Letter to the Editor: Dotseth needs to be vigilant

Is Rep. Jeff Dotseth about to stumble again as he did last year with the bonding process that nearly cost Carlton County taxpayers $10 million in lost funding for the law enforcement complex in Carlton? In my opinion, Dotseth proved at that moment he cannot be trusted with issues directly affecting property taxes in Carlton County, and advancing our community’s needs should never again be left in the hands of his incompetent representation.

Here we are again. In the current legislative session, Dotseth appears to have ambitious intentions for investment in our communities as evidenced by the dozen or so spending bills that he has proposed. But does he? The chairs of the House and Senate Capital Investment committees ask legislators to prioritize their spending wishes. Dotseth has yet to do so.

All these bills will compete against one another, and other groups seeking funding, for limited dollars. Without clear priorities, it is very unlikely any of Dotseth’s will make it across the finish line.

So, what are his priorities for his proposed legislation and how will he tap dance around this lengthy list of bills for the benefit of our district? Is this a repeat of last year? I have seen nothing from Dotseth since arriving in St. Paul suggesting he has developed any skills in navigating legislation that will benefit our district.

If everything is a priority, nothing is a priority. Going forward, it would only be proper for Rep. Dotseth to unequivocally reveal his priorities for this year’s bonding proposals to his constituents. We should also expect him to be clear if he will support them in the bonding bill when it comes for a vote, unlike his fiasco a year ago.

The people of our district deserve effective representation. Rep. Dotseth: It’s time for you to be forthcoming with our community about your advocacy, and we expect you to commit to working for us instead of playing partisan politics.

Gary Bonneville, Esko