Capitol View: February 11, 2010 Archive

State of the State reaction

Posted at 2:48 PM on February 11, 2010 by Mike Mulcahy (1 Comments)
Filed under: MN Legislature, Tim Pawlenty

Reaction is rolling in to Gov. Tim Pawlenty's final State of the State Address. Here are some samples:

DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez:

"Gov. Pawlenty's final State of the State address today was just the latest stop in his public-speaking tour across the country, designed to help him pander to big-business CEOs and further his personal ambitions. But as usual, his record tells a different story than his rhetoric, and today's speech was no exception."

The DFL also provided its own footnoted assessment of Pawlenty's record:

· Minnesota has faced a budget deficit every year but two. [Minnesota Management and Budget, accessed 2/11/10]

· Tim Pawlenty started his first term with a $4 billion deficit and will leave office with a $5 billion deficit. [Minnesota Management and Budget, accessed 2/11/10]

· Property taxes have increased by $3 billion, a 65% increase. [Nonpartisan House Research]

·Fees have doubled, reaching a total of $1.25 billion. [Nonpartisan House Research]

· State and local tax rates have increased for 90% of Minnesotans (those earning less than $130,000), while tax rates for the state's wealthiest (more than $130,000) have decreased. [2009 Tax Incidence Study, Minnesota Department of Revenue, March 2009]

· Unemployment rate has increased [Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, accessed 2/11/10]

· For the first time in decades, job growth in Minnesota fell behind the national average for two consecutive years (2006 and 2007). [Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, accessed 2/11/10]

· The number of uninsured Minnesotans has jumped from 6.1% in the year before he was elected, to 9.1% in 2009. [Minnesota Department of Health, 02/10]

· The cost of insurance premiums for Minnesotans with private insurance has doubled. [Minnesota Department of Health, 11/09]

State GOP chair Tony Sutton:

"Instead of more Democrat tax increases and more Democrat spending, state government must live within its means. Governor Pawlenty's Spending Accountability Amendment is the right approach to keep government spending under control. In addition, his bold and innovative proposals regarding education, health care and public safely deserve our full support."

Eliot Seide, director of AFSCME Council 5.

"Wendell Anderson's legacy was the Minnesota Miracle; Tim Pawlenty's legacy will be the Minnesota Massacre. Under his failed 'no new taxes' leadership, Minnesota is lagging where it used to lead the nation. If your roads aren't plowed, thank Gov. Pawlenty. If your library is locked, thank Gov. Pawlenty. If you're denied health care, thank Gov. Pawlenty. If you can't afford tuition, thank Gov. Pawlenty. If you can't find a job to support your family, thank Gov. Pawlenty."

Comment on this post

It's Potter, not pottery

Posted at 4:36 PM on February 11, 2010 by Tim Pugmire
Filed under: MN Legislature, Tim Pawlenty

City officials in Chatfield are upset with Gov. Tim Pawlenty and his recent mischaracterization of a bonding bill project in their community.

Chatfield wants to renovate two historic buildings to house the Potter Center for the Arts. The $1 billion House bonding bill includes $7 million for the project, compared to $4.7 million in the Senate bill.

During a news conference earlier this week, Pawlenty questioned the size and the priorities of the bonding bills. He criticized House and Senate leaders for excluding a proposed expansion of the sex offender treatment facility at Moose Lake, while including several local cultural projects.

"They have money for a pottery facility in Chatfield," Pawlenty said.

The governor's spokesman Brian McClung offered a correction from the wings, clarifying that the name of the facility is Potter. It still wasn't clear if the governor got it.

"I didn't want you to think it was only pottery," Pawlenty added.

Chatfield City Clerk Joel Young tried to clear up the confusion with a letter to legislators.

"The Potter Center for the Arts was mistakenly referred to as an art and pottery project," Young wrote. "The proposed Potter Center for the Arts is an important project to all Southeast Minnesota and carries with it a multi-faceted purpose, none of which has anything to do with pottery."

Young later explained that the center is named for George Potter, a former school superintendent, who led the effort to build the historic auditorium.

Candidates for governor react to the State of the State

Posted at 4:56 PM on February 11, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor, MN Legislature, Tim Pawlenty

Several of the candidates for governor weighed in on today's State of the State speech. Gov. Pawlenty, who gave his eighth and final State of the State, won't be seeking reelection. There are more than two dozen candidates running to replace him. Here's the statements from some of the candidates. I'll post the other statements if/when they come in....

Democrat Mark Dayton:

"Today, Governor Pawlenty gave his final State of the State address. It was refreshing to see him delivering a speech in Minnesota for a change.

"Governor Pawlenty owes the people of Minnesota an apology for abandoning them during this very difficult time to pursue his far-fetched presidential ambitions. There are over 217,000 Minnesotans without jobs, and he doesn't want the one he has. The difference is that many unemployed Minnesotans are in danger of losing their small unemployment checks, while Governor Pawlenty is assured of his salary for the entire year and a taxpayer-funded mansion to live in, whether he does his job or not.

"I have driven through 32 Minnesota counties during the past 22 days, and the state of our state concerns me, as it concerns the Minnesotans I'm meeting with along the way. In addition to serious unemployment, Governor Pawlenty's financial mismanagement has left a trail of broken promises with school districts, cities, counties, and townships.

"They have managed their financial affairs responsibly; he has not. Yet, they are being forced to pay the price for his fiscal folly. Euphemisms like withholding," "shifts," "unallotment," and forced "borrowing" disguise the harsh facts: the State of Minnesota is broke under Tim Pawlenty's failed leadership, cannot pay its bills on time, and cannot keep its financial promises to local governments. Minnesota's towns and cities depend upon those promises to provide essential services, like police and fire protection, snow plowing, road salting and sanding, which protect the lives of Minnesotans.

"As the state faces yet another budget crisis, with a serious revenue shortfall caused primarily, according to the Governor's own financial experts, by a drop in revenues, he still insists on protecting the wealthiest Minnesotans from paying their fair share of taxes. Meanwhile, Minnesota schoolchildren suffer in overcrowded classrooms, and their older brothers and sisters cannot afford the rising tuitions and other fees at our state colleges and universities. Additionally, over 100,000 Minnesotans have lost their health insurance during the past two years. Minnesota deserves--and desperately needs--a better leader.

"I've promised the people of Minnesota strong leadership during this challenging period, and Minnesotans know I keep my promises. I've promised a fair tax system that makes Minnesota's wealthiest pay their share, and I'll use that additional revenue to stimulate job growth, improve our schools, and provide local governments with the support they need to deliver the essential services that keep Minnesotans safe. These are my promises to Minnesota, and if elected Governor, they will not be broken."
###

Democrat Paul Thissen:

I went into the State of the State address hopeful and unfortunately the Governor's address was predictable and I left disappointed.

I agree we must slow the growth of spending by spending smarter. I agree we must create jobs. I agree we must maintain funding levels for education. I agree we must cap the unsustainable rate of property tax increases. But, I don't agree with the governor's path. His proposals to cut are just as predictable as the legislatures reaction to his speech.

Governor Pawlenty's priorities are clear but he consistently misses the point. Health care isn't about insurance, it's about care. We can't create just any job. We need to create good paying jobs; jobs that deliver meaningful income that allow individuals and families to contribute to our economy, not just get by. We can't just keep education funding levels flat, we must invest.

Minnesotans have already felt the pain of Governor Pawlenty's cuts. And he promises more with his budget on Monday. We need a governor that is going to find creative ways to ease the pain to his constituents, not further the burden by eliminating programs and cutting deals with corporations.

Under a Thissen Administration, Minnesotans can expect a progressive tax system, investment in early and higher education and a health care system that delivers on behalf of the patient, not a corporate bottom line.

###

Democrat Matt Entenza:

"With joblessness rising and Minnesota's credit rating in peril, the governor is doing same-old, same-old - not presenting the new ideas we need. "He talked today about facing challenges. We certainly do face them. And we have overcome them in the past - but we've overcome them because we've had leaders with vision.

"Yesterday, we learned that a top credit ratings agency had lowered the outlook for Minnesota 's credit from stable to negative, in large part because our leaders have spent our savings on short-term fixes instead of ensuring our long-term success. Because of the lack of leadership in St. Paul , we are now hamstrung; we're less able to do things that will enable us to grow jobs.

"No vision, no real ideas for how to make Minnesota work again. That sums up the state of the state under our current leadership."

Matt Entenza's campaign for governor of Minnesota is about growing the economy, creating jobs all over Minnesota by focusing on the potential of clean energy, and refocusing on education as the engine of future job creation and economic competitiveness. Entenza was a white-collar crime prosecutor prior to representing St. Paul in the Minnesota legislature for 12 years, including four years during which he also served as House Minority Leader and led the DFL to significant gains. In 2007, Entenza founded Minnesota 2020, a think tank that has been an important voice for progressive policy positions and which he chaired until April 2009. Entenza is a graduate of Worthington High School in Worthington , Minn. , Macalester College in St. Paul , and the University of Minnesota Law School.
###

Bringing new meaning to $1 dog night

Posted at 5:08 PM on February 11, 2010 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: MN Legislature

GOP state Rep. Paul Kohls introduced legislation to sell the Metrodome to the Vikings for $1. Here's the news release:

GIVE IT TO THE TEAM

Representative Paul Kohls introduces a bill to keep the Vikings in Minnesota

St. Paul, MN - Representative Paul Kohls (R-Victoria) introduced a bill today that would sell the Metrodome to the Vikings for $1.

"We currently face a $1.2 billion budget deficit. I don't support using tax dollars to fund a new stadium when so many Minnesotans are struggling," said Kohls. "We just can't afford it, and I've never supported using taxpayer dollars for professional stadiums. We do want the Vikings to stay, and this is one way to try to keep the team here."

The bill requires the team to agree to remain in Minnesota for 20 years before ownership of the stadium is transferred. The bill would also dissolve the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission upon the sale of the dome.

"The stadium has long been paid for," said Kohls. "Let's give it to the Vikings and let them do what they want with it."

-30-

Comment on this post