include most of the 87 Minnesota counties, cities, the highway industry, transit organizations, unions and other transportation advocates. Associated General Contractors of Minnesota The AGC is a non-profit professional trade association consisting of 450 members that is dedicated to promoting opportunity and excellence in the building and highway construction industry. Minnesota Public Transit Association Statewide Association consisting of over 60 transit systems statewide and other transit advocates. Minnesota State Patrol Troopers Association City Engineers Association – Represents 142 cities County Engineers Association – Represents all 87 county engineers American Council of Engineering Companies of Minnesota - ACEC/MN’s 150+ member firms represent over 4,500 employees and over $350 million in annual gross billings. Minnesota Asphalt Pavement Association - Approximately 29 asphalt producers along with 7 asphalt nonproducers and 95+ associate members. Concrete Paving Association of Minnesota – Represents approximately 70 member companies Aggregate Ready Mix Association Minnesota Utility Contractors Association North Central Cement Council Local Government Minnesota Association of Townships Minnesota Inter-County Association Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities North Metro Mayors Association North Metro I-35W Corridor Coalition Highway 14 Partnership Highway 52 Freeway Partnership Highway 55 Coalition City of Hutchinson City of Minneapolis City of St. Michael Beltrami County Blue Earth County Lyon County Ramsey County Agricultural Groups Broiler and Egg Association of Minnesota Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy Land Stewardship Project Minnesota Association of Cooperatives Minnesota Barley Growers Association Minnesota Farmers Union Minnesota Food Association Minnesota Land Trust Minnesota Turkey Growers Association Minnesota Wheat Growers Association Northern Plains Potato Growers Association Other Supporters Alliance for Metropolitan Stability Brain Injury Association of Minnesota Growth & Justice ISAIAH League of Women Voters Minnesota Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce /Transportation Committee Minnesota Consortium For Citizens With Disabilities Minnesota Public Interest Research Group Minnesota Senior Federation Transit for Livable Communities Unions AFSCME Council 5 International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 49 Laborers District Council of Minnesota and North Dakota Minnesota AFL-CIO Minnesota State Building & Construction Trades Council North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters Teamsters Local 120 United Transportation Union Environmental Organizations Alliance for Sustainability Conservation Fund Conservation Minnesota Fresh Energy Friends of the Mississippi River Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness Institute for Local Self – Reliance Izaak Walton League – Minnesota Division Lower Phalen Creek Project Mankato Area Environmentalists Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy Minnesota Conservation Federation Minnesota Council Trout Unlimited Minnesota Environmental Partnership Minnesota Food Association Minnesota Land Trust National Environmental Trust, Minnesota Sierra Club Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota Will Steger Foundation Windustry Businesses Aggregate Industries American Engineering Testing Ames Construction AVR Bituminous Roadways Bolton & Menk Inc Bonestroo Braun Intertec Corporation Central Specialties Inc Century Fence Company CS McCrossan, Inc. Cemstone CitiCapital Construction Equipment Finance Cobb Strecker Dunphy & Zimmerman Inc. Dahl Trucking Inc Duininck Brothers Construction Eagan Connection, LLC Edward Kraemer and Sons Erickson Engineering Frattalone Companies Geyer Signal Hardrives HDR Engineering Inc Highway Technologies HNTB Hoover Construction Intex Corporation Jacobs Edwards and Kelcey J.D.P. Safety Consulting LLC Kadrmas Lee & Jackson KGM Contractors Inc. Knife River Corp L.H. Sowles Inc. LHB Inc Lunda Construction Martin Marietta Materials Master Engineering, Real Estate and Construction Mathiowetz Construction Company McCarty Group Midwest Asphalt R and G Construction Rachel Contracting Riley Brothers Construction Inc. Road Machinery and Supplies Company Robert Schroeder Construction Ryan Companies US Inc Sellin Brothers Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc Simcote Inc. SRF Consulting Group Inc Stellar Contracting Inc. TCC Materials TKDA Tiller Corporation Tower Asphalt Ulland Brothers, Inc Valley Paving WSB and Associates Ziegler Inc. How cool is it that you can lobby for legislation that delivers beefy state contracts to your business? And in the case of many of these organizations, using taxpayer money to do so. Minnesota taxpayers should be outraged.

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Re: Meet The Transportation Mafia	By bruce nauth on 3/1/2008
well done.

Re: Meet The Transportation Mafia

By A Abdulquatar on 3/4/2008

Some people stand up for doing what is right for America. It is interesting that you are criticising business and management for promoting business that grows America, jobs, and commerce. Until recently for a hundred years that is exactly what Republicans did and were accused of by Democrats. You now appear to have taken over the longstanding role of Democrats - that is what they did when Republicans were promoting business and businesses gaining from building public infrastructure. Did Halliburton change you from a Republican to a Democrat?

Re: Meet The Transportation Mafia	By Jeff Peters on 3/4/2008
If the vast majority of Minnesotans ever found out about this scam they would be outraged. The only way to get he word out is through the mass media, but the local media is in the pockets of the spenders. I suggest issuing press releases and forwarding to the national press, especially Fox New Channel.

Re: Meet The Transportation Mafia

By Barb on 3/6/2008

It's funny how American citizens have minds to create jobs without government subsidies that kept this country and this specific state economically sound and now the government is bribing to make sure no company functions without tax dollars. Holding off priorities and holding the taxpayers accountable to the neglect of the legislation. This is disgustingly outrageous...We all need to stand up for what's right: FREEDOM TO THE PEOPLE! LIMITED GOVERNMENT! NO CORRUPTION! And people to replace the incompetency of legislation putting us in danger at many levels.

Re: Meet The Transportation Mafia

By bobbie on 3/6/2008

The government has not been doing anything according to standing up for what is right. They continue to use the public, enforce ridiculous regulations on the private market and as those close down, taking away freedom of choice, personal responsibilities, etc, here comes the government who caused the problem to begin with to create temporary jobs at the expense of tax payers. We don't ever need GOVERNMENT to promote business growth in America. America once prospered without government and will never prosper again because of government. The government is wasteful, irrational, corrupt and bias.

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