Capitol View: May 19, 2010 Archive

Kelliher responds to MPR poll results

Posted at 8:40 AM on May 19, 2010 by Tom Scheck (5 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor

MPR News and the U of M's Humphrey School released a poll that focused on the 2010 race for governor and approval ratings for several statewide office holders. On the DFL side, former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton leaders MN House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher and former legislator Matt Entenza in the race to win the August primary. Dayton also has a slight edge over GOP endorsed Tom Emmer in head to head match-ups. Emmer leads Kelliher and Entenza in those head to heads.

You can read the story on the poll here.

Meanwhile, Kelliher released a statement on the poll results that calls out Dayton and Entenza's personal wealth:

"While I have been at the Capitol standing up to Tim Pawlenty and radical Republicans like Tom Emmer, my opponents have been spending their own personal fortunes to get a head start in this race.

"But I know that's not how you earn the support, or the votes of Minnesotans. Paul Wellstone taught me at a young age how to organize Minnesotans around a cause, and inspire communities to achieve something better.

"That's why I am building a people powered campaign for governor. We're going to win this election door-by-door, voter-by-voter. Together with Minnesotans, we are going to win. Because this campaign is about more than one person, it's about one Minnesota.

"That's what I'm fighting for. That's how we will close the chapter on Tim Pawlenty, and build a better Minnesota."

Update: Dayton also talked about the poll results with MPR's Morning Edition.

Update: Matt Entenza's campaign sent out a statement from his campaign manager. We aren't posting it because we want our readers/listeners to know what the candidate is saying not their campaign staff. A spokeswoman for the Entenza campaign said Entenza "doesn't comment on polls."

Comment on this post

PoliGraph: An accurate claim on taxes by Dayton

Posted at 11:30 AM on May 19, 2010 by Catharine Richert (9 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor, PoliGraph

"Tax the rich" is the mantra of Mark Dayton's campaign.

The former U.S. Senator promises to increase taxes on the wealthiest Minnesotans if elected governor. To sell his plan, Dayton needs to convince voters that the richest aren't paying enough.

Here's a claim from his Web site:

"Minnesota's wealthiest citizens pay only two-thirds of their fair share of state and local taxes."

Dayton's claim is more or less correct; in terms of percentage of income, the richest Minnesotans pay less in taxes than most.

The Evidence

Dayton's campaign pointed to a 2009 study by the Minnesota Department of Revenue on how much residents pay in state and local taxes.

According to the report's 2011 projections, the top 1 percent of earners in the state - those making more than $480,000 a year - give between 7.7 and 8.8 percent of their income to the state. That's compared to an average 12.5 percent paid by the bottom 90 percent of households, or those making less than $136,954 annually.

After that, the math is simple: divide the average percent of income paid by the wealthiest by the average paid by everyone else, and it's exactly two-thirds.

The Dayton campaign compares the top 1 percent with the bottom 90 percent, which leaves out a swath of taxpayers, said Paul Wilson, Director of Tax Research for the revenue department.

Comparing the top 10 percent - those making more than $136,955 -- with the bottom 90 percent would show that the wealthiest pay an average of three-fourths of what most pay.

Brian Klaas, Dayton's policy director, said that their comparison aims to show how the very richest fare under Minnesota's tax structure. Indeed, social scientists say that such a comparison is commonly used to measure income inequality.

The Verdict

Wilson agrees with Dayton's overall analysis.

"Wealthiest is in the eye of the beholder," he said. "The basic message of the statement is correct."

As a result, Dayton's passes his first PoliGraph test.

Sources:

Markdayton.org, Taxes, accessed May 12, 2010

The Minnesota Department of Revenue, 2009 Minnesota Tax Incidence Study, accessed May 12, 2010

MPR News, Fee - 'it's not a tax' - could hit smokers, by Laura McCallum, May 20, 2005

Phone interview with Paul Wilson, Director of Tax Research, Minnesota Department of Revenue, May 11, 2010

E-mail interview with Gregory Joseph, Communications Direct for Mark Dayton for a Better Minnesota, April 29, 2010

Phone interview with Brian Klaas, Policy Director for Mark Dayton for a Better Minnesota, May 10, 2010

Phone interview with Tim Taylor, Managing Editor of the Journal of Economic Perspectives, May 13, 2010

Phone interview with Lane Kenworthy, Professor of Sociology and Political Science at the University of Arizona, May 13, 2010

More

About PoliGraph

The Humphrey Institute

Comment on this post

Otremba to leave Minnesota House

Posted at 3:03 PM on May 19, 2010 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2010, MN Legislature

DFL Rep. Mary Ellen Otremba has always been a quiet member of the Minnesota House. She rarely spoke on the House floor and appeared shy around reporters. So it's no surprise that she decided to announce her retirement through a press release than in a retirement speech on the last night of session. Today, Otremba released a statement saying she's retiring:

"It has been an incredible privilege to serve the citizens of District 11B in the Minnesota House of Representatives. There is no greater honor in a democracy than to be selected by one's fellow citizens to represent them in the halls of government. I will always be grateful for the years I've had to serve in our beautiful Capitol, working to enhance the quality of life for all Minnesotans."

"Public service has been a part of my life, even before I came to the Legislature. In fact, it was my dad who brought me to my first precinct caucus. Since that day, I've never stopped working to shine a light on the wonderful things than make Greater Minnesotas quality of life so special. I will continue to advocate for the issues that matter most to rural Minnesotans - agriculture, the environment and conservation, health care, quality education and a firm commitment to protecting life from conception until natural death.

"Now I'm looking forward to spending more time with my family, especially with my two grandbabies. I'm also looking forward to having more time with all of the friends Ive made over the years who continue to be such a big part of my life. And I might even do a little sewing, too."

"I cannot say 'Thank You' often enough to the voters of Todd and Douglas for giving me and my beloved husband Ken the opportunity to be their voice in the Minnesota House. It has been a blessing and a gift."

Otremba was first elected to the Minnesota House in 1997. She won a special election after the death of her husband, Representative Ken Otremba. House DFLers say her win was the first special election victory by a DFLer in Minnesota history.

Republicans have long targeted Otremba suggesting that she was vulnerable in past election cycles but voters kept sending her back to St. Paul. It could be a prime pickup for the GOP since John McCain and Norm Coleman won the district handily.

Otremba is the 22nd member of the Legislature to retire. There are 14 House retirements and 8 retirements in the Minnesota Senate.

Here's the full list

Senate retirements:
Tarryl Clark, DFL-St. Cloud
Mee Moua, DFL-St.Paul
Debbie Johnson, R-Ham Lake
Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing
Steve Dille, R-Dassel
Pat Pariseau, R-Farmington
Jim Vickerman, DFL-Tracy
Dennis Frederickson, R-New Ulm

House retirements:
Karla Bigham, DFL-Cottage Grove
Laura Brod, R-New Prague
Randy Demmer, R-Hayfield
Rob Eastland, R-Isanti
Tom Emmer, R-Delano
Larry Haws, DFL-St. Cloud
Jeremy Kalin, DFL-North Branch
Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis
Paul Kohls, R-Victoria
Doug Magnus, R-Slayton
Mary Ellen Otremba, DFL-Long Prairie
Marty Seifert, R-Marshall
Dan Severson, R-Sauk Rapids
Cy Thao, DFL-St. Paul

Comment on this post

Emmer discusses poll, campaign ahead

Posted at 8:27 PM on May 19, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor

Tom Emmer, the GOP endorsed candidate for governor, talked with MPR's Tom Crann about MPR's poll on the governor's race and the campaign ahead: Listen