DFL running scared?

By David Faith, sd44gop.com

Over the last three days, I've received no fewer than three expensive glossy mailers paid for by the DFL attacking David Gaither. These mailers are the worst sort of political trash. They feature an unflattering screenshot of David apparently laughing and juxtapose it with a series of slanders, including (I'm not making this up) that he wants old people to starve. They are premised on the sad, tired DFL argument that only the central government can accomplish anything and that if, like Gaither, you believe government should live within its means then you must not care about the needy. They are premised on belief that only central government can help people, and that local governments, communities and private organizations don't exist. They are premised on the belief that rather than empowering people to help themselves we should treat Minnesotans as helpless sheep, powerless without the DFL shepherd.

Yet in a way, I was actually glad to receive these mailers because they told me something very important. David Gaither has the DFL running scared. There are a lot of tight races in Minnesota and the DFL would not be spending massively in Senate District 44 unless they thought there was a very good chance that David Gaither can defeat DFL incumbent Terri Bonoff. Gaither could be the key vote to defeating Gov. Mark Dayton's plan to make Minnesota the highest-taxed state in the nation, and the DFL is willing to to dig deep into their coffers to keep him out of the Senate. I think you measure a man by his enemies. David Gaither has made an enemy of the DFL money machine. That should tell you everything you need to know about his candidacy.

Let's get out there and elect David Gaither to the State Senate!

David Faith is Vice Chair at Large of the SD44 Republicans. This article originally appeared on sd44gop.com.

Fact checking Terri Bonoff

By Janet Schutz

Fact checking has been in the news quite a bit lately. I decided to do some of my own fact checking on the SD 44 Senate race. I served for two terms on the Wayzata School Board, so I do have a bit of an inside view to see through a big hole in one of Terri Bonoff’s claims.

DFL Senator Bonoff boasts that a bill she co-authored “allowed the Wayzata School District to expand without raising taxes.” That sounds really good. Too bad the statement doesn’t quite meet the fact-checking standard.

This bill provides early eligibility to the Wayzata School District for Alternative Facilities financing (Statute 123B.59). Wayzata can now issue debt for certain maintenance projects and charge the taxpayer for those debt payments without first getting taxpayer approval. With multiple buildings that need to be maintained, the bill is a good thing for the school district. Alt Facilities monies, however, cannot be used to expand.

Wayzata Schools is in fact expanding its elementary space. But they’re doing it via capital lease levy financing (Statute 126C.4), and would have done it regardless of the outcome of the law to which Terri refers. It’s also true that they are able to build without raising current levels of taxes. That’s because as old debt rolls off, they are replacing it with new capital levy obligations. It is a debt structure carefully designed to minimize taxpayer impact. This is due to years of prudent management on the part of Wayzata Schools’ administration and school boards.

I take pride in the history, success and AAA bond rating of the Wayzata School district. I am disappointed that Terri Bonoff has chosen to use the Wayzata School District’s accomplishments as a tool for her own political gain. I expect more from our elected officials.

This post originally ran on the Plymouth Patch as a letter to the editor on October 23, 2012.

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)

Terri Bonoff: Lifelong Democrat

INFOGRAPHIC: Terri Bonoff is one of Obama's top Minnesota fundraisers

Terri Bonoff is no "moderate"

Written by David Faith, SD44gop.org

The citizens of Senate District 44 are represented by two very different Senators. The first is the Senator voters see during the campaign season, a consummate politician that portrays herself as pragmatic and moderate. The second is the Senator that goes to Saint Paul and reliably supports the tax, spend, and regulatory agenda of the DFL. Both are named Terri Bonoff.

Terri Bonoff is not a moderate. She is a liberal activist and leading Obama fundraiser that supports higher taxes, more government, and less individual freedom. We know this by looking at her voting record, and the bills she sponsored in the state Senate. It is easy to call yourself moderate. It costs nothing, and it is good politics in a swing district where moderate voters decide elections. But words are cheap unless followed up with action. When it came to action, when it came to casting her ballot to support real legislation, Senator Bonoff has sided again and again with big government and against Minnesota taxpayers.

Let’s examine just a few concrete examples of the Bonoff record.

On raising taxes – Bonoff has repeatedly voted to raise taxes on the people of Minnesota, including measures to raise gas taxes and sales taxes at a time when many Minnesotans are already paying too much for basic goods. In the last two sessions Bonoff authored two tax bills that are especially telling:

1. A bill making it harder to get rid of “temporary” tax increases passed to fund capital improvements. The bill works by allowing taxing districts to propose a new capital project as soon as an old project, which originally justified the tax increase, expires, and put it on the ballot as a “renewal” while representing to the voters that it is not a tax increase since it is the same as the previous (supposedly temporary) levy. This avoids having to propose a new referendum asking voters for a tax increase to support each new project.

2. A bill calling for a “Tax Expenditure Advisory Commission.” For those unversed in the Orwellian newspeak of the left, “tax expenditures” is what liberals call tax cuts. Bonoff’s commission, together with its taxpayer-funded professional staff, would review tax cuts and make recommendations each legislative session about which tax cuts ought to be abolished. The bill would also cause various tax cuts to automatically expire if they are not explicitly re-authorized by the legislature every ten years.

These two Bonoff-authored bills make it absolutely clear what her philosophy is on taxes. She thinks that tax increases should be easy and subject to less scrutiny. Tax cuts, by contrast, should be hard, jealousy scrutinized and automatically terminated.

On spending – While calling on citizens to tighten their belts to pay more to the government, Bonoff has steadfastly opposed efforts to reduce the state’s own bloated expenditures. Just in the last two sessions she voted against mild budget reductions for state bureaucracies, against small decreases in the government workforce, and against repealing unaffordable expansions to the state’s already unsustainable Medicare spending. Indeed, she’s authored bills to appropriate more government money to such vital projects as purchasing park land, creating more bike paths, and reimbursing filmmakers for making movies that contribute to “heritage.”

On Voter ID – Bonoff voted against requiring the same degree of security to prevent voter fraud that every state imposes to prevent 20-year-olds from drinking. She voted against even allowing the people of Minnesota to vote on a measure that would require people to show state-issued photo identification at the polls, even if such IDs are provided for free to anyone that can’t afford it.

On education – While Bonoff has shown some willingness to experiment around the margins, such as with alternative teacher licensing, her primary solution to our education challenges has been the same one offered perennially by every Democratic politician. Throw more money into the same 19th century education system and hope for a 21st century result.

Bonoff voted against a measure that would have prevented public Universities from raising tuition more than 3-5% per year. She also opposed any reduction in taxpayer subsidies to the same Universities. Republicans have realized that squeezing the taxpayer for University funding isn’t going to help Minnesota families so long as Universities have no incentive to cut costs. Bonoff has lined up to defend the status quo.

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

JJ Hill Parade, Wazyata

INFOGRAPHIC: Bonoff voted with DFL 85% of the time

Gaither: 'lanes before trains'

David Gaither, GOP-endorsed candidate for state Senate in SD44, had a great radio interview (Late Debate - 07/14/12: Jack and Ben, AM 1130 Twin Cities News Talk) a couple of weeks ago.

Gaither explained his transportation priorities in three words: "Lanes before trains." While the only two-lane stretch of I-494 creates headaches every day in SD44, Gaither's opponent, Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka) has been a prominent proponent of the Southwest Corridor light rail boondoggle project — which won't haul the commercial cargo or groceries that I-494 does. While Bonoff touts the southwest suburbs' desire to benefit from a taxpayer-funded labor train, Gaither favors measures that would improve the business climate for all Minnesota businesses.

Interestingly, Gaither asserted that he is "not running against Bonoff." Instead, he said that is running for better ideas for SD44 and the state of Minnesota. Accordingly, Gaither believes that the GOP must retain its majority in the Senate to block Gov. Mark Dayton's agenda in favor of its own. Gaither said that Bonoff voted with the DFL caucus 85% of the time during her tenure in the Senate.

Yet Gaither said that he is prepared to work with his DFL colleagues in the Senate and with Gov. Dayton. He did just that during his tenure in the Senate (2002-2005). "I don't care who gets the credit," said Gaither, "I care about getting things done."

SD44 campaigns heat up

David Gaither, Hamel Rodeo Parade, July 8, 2012.

The campaigns in SD44 are in full swing and hotter than a firecracker on Independence Day. The candidates are door knocking, walking parades, and meeting and greeting at summer festivals in the district.

Businessman Mark Stefan, who is challenging current Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka), had supporters in campaign shirts at both the June 30 Music in Plymouth 5K run and the 40th annual music and fireworks event on July 4. Stefan, who worked on the campaign of state Senate candidate Norann Dillon, has traded places: now Dillon is managing his campaign.

David Gaither, who is challenging current Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka), had the most popular giveaway item of that sweltering evening at Music in Plymouth: handheld fans. The entire stock of several hundred were distributed in the first hour. Sen. Bonoff had a booth near one of the park entrances, handing out balloons and greeting constituents.

Voter ID advocates from ProtectMyVote.com were on hand to raise awareness and answer questions about the photo ID amendment to the Minnesota Constitution, which will be on the ballot in November.

Hard-working U.S. Senate candidate Kurt Bills walked the Hamel Rodeo Parade on a sunny and hot July 8 not once, but twice: once before the parade started, then in the parade itself. The Minnesota state legislator and economics teacher will challenge current Sen. Amy Klobuchar with a simple but powerful message of "Economics 101." Kurt and his supporters are Tweeting with the hashtag #noklo2012. Rep. Erik Paulsen's (MN-3) typically large volunteer contingent also braved the hot sun to walk the parade with his orange campaign signs. Gaither walked the parade with his wife Susan, as his volunteers handed out frozen ice pops to the crowd.

Bonoff and Gaither to woo swing voters

Tuesday's town hall meeting at Plymouth City Hall hosted by Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka) was a Legislative session recap event for constituents, not a re-election campaign event. Still, a few likely campaign themes emerged during the senator's amicable 90-minute conversation with twenty or so of her constituents.

Senator Bonoff has been building her brand as a non-partisan, "moderate" legislator. Some Republican candidates in this area have done the same. Bonoff touts a bipartisan style at the Capitol. She even included a photo of herself with the popular retiring Sen. Gen Olson (R-Minnetrista) on the 2012 Legislative Report flyer that was distributed at the meeting. Her last campaign signs omitted the DFL label, and some of her constituents are still surprised to learn that she's a DFLer.

With victories in a special election and two general elections so far, she must be doing something right. But are Bonoff's Plymouth and Minnetonka constituents getting what they voted for?

Despite the nonpartisan branding, Bonoff was elected Assistant Minority Leader by the Senate DFL caucus. She is responsible for ensuring that Senate DFLers vote in concert to advance the DFL party's and Governor Mark Dayton's agendas (read: Vikings stadium). It is by definition a partisan role.

After voter ID legislation carried by former Minnesota Secretary of State and current Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake) was passed, then vetoed by Gov. Dayton, the Legislature sent a voter ID amendment to the Minnesota Constitution directly to the voters. With her DFL partisans in the Minnesota Senate, House, and Gov. Dayton, Sen. Bonoff opposes the ballot question, in spite of polls that show 80% of Minnesotans have consistently supported the idea since 2006.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, "Bundlers are people with friends in high places who, after bumping against personal contribution limits, turn to those friends, associates, and, well, anyone who's willing to give, and deliver the checks to the candidate in one big 'bundle.'" The center's web site lists over 500 bundlers for President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign, only five of whom are from Minnesota. Terri Bonoff is one of them.

Republicans who hope to unseat Bonoff with their endorsed candidate, Sen. Bonoff's SD43 predecessor David Gaither, will not impress swing voters in this district by attacking the incumbent with overheated direct mail attack pieces. On the flip side, Occupy-style rhetoric will also suffer a cool response from the folks who eschew At Issue and Almanac: At the Capitol for brunch at The Original Pancake House or a burger at The Muni. Voters in this west metro district, where the women are strong and the school districts are all above average, will respond to the candidate who clearly presents the better plan to solve local problems and improve the statewide economy.

As I greeted Plymouth City Council member Tim Bildsoe after the Bonoff meeting, he said, "I guess this is the start of the season for you." So it is. Grad parties and weddings will soon make way for door knocking, campaign lit dropping, parade walking, sign pounding, candidate debates, and shifts at the get-out-the-vote phone bank. And blogging. See you on the trail.

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.

Pssst...Terri Bonoff is a Democrat

It's pretty difficult to tell from Terri Bonoff's campaign web site this year, but the incumbent SD43 senator is DFL endorsed. In fact, Bonoff's campaign generally avoids partisan labels at all, Republican or Democrat.

With the unpopularity of unsustainable Democrat spending and job-killing tax-the-rich philosophy, it's no wonder that Bonoff and many DFLers are de-emphasizing party labels this election season. With unprecedented stimulus spending (and resulting national debt) from President Obama and Congressional Democrats, the Obamacare bill that few have read and fewer understand, the spectre of the Bush tax cuts expiring on January 1, and the jobless "recovery," it isn't easy being blue, to paraphrase Kermit the Frog.

So what's wrong with eschewing party labels and focusing instead on the issues? Thomas Jefferson alternately favored and disfavored political parties:

I believe their existence to be salutary inasmuch as they act as Censors on each other, and keep the principles & practices of each constantly at the bar of public opinion. It is only when they give to party principles a predominance over the love of country, when they degenerate into personal antipathies, and affect the intercourse of society and friendship, or the justice due to honest opinion, that they become vicious and baneful to the general happiness and good. We have seen such days. May we hope never to see such again!

The Minnesota legislature was nonpartisan — candidates ran and served without party designation — from 1913 until 1973. Legislators caucused in "liberal" or "conservative" groups, but were free to vote their own or constituents' views, without influence from political parties.

Yet political parties are what we have today, and as much as Bonoff may be portraying herself in this election as neither fish nor fowl, her voting record shows her voting nearly 9 out of 10 times with her DFL caucus. Parties exist to elect candidates who can work together to advance an agenda, articulated in the party platform, which is a statement of positions on the major issues of the day. The Democrats traditionally try to solve society's problems with more and larger government, whether the issue is education, transportation, the economy, energy, the environment — or even the arts.

Norann Dillon is the Republican-endorsed candidate in the SD43 race. As a Republican, her fellow Republicans in the Plymouth-Minnetonka area endorsed her because they believe that she would be their best advocate to advance four Republican principles, which boil down to two words: freedom and prosperity. Likewise for the incumbent HD43A Rep. Sarah Anderson and HD43B challenger Brian Grogan.

When voters in SD43 elected Bonoff their state senator and John Benson as their HD43B state representative, they brought change with them in the votes cast compared with their Republican predecessors. Whether this change to DFL representation was good or bad depends on whom you ask: the Taxpayers League of Minnesota or the labor unions, automobile commuters or light rail riders, tax payers or recipients of government funding.

I believe that the vast majority of people who run for office are doing so to serve their constituents and improve our general lot, we just sometimes disagree on the best way to accomplish the job. Because the majority leaders in the legislature and the governor have such an overwhelming influence over the agenda, the rules, on how individual members vote, and on the composition of the unelected bureaucracy, I also believe that in our current partisan legislature, voters must take into account the parties of each candidate, what they stand for, and the interest groups who fund them.

Rescue me

With one week left until Election Day, the political parties, especially the state parties, are assessing the campaigns, taking an accounting of their limited resources, and placing their bets with independent expenditures on close races that may be leaning their way. Voters in SD43, where the incumbent Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka) faces Republican challenger Norann Dillon, received these bullet points in a direct mail piece paid for by the Republican Party of Minnesota:

• Terri Bonoff raised her own pay - Bonoff voted with DFL Senators to raise their per diem pay 45% to $96. Nice work if you can get it!
• Opposed cutting her own office budget
• Supported other wasteful spending - where to start with all of the earmark spending? See this postcard and the Taxpayers League of Minnesota for examples (warning: taxpayer discretion advised!)

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.

Norann Dillon in her own words

The campaign of Republican-endorsed SD43 candidate Norann Dillon (Twitter: @dillon4senate) has created a series of videos in which she shares her major campaign themes directly with the voters: jobs, liberty, and the purpose of government. Her YouTube channel is Dillon4Senate, which also includes a campaign rally address from Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson.

I have also linked my favorite Dillon videos to the YouTube toolbar button at the bottom of the North Star Liberty blog, along with other video that I shot and produced.

Dillon is ready to serve, and lead, in the Minnesota Senate. She would use the passion and conviction of her values to work with Governor Tom Emmer to bring Minnesota back to its Constitutional roots and fiscal responsibility, to reduce spending, lower taxes, and restore our economy.

Election day is only about a month away. Please make a contribution to the Dillon for Senate campaign today.

Photoblog: James J. Hill Parade, Wayzata

SD43 candidate Norann Dillon (Twitter: @Dillon4Senate) and HD43B candidate Brian Grogan (Twitter: @bwgrogan) and their volunteers walked the annual James J. Hill parade on a perfect afternoon this past Sunday in Wayzata.

Dillon to Chamber: government should live within its means

In its Minnesota Business Community 2010 Election Candidate Questionnaire, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce scored SD43 Republican endorsed candidate Norann Dillon 23 points higher than Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka), 92% to 69%. The most telling difference came from this key question: "If elected, what will be your top priority?"

Bonoff: "Implementing a strategic plan that re-engineers the way we deliver all government services, leveraging the power and efficiency that modern technology provides. In addition, I will be a leader in making the strong and strategic reforms needed in our educational system so that each and every Minnesota child has an outstanding and excellent education. Our youngest learners must leave our schools college and post secondary ready to succeed."

Dillon: "My top priority will be to hold state government accountable to its number one responsibility: passing a genuinely balanced budget. The Legislature should decide how to spend your money by the Constitutionality, efficiency and effectiveness of programs and agencies. We need to apply the common sense that Minnesota families and businesses use every day: needs come before wants, you can't spend money you don't have, and plan for the long run. Let's look beyond the next election to create sustainable solutions and return our economy to prosperity."

While education reform is needed, Bonoff's focus on government services belies her overall philosophy that government just needs to be "more efficient" in its current role.

In contrast, Dillon would focus on making government live within its means, just like families and private businesses do every day. For example, Dillon puts forth these ideas on her campaign web site:

long term thinking is required: no tricks, shifts, or borrowing that delay and compound the deficit problem.

the Legislature will lead by example: no per diem or year round housing allowance; reduce the number of committees and their budgets to 2006 levels; merge and/or eliminate the myriad of commissions, boards and councils.

stop the practice of passing omnibus bills; this is where pet projects and special interest items are snuck into legislation, usually to the benefit of a select few at the expense of the rest of us.

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.

Norann Dillon knocks SD43 this Saturday

SD43 challenger Norann Dillon will continue door knocking around SD43 this Saturday, with the assistance of members of the Minnesota Young Republicans. Dillon is such a tireless door-knocker, she must be on her second lap of the district by now.

The YRs are working hard this election cycle across the state, particularly in CD3 where the "Blue to Red" campaign is targeting DFL incumbents, including SD43 Sen. Terri Bonoff. This year's YRs are party animals with a full event calendar, a snappy new web site, and abundant enthusiasm for commonsense and efficient government, lower taxes, and enjoying campaign activity with fellow Republicans.