Capitol View: July 28, 2010 Archive

Pawlenty backs the rest of the bunch

Posted at 10:12 AM on July 28, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: U.S. House

MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced today that his federal political action committee will back every one of the Republicans running for Congress in Minnesota. Pawlenty has already given the maximum contribution of $2,000 each to GOP Reps. John Kline, Erik Paulsen and Michele Bachmann and 1st District candidate Randy Demmer.

Today, Pawlenty's Freedom First PAC will also contribute $2,000 to the other GOP contenders. The contributions will go to Teresa Collett (4th District), District, Joel Demos (5th District), Lee Byberg (7th District) and Chip Cravaack (8th District).

None of the candidates are seen to mount a significant challenge to the DFL incumbents at this point but the contribution is a signal that Pawlenty is committed to electing Republicans in Minnesota.

He's traveled across the country to help elect candidates on the state and national level. His next trip is to Iowa next week.

Entenza forms leadership team, questions Obama's results

Posted at 3:10 PM on July 28, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor

Democrat Matt Entenza announced a leadership team of 20 different policy makers. The list includes former Transportation Commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg, Ramsey County Attorney (and former gubernatorial hopeful) Susan Gaertner, former Administration Department Commissioner David Fisher, former DFL Senate Majority Leader John Hottinger and former GOP House Speaker Dave Jennings.

"One of the factors that people look into on how they'll vote for a candidate is who are they surrounding themselves with." Entenza said. "And I think particularly after the disappointments that people had with the Obama Administration, they want to know that there's a governor who has the ability to step in and get things done."

Entenza said twice during a 20 minute news conference that people were disappointed with the Obama Administration. When asked why he was referencing President Obama, Entenza said, "There's no question in the public that there is disappointment. That's part of the feedback that I get from folks."

Entenza was then asked if he was disappointed in President Obama.

"I wish more could be done," he said. "There are all sorts of reasons why more can't be done, but once again, I'm not a student of Washington D.C."

When asked what he'd like to see changed, Entenza said he said he wished he could break the logjam in the Senate.

When asked if that was Obama's fault, Entenza said "I'm not saying that at all."

Entenza is running in the DFL Primary against Minnesota House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher and former U.S. Senator Mark Dayton.

PoliGraph: Kelliher job numbers in the ballpark

Posted at 3:47 PM on July 28, 2010 by Catharine Richert (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor, PoliGraph

DFL House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher's gubernatorial campaign is all about jobs.

Part of her plan to boost employment in Minnesota involves two $1 billion bonding bills that she says will result in a specific number of jobs over four years.

"Two $1 billion bonding bills...will have a 50,000 job effect," she told Minnesota Public Radio reporter Tom Scheck during a jobs press conference July 16, 2010.

Kelliher's estimates are reasonable, but deserve some clarification.

The Evidence

Bonding bills are essentially miniature stimulus packages. They're meant to fund state construction projects such as bridge and road repair. Kelliher said her proposed bonding bills would create 50,000 jobs or more during her tenure as governor.

Job creation estimates are fraught with uncertainty; they depend on many variables -- including the types of jobs created and how much those jobs will pay. Economists disagree on how useful government investment is in creating jobs. Nevertheless, Kelliher's analysis is based on sound data. Here's how the numbers break down:

• $700 million will be invested in road, bridge and building construction and in making state buildings more energy efficient, creating or saving about 19,950 jobs. This figure is based on a metric developed by Stephen Fuller, the director of the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University who predicts that $1 billion on non-residential construction supports approximately 28,500 jobs.

• $300 million will be invested in flood mitigation, conservation projects and asset preservation at the state's colleges and universities. Kelliher estimates the investment will create or save about 3,000 jobs. This figure is based on an estimate developed by state economist Tom Stinson who predicts that every $1 million invested in such projects results in 10 jobs.

By the end of her second year in office, the bonding effort could result in more than 45,000 jobs Kelliher spokesman Matt Swenson said.

Generally speaking, Kelliher's numbers pass muster. But both Stinson and Fuller point out that Kelliher should clarify that those jobs will be created or saved. The first bonding bill would create around 22,000 jobs. Some of those jobs likely would be temporary, others would last more than a year depending on the project. So the second bonding bill would maintain some jobs, rather than create new ones.

The Verdict

Kelliher's analysis is based on realistic assumptions, but she failed to point out that she's talking about 50,000 jobs created or saved in this particular claim. However, she presents a more nuanced argument on her website and Facebook page, so the claim is accurate.

Sources

Margaret for Governor, Leave No Stone Unturned: Margaret's Plan to Create Jobs and Get Minnesotans Back to Work, accessed July 28, 2010

Facebook, Margaret for Governor, accessed July 28, 2010

The St. Cloud Times, The Tale of Two Formulas, By Mark Sommerhauser, March 8, 2010

Minnesota AFL-CIO, letter to Rep. Alice Hausman, Feb. 15, 2010

Interview, Matt Swenson, spokesman, Margaret Anderson Kelliher, July 27, 2010

Interview, Stephen Fuller, Director, Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University, July 28, 2010

Interview, Tom Stinson, Minnesota State Economist, July 28, 2010

More

The Humphrey Institute

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Paulsen to hold town hall forum on August 2nd

Posted at 3:20 PM on July 28, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: U.S. House, U.S. House

GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen announced in an e-mail update to supporters that he'll be hosting a town hall meeting at Southview Middle School in Edina on Monday, August 2nd. Paulsen says he'll provide an update on recent legislation in Congress and will share his initiatives.

The event starts at 7pm.

Emmer statement on Arizona immigration ruling

Posted at 8:28 PM on July 28, 2010 by Tom Scheck (6 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor

Republican gubernatorial hopeful Tom Emmer released a statement on a judge's ruling that blocks part of Arizona's new immigration law. Here's the statement from Emmer (via release):

Every state has the constitutional authority, even the obligation to protect it's citizens from any threat to the safety of their person or their property.

The Court in this case ignores the real constitutional question in an attempt to justify the federal government's failure to secure our borders and create a realistic, consistent, easy to understand path to citizenship. We need to encourage immigrants who still desire the freedom and opportunity the United States is supposed to offer to enter this country legally and, further, to become productive and contributing members of the community.

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