Polinaut: November 30, 2006 Archive

What to do with $2 billion?

Posted at 7:34 AM on November 30, 2006 by Mike Mulcahy (2 Comments)

Gov. Tim Pawlenty says he'll propose some kind of rebate. Actually, he has to propose one by law because the state is projected to have about $1 billion left unspent when the fiscal year ends on June 30. But that doesn't guarantee the rebate check will be coming your way. The Legislature doesn't have to approve the governor's proposal. Both the governor and DFL legislative leaders say some kind of property tax relief is needed.

Already the interest groups are lined up spend the money on things like early childhood education, aid to cities and college tuition breaks. Others say they state should cut taxes. And state finance officials said over and over again yesterday that the politicians should be careful not to get the state back into red ink, especially with the housing market showing a drastic slowdown.

What do you think should be done with the money? Spend it? Send it back? Save it?

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The Daily Digest: 11-30-06

Posted at 10:26 AM on November 30, 2006 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Daily Digest

MPR's Laura McCallum leads the digest today. Laura spent yesterday cleaning off her desk at MPR's Capitol Bureau. She's headed back downtown to cover education for MPR. Laura has been covering politics, the Legislature and state government since 1999 and became bureau chief in 2000. She has always been a tough but fair reporter who kept an even tone when some of her colleagues (ahem, um, me) sometimes got a little bit intense.

Her institutional knowledge, passion for reporting and humor will be missed by those of us who cover the Legislature on a daily basis. You'll still see her around the Capitol since she'll be covering education matters at the Legislature. Imagine how much more fun she'll have covering education funding debates instead of tax policy debates. Lucky duck.

But does anyone find it ironic that Laura leaves the beat and there's a $2 billion surplus?

MPR has a write through featuring the surplus and the scrum for the dough.

The Star Tribune focuses on the big 'ol number and who's in line.

Why is this a big deal, you ask? Check out this timeline.

The Pi Press focuses on Pawlenty's reversal on a tax rebate. He now says it should come in the form of a property tax rebate and an unspecified business tax rebate.

AP and Forum Communications focus on the rebate as well

ECM Publishers say state lawmakers were surprised by the size of the surplus

DFL Representative Tom Rukavina says bad math was used and that the budget surplus is much smaller.

A Pi Press editorial warns about boom and bust budgeting.

A Star Tribune editorial also urges restraint.

The Pulse of the Twin Cities says the push for LGA increases is on.

The Minnesota Daily has a profile on DFL Senator Linda Berglin, the top health policy expert in that body.

Congress

Keith Ellison is mentioned in a Washington Post story that says Muslims are gaining ground.

There's also a bunch of conservatives who are outraged that Ellison intends to swear on a Koran when he takes the oath of office. Here's one link to that issue. The Wall Street Journal also writes about it in its blog. They quote someone saying a Congressman can take the oath on any book.

Ellison is also mentioned in a Minnesota Daily story on the minimum wage.

DFL Congressman-elect Tim Walz and the DFL Party's executive director will be speaking at the Democratic National Committee's Executive Committee meeting this weekend.

KQAD-FM says Gutknecht doesn't take his loss personally.

DFL Congressman Jim Oberstar is mentioned in this story over a battle looming over airline investors.

He also intends to meet with area realtors in Brainerd.

Collin Peterson is headed to the Dominican Republic.

Peterson is also mentioned in this story on a last minute push by the U.S. Senate for disaster aide.

Peterson is also mentioned in this story on a greater emphasis on ag by the new Democratically controlled Congress.

2008

The Transportation Secretary is coming to Rochester next week to discuss D,M and E. GOP Senator Norm Coleman announced the visit in a news release.

Coleman also wants a man to the moon commitment to renewable energy says the Brainerd Post Dispatch.

Coleman will also speak at the Hormel Foods Hunger Summit.

Coleman also made Shooter's column because he attended a gathering for Zygi Wilf that was hosted by the Wild and the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce.

Here's a q and a with Garrison Keillor who says (GASP!) he sometimes listens to Al Franken on the radio. Sacre Bleu!

RSVP for those '08 parties.

Other
It appears that Emily's List is not doing so well in competitive races. Emily's List endorsed Amy Klobuchar for Senate (won), Patty Wetterling in the 6th (lost) and Ember Reichgott Junge in the 5th (lost in the primary).

Vilsack makes it official

Posted at 10:50 AM on November 30, 2006 by Mike Mulcahy (1 Comments)

Here's part of the AP story:

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa (AP) - Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack launched his long-shot bid for the presidency Thursday, calling for an end to U.S dependence on foreign oil in favor of alternative energy sources.

"Energy security will revitalize rural America, re-establish our moral leadership on global warming and climate security, and eliminate our addiction to foreign oil," said Vilsack, a prominent proponent of ethanol, biodiesel and wind power.

"In the past eight years, I have led our state of Iowa into successfully changing farm fields into energy fields," Vilsack told a gathering of supporters in the small town where he got his
start in politics as mayor. "We changed the traditional idea of agriculture and became the national leader in renewable fuel and energy production."

The first Democrat to formally enter the race, Vilsack, 56, has conceded that he's far less well known than many of his potential rivals.

Earlier this month, he established a presidential campaign committee, giving him an early start on fundraising. He raised more than $6 million for his 2002 re-election bid, but that is just a
fraction of the estimated $20 million political experts say presidential candidates will need to have in hand by June 2007.

The election will be the first in 80 years in which neither a sitting president nor vice president is in the early mix of candidates of either party.

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