Trick or treat?

Looking at this direct mailed campaign lit piece, you might think that Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka) has been endorsed by the popular former Congressman Jim Ramstad (R-MN3). Just look at that nice photo of the two shaking hands, under the headline that calls Benson "The Right Choice for Minnetonka and Plymouth." The word "right" is even underlined, in case you didn't get the hint.

At the League of Women Voters candidate forum, Benson said, "I have been endorsed by two very important and highly respected Republican politicians: a former Republican governor and a former long-term U.S. Congressman."

Although a picture is worth a thousand words, nowhere on the lit piece does it actually say that Ramstad, who has retired from partisan battles, has endorsed Rep. Benson. At the forum, Benson did not say which Republican former long-term U.S. Congressman endorsed him. When the campaign of Benson's challenger, Mark Stefan, asked Ramstad for clarification, here is what he replied via e-mail:

To Whom It May Concern:

I want to set the record straight that I have not endorsed State Rep. John Benson.

Sincerely,

Jim Ramstad
Member of Congress
1991-2009

The DFL legislators on this side of town are sure working hard to look like Republicans, at least until the Legislature is actually called into session. I wonder how many voters will fall for this trick-or-treat.

League of Women Voters SD44 forum liveblog

Forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters, Plymouth City Hall, October 4, 2012, 7:00-9:00 pm. Candidates participating:

• SD44 Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka), incumbent
• David Gaither (Republican)
• SD44A Rep. Sarah Anderson (R-Plymouth), incumbent
• Audrey Britton (DFL)
• SD44B Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka), incumbent
• Mark Stefan (Republican)

Mark Stefan could tip the balance in the House

Written by David Faith, SD44gop.org

The Minnesota House of Representatives is up for grabs this election. And the stakes couldn’t be higher. Just last week, DFL Governor Mark Dayton delivered a speech re-confirming three key points: (1) that raising taxes is the “acid test” (his words) of his entire administration, (2) that he is disgusted with attitudes that gave rise to the tea party, and (3) that the only thing standing in his way is the Republican legislature.

Mark Stefan is the GOP-endorsed challenger battling to topple incumbent DFLer and reliable Dayton-man John Benson in House District 44B. Stefan is in many ways the ideal candidate to bring the message of economic liberty. He’s seen the economy from the virtually every perspective, having worked variously as a small businessman, consultant, and employee. He understands how budgets work and decries the accounting tricks, such as transferring funds from education accounts to cover general expenditures, which have characterized DFL governance. His financial stance is simple and concrete: (1) A real balanced budget (no new gimmicks); and (2) a tax and regulatory environment friendly to small business.

Stefan understands that 75% of new jobs come out of small business. He’s seen how government red tape can squash fresh business ideas in their cradle. He’s seen punitive taxes and bureaucracy hurt not only business owners, but also the people they employ. Employees, after all, are the first to suffer when a business simply can’t afford the continued costs of complying with government. Anyone that has met Mark can tell you he’s committed to this race. He’s not a career politician. He’s never run for political office before. He’s in it because he genuinely believes that excessive government is creating a barrier for his children and yours and making it harder for the next generation to achieve their dreams.

Many, indeed, most House races this year will not be close. Most districts are solidly in the bag for one party or another. That means that Republicans’ ability to maintain control in the legislature and provide a counter-balance to Mark Dayton will come down to an astonishingly small number of key races in swing districts. 44B is one of those districts. Depending on which index you look at, 44B is somewhere between DFL +3 and dead even, which means it is within the margin of error under even the most pessimistic assumptions. Republicans can win here, and they’ve won here before. Mark Stefan can win this race, but he needs support. If you’re in 44B, or if you’re in a district that will not be close, one of the best things you can do this election to advance economic liberty is to support Mark Stefan in any way you can.

David Faith is Vice Chair At Large of the SD44 Republicans. This post is cross-posted from SD44gop.org.

Dillon would be new sheriff in town

Norann Dillon is running for the Republican endorsement for State Senate in SD44 (relatively unchanged from its SD43 boundaries prior to this year's redistricting court ruling).

"My priorities are to pass a truly balanced budget without borrowing, shifts or other accounting gimmicks," said Dillon in an e-mail to SD44 delegates. "We also need to reduce the tax and regulatory burdens on employers. Together, these changes will signal certainty to the marketplace and should restore the confidence needed for investment and expansion.

"Additionally," added Dillon, "let's simplify the funding and mandates on local school boards to return more control to the people best placed to judge the values and needs of the children in their communities."

The eventual Republican candidate for Senate will face Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka).

The SD44 BPOU will have to get past some contentious intramural battles if it hopes to turn its full attention and energy to defeating Bonoff and Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka), who represents the southern "B side" of the district. A campaign lit miscue by Dillon in 2010 involving former Governor Al Quie and the resignation in 2011 of Brian Grogan as BPOU chair left party regulars split and newcomers bewildered.

SD44 convenes its 2012 BPOU convention at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 24 at Wayzata High School in Plymouth.

Ersatz Republicans

After years of governing from the left, SD43 Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka) and HD43B Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka), like many of their DFL colleagues, are campaigning toward the middle. Bonoff has gained endorsements from business groups (which are becoming increasingly anti-free market), at least one of her parade appearances featured a costumed actor as the Statue of Liberty, and Republican door-knockers have heard from some SD43 voters who think that Bonoff is the Republican endorsee. Benson is endorsed by former Republican governor (and current RINO) Arne Carlson.

Yet their voting records, very closely following DFL leadership Sen. Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller (DFL-Minneapolis), House Majority Leader Margaret Anderson Kelliher (DFL-Minneapolis), and even Congressional Democrats and President Barack Obama, belie these canny yet misleading efforts at partisan makeovers for the 2010 elections. Voters in other districts should also evaluate their DFL incumbents' claims against their voting records now for an informed vote on November 2.

For example, if Benson is on-board with Tom Emmer's emphasis on jobs as he claims in his latest campaign literature piece, then why is he authoring the Minnesota Health Plan bill, which eliminates 1100 health insurance jobs in Minnetonka and Plymouth? If Benson is all about jobs, why hasn't he addressed the onerous regulatory environment in Minnesota for the last four years he has been in office? This effort alone would have kept thousands of jobs in Minnesota. If Benson is for jobs, why does he vote for a fourth income tax tier on families earning $150,000 or more, which hurts small business owners? If he is about jobs, why does he support billions in tax increases on businesses and high income families?

If Bonoff is such a fiscal watchdog, why does she favor an expansion of the sales tax so that state government can spend even more of Minnesotans' money? If she is such a "moderate" Democrat, why has she voted with the liberal DFL caucus almost 9 out of 10 times, and consistently scores among the lowest on scorecards from the Taxpayers League of Minnesota and Minnesota Majority?

The DFL has finally recognized that Minnesotans are tired of the runaway spending and insatiable taxation that has forced businesses and jobs out of The Gopher State. To save their seats, these DFL incumbents may have had deathbed conversions on taxes and spending, but I wouldn't count on it lasting much longer than the day after Election Day, regardless of the outcome.

The wrong kind of change came to SD43

In 2006-2007, a change in representation came to SD43. More than a change in name only, SD43 Sen. Terri Bonoff and HD43B Rep. John Benson radically changed how SD43 was represented on tax issues, according to data reported by the Taxpayers League of Minnesota. (The data for Benson is not missing in 2008, his score was zero in that year!) The question for voters in 2010 is: did constituent views really change that much, or has there been a disconnect between Bonoff and Benson and their Plymouth and Minnetonka districts?

In contrast, HD43A Rep. Sarah Anderson's tax votes have shown continuity with her predecessor, current Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson. Have her constituents' views been represented in her votes on tax legislation?

To put these years in context, in 2006 there was a growing discontent with Republicans, which apparently helped the DFL to win two of SD43's three open seats from the Republicans. 2008 was the Democrats' year with the election of Barack Obama. Since then, Obama's approval ratings have steadily declined, while the TEA Party movement has grown on the principles of limited government, lower taxes, and free markets. Rep. Benson won re-election in 2008, but Sen. Bonoff has not faced the voters since 2006.

People vote (or don't vote) for a wide variety of reasons, but in 2010, as James Carville famously said, it's "the economy, stupid." This fall, with Minnesota's unemployment rate the second highest in the five-state area and Minnesota businesses relocating to more business-friendly states, SD43 voters should be asking Bonoff some tough questions about votes like these:

• 2010: Bonoff voted to increase the state debt by $1 billion
• 2010: Bonoff voted to approve $34 in additional debt for the Metropolitan Council
• 2009: Bonoff voted in favor of a $330 million Senate bonding bill that was $130 million more than the House version, in a year when the state faced a $6 billion budget deficit
• 2009: Bonoff voted in favor of the $4.3 billion transportation bill that included funding for various light rail and commuter rail projects, continuing the trend for rail funding over highways and road maintenance
• 2009: Bonoff voted to override the Governor’s veto of a $1 billion tax increase, which included a new fourth tier income tax (the override failed)
• 2008: Bonoff voted for a $6.6 billion tax increase that raised the gas tax, sales tax and vehicle registration tax, and created a new level of government in the Metro area to spend millions on transit boondoggles including the Central Corridor light rail line
• 2008: Bonoff voted for a $1 billion pork-laden bonding bill that contained no funding for roads and bridges
• 2007: Bonoff voted for the transportation bill, which raised taxes by billions of dollars, including a 50% increase in the gas tax, a wheelage tax, new sales taxes and higher license tab fees
• 2007: Bonoff voted to pass the tax bill, which included tax increases, increased welfare to local units of government (LGA) and mandated automatic spending increases
• 2006: Bonoff voted to raise taxes for stadiums, the arts, and the environment
• 2006: Bonoff voted to have Minnesota taxpayers bail out the Minneapolis Teachers Retirement Fund to the tune of $1 billion

Voting to increase taxes and accelerate runaway spending will not lead to increased employment and economic recovery (it hasn't yet); in fact, it won't even lead to increased tax revenue. Sen. Terri Bonoff's radical departure from past SD43 representation shows that she was the wrong kind of change for this district and wrong for Minnesota, especially in this economy.

SD43 endorses two first-timers

At its well-attended BPOU convention on February 27, west metro district SD43 endorsed two first-time candidates to challenge the district's two DFL incumbents.

Norann Dillon ran unopposed and was endorsed by acclamation for the state Senate seat. SD43 activist and soccer mom of four, Dillon is already familiar to SD43 delegates because she was seemingly everywhere this winter campaigning for the endorsement: meet-and-greets, Facebook, on the web, on the phone, at the precinct caucuses, and in a few direct mailings. She has little name recognition outside the party, however, and has only lived in the district a short time. She will need maximum face time with district voters and some major money to oust DFL incumbent Sen. Terri Bonoff.

Kathy Dettman is another newcomer to campaigning, but a familiar face at the House Republican Caucus. Dettman served on the popular former Excelsior Rep. Barb Sykora's staff, so she has an intimate understanding of how things work at the Legislature. With no web site and no official social networking presence, she has some catching up to do, even to get to where Dillon is today. Dettman won the HD43B endorsement on the first ballot against Brian Grogan, who has been preparing for a rematch against incumbent DFL Rep. John Benson almost since the day after Election Day 2008. (Disclosure: I worked on Grogan's campaign, published his occasional blog posts, and delivered a nomination speech for him at the convention.)

Dettman made a rather aggressive electability argument for her candidacy, saying that Republicans never should have lost the 43B seat (when Rep. Ron Abrams was appointed to a district court judgeship by Gov. Tim Pawlenty). Dettman said that the reason the Republicans lost to Rep. Benson twice was that they ran the wrong candidates. I am sure that the SD43 DFL would agree, but this made candidates Dave Johnson, Brian Grogan, and their supporters feel a bit slighted. Should, God forbid, Rep. Benson win a third term, I would encourage the next endorsement candidate to eschew this ungracious assertion. To their credit, our BPOU's "losing" candidates are still working hard for the party. The current crop of candidates, including Dettman, could benefit from their support, goodwill, and experience.

Conservative Republican and HD43A "favorite daughter" Rep. Sarah Anderson also ran unopposed and was endorsed by acclamation. In her second term, Anderson's committee assignments are to Taxes, Commerce and Labor, Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division, and Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division. Anderson defeated her DFL challenger Clint Faust by nearly 9 points in 2008. This cycle, Anderson will meet DFL challenger and Minnesota Valley Transit Authority public relations director Audrey Britton.

Notes from the convention floor: Third Congressional District Rep. Erik Paulsen returned from Washington to pledge his help to send more west metro Republicans to Saint Paul. Gubernatorial endorsement candidate Marty Seifert's supporters were out in force on his behalf. Seifert's rival Tom Emmer's campaign circulated a slate of delegates who endorse Emmer. Both candidates delivered spirited stump speeches to the convention. State Auditor endorsement candidate Pat Anderson promised a return to run a more active OSA, and to examine the finances of school districts which consume 37% of the state's $31 billion budget. HD43A resident, self-proclaimed "taxpayer watchdog," devoted father, and Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson greeted delegates on his way to another of his sons' sporting events. Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek connected with delegates and thanked supporters with a commanding and reassuring presentation. Judy Johnson, Plymouth City Councilmember and former mayor, and newly-appointed government affairs director for the TwinWest Chamber of Commerce, greeted delegates with her characteristic, upbeat grace. Rep. Paulsen cited Johnson as an example of the "young future" of the Republican party.

Outgoing SD43 chair Greg Merz passed the gavel to his successor, Larry Thompson. Merz stepped in to perform chairman duties after the death of longtime activist Frank Weir in 2008.

Is Congress listening to the people?

By Brian W. Grogan

Is Congress listening to the people? The British didn’t during the 1770s.

Under the Stamp Act (1765) and Townsend Act (1767), the British government attempted to impose taxes on the American colonies. The colonies refused to pay the levies claiming they had no obligation to pay taxes imposed by a government in which they had no representation.

In response to the colonies' position, the King and Parliament, rather than wisely granting representation, choose instead to enact a back room deal which eliminated the taxes but imposed a duty on tea (a hidden tax). By refusing to acknowledge the American people’s fundamental right to representation, the British government encouraged our country’s act of defiance (The Boston Tea Party) and the eventual war of independence that was first started and fought in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Ironically, there are similar feelings occurring today and again it is the citizens of Massachusetts sending the signal to our elected leaders in Washington, D.C. Will our leaders in Washington acknowledge our sentiment or will they act like Britain’s arrogant leaders of 1774?

Recent polls and the election results in Massachusetts clearly show people are upset with the failure of our elected leaders to represent the American people. We sense the elected elite craving power over us rather than serving us.

We are a nation of people who want elected officials of moral character and truthfulness and who will listen and serve the people. We want minimum government interference and the freedom to pursue endeavors that offer personal and financial rewards.

We believe our economic system is the best at rewarding hard work and the opportunity to succeed regardless of background, race, religion and education. We want a government that provides the framework to succeed by putting the strength of our nation with the people not the government.

Many Americans today do not believe our elected leaders stand for these fundamental rights. Thank you, citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, for once again sending a clear message to our elected leaders.

Are you listening, leaders?

Brian Grogan, Minnetonka, Minn., is running for the Minnesota House of Representatives in District 43B.

Bonoff, Benson announce town hall meetings

Sen. Terri Bonoff, (DFL-SD43), and Rep. John Benson, (DFL-HD43B), have announced that they will conduct local town hall meetings tomorrow and next Saturday:

Saturday, January 23rd
10:00-11:30 a.m.
Minnetonka Community Center, City Council Chambers
14600 Minnetonka Blvd.

Saturday, January 30th
10:00-11:30 a.m.
Plymouth City Hall, City Council Chambers
3400 Plymouth Blvd.

SD 43 online

My Senate District BPOU, SD 43 Republicans, has launched its new and improved web site at sd43gop.com. I have had virtually no time to devote to help work on this site, so kudos to the SD 43 web team for a beautiful start.

With this central contact point for SD 43, I hope that the BPOU can build its volunteer base for the 2010 elections and beyond. SD 43 has changed over the past several cycles after the last redistricting, going from Republicans in the Senate and both House Districts to a Republican (Sarah Anderson) in the House 43A seat and DFLers in the Senate seat (Terri Bonoff) and HD 43B seat (John Benson).

Frankly, we no longer have the luxury of running things on cruise control, with the majority of the contact with volunteer activists happening after the precinct caucuses. Our future rests with young voters, who are more likely to be online or mobile rather than sitting at home answering a land line or reading direct mail lit. SD 43 will have to figure out its current demographics and tailor its strategies accordingly.

My friends in SD 45 provide an example worth emulating. They hold periodic informal "Chili and Chat" events, with good food and speakers such as Republican legislators. They raise some money for the BPOU, but more importantly build relationships and enthusiasm to fuel campaign activity during the election cycle.

A warm Minneapolis?

Minnesota needs to elect Republican legislators like Brian Grogan (HD 43B, Minnetonka-Hopkins-Plymouth) who understand that big business is not the enemy, and that Minnesota's tax and regulatory policies need to attract and keep businesses instead of driving them away.

An example of one state's success in this area is Nebraska, which recently attracted Yahoo! to the Cornhusker State:

Today Gov. Dave Heineman and corporate officials announced that Yahoo! has selected Nebraska as the home of two new developments. A 150,000 square ft. Yahoo! Data Center will be located in LaVista. A Yahoo! Customer Care Center will be located in Omaha.

“I am excited to welcome Yahoo! to Nebraska,” Gov. Heineman said. “These two projects present an extraordinary opportunity for Nebraska. It leaves no doubt that Nebraska can successfully compete for technology jobs.”

Yahoo! cited the Nebraska Advantage as a major factor in selecting Nebraska. The Nebraska Advantage was updated in the 2008 legislative session allowing Internet web portal companies to qualify for business incentives. Other factors include the availability of job training assistance, abundant fiber optic providers, low-cost utility rates, and a growing information technology-oriented workforce.

To paraphrase Hubert Humphrey, apparently Nebraska is determined not to become a warm Minnesota. We need to elect legislators who can work with Governor Pawlenty to give businesses a compelling reason to locate and stay in Minnesota.

John Benson fact check

More batches of campaign literature continue to arrive in mailboxes (and go right into the recycling, as my wife says), including this piece from the reelection campaign of House District 43B incumbent Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka). It seeks to reassure voters that Benson is a "bipartisan" leader by leaving out some key facts from several of its claims. DFL legislators statewide are making this claim. Here's the rest of the story:

• CLAIM: "The state budget was balanced without raising taxes."
  
  
• FACT: As reported by Jeff Davis on True North, "The budget fix was nothing more than a band-aid and taxes were raised — significantly. Lest we forget, the override of the governor's transportation bill veto cost us a $6.6 billion tax increase on sales, fuel and vehicle registrations...The final budget deal also included a $125 million tax increase on corporations with foreign operations. This was sold to the public as "closing a corporate loophole," as if corporations were doing something underhanded. In reality, this provision was enacted by the state legislature years ago to avoid driving corporations with foreign operations out of Minnesota.
  
  Senate Minority Leader David Senjem (R - Rochester) cautioned that the fix relied too heavily on tapping the state's “rainy day” reserve fund and not enough on actual spending cuts. Nearly $500 million needed to balance the budget came from the state’s rainy day fund, tapping about 80% of the fund’s reserves. Senjem predicts the result will be a much worse budget problem in 2009."

Another DFL claim that Benson and others have made is the 2008 session's one-year $51 per pupil increase to school districts. This political gimmick is found money that will be characterized as a "cut to school funding" if it is not reappropriated every year.

There are going to be a lot of last-minute claims made in the last 72 hours of this campaign. Fortnately, the Internet makes it easier than ever to check these claims. Please make an informed vote on Tuesday.

Grogan on the air

I returned home from a lit drop in time to get some yard work done (it was a beautiful day for either activity) and hear House District 43B candidate Brian Grogan interviewed on Saturday's Northern Alliance Radio Network show, "The Final Word."

Grogan talked with host King Banaian about reducing the number of mandated coverages in Minnesota on health insurance, which increases premiums; repealing the state moratorium on nuclear power plant construction; making the business tax and regulatory environment more attractive to investment and job creation; the incumbent Rep. John Benson's (DFL-Minnetonka) record as a tax-and-spend liberal and his opposition to school choice and parental choice initiatives.

Click the button to hear a replay of the show, courtesy of AM 1280 The Patriot. The Grogan interview begins about 1/3 of the way into the 46-minute segment.

Gorgan would live within our means; Benson, not so much

Brian Grogan, who is challenging Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka) for the seat in House District 43B, recently made a promise "to the citizens of Minnesota to solve the projected 2009 state budget deficit by advocating for reductions in government spending before supporting any tax increases on Minnesota citizens and businesses."

Benson has not signed the Live Within Our Means Commitment, a one-page statement of fiscal restraint. The statement is sponsored by the Minnesota Coalition for Fiscal Responsibility in Government, an informal alliance of organizations established solely for the purpose of administering the Live Within Our Means Commitment process. According to the Live Within Our Means Commitment web site, "Coalition members agree that it would be more responsible for the Minnesota state legislature to seek first to reduce government spending before giving any consideration to increasing taxes for Minnesota families or businesses."

Minnesota is projected to have a $2 billion or greater budget deficit in 2009. Because our state constitution requires a balanced state budget each biennium, the Legislature must cut spending or raise taxes in order to address the budget shortfall.

Over sixty candidates for the House have signed the commitment so far. Visit the Live Within Our Means Commitment web site to see whether the candidates in your area have made this promise of fiscal restraint, and ask them whether they would cut spending before raising taxes.

Benson and Grogan to face-off at TwinWest forum

House candidates in districts 43A and 43B will discuss business-related issues at a forum sponsored by the TwinWest Chamber of Commerce on October 23, from 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm. There will be questions from the chamber and the audience, and opening and closing statements from the candidates.

Invited candidates from HD 43A are incumbent Rep. Sarah Anderson (R-Plymouth) and challenger Clint Faust (DFL). Invited from HD 43B are incumbent Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka) and challenger Brian Grogan (R). Public registration for the event is open until October 21.

Benson: hey, big spender!

Minnesota Majority reported that Minnesota House District 43B Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka) scored a favorable rating of ZERO out of fourteen tax-and-spending votes tracked by the organization. Benson scored an overall favorable rating of 16% across 43 votes in a wide range of issues.

Benson voted to raise taxes, against tax cuts, and against spending restraint on these occasions (search the House Journal yourself by entering the HJ page number here:

• Increased Taxes and Government Spending: HF2268 included tax increases, increased local government aid and mandates automatic spending increases. HJ page 7575.


• Restrict Bonding to Emergency Spending: Amendment to HF886 to reduce a pork-laden $334 million bonding bill to $8 million for emergency spending only. HJ page 2222.


• Eliminate State Income Tax on Social Security Income: Amendment to HF3149 eliminating state income tax of Social Security income. HJ page 11320.


• Tax Increase on Compressed Natural Gas: SF3564 imposes a 37% tax increase on compressed natural gas for transportation. HJ page 10737.


• Omnibus Bonding Bill: Were it not for line-item vetoes, HF 380 would borrow over one billion dollars for mostly "pork barrel" spending projects. HJ page 9689.


• Property Tax Increase: Omnibus tax bill HF3201 raises property taxes for most Minnesota property owners. HJ page 8103.


• Limit Tax Increases on Cabins and Recreational Property: Amendment to HF3201 that would have limited property tax increases on recreational property. HJ page 8072.


• Property Tax Freeze for Seniors: Amendment to HF3201 preventing an increase in the assessed taxable value of homes owned by senior citizens. See HJ page 8099.


• Override Governor's Veto of Gas and Sales Tax Increases: A vote to override the governor's veto of HF2800 which increased taxes by $6.6 billion. HJ page 7889.


• Massive Transportation Tax Increase: HF2800 created one of the single largest tax increases in Minnesota's history by raising gas, excise and sales taxes. HJ page 7883.


• Require Referendum for Sales Tax Hike: Amendment to HF2800 that would require a referendum to raise the sales tax in affected counties. HJ page 7862.


• Arts/Outdoors Sales Tax Increase: A historic $11 billion sales tax increase for the arts and outdoors to be approved by voters via a constitutional amendment. HJ page 7684.


• Reduce Income Taxes in all Brackets: An amendment to HF3149 to reduce state income taxes in all brackets by 1/2%. HJ page 11297.


• Super Majority Required to Raise Taxes: An amendment to the rules of the House requiring a 60% majority to raise taxes. HJ page 586.

This is a long list, but the scorecards from Minnesota Majority and other groups are valuable because they clearly show how each member of the legislature represents his or her district. They are not "cherry picked" votes meant to distort the record; the same votes are tracked for all members. By reviewing these scorecards for the incumbents in your district, you can cast an informed vote on November 4.

Benson and Grogan spar at forum

House District 43B incumbent Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka) and Republican challenger Brian Grogan provided the most confrontational exchanges of Tuesday evening's Wayzata/Plymouth Area League of Women Voters (LWV) forum in the Plymouth City Council chambers. Participating were candidates for seats in House Districts 33A, 33B, 43A, and 43B, and Hennepin County Commissioner District 7. Only thirty minutes or a little less was devoted to each race, so the affair felt a little like a political speed dating session.

Benson used his introductory time to highlight his "friend of education" awards from the Association of Metropolitan School Districts, which lobbies on behalf of Twin Cities school districts, and the Education Minnesota teachers union, the state's largest political lobby.

Benson was president of the Education Minnesota local in Edina and the pre-merger Minnesota Federation of Teachers in the 1990s, and state president of the Minnesota Federation of Teachers from 1987-1995. He taught social studies in the Edina public schools for over thirty years. Benson currently sits on the education policy and education finance committees in the state House, in what must be a very direct route from the union's lips to the Legislature's ear.

Grogan highlighted the state budget deficit, unemployment, and the economy as reasons to reject Benson and vote for Grogan. He questioned the wisdom of bigger government in light of the DFL-controlled Legislature's insatiable appetite for more spending and higher taxes.

The LWV moderator posted questions to each candidate, alternating who answered first. Each candidate only had a minute or so to respond.

Areas of government needing reform: Grogan said that an education system that consumes more and more taxpayer money while delivering poor student performance needs reform, and the welfare system needs further reform to reduce fraud and waste. Benson said that reforms should be made in the areas of teacher recruitment and retention.

Priorities in education policy and funding: Benson said that suburban districts need more state aid to cover higher operating costs. Grogan said that the emphasis needs to be on accountability for the achievement gap between white and ethnic minority students.

Homelessness and affordable housing: Grogan did not respond to this topic, instead challenging Benson's characterization of last session's transportation bill, which passed on an override of Governor Pawlenty's veto, as "bipartisan." He also attacked the new DFL education bill, known as the "Minnesota Miracle II," for dropping the Q Comp alternative compensation program for teachers, which has been successful in the Wayzata school district. Benson responded that he supports Q Comp, but because the governor has not been "helpful" with the bill, Q Comp was dropped to bring him into the negotiations. He said that he expects it to be added back into the final version of the bill.

Transportation: Benson reiterated his claim that the transportation bill was a bipartisan bill because of the six Republicans who voted to override the governor's veto (also known as "The Override Six"). Grogan again challenged the bipartisan nature of the bill, which increased as taxes, license fees, new car taxes, and sales taxes by $6.6 billion. He said that none of the licensing fee increases or sales-and-use tax increases will fund road and bridges, instead they will fund mass transit outside the district.

Aging population: Grogan said that a strong (taxpaying) workforce (implying a friendly business climate) is needed to ensure that the growing Baby Boom generation is properly cared for. Benson said that increased aid to nursing homes will be needed.

Economy: Benson said that government's ability to deal with a downturn is limited. Grogan responded with a laundry list of how businesses in Minnesota are overregulated and overtaxed, and cited several examples of businesses leaving the state or locating new operations out-of-state for more business-friendly states, including Marvin Windows, Northwest Airlines, and Polaris. Benson said that reducing regulation and taxation on businesses is the best way for the state to improve the economy.

Child care for low-income families: Grogan said that in order to better care for low-income families, fraud and waste needs to be eliminated from aid programs. Benson called for increased spending for Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) and all-day kindergarten.

Attendance at the forum was depressed by the coincidental scheduling of the nationally televised second presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain. The forum will be rebroadcast on Comcast channel 12 and LMCC channel 21. Channel 12 also has forum archives for viewing on their web site.

Garden Outdoor Party

On Thursday I attended an after-work gathering of a few dozen self-proclaimed (fiscal/social) conservative and moderate (pro-choice) Republicans in a particularly Republican-friendly precinct in Minnetonka (where Republican campaign signs dot the yards like dandelions). The gathering was held at the home of a landscape company owner, whose residential property is a hilly shade garden showcase. Brian Grogan, candidate for Minnesota House of Representatives in HD 43B, and Erik Paulsen, candidate for Congress in the Minnesota Third District, were on hand to meet, greet, and answer questions.

I asked Paulsen about the recent Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) direct mail and TV attack ads on behalf of Paulsen's opponent, Ashwin Madia, that broadly portray Paulsen as "turning his back" on military veterans on the basis of a few cherry-picked votes in 2003. A DCCC TV ad in the campaign was given a grade of "D" on a recent KSTP-TV "Truth Test."

As the KSTP-TV story by Tom Hauser details, Paulsen explained that the 2003 "golf course" vote cited by the DCCC was on an amendment to a bill, which would have sold a golf course in Blaine "on behalf of the Minnesota amateur sports commission" to fund educational materials for National Guard members. It's not even clear if this sale legally could have been made. The amendment was offered only to make a political point, a common legislative tactic. It was defeated on a bipartisan vote of 35 to 96. So where's the beef?

Paulsen showed this neighborhood gathering a passionate commitment to common-sense, conservative values. The Madia campaign tries to peg him as a "career politician," but I disagree. He just seems to me like the guy who has the legislative experience and dedication to help return Congressional Republicans back to their conservative roots (like Reps. John Kline (MN-2) and Michele Bachmann (MN-6)), and to stay connected to his constituents in the style of his mentor and former boss, the incumbent Rep. Jim Ramstad (MN-3).

Gorgan fielded questions about state issues such as taxes, business regulation, spending, corn-based ethanol, and education, clearly showing him to be well-informed and passionate. He refuted claims of his opponent, the incumbent John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka), that portray Benson as a fiscal moderate, and the DFL leadership style at the Legislature as "bipartisan." Grogan seems to have the energy needed to energize Republican voters in November—and champion conservative values in Saint Paul starting in January. He would be a great addition to the House Republican Caucus.

Incidentially, Grogan has added a large new section to his campaign web site, "Benson's Voting Record." Check it out.

Benson's "Prosperity" record

The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce has a voter information project called The Minnesota Prosperity Project. According to the Chamber, the project's purpose is "to keep all Minnesotans informed and educated on the issues that most affect our state’s jobs and economy. It provides non-partisan information on issues, legislators, candidates and elections. Our voting records represent the most important votes on the issues that impact Minnesota businesses and jobs – they are not intended to endorse or oppose any candidate for office."

How did Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka), House District 43B fare on the Prosperity Project scorecard? In 2007, Benson voted to support the Chamber of Commerce position on only 2 of 12 votes tracked. In 2008, Benson supported the Chamber position on 3 of 15 votes. They include a wide variety of issues including labor/management, education, transportation, energy, health care, fiscal policy, and taxes.

Benson: your voice in Saint Paul?

Legislative scorecards can be a meaningful way to evaluate candidates for office. Find an interest group that tracks votes on issues you care about, and look up how your representative or senator voted.

One of the most important legislative issues, especially in a high-tax state like Minnesota, is taxes. The burden on Minnesota taxpayers increased by historic amounts last legislative session. So I looked to see how my state House member, Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka) fared on the two Taxpayers League of Minnesota scorecards issued during Benson's first term.

The verdict? Benson went from bad in 2007 to worse in 2008.

In 2007, Benson voted as a "friend of the taxpayer" on only three of twelve bills on the Taxpayers League scorecard. He voted the wrong way on the other ten bills, including:

• Benson voted to override Gov. Pawlenty's veto of the 2007 transportation bill, which was overloaded with tax increases.
• Benson voted in favor of the proposed constitutional amendment to increase the sales tax with dedicated funding for arts, entertainment, parks and public broadcasting.
• Benson voted to reverse many welfare reforms and increase welfare spending in Minnesota.
• Benson voted to mandate that 25% of Minnesota’s energy come from unproven renewable resources by 2025, increasing costs to consumers.
• Benson voted in favor of the $334 million bonding bill which included millions of dollars in pork-barrel spending above the Governor’s recommendations.
• Benson voted for billions of dollars in tax increases, including a 50% increase in the gas tax, a wheelage tax, new sales taxes and higher license tab fees.
• Benson opposed a rule that would have required a 60% vote of the House to raise taxes.

Rep. Benson voted as a "friend of the taxpayer" on zero of eleven bills on the 2008 scorecard. Here is how Rep. Benson did nothing to moderate the spending spree with your money:

• Benson voted to place a constitutional amendment before voters this November that would increase the state sales tax and dedicate this revenue to outdoor and "cultural heritage" programs. (You can still stop this tax increase by voting no on November 4.)
• Benson voted in favor of the historic $6.6 billion tax increase contained in the transportation bill, and voted to override Gov. Pawlenty's veto of the bill.
• Benson voted to balance the state budget by withdrawing $500 million from the state’s budget reserve while reducing spending by only $268 million.
• Benson voted to raise the state minimum wage and index it to inflation, which would have made it even more difficult to conduct business in Minnesota — especially for small businesses. (This bill was vetoed by the governor.)
• Benson voted with global warming extremists for a cap-and-trade system that would hurt Minnesota employers and eliminate jobs.

Whom do you think Rep. John Benson has better represented in the moderate Senate District 43? If you're a liberal Democrat, you're probably feeling well-represented. If you're a fiscal moderate-to-conservative, not so much.

Voters in HD 43B should visit candidate Brian Grogan's web site to find out how they can make a change for the better in 2008. Voters in other districts should use the Taxpayers League scorecard to ask some pointed questions of incumbents and challengers alike, and vote for change in November. As Taxpayers League of Minnesota President Phil Krinkie said, "We can't change the legislation that comes out of St. Paul until we change the legislators that we send to St. Paul."