May 19-20, 2011
May 19 05:28 King Banaian, Mark Dayton's Tax-the-Rich Scheme & Elton John May 19 07:12 DFL Stalling Tactics Ignore Will of the People May 20 00:48 Gov. Dayton Vetoes Redistricting Plans May 20 11:27 Unanswered Questions May 20 13:11 DFL Tax Statements: What They Lack in Honesty... May 20 17:35 Captain Erratic at the Helm
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
King Banaian, Mark Dayton's Tax-the-Rich Scheme & Elton John
After reading King's quotes in this SC Times article , I'm starting to settle into an Elton John frame of mind. I'm thinking of this song in particular:
That song's ending fits the mood right now. It shouldn't be the prevailing mood but it is. Gov. Dayton has made it clear that he's willing ot shut Minnesota's government down if that's what it takes to get his tax-the-rich scheme turned into law. Fortunately, the GOP is sticking together on this issue. King frames it well with this quote:
Rep. King Banaian, R-St. Cloud, predicts a pitched battle if Dayton adheres to his call for a tax increase on the wealthy.
'As long as (Dayton) is stuck on, 'There's absolutely, positively got to be a tax increase,' we're probably going to be here for awhile,' Banaian said Wednesday.
While that quote is good, this quote tells us the negotiation's status:
'The governor will have to make a decision: Does he want to shut down the government in exchange for a tax increase?' Banaian said. 'If he decides to go down that road, it could be long.'
If Gov. Dayton wants to play this high stakes game of chicken, Minnesota's Constitution gives him that authority. Though he has that authority, it wouldn't be wise that he used that authority.
Most importantly, Gov. Dayton's tax hike would damage Minnesota's staggering economy. There's no pretending that Gov. Dayton's tax increase would improve Minnesota's economy.
That must be the primary test against which this budget is judged. If it fails that test, then the budget failed Minnesotans.
Another important test this budget must pass is whether the budget can be balanced without raising taxes. The answer to that it does. That means that Gov. Dayton's tax hike isn't based on what's best for Minnesota but on his ideological bent. Gov. Dayton can't honestly say that the budget won't balance without his tax increase. Similarly, he can't say that his tax increases will lead to greater economic growth.
Yet another key consideration is whether Gov. Dayton's tax-the-rich scheme would lead to increased entrepreneurial activity. Gov. Dayton's budget fails in this respect, too. The biggest activity that Gov. Dayton's tax-the-rich scheme would trigger is more people leaving Minnesota. This isn't to say that there would be a mass exodus from Minnesota. It's just likely that there's likely to be population and entrepreneurial stagnation.
I hope resolving the budget won't require a special session or a government shutdown. Still, Republicans should stand firm if Gov. Dayton insists on driving Minnesota's economy into a Dayton-imposed stagnation. That's something they'd better be prepared to fight for.
I'm confident they will.
Posted Thursday, May 19, 2011 5:28 AM
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DFL Stalling Tactics Ignore Will of the People
If anything is instructive about Doug Grow's post , it's that its focus is on the DFL's tactics rather than on the people's business:
Senate DFLers, newcomers to being in the minority, showed this morning they've learned a basic lesson of the system: If you can't win, agitate.
And the best way to agitate is to delay the inevitable.
Oh, what an impressive delay game the DFLers played for more than four hours this morning. While their Republican brothers and sisters rolled their eyes and called for "points of order," the DFLers yakked and yakked and yakked about everything from dinosaurs to pixie dust.
It's about the DFL's tactics. It doesn't talk about what's important to Minnesotans' lives. The DFL has apparently lost sight of what's important. Until the DFL stops grandstanding, I'll keep exposing the DFL's tactics for what they are: a ploy designed to get part of their agenda enacted even if it means ignoring the will of the people.
This morning, DFLers did what they could to return the favor. They turned the passage of the omnibus State Government, Military Affairs and Veterans Affairs bill into a tedious, though sometimes funny, grind.
In fairness, DFLers do despise this bill that cuts 15 percent across all government agencies, in addition to other cuts showing up in other bills. This bill also hammers state employees, freezing their wages, cutting their benefits and reducing their total numbers.
The bill also has NO CHANCE of leaving Gov. Mark Dayton's office without a big veto marked across it.
This is the bill that I first wrote about in this post. Here's the key exchange from that Friday's hearing:
CHAIRMAN PARRY: Commissioner Showalter, was there written instructions given to each commissioner to how to proceed for today's hearing?
COMMISSIONER SHOWALTER: Mr. Chair, I alerted commissioners, I believe yesterday, of the impact of the provisions that are in front of you (GARBLED FEED)
We've been trying to understand the interactions and the magnitude of that impact. We have been in communication with the fiscal staff over the last day to get their understanding and impact of the programmatic impact that we're trying to present to you today.
In general, contrary to what Rep. Downey, and I do respect his work, but the instructions are pretty clear in the bill as to the level of reductions within this provision and the other provisions. There are a few cost-savings items, but in general, most of the savings that we're talking about are related to items reducing the staffing complement, reducing the available resources to commissioners to execute their responsibilities so that is the spreadsheet that I talked about before to give you the overall context and to give you an idea.
CHAIRMAN PARRY: So you did give written instructions so that they fully understood how they were to move forward with their testimony today?
SHOWALTER: Mr. Chairman, I haven't instructed anyone on testimony. What I have asked and informed them on is these provisions because not everyone is watching the State Government Committee or they're assuming that we take the lead in looking at these elements and helping them understand the impact and what issues they need to be aware of.
PARRY: So were your instructions orally delivered, your message, or in form of the information that they're working off from. I guess what I'm asking for, Commissioner Showalter, I would like to, if there was a written memo given to each commissioner on how to look at their budget, I would be interested, and I'm sure this committee would be interested to see that memo.
Because if every commissioner that's coming here with worst case scenarios, that is a far cry from what is inside the House and the Senate versions of this bill as I have listened. And so I guess maybe, for us to understand what the commissioners are working off of, I would think that it would be prudent to give us: let us look at the instructions that you have given commissioners.
It isn't surprising that Gov. Dayton is planning on vetoing this bill. He went through alot of work to stage that PR stunt and to have Commissioner Showalter's MMB spreadsheet show across-the-board spending cuts in each of the omnibus spending bills, which I wrote about here :
LFR got a copy of that spreadsheet last night. What jumped off the page were two columns in particular. The 4th column on the spreadsheet is titled 2012-2013 House Across the Board Reductions. The 7th column of the spreadsheet is titled 2012-2013 Senate Across the Board Reductions. Neither column accurately reflects what's in the GOP budgets.
The MMB spreadsheet 'reports' that the House GOP budget calls for 10% across-the-board reductions. Further, the MMB spreadsheet 'reports' that the Senate GOP budget calls for 9% across-the-board reductions. This spreadsheet isn't saying that about specific departments. It's saying that each line item is getting hit with a 10% cuts. K-12 education gets hit with a 10% cut, as does Corrections, the MPCA, the PUC, Agriculture, DEED or any other department.
This is pure BS. General Shellito admitted in his testimony that Military Affairs and Veterans Affairs would both be getting 3% increases this biennium. The last I looked a 3% increase in funding isn't the same as a 10% or a 9% cut in spending.
That proves that Commissioner Showalter's spreadsheet was a hoax.
What this points to is that this administration and this DFL legislature are about playing political stunts instead of doing the people's business. If the DFL needs an official-looking prop, they won't hesitate in calling on Commissioner Showalter to create a fictional document to make it look like DFL legislators are standing on firm ground.
When a political party doesn't hesitate in using phony data to further their agenda, it isn't long before they're exposed. LFR is where Gov. Dayton's commissioners were exposed as frauds and dupes.
The only thing more exposing than that first paragraph was Doug Grow's depiction of Sandy Pappas's dishonest diatribe:
But no DFL senator agitated Republicans so much as Sen. Sandra Pappas of St. Paul.
"I want to express my concern about the 15 percent cut to employees at the Science Museum, which, as many of you know, is in my district. The science museum was founded in 1907, has 500 employees and 1,500 volunteers."
Pappas then started to read the Science Museum's mission statement.
'Points of order' on parade
Apparently, Sen. Claire Robling, R-Jordan, didn't want to know about the Science Museum's mission statement.
"Point of order," Robling said to the acting president of the Senate, Julianne Ortman, R-Chanhassen. "We don't need to talk about the mission statement or the exhibits at the Science Museum."
Pappas countered.
"Some of the exhibits could be impacted by these cuts," she said.
Ortman tried to side with Robling.
"Speak to the bill," she ordered Pappas.
Pappas nodded and then took off again.
"Madam chair," Pappas said. And then she started talking about the fossils at the museum and "the replicated dinosaur skeletons.''
Sen. Mike Parry, R-Waseca, chairman of the Government Operations Committee, rose.
"Madam chair," Parry said. "Point of order. There's nothing in this bill about the exhibits."
Pappas shot back.
"Madam chair, he didn't ask to yield."
It was Ortman's turn.
"Sen. Pappas," Ortman said. "We've all heard about the exhibits."
Pappas didn't appear to hear Ortman.
"Some of my colleagues want to hear about the exhibits," she said. "The best is the King Tut exhibit."
Now she was off and running full steam. She talked of Tut and somehow tied in the "BodyWorks" exhibit that had been displayed at the museum previously, and then she was back to talking of how Tut's "internal body organs" had been removed.
Senators of both parties were now wandering around the chamber. DFLers were snickering.
Republicans, especially the rookies, were scowling and muttering things like "What a waste of time."
The 15% cuts that Sen. Pappas whined about aren't specified as to where they'll happen. That's because Rep. Keith Downey's bill only says that Minnesota's workforce should be shrunk by 15% by the end of 2015. It's anticipated to realize most of those reductions through retirements. When a retirement happens, that worker isn't replaced.
I'd further submit that Sen. Pappas is more worried about keeping union workers contributing to her campaigns than she is about protecting Minnesotans' pocketbooks.
Finally, Grow tries rationalizing the DFL's disgusting behavior:
Of course it was a waste of time. But so is the passage of bills that are destined to be vetoed.
On the contrary, Mr. Grow. It's quite useful to highlight that the DFL is fighting against good legislation because they're in bed with PEU's. If the DFL wants to protect their public employee union allies with their PR stunts, then there will be a price to be extracted from their hides the first Tuesday in November, 2012.
I know that Sen. Pappas serves in a safe district but I'm betting alot of other DFL senators don't serve in that safe of districts. If these swing district DFL senators want to vote with their safe seat DFL brethren, that's their decision. It's just that they'll pay a steep price for that foolish decision.
Grow's conclusion is most telling:
The dinosaurs and King Tut and the DFLers all were defeated, 37-29.
But DFLers made the Republican majority pay a time-wasting, agonizing price for their election victory.
It isn't the Republicans' election victory, Mr. Grow. It was Minnesota's election victory. You'd be wise to remember that when writing about the DFL's PR stunts that try obscuring the will of We The People.
In the end, more DFL legislators will get defeated thanks to stunts like this. GOOD RIDDANCE.
Posted Thursday, May 19, 2011 7:12 AM
Comment 1 by JA at 19-May-11 10:19 PM
I believe republicans have done the same type of tricks when they were in the minority...Thinking especially of nationwide when President Obama won with a 10 million vote spread with almost 53% of the popular vote, with the democrats gaining 9 seats in the Senate and 21 seats in the house. Was not the passage of health care following the will of the people?
I agree with you that the examples you give are wastes of time and legislators need to stop as there are more important issues, but I also believe that both sides do the same and not recognizing that is blatant hypocrisy and just shilling for a conservative or liberal agenda that doesn't require anyone to reflect on what has happened in the past.
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 20-May-11 12:58 AM
I believe republicans have done the same type of tricks when they were in the minority.I don't.
Was not the passage of health care following the will of the people?Nope. In fact, Rasmussen's & Gallup's polling consistently showing a 55-60% majority favoring not passing the PPACA. Further proof that stuffing the bill down our throats wasn't the will of the people is the fact that 55%-57% of likely voters have favored repealing PPACA each month since it was signed into law.
Gov. Dayton Vetoes Redistricting Plans
In a move that surprised nobody that isn't comatose or ignorant, Gov. Dayton vetoed the redistricting bill. This two-page letter is Gov. Dayton's official explanation for why he vetoed the bills:
HF1425 HF1426 Letters
In rejecting the legislative redistricting plan, Gov. Dayton says that he made clear that he wouldn't sign a bill that didn't earn strong bipartisan support. That's nice wording but it's worthless. Redistricting is a partisan effort. That's never going to change. I didn't say that it won't change anytime soon. I said it never will change.
Gov. Dayton cited the fact that lots of DFL legislators are pitted against each other. Gov. Dayton then cited the fact that few Republican legislators are pitted against each other. Those statements aren't disputable. That said, that doesn't mean that these lines aren't fair. The reality is that these lines might get redrawn but the outcomes are predictable.
The courts can't ignore where the population shifts happened. Another redistricting guideline instructs people to keep House districts contiguous. For instance, HD-58A through HD-67B are short by 3,000 people per district. In short, some of those 20 districts necessarily had to 'migrate' away from urban St. Paul and Minneapolis. Combining those districts causes alot of the DFL vs. DFL matchups that Gov. Dayton is referring to.
Whether the courts draw the lines or whether the legislature draws the lines is largely immaterial. The GOP didn't have to be hyperpartisan in redistricting because of the dramatic population shifts. Gov. Dayton can complain that the legislative map didn't get bipartisan support but that's a ruse.
Mike Beard's district must shrink by 20,490 people. Joe McDonald's district must shrink by 19,486 people. Kurt Zellers' district must shrink by 15,935 people. Mary Kiffmeyer's district must shrink by 12,447 people. Pat Garofalo's district must shrink by 10,617 people. Mark Buesgens' district must shrink by 9,110 people. Duane Quam's district must shrink by 8,617 people. Tim Sanders' district must shrink by 10,048 people. Andrea Kieffer's district must shrink by 10,221 people.
The point is that these districts are outer ring suburbs, exurbs or just plain rural. Extreme gerrymandering would be needed to maintain the DFL's inner city strength.
As for Gov. Dayton's statement that the redi
stricting maps for congressional districts "created safe seats for six incumbents while the First district was drawn for the purpose of defeating the incumbent", I'd argue that CD-1 was destined to become less hospitable for Rep. Walz because of the numbers.
John Kline's district had to shrink by 69,524 people. Tim Walz's district has to grow by 18,204 people. Meanwhile, Erik Paulsen's district has to grow by 12,806 people and Collin Peterson's district must grow by 37,500 people. That's before talking about the Moses-like exodus from Keith Ellison's and Betty McCollum's districts. Their districts combined need to add almost 100,000 people.
What other outcome was there than that Walz's district become more competitive?
Dayton's letters were typical boilerplate commentary. I didn't expect him to sign the redistricting plan and I didn't expect him to say anything that would be used by Republicans in the ensuing lawsuit.
Gov. Dayton essentially had to say what he said.
The litigation should proceed fairly quickly. Though the rulings must be before the district conventions, it's quite possible that the redistricting litigation will be settled and the districts known before Labor Day.
There might be some minor changes in the congressional redistricting map. I'm betting, however, that the DFL won't much like the results of the court-drawn legislative redistricting map.
After all, the numbers are what the numbers are.
Posted Friday, May 20, 2011 12:48 AM
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Unanswered Questions
The questions that the DFL haven't answered are the most important questions in this budget fight.
The most important question, in my opinion, is whether Gov. Dayton's proposed tax increase will actually strengthen Minnesota's economy. I haven't heard from anyone involved in the legislative process or in Gov. Dayton's administration argue that raising taxes on the owners of the local pharmacy, the local grocery store, the home remodelling business or the local hardware store will strengthen Minnesota's economy.
I've heard Rep. Thissen, Rep. Winkler, Sen. Bakk and Gov. Dayton complain that "the rich aren't paying their fair share." I've heard that so many times that I'll probably grumble about Rep. Thissen's whining when I'm in the grave.
Their argument usually consists, especially on Twitter, of 'Republicans just voted to cut [fill in the blank] to protect the richest 2% of Minnesotans.' Their mindset has been that Minnesotans actually think that government spending lots of money is what jumpstarts an economy.
In arguing against that philosophy, I'd just highlight the fact that President Obama adopted that strategy in February, 2009. Unemployment skyrocketted after that before settling into unacceptably high, some might say chronic, unemployment numbers.
In fact, Sen. Bakk argued against raising taxes in 2009:
Senate Taxes Committee Chairman Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, said eliminating the current mortgage interest deduction could hurt Minnesota's high rate of home ownership and higher alcohol taxes would drive some liquor shoppers across the Wisconsin border.
Now Sen. Bakk is singing the praises of Gov. Dayton's more draconian tax increase. It wasn't always that way. In fact, I thought Rachel Stassen-Berger might have to resort to harsh interrogation techniques to get Sen. Bakk and Rep. Thissen to talk about Gov. Dayton's tax increases:
Question: 'Do you support the tax increases in this bill?'
Thissen: 'The governor is delivering on what he promised. We have always been in our DFL caucus in favor of a solution that is going to be fair: We need to look at the details of it. I think the most important thing now to look at is asking the Republicans, okay, what's your answer.'
Question: 'That didn't answer the question: Do you support these tax increases?'
Bakk: 'If you look at the tax incidence study, it will show you that more well to do Minnesotans, especially those over $500,000 in income pay a little bit over eight percent of their income in taxes and the rest of us, in the middle class and lower income Minnesotans, pay about 12.3 percent. And I think from a policy standpoint, the governor is right that everyone should be expect to pay about the same percentage of their income in state and local taxes.'
A third:
Question: 'So yes or no. Do you two support the tax package in the governor's proposal? Yes or no.'
Bakk: 'Well, I certainly want to see the budget pages and I'm not going to tell you if they offer a vote on it I'm going to vote yes or no on it because we are actually having a hearing in the tax committee (to delve into the budget) either tomorrow or Thursday: After Thursday I can probably give you an answer.'
Let's remember that the DFL initially refused to support Gov. Dayton's budget. Half of the DFL's leadership team admitted that raising taxes changes people's behavior in a negative way.
When Gov. Dayton insists that he won't sign a budget that doesn't include a tax increase, what he's saying is that he's ideologically wedded to that policy. In fact, he hasn't attempted an economic argument defending raising taxes.
I think that's rather telling.
The other question that I'd raise is whether Gov. Dayton and the Democrats took seriously the job of being the taxpayers' watchdog. Based on their statements and their arguments, I'd argue that they didn't. Did DFL legislators look into whether the money already appropriated for higher ed was being spent wisely?
Of course they didn't.
Did the DFL examine whether we needed the multiple layers of government to the point that there's a commissioner, deputy commissioner, multiple assistant commissioners and multiple legislative liasons in the Department of Health and in the Department of Human Services?
Of course they didn't.
It doesn't sound like protecting Minnesota's taxpayers is the DFL's highest priority.
In 2009, the DFL didn't support Sen. Bakk's or Rep. Lenczewski's tax increase legislation. Rep. Pelowski openly criticized their tax increases and voted against their tax increases and Speaker Kelliher's attempt to override Gov. Pawlenty's veto.
That's a major reality that Gov. Dayton isn't dealing with. The other major reality that he isn't dealing with is that his tax increases will hurt Minnesota's families and Minnesota's economy.
Damaging Minnesota's families is heartless and unacceptable. Frankly, I'm certain that Minnesota voters won't applaud the DFL for voting for Gov. Dayton's tax increases. Similarly, I'm certain they won't applaud the DFL for voting to not fix Minnesota's economy.
Here's a bonus question, starting with an opening statement: The Republicans' budget balances without raising taxes. Going on another government spending binge won't improve Minnesota's economy. Why won't voters agree with Republicans that the Republicans' budget is the sensible path to prosperity?
Thus far, the DFL hasn't attempted to answer that question. I'll count that as proof that they don't have confidence in their approach.
Posted Friday, May 20, 2011 11:27 AM
Comment 1 by C Quigley at 20-May-11 01:05 PM
I'm so tired of the DFL pointing to the tax incidence study to try and say that the rich don't pay their fair share. The tax incidence study shows that the wealthy pay more than their fair share of INCOME taxes, which is what the DFL and Gov. Goofy are trying to raise.
DFL Tax Statements: What They Lack in Honesty...
The DFL's complaints that the Republicans' refusal to raise income taxes will lead to major property taxes isn't the least bit supported by the evidence. What the DFL lacks in honesty on the issue, they make up for in consistency. MN2020 is one of the DFL's consistent voices that make that argument, much like they do in this post :
According to Minnesota Department of Revenue fiscal analysis of a the May 13 state legislative conference committee report on the Omnibus Tax Bill , Minnesota will experience a 4.8% growth in statewide property taxes. Greater Minnesota gets hit even harder at 6.2% increase. Bluntly stated, if you own property, you'll pay more taxes on it thanks to the conservative budget plan.
I'd argue that the Department of Revenue's projection isn't knowable because it's based on their assumption that they know what mayors, county commissioners and city councils will do in response to LGA. I'd further argue that their projection isn't based on what mayors, city councilmembers and county commissioners have testified to.
Each of these levels of government has the authority to make their own budgetary decisions. Just because R.T. Rybak and the Minneapolis City council decided to spend $500,000 on artistic drinking fountains doesn't mean St. Cloud will, too. In fact, why shouldn't Prior lake be the model for how local governments should be run?
It's important that we remember that a) Prior Lake no longer gets LGA, b) Prior Lake is running a surplus and c) Prior Lake hasn't raised property taxes . PS- Prior Lake's biggest employer is a local grocery store, meaning it doesn't have a major manufacturer as their property tax base.
There's no question that cities that make foolish spending decisions are complaining about not getting their biennial LGA bailout. There's equally no doubt but that frugal Minnesotans who create jobs are tired of subsidizing St. Paul's, Minneapolis's and Duluth's reckless spending habits.
The DFL's consistent drumbeat that not raising income taxes on "the rich" automatically leads to higher property taxes has repeatedly been proven false. That hasn't stopped them from repeating their dishonest mantra.
Since we can't shut them up, (We aren't Mark Lloyd , after all.) then conservatives' goal should be to discredit the DFL's chanting points every opportunity we get.
Posted Friday, May 20, 2011 1:11 PM
Comment 1 by C Quigley at 20-May-11 01:47 PM
As I have said before, even when the DFL is lying, the local media will report it as truth and that is what uninformed people will hear and read.
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 20-May-11 03:59 PM
CQ, Then it's your responsibility to spread the word that blogs like LFR, Shot in the Dark, Powerline & HotAir are a more reliable source for news. As you've seen, I don't just offer opinions. I actually do first source reporting. It seems to me that that's more important now than ever.
Captain Erratic at the Helm
It's difficult getting a read on Gov. Dayton. I wrote here that Gov. Dayton threatened to shut Minnesota's government down if the legislature didn't raise income taxes:
Dayton said Tuesday that he will not 'surrender' to Republicans' demand that he cut the budget down to their level, and he was 'pessimistic' about a resolution. Republicans got the word at the private breakfast.
'He [said he] would hold out through a special session, through a shutdown, for a tax increase,' said Deputy Majority Leader Geoff Michel, R-Edina. He said Dayton told them 'he would hold out until 2012 for a tax increase: that's exactly what he said.'
Sensing the PR disaster that he'd just created with that threat, Gov. Dayton immediately started distancing himself from that threat:
The governor said he may have been hyperbolic and wasn't promising a shutdown, but he wanted to convey his determination.
'They believe I'm going to fold or cave or give in,' Dayton said. 'My resolve is every bit as great as theirs: I've never been involved in a shutdown, and neither have they: Certainly, it is not something I've decided in any way I'm going to do or not do. But I did want them to understand how firm my resolve is.'
I didn't trust Gov. Dayton's backpedalling at the time, saying that this isn't multiple choice situation, that it's binary. Either he's willing to shut government down into 2012 or he isn't. There isn't a middle ground option.
This afternoon, Captain Erratic retook control of the ship's helm again:
Before we can discuss the particulars of $1.8 billion in spending cuts, we need to agree on the total amount of money we have to spend. Presently, we are $1.8 billion apart. Until that difference can be resolved, I cannot agree to a resolution of any budget bill.
Thus marks the return of Captain Erratic. He'll veto every budget bill sent to him just to force Republicans into raising taxes.
The problem facing Gov. Dayton is that Republicans have sent him a budget that balances. It's been there since the middle of April. Since Republicans won't further deteriorate Minnesota's struggling economy with higher taxes, we know how much money there is to spend.
Republican activists need to start driving home the fact that Gov. Dayton's budget spends too much and reforms too little while preventing economic recovery and job growth. Another thing that Republican activists need to do is tell Minnesotans that Gov. Dayton's arguments for a tax increase isn't an economic argument, that it's a political argument.
We shouldn't let political arguments into this discussion because we need to strengthen Minnesota's economy, not strengthen the DFL's re-election message.
We can't afford a governor who is this mentally erratic. At the outset of their discussions, Gov. Dayton is cordial, almost placid. After Speaker Zellers and Sen. Koch remind him that Republicans meant what they said about raising taxes, Gov. Dayton's mood swings to the point of him 'hyperbolizing' and threatening a government shutdown that lasts into 2012.
The minute he realizes the fact that he's created a political nightmare, Gov. Dayton starts backpedalling, saying that he really didn't mean what he'd said, suggesting that he's open to a budget solution that didn't require raising taxes. That didn't last 24 hours, ending with him saying that he'll veto the budget bills if Republicans won't raise taxes and kill the economy.
The GOP should decline the 'opportunity' to join with Gov. Dayton in driving Minnesota's economy off the proverbial cliff. I'm confident that that's exactly what they'll do.
Posted Friday, May 20, 2011 5:35 PM
Comment 1 by Chad Quigley at 20-May-11 06:40 PM
I hope all the people that voted for this train wreck now see how poor of a choice they made. I sure hope someone takes away his loaded .357's and that loaded .45 he said he has because there's no telling what this mentally unstable person may do if he doesn't get his way.
Comment 2 by Maxine Kravis at 20-May-11 08:10 PM
The train wreck MN elected are the senate and house - polls show that 73% of MN favor the proposed tax increase. Any business that would leave MN because of this minuscule increase aren't true Minnestans. We take care of each other- we don't let the rich off the hook by hurting the poor, seniors, students, . . Where is loyalty these days?
Response 2.1 by Gary Gross at 20-May-11 11:59 PM
Actually, Maxine, the most recent CREDIBLE poll was in late March. That showed the state split at 42% favoring cutting spending, 41% favoring raising taxes & 6% favoring an even split of spending cuts & raising taxes.
Any business leaving the state would be justified because the DFL is intent on raising taxes every year to satisfy their reckless spending. Maxine, at what point does the money that businesses earn become their own rather than the latest ATM for the DFL to raid? What amount of spending is enough for the DFL?
This session plus the prior 4 years have proven that the DFL's spending appetite knows no limits.
As for loyalty, a person's first loyalty is towards his/her family. Second, I'd highlight the fact that Gov. Dayton's budget proposal included bigger cuts in long-term care & nursing home reimbursement rates than the GOP's budget currently has. Perhaps you'll now take the time to email him a nastygram & tell him to stop "hurting the poor, seniors, students"?
Comment 3 by David at 02-Jul-11 12:51 PM
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/04/15/midday1/?refid=0
I listened to this a while ago. It helped me form an opinion on the matter. I find raising taxes is necessary, considering Pawlenty bonded our spending to balance our budget when he was in office. Perhaps we should go back to the 1998 mn tax code before we cut tax for the higher income earners?
Yes we should cut spending like, freezing state pay, have state wide pool insurance, restructure district school busing and coordinate state purchasing. We need both to reach a surplus.
I support Dayton and is plan http://mn.gov/governor/newsroom/pressreleasedetail.jsp?id=9777
Comment 4 by David at 02-Jul-11 12:54 PM
http://www.minnpost.com/fix_minnesota_deficit/
this website is useful to grasp some of the ideas on making our budget balanced. In using this tool i relied heavily on increasing tax revenue.
Comment 5 by David at 02-Jul-11 01:05 PM
Gary, what spending in particular do find reckless? Is it in education, health and human services? That is where most of it goes. To children and elderly, we could balance the budget with their sacrifice. I find a shared sacrifice more acceptable, then the republicans plans to cut spending without raising taxes.
Gary how do you propose to balance the budget? It is too easy to criticize a plan. The republicans proposed cuts would have serious consequences during already challenging times.
Response 5.1 by Gary Gross at 02-Jul-11 01:24 PM
I'd shut down the MnSCU HQ. It's worthless & it'd save us 10's of millions of $$$s. I'd eliminate the Met Council. It's outlived its usefulness. I'd eliminate half the community colleges. Their contributions are marginal but their payroll is expensive. We can't afford that type of waste anytime but we especially can't afford it when money is tight.
Why did Gov. Dayton veto reforms that would've eliminated layers of unneeded bureaucracy? Why didn't Gov. Dayton veto HF2, which would've established a sunset commission that recommends which agencies & departments should be eliminated?
Comment 6 by David at 06-Jul-11 02:36 AM
I like those cuts Gary, they make sense! Met council is a pain in the ass, try starting a business and you will learn what stupid shit they come up with to stop you!
Response 6.1 by Gary Gross at 06-Jul-11 07:43 AM
That's really sad, David. Unfortunately, it isn't surprising. Unfortunately, this is all-too-often the rule, not the exception.
