Rochester Leaders Tweak Edina Over Erhardt’s Jokes

An Edina legislator’s jokes about Rochester during a House Taxes Committee discussion have sparked a rivalry between the two cities.

During discussion about whether taxpayers should pay $500 million toward amenities for a Mayo Clinic expansion, DFL Rep. Rep. Ron Erhardt suggested that Mayo just grow operations in the Twin Cities, where the infrastructure already exists. He jokingly added that Edina might be a good fit, since it's already home to many doctors and golf courses, according to the Pioneer Press.

The Post-Bulletin of Rochester quoted Erhardt as saying Rochester is "a nice town, but it's mostly doctors walking around talking to each other and not a lot of fun."

Rochester-area leaders fired back during the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce's Eggs and Issues forum.

Olmsted County-Rochester Planner Phil Wheeler said that Zip Rail, the high-speed passenger rail service between Rochester and the Twin Cities, "could dip into the Twin Cities labor force and would be a way for Edina to get a piece of the action," The Post-Bulletin reported.

Olmsted District Court Judge Kevin Lund later quipped that, “Edina has always wanted to be Rochester, but they are woefully inadequate.”

Click here to read the full story.

Like Edina Patch on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Sign up for our daily newsletter