On the recordDecember 14, 2010
I am sure that many of my colleagues rising tonight will want to pay tribute to Chairman Jim Oberstar of Minnesota, and every one of us will have a story or two about how the chairman moved what seemed like heaven and Earth in order to get things done for the people of this country. With smart investments in all modes of transportation, his accomplishments in public service have truly earned him the name ``Mr. Transportation.'' Well, here is one of my favorite Jim Oberstar stories. A few years ago, a group of people in Lemay in south St. Louis County had a tremendous economic redevelopment opportunity to turn a patch of dormant brownfields along the northern Mississippi River into great economic development. They had done everything right. They had researched all the background, they identified the most effective way to bring jobs, they had brought their community together to build consensus. But they had one big problem. They needed a road. They needed a road to somewhere that created thousands of jobs. Well, right now you're probably thinking that this story sounds pretty familiar. There are plenty of communities that would love the government's help to fund and build a road. Well, this road was being blocked because of red tape. And they needed help.
