Please watch the video clip below. Sorry...the quality is horrible and the sound may not play well on your mobile device. It is from last year when former Representative Lenczewski turned paved trail lobbyist had language into a bill that requires that the Minnesota Valley State Trail MUST BE PAVED....and got caught. It's still in there....and still the law....but she did get caught. Watch the whole thing, but pay special attention at 3:40 when she calls it a "non-money issue" then goes on to say that it is just a "clarification issue"....which is also false. All along former Representative turned lobbyist, the DNR and many of the proponents have been calling this proposed paved trail "fully funded". To someone not entrenched in political speak, that sure sounds like it was fully paid for. The new legislative session has started. Politics as usual is still politics as usual in Minnesota. Two separate bills have been presented from different authors just since the new session started requesting more money for this supposed "fully funded" trail. http://bit.ly/1QBNDnR http://bit.ly/22bbcMK The proponents think nobody is watching. They think if they can piecemeal $1.5 million here....$5 million there....that nobody will notice. We noticed. We care. You should to. A handful of us dedicated to this issue calling and writing will not prevail. We will only prevail if you....yes....you....step up and help us defeat politics as usual in Minnesota. Contact your legislator. Tell them that these bills should be amended to remove any requests for funding for a paved state trail until the DNR provides a full plan that contains the total cost and a long-term budget for maintenance. Find who represents you in this link . http://www.gis.leg.mn/OpenLayers/districts/ Call them! Write them! Email them! Send them smoke signals....do it all. We can't stop this without YOU! #savetheriverbottoms https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFnuxXJRMVQ