Why is Mayor Franklin at the Mall of America?

Here's a hint: She's not on a giant shopping spree.

The roar of the roller coaster at the largest indoor mall in the world pounds in the background. Peppy fairground music bounces into the conference room each time the door opened. But the faces in the room are scowling like The Grinch. A hundred leaders from Atlanta are hearing how well Minnesota handles traffic and transit. And the contrast with Georgia could not be worse for the home team.

Mayor Shirley Franklin, the county heads of Cobb and Gwinnett, lots of mayors and business leaders are scouring the Twin Cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis for examples of regional solutions to water, traffic and growth challenges. And the smiling hosts have lots to brag about.

Thursday at noon, the hundred or so elected officials climbed on the Hiawatha train line, riding in sleek new cars from downtown Minneapolis past the airport to the Mall of America.

I crowded into the light railcar with Decatur’s Mayor Bill Floyd and the Blank Foundation’s Penny McPhee. Behind me stood a fresh faced kid, working his way through college by selling shoes at Mall of America.

How do you like the Hiawatha? I asked him.

His face lit up. For miles he pressed on us the joys of riding the train, giving all sorts of Minnesotans the chance to mingle. And cheap! Oh yeah, cheap to ride.

This guy was so gung-ho he even had particulate counts in his head about how many pounds of junk the trains keep out of the air.

He was just the easiest cheerleader of all the experts talking to Atlantans about the benefits of working as a region to solve problems like traffic.

When we got to the Mall of America, it was fun watching the Georgians appreciate the view.

Department of Transportation member Dana Lemon eyed the fancy shops. Atlanta mayoral candidate Lisa Borders walked into the amusement park and stopped to stare. An orange roller coaster zoomed within feet of her head. Candy apples on sticks jostled for attention with a face painting lady. A giant Sponge Bob Square Pants marked the left turn into a conference room where the fun and games abruptly stopped.

We heard about tax structure… complicated. Tax rates… higher than Georgia by a lot. Congressional support… overwhelming, unlike Georgia’s.

But some things are the same. Republican governors in both states oppose many of the ideas about sharing power.

The Minnesota legislature overrode the governor’s opposition of one large, expensive bill, and the most of the Republicans who voted to override their governor, Tim Pawlenty, are not in office any more.

Most of the Georgians were on this same trip last year, to Denver. They form a nice, cohesive group, eager to implement regional cooperation on transit and transportation when they get home. And each year, less happens than any of them want.

On the trip, they see the promised land of regional cooperation. They just cannot get there from here with the current makeup of state legislative leaders.

Even the lawmakers on the trip agree. Rep Vance Smith, Senator Doug Stoner, both shake their heads when I ask why this stuff never sells at home where it counts in the state legislature.

Perhaps Sponge Bob has the answer. Until more elected officials feel voters want them to work together, the fastest ride may be the roller coaster . . . and just about as calming.