Pawlenty’s press release
April 21st, 2008 – 11:09 AM by Dennis J. McGrathHere’s the press release from Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s office, announcing the appointment of Tom Sorel as the new state transportation commissioner:
Saint Paul – Governor Tim Pawlenty today appointed Tom Sorel as Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT).
Mr. Sorel currently heads the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) division office in Minnesota. The FHWA is a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and provides financial and technical support to state and local governments for constructing and preserving America’s highway system. He starts at Mn/DOT on Monday, April 28.
Mr. Sorel, 51, has held various positions with the FHWA since 1978 including Major Project Team Leader at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. and Director of Planning and Program Development and Chief of Technology Services in Albany, New York. During the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Mr. Sorel was the USDOT liaison for federal transportation issues and led the effort to build the infrastructure for the event.
“With 30 years of transportation experience and a civil engineering background, Tom Sorel is the right person to lead Mn/DOT,” Governor Pawlenty said. “Minnesota has invested more in roads over the last five years than ever before. Tom Sorel will provide the leadership as we continue to build a modern and efficient transportation system for Minnesota.”
Mr. Sorel received his degree in civil engineering from State University of New York in Buffalo and his Master of Business Administration from Thomas College in Maine. He has also received a Certificate of Conflict Management from Cornell School of Industrial/Labor Relations and an Associate Certificate Project Management from George Washington University.
In addition to many FHWA performance awards, he received the Presidential Honor for leading the federal transportation response, recovery, and rebuilding efforts in Minnesota in the aftermath of the I-35W Bridge Collapse. He currently serves on the boards of the Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota, Minnesota Guide Star, and the Transportation Engineering and Road Research Alliance.
Mn/DOT, with approximately 4,400 employees, develops and implements policies, plans and programs for highways, railroads, commercial waterways, aeronautics, public transit and motor carriers in the state. Minnesota has the fifth largest highway system in the United States.
Earlier this month, Mn/DOT announced the state’s 2008 construction season that included135 new highway and bridge projects valued at $441 million. Highlights include the completion of major projects originally advanced by the Pawlenty bonding program in 2003. These include the Highway 10 realignment in Detroit Lakes, the Highway 34 reconstruction in Park Rapids, the I-694/I-35E Unweave the Weave reconstruction north of St. Paul and the new Highway 212 project in the southwest Metro. There are also some 20 additional carryover projects begun in previous years like the I-35W/Highway 62 Crosstown reconstruction in the Twin Cities.
12 Responses to "Pawlenty’s press release"
I pay taxes which a part of the money goes to roads, yet the roads don’t get fixed. Last thursday on my way home from work I hit a pot hole heading East on 694 near the University Ave. exit and noticed now a large bulge in my $250 tire that is only 6 months old. Now I can not drive my car in fear of the tire blowing out and I do not have the money for another tire. I think the state should buy me a new tire!
I had one of those pothole blowouts this season too, my first time after driving in Minnesota in 10 years.
At least this guy looks compentent…thats a start
RE: James.
Pay more attention to the roads. I see pothole all the time, just watch out for them. This is Minnesota and spring has just sprung. It will take time to fill the holes.
James,
I pay taxes in this state as well.
Where do you suggest I line up for my educational tax refund? I’ve paid taxes in this state for over 44 years. I haven’t attended any formal educational facility for many years.
Maybe I can stop paying that portion of my share.
I’m also not real happy paying for light rail since I don’t use that.
I don’t drive as often as I used to. Maybe a smaller gas tax for me.
James,
Where do you suppose we rank tax wise in the U.S.?
You should run for public office.
RE: Jeremy H.
I am very aware of the roads, but it is a little hard to see pot holes at 2am and at 60mph.
I hope he finishes the 494 strip from plymouth to maple grove. they did a great job on 696 and south 494, but left this little stretch that gets bogged down for no reason. its about 15 years behind where it should be. I know that there are many other areas that need help too, but this is the one i use most. in all honesty the outer ring interstates should all be a minimum of 3 lanes in each direction.
gopher guy has it. At least this guy comes from the field and probably won’t let any bridges fall on his watch.
Brian, you get your educational refund in the form of a lower crime rate and economic opportunities that wouldn’t be available to you if our state had a less educated workforce.
You are paying a smaller gas tax, driving less than you used to. Not that the gas tax matters much, considering how the price of gas varies more in an average week due to market circumstances than it did as a result of the enactment of the gas tax.
Fee for service is an incorrect basis on which to think of the burden of government.
Socrates story about drinking the hemlock and complying with the edict of Athens even though he thought he was innocent of the charges and even though he had the opportunity to flee is instructive. He stayed and faced his punishment because he benefited from the society as a whole and owed his obedience to it.
I don’t get much out of a lot of government programs either. Take for example the expense associated with unnecessary and counterproductive foreign wars. But that doesn’t suggest I shouldn’t help pay for them.
And I just wanted to be sure that everyone knew that automobile transportation is much more heavily subsidized by taxpayers than the light rail is.
As for pot holes. It is worse than it has been in ages. We just finally raised the gas tax for the first time in 20 years. We’ll start to have enough money to fill those potholes promptly next year, assuming no other bridges fall into rivers as a result of insufficient past budgets.
Thanks for the intelligent comment Justin C. Adams.
Huh?
Do you think the crime rate is low in mpls. compared to other cities with similar populations and tax structures?
Where do you get your information?
Have you spent any time in the middle east?
Budgets?
How about accountablity?
Sure glad the MN legislature is wowing the Coen brothers with pork.
Get serious, you liberal fool.
I am very curious about the new MNDOT commish. Does he know what Minnesotans want or is he tied to Wash DC and what they can spend. Curious to find out where he lives, does he need to sell some land and get a freeway through his land???
losers