I wanted to clarify my response at the forum on Wednesday night regarding the gas tax. First, you should know that the question was posed (a bit oddly, in my view) as a simple "yes or no" question, and I'm sure you agree with me that the answer to this is hardly "yes or no."

First of all, let me assure you that I am strongly in favor of expanded transit options in the Twin Cities. I am acutely aware that better transit expands opportunities for everyone - but especially poor and working people - to seek and hold better jobs, to create new connections in their lives and otherwise get where they want to go cleanly, safely and efficiently. Our neighborhood knows this better than almost any other, with the success of the Hiawatha Line.

That said, I am well aware that we are short funding to build and operate a 21st-century transit system in the Twin Cities. For this reason I am in favor of the constitutional amendment slated to appear on this year's ballot that would dedicate 100% of the revenues from MVST (the motor vehicle sales tax) to transportation, in a proportion of not less than 40% for transit and not more than 60% for roads. This is a first, important step that we need to take.

(You may know, of course, that there is some opposition to this proposal among advocates for human services, since they believe the MVST constitutional amendment will reduce the general-fund revenues that go to sustaining our social safety net. Naturally I am sensitive to their concerns; at the same time, I believe we cannot let ourselves indulge in the politics of scarcity, that money that goes to "you" is money taken away from "me." As I said above, increased transit options can and should also better the lives of poor and working people, and should be part of an integrated safety net.)

In relation to the gas tax, I am willing to support an increase the revenue from which would be significantly dedicated to transit. I would be likely to oppose an increase in the gas tax if it were almost or wholly dedicated simply to roads. (Naturally the devil is in the details, and my support or opposition would depend on the wording and effects of a particularly proposal.)

The brief "no" answer I was allowed to give to the question at last week's forum came from a gut sense that a gas-tax increase would fall disproportionately on poor people. As a life-long advocate for low-income families, especially those in communities of color, I would not wish to raise any significant state revenue from them that would hurt their ability to provide for themselves, keep jobs and improve their lives. I am also aware that the burden of a gas tax would be additionally likely to burden rural people and farmers.

Finally, in the long run we need to explore other options for funding transit. We will be unable in the Twin Cities to build the multi-modal system that many people agree we need if we do not have solidly dedicated, reliable sources of capital *and* operating expenses. Some (such as the Star-Tribune, in a recent editorial) have begun to advocate for a metro-wide 0.5% sales tax that would be wholly dedicated to transit. I believe there is much merit in exploring this proposal, and I look forward to doing so in depth with community and transit advocates, legislators and informed citizens such as yourself.