Last week, the Minnesota Senate, with a sure Democratic majority, did what it promised -- lacking Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau's resignation as commissioner of transportation, the Senate would end by tenure by failing to confirm her for a second term. The vote was party line but convincing all the same with 44 Democrats opposing confirmation, 22 Republicans in favor of keeping Molnau at MnDOT. As elected lieutenant governor, however, she will retain that position.
There was a deep divide in the Senate, with Democrats saying it is wrong to have a partisan head of a state department that is highly technical in nature, where decisions should be based on unbiased transportation priorities and within financial priorities. Republicans, including Gov. Tim Pawlenty, say the move was political, that the DFL needed a scapegoat for the Interstate 35W bridge collapse and were looking for a way to leave a black mark on the Pawlenty administration.
For whatever reason you want to pick, the end result remains the same -- Carol Molnau had to go.
The credibility of MnDOT as a high public service agency has been clouded almost since the day Lt. Gov. Molnau took office five years ago. Her credentials at best were weak, as she chaired a House transportation committee but, as a farmer, had no background in civil engineering, construction mechanics or in acting as the CEO of a major corporation with hundreds of employees, as MnDOT mirrors.
Closely allied politically with Pawlenty, a governor who has pledged not to raise taxes but to shrink the size of government, Molnau's job as commissioner seeking the necessary financial resources and staff to meet Minnesota's growing transportation needs could not be reconciled with her role as lieutenant governor and by association in agreement with the governor's political policies.
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The Interstate I 35W collapse was perhaps the button that was pushed leading up to Thursday's ouster, but Molnau's tenure has been rocky, from questionable staffing of MnDOT snowplow operators in her first winter as commissioner, to problems in constructing or in trying to construct at least two major bridges between Minnesota and Wisconsin, the goofy Crosstown Highway funding plan that asked contractors to upfront cash to cover construction (no takers there), and finally the bridge collapse that found the supervisor in charge of MnDOT emergencies out of state and not in a hurry to return.
Molnau had some accomplishments as well, but they were unfortunately overshadowed by MnDOT's problems. Thus it became a question of credibility and, with Molnau the chief officer who must accept responsibility, she had to go.
Now MnDOT needs to go back to the business of building and maintaining roads and bridges, making safe airports and all the other transportation work it does. Bob McFarlin, Molnau's right-hand man, is now acting commissioner but he is already making inroads in restoring credibility. He told The Associated Press on Friday that his primary task is to repair the agency's standing with the Legislature. "My message is it's a new day now," he said.
We agree, and hope the dedicated workers of MnDOT can return to the work they do so well as professionals and not politicians.
