After one of the poorest legislative sessions for Saint Paul in, well, history, SPicy has learned that Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority Chair Raphael Ortega has been thinking out loud about sacking the Central Corridor Partnership.  This is the same group of business leaders that has raised and spent a considerable amount of private sector money and political capital to keep the project on track.

From Ortega's point of view - the reason is clear:  The CCP did not force the hand of the Governor to sign a bonding bill with money and the language to make sure the Union Depot is designated as the official end point for the line.

Unfortunately, his perspective might need to be enhanced by some reality.  It was clear from the absolute beginning of the legislative session that the Governor's office would never sign a bill with language requiring the train goes to the depot in a first phase of construction.

From the Met Council to the Governor's Office to others at the capitol - the message was unambiguous and consistent. Keep the Depot language in the bonding request and it will not get past the Governor.  Take it out - and the request is ok.  

Most players would read the defense and understand the play needs to be changed.  But our team, led by Ortega, lumbered forward with the deftness SPicy has only seen come from the offensive wizardry of former Vikings Coach Mike Tice.

They refused to make the change and the entire bonding bill was vetoed.  The only good news from this was that the Governor vetoed the entire bonding bill - and did not just line-item out the central corridor.

Now instead of placing the blame where it belongs (on Ortega and the members of Saint Paul legislative delegation that supported him) it is apparently easier for him to point the finger at business leaders who also told him he was wrong.  Calling a play in the blame game must be easier than looking in the mirror and realizing that Saint Paul now needs to get $140 million in next year's bonding bill to keep the project on track because you dropped the ball.

SPicy believes the Central Corridor Partnership is critical to the project's success.  Instead of blaming the CCP, perhaps Commissioner Ortega should sack himself and the entire delegation.