Here's an odd story about Janklow and Daschle's fight against DM&E:
Bill Janklow says he has a unique perspective on accidents these days, which is why he's helping lead the fight against a plan to run a railroad line through downtown Rochester, Minn.
Janklow, the former Republican governor and congressman from South Dakota, said an accident could be catastrophic, making it impossible for ambulances, fire trucks and law-enforcement vehicles to move.
"I clearly understand what it's like when someone gets injured or killed in an accident and the immense tragedy that comes from that," said Janklow, who was convicted of manslaughter in 2003 in connection with an accident that killed a Minnesota motorcyclist. The clinic is working with Janklow, now a Mayo consultant, and another South Dakotan, former Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle, a board member.
Kevin Schieffer, president of Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad, seems to relish the fight: "I've always said this project is going to create a lot of South Dakota jobs _ I'm glad we've got a couple of them."
Schieffer's opponents are focused on two points: They say the company lacks the financial wherewithal to pay back a $2.5 billion loan if it's approved by the Federal Railroad Administration, and they say DM&E has one of the worst safety records in the nation.
In the past six years, 17 people have been killed and 93 people have been injured in 227 DM&E accidents at public and private rail crossings, according to the Rochester Coalition, a group of opponents that includes the Mayo Clinic.
Schieffer said the Mayo Clinic is advancing old arguments that have been rejected by outside professionals.
Recent Comments