To the editor:

I find it absolutely outrageous that state Rep. Shelley Madore from Apple Valley and Tom Goodwin of the Apple Valley City Council think the solution to a parking problem at the Apple Valley transit station is to raise taxes on Farmington and Lakeville residents. Rep. Madore says in her guest column that equitable access by Rep. Garofalo is a hollow argument. What about her own argument for equitable access?

I need look no further than Rosemount, the poster child for an argument against joining the transit taxing district. Residents of Rosemount have been paying into the transit taxing district for over 10 years. Where are their transit facilities? Where do their buses run? Where is Rosemount's equitable access? They've been paying for over 10 years and have nothing.

It seems to me that Rosemount has been paying taxes for the benefit of Apple Valley. Now that is not enough. Apple Valley also wants Farmington and Lakeville residents to pony up tax dollars for their benefit. Isn't that taxation without representation?

Stop trying to raise taxes on the residents of Farmington and Lakeville. The problem is parking at the Apple Valley transit station. We need to look for solutions to the parking problem without discouraging people from riding the bus. The reason parking is a problem is that the MVTA has done an excellent job at increasing riders with express buses. The 157th Street station offers no express buses and, therefore, is underutilized. I suggest MVTA move those express buses to the 157th Street station; riders will follow and the parking problem is resolved. This suggestion is revenue neutral. No increased cost to MVTA, no increased taxes to any residents, and Apple Valley's parking problem goes away.

KEVAN SODERBERG
Mayor of Farmington

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