Capitol View: September 21, 2010 Archive

MEDPAC says Horner is just what the doctor ordered.

Posted at 10:52 AM on September 21, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor

The Minnesota Medical Association's Political Action Committee, MEDPAC, has endorsed the Independence Party's Tom Horner for governor. The PAC announced the endorsement this morning in a news release.

The PAC says Horner's support for adopting the MA expansion and his approach to balancing the budget are two of the reasons why the members are supporting him. The group also said Horner's pledge to increase the cigarette tax is also a factor.

"Tom Horner will be an outstanding governor for Minnesota's physicians, patients, and larger medical community," said Dr. Michael Tedford, chair of MEDPAC and an otolaryngologist from Minneapolis. "His deep knowledge of the health care community, as well as his balanced approach to solving the problems facing our state, will serve Minnesotans well as we seek smart, affordable, comprehensive solutions to our health care concerns."

"The issues of access to affordable, quality health care demand a leader who is willing to work with all stakeholders, and with members of all political parties. Horner is that leader," Tedford said.

Dayton releases revised budget plan

Posted at 11:21 AM on September 21, 2010 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor

Democrat Mark Dayton's new budget plan takes aim at "predatory credit card companies" and MnSCU employees who are earning more than the governor.

But the plan is still $1 billion short of erasing the projected budget deficit of $5.8 billion. Dayton's campaign spokeswoman Katie Tinucci says Dayton will continue to look for new revenue or spending cuts to balance the budget. She said the "worst case scenario" is that Dayton wouldn't immediately pay back the entire $1.2 billion payment delay to K12 schools.

Dayton released the updated budget plan today after a revenue department analysis found his earlier plan didn't raise nearly as much money as he had hoped.

The revised plan isn't dramatically different from his first proposal, but it does attach some specific dollar figures to his earlier ideas and contain a few new wrinkles.

The key differences are a tax on credit card companies that charge interest rates that are higher than 15 percent and a 5 percent pay cut for MnSCU employees who earn more than the governor (roughly $120,000 per year).

Dayton says his primary goal is still tax fairness.

"I am the only candidate who will not raise taxes on the middle class. We cannot ask them to pay more," Dayton said.

"My opponents will force them to pay more to stay in their homes and every time they buy clothes for their kids. My plan will emphasize our greatest job creation engine, education, and asks those who are most able to help put Minnesota back on a path to prosperity and keep it a great place to live."

Update:

It should be noted that IP candidate Tom Horner acknowledged to me that his budget plan is roughly $1 billion short on specifics. Republican Tom Emmer has offered a budget framework but has not detailed where the cuts would come from. You can read that story here.

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The GOP and DFL start peeping at Tom (Horner)

Posted at 2:01 PM on September 21, 2010 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor

Tom Horner with the Independence Party has been getting plenty of attention lately. In the past two days, the Republican Party of Minnesota and the DFL Party are starting to take aim at Horner.

On Monday, the Republican Party announced it created a website characterizing Horner as a liberal. Phil Krinkie, with The Taxpayers League of Minnesota (which is backing Republican Tom Emmer), wrote an e-mail to supporters suggesting Horner has little chance of winning.

The DFL Party is also starting taking aim at Horner. On Monday, the DFL Party's Kristin Sosanie sent an e-mail to reporters saying Horner "would rather cut taxes for big business than fund Minnesota's public schools."

Today, Sosanie sent an e-mail calling Horner and Republican candidate Tom Emmer as "The Republican Toms":

The middle class is at the breaking point and simply cannot pay any more. Our public schools cannot afford another four years of misguided Republican policies. Minnesota needs a governor who is fundamentally committed to standing up for the middle class by fighting for regular Minnesotans and supporting education. That's not Tom Emmer or Tom Horner.

A political insider told me last week that the GOP and DFL won't start paying attention to Horner until he started polling above 15 percent. A recent Survey USA poll released last showed Horner polling at 18 percent.

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