May 18, 2005

"It is painfully obvious that the attorney general lacks an understanding of our state's budget challenges. His recommendations to fix this 73-year-old dilapidated structure will cost the state $3 million to $5 million up front just to meet the minimum federal safety guidelines. This conservative estimate does not include the thousands of dollars taxpayers would pay annually for liability insurance and annual maintenance.

"Relocating four of this bridge's five spans to Osage City will improve valuable rail transit without harming the Katy Trail in any way, shape, or form. This will benefit both passengers and commerce at absolutely no cost to Missouri taxpayers. I urge the attorney general to rethink his unwise decision to worsen the state's budget problems by pursing this fiscally burdensome course of action.

"Missouri taxpayers have already paid for putting another lane on the new highway bridge in Boonville. We need to avoid paying twice for a second passage on the trail. The trail has been used satisfactorily for 15 years now. It does not make fiscal sense to add another burden to Missouri taxpayers at this time."

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