St. Paul DFLers aren’t the only ones railing against Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s deletion of $70 million for the Central Corridor as part of his line-item vetoes of the bonding bill: The St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce is putting pressure on the governor to get the train back on the tracks.

This memo went out this morning to Chamber members from President Kris Johnson:

Update: Chamber Pushes to Keep Central Corridor Moving Forward

Good morning,

Over the last 24 hours, the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce has spearheaded several efforts to keep Central Corridor moving forward.

We have met with state and local leaders, as well as the Met Council to identify joint strategies to keep the project on track. This morning, Mayor Coleman met with members of our Executive Committee to discuss the city’s plans and underscore his commitment to working with the business community on this issue.

The Chamber, along with the Midway and Minneapolis Chambers of Commerce, have run a half-page ad in today’s Pioneer Press and Star Tribune that reiterates the business community’s support for Central Corridor.

Our strategy is to urge the Governor and legislative leaders to work together to secure funding for Central Corridor. We have requested a meeting with the Governor’s office to talk about next steps.

We are focused on ensuring Central Corridor receives state funding in 2008. As we continue pressing forward, the Chamber will likely call on you to voice business support for this project.

Please call me with questions.