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.

More than one fresh face elected in SD43

At today's lightly-attended convention held at Wayzata Central Middle School in Plymouth, Senate District 43 Republicans elected a new chair and executive committee that includes both new energy and experience. The day began with an official censure of its 2010 endorsed candidate for state Senate, Norann Dillon, followed about four hours later by its dramatic retraction from the floor.

Brian Grogan, the 2008 and 2010 endorsed candidate for House District 43B, was elected to chair the district. He owns a financial services business, serves on the board of the Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation, and was recently appointed to the Citizens Advisory Council for the Minnehaha Creek Watershed Board.

Grogan will be joined by Treasurer Jeff Kulaszewicz, Secretary Audrey Fresh, two at-large vice chairs, and vice-chairs for House Districts 43A (northern Plymouth) and 43B (southern Plymouth and northern Minnetonka)

David Gaither, one of the newly-elected at-large vice-chairs, was the senator for SD43 from 2003-2005, and served as assistant minority leader. Gaither is currently the executive director of International Education Center, a non-profit that teaches English and provides education and employment assistance to adult international students. Tracey Taylor was also elected an at-large vice-chair.

Long-time Republican activist and community volunteer Lavonne Sjoberg was elected district 43A vice-chair. Former construction contractor and Grogan campaign volunteer Mike Seuss was elected vice-chair for district 43B.

Dillon censured

SD43 chair Larry Thompson read to the convention an executive committee resolution that censured 2010 endorsed state Senate candidate Norann Dillon for representing the endorsement of former governor Al Quie without obtaining the endorsement in writing, per state law.

Neither Dillon nor her supporters disputed not having Quie's endorsement in writing. Quie told Minnesota Public Radio in October 2010 that "a telephone conversation with Dillon this morning resolved the issue," and Dillon posted an apology at that time on her campaign web site.

Dillon, an SD43 delegate, remained at the convention. Close to the end of the convention, a motion was made from the convention floor to retract the censure, debate was conducted, and in the end the motion passed.

After the motion passed, an emotional Dillon addressed the convention, thanking her supporters and stating that her efforts are about stopping what she sees as the state's move toward socialism. She said that she intends to remain active in the district. The convention reacted with a standing ovation for Dillon. Dillon was also one of four elected by the convention to represent SD43 at the State Central Committee of the Republican Party of Minnesota.

Dillon was a passionate, articulate, respectful, upbeat, and tireless conservative candidate in 2010. She is a relative newcomer to the area and to politics who received long odds from some on the day she was endorsed, and came up short three percentage points in a year that the Republicans retook the majority in the state Senate for first time since 1972. A verbal conversation with Quie was apparently mishandled somewhere along the way, for which the candidate has already apologized. Yet what could an official censure have gained for the district?

Guest speakers say thanks, pitch their candidacies

Many guest speakers took the microphone to thank district activists for their work in helping to bring about Republican victories in 2010, and majorities to both houses of the Minnesota Legislature.

Hennepin County Commissioner and favorite son Jeff Johnson and 2010 endorsed GOP candidate for governor Tom Emmer both announced their candidacies for National Committeeman to the Republican National Committee.

HD43A Rep. Sarah Anderson reported on how Republican majorities in the House and Senate began cutting the size of government immediately, "as they were elected to do."

Third District Congressman Erik Paulsen noted "what a difference two years makes," while noting that Democrats are already busy organizing and targeting him with protests.

State Republican Party Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb thanked local activists (including several mentions of Norann Dillon), and along with state party secretary-treasurer David Sturrock, asked for state central committee delegate support for their re-election along with chair Tony Sutton.

Former Plymouth Mayor, current city council member, and SD43 Senate candidate Judy Johnson encouraged Republicans to volunteer locally on city boards and commissions, and as election judges.

The journey to 2012 begins with one step

In spite of the historic 2010 wave that gave Republicans control of both houses of the Minnesota legislature for the first time in two generations (not to mention the U.S. House of Representatives and nearly the U.S. Senate), in SD43, it's close but no cigar. Rep. Sarah Anderson (R-Plymouth) continued the A-side Republicans' unbeaten streak going back to Jeff Johnson in 2002 (the first election after redistricting), while Norann Dillon and Brian Grogan improved the GOP's performance, just not enough to unseat DFL incumbents Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka) and Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka).

Anderson won her third election handily by 15 percentage points, winning 13 of 15 A-side precincts (the Medicine Lake precinct was a tie at 111 votes each). Dillon and Grogan both finished with around 3.5 percent deficits. That was a half-point improvement over Judy Johnson's close 2006 finish against Bonoff, and an over 8 point improvement over Grogan's first run against Benson in 2008. Grogan captured all 4 Plymouth precincts and 4 of 13 Minnetonka precincts. (The 2010 results are unofficial until certified by the canvassing board.)

The good news for Republicans is that the SD43 team now has another election cycle worth of experience, and significant Republican momentum, at the start of the road to 2012. Dillon and Grogan are seasoned campaigners could run or support other candidates in two years. Dillon in particular did an excellent job of using social media like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube in her campaign, and Grogan's opposition voting record research was very thorough. Judging by campaign communications that played down partisan labels and portrayed them as "moderate," and by narrowing election margins, the DFL incumbents have recognized SD43 voters' desire for less spending, lower taxes, and a more favorable business climate.

The wild card for 2012, even more so than the outcome of a gubernatorial recount in Minnesota, will be legislative redistricting. In the first election after redistricting, the entire legislature will be up for election (including the Senate), as well as the U.S. House of Representatives and President. This will present a challenge to the new, post-redistricting BPOUs, or Basic Political Operating Units. After redistricting is complete in February 2012, the new BPOUs must organize, adopt by-laws, elect leadership and delegates, and endorse and elect candidates, all before November.

Activist interest will be high for the presidential election year. People like to get elected delegates at their precinct caucus, but many end up being "inactive activists." The new BPOUs would do well to set a high bar of commitment for delegate and leadership posts, including attendance at conventions, active networking within the precincts, active campaigning for endorsed candidates, volunteer recruiting goals, and lead fundraising.

BPOUs should host monthly informal coffeeshop discussions and special events, to draw supporters who won't attend a formal BPOU committee meeting, and capture their names, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and social networking contacts. SD45 Republicans has been very creative and successful in this regard. As soon as possible, groups of suburban BPOUs should meet to share ideas and plan over the next two years so the new BPOUs can hit the ground running after the redistricted maps are drawn.

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.

Look for the union label

 

Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka) has presumably worked hard to earn the many union endorsements he touts on his campaign web site: AFSCME, AFL-CIO, SEIU, Teamsters, Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (although no part of the Minneapolis Public Schools district is within the suburban district he represents, SD43B!). Benson is a former president of his union local in Edina.

In his latest campaign literature piece, Benson's opponent in this election, Brian Grogan, has documented precisely how hard Benson has worked to earn these endorsements:

• Benson voted to shift $80 million from the classroom to union penson plans (HF3281 - 2010)
• Benson voted against improving high school graduation standards, aligning with the union position (HF2 - 2009)
• Benson voted for union-favored bills that did not establish teacher accountability standards (HF4178-2009 and HF2-2010)

In his retirement speech last year, Bob Chanin, general counsel of the National Education Association, was surprisingly candid in admitting what the first priority of the union is (hint: it's not the children):

...we have power because there are more than 3.2 million people who are willing to pay us hundreds of millions of dollars in dues each year because they believe that we are the unions that can most effectively represent them, the unions that can protect their rights and advance their interests as education employees.

This is not to say that the concern of NEA and its affiliates with closing achievement gaps, reducing dropout rates, improving teacher quality, and the like are unimportant or inappropriate. To the contrary, these are the goals that guide the work we do. But they need not and must not be achieved at the expense of due process, employee rights, and collective bargaining. That simply is too high a price to pay!

Grogan, who serves on the board of the Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation and the Special Education Advisory Council, puts issues such as redesigning the K-12 funding formula for more fairness and transparency, eliminating unfunded mandates including No Child Left Behind, and rewarding teachers for performance at the top of his education policy priorities. When push comes to shove on K-12 education policy and finance, which candidate do you think would be in a stronger position to represent SD43B students and their families?

Hey big DFL spenders

As Minnesota DFLers in close races campaign ever farther toward the right on tax, spending, and jobs issues, it is getting more difficult for voters who don't follow politics year-round (or ever) to sort out the differences between them and their Republican challengers.

Thank goodness for newspaper voter guides, like those in the community-based Sun Newspapers and the Lakeshore Weekly News. These guides take statements from the candidates in their own words. Some of these quotes can be revealing.

For example, Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka) said in the Sun Newspapers voters guide, "Any revenue proposal ought to be based upon the principals [sic] of benefits received and the ability to pay." Or as Karl Marx put it, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."

Benson went on to advocate for a light-rail transit line to the southwest suburbs, which like all light rail transit is expensive to build and operates at a structural loss. "The state should aggressively go after every available federal dollar to fund the Southwest light-rail corridor." Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka) is another outspoken candidate for light-rail transit.

In contrast, Benson's Republican-endorsed challenger, Brian Grogan, is focused on reducing state spending. "A significant portion of the state's budget deficit problem is related to the many programs that have automatic, yearly spending increases regardless of revenues," said Grogan. "This growth is unsustainable."

How a light-rail line to Eden Prairie would benefit SD43 is a little sketchy. In the Sun Newspapers voters guide, Bonoff's Republican-endorsed challenger Norann Dillon emphasized the need to add a third lane on 394 at the bottleneck in SD43, an idea that the Plymouth City Council has also advocated.

Boondoggle infrastructure spending will only increase the drag of taxes and government debt on President Obama's sputtering "summer (and fall?) of recovery." Grogan and other fiscally conservative candidates understand how to ease these burdens from all taxpayers, which is the only way to a true recovery. Increased government spending on top of bailouts and so-called stimulus spending has not and will not get us there from here.

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.

Happy trails

We're in the home stretch to Election Day, and the race is either approaching its most exciting or most exasperating, depending on whether you are a candidate or a voter! Candidates like HD43B challenger Brian Grogan (Twitter: @bwgrogan) are hitting the campaign trail with campaign appearances, marching in parades, door knocking, attending candidate forums, and doing whatever they can to get in front of the voters and earn their support.

Wednesday evening, I had the pleasure of walking a Minnetonka neighborhood with Grogan, some of his campaign volunteers, and Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek, who is running unopposed for re-election. Grogan's support seemed strong in this particular precinct, with many Republican lawn signs evident, especially for Grogan and GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer. We saw relatively few signs for HD43B incumbent John Benson.

To volunteer for your favorite Republican candidates, go to http://www.mngop.com.

Grogan speaks out for jobs, business

HD43B candidate Brian Grogan sat down with podcaster and blogger Walter Hudson for a wide-ranging interview that touched on Minnesota's jobs and business climate, tax and spending policy, and local government accountability.

You can listen to the entire interview here, or on the Podomatic web site.

Plymouth on Parade

On Saturday it was Plymouth's turn to stage its hometown parade. By far the best giveaway of the day was a fresh, mini beef & pork stick from Von Hansen's Meats from (presumably) its nearby Plymouth Boulevard location.

Bologna of a different variety was being dished out by the politicians in the parade. Oh, calm down, I'm only kidding.

Headlining for the Republicans was Congressman Erik Paulsen (R-MN3) (Twitter: @erik_paulsen), followed by the party's SD43 slate: Norann Dillon for Senate (Twitter: @dillon4senate), Sarah Anderson for House 43A, and Brian Grogan for House 43B (Twitter: @bwgrogan). The DFL was represented by SD43 Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka). I did not see the other DFL candidates, but I did not see the entire parade.

Shortly after the Erik Paulsen contingent reached the end of the parade, the group reconvened at Joe Senser's Plymouth location for a volunteer appreciation lunch hosted by Paulsen. I wanted to stay much longer than I did, but domestic duties called. On the way out, I met Kim, a Dillon for Senate volunteer coordinator, and Derek Brigham (Twitter: @derekbrigham), of the Freedom Dogs and True North blogs.

John Benson would eliminate thousands of jobs in Minnesota's private health insurance industry

By Brian Grogan

In Minnesota, the DFL party has been committed to establishing a single-payer health care system in Minnesota for nearly forty years. It began during the 1970s when government leaders in Minnesota began regulating health insurance and established the HMO delivery system. We are now in the final stages of the DFL's incremental approach to government control of health care.

My opponent in State House District 43B, John Benson, is co-authoring the Minnesota Health Plan. The bill (HF135) is the DFL's final step in establishing a government controlled health care program in Minnesota. This bill exceeds President Obama’s health care bill in regulation and mandated coverage.

It is frightening to read and will eliminate thousands of Minnesota jobs! Written in 2009, the bill is currently resting in the House Finance committee.

The bill establishes six new Minnesota government agencies. The bill creates the Minnesota Health Board, the Office of Health Quality and Planning, an Ombudsman for Patient Advocacy and an Inspector General. In addition, the bill requires the government to expand mandated coverage.

This should concern every Minnesotan. Today, our state artificially escalates health care costs by requiring all private health insurance plans offered in Minnesota to cover services whether you want it or not. In particular, our state leads the nation in the number of mandated services (sixty-four) that health insurance plans must offer.

The DFL's Minnesota Health Plan bill significantly expands this government-mandated coverage. The plan if enacted would cover all citizens (including illegal immigrants). It includes such services as long term care, home health care and dental care. How does the government plan on paying for this? Don’t ask the DFL party — they will figure that out later!

This bill exceeds Obama Care in that first and foremost the plan will collapses all private insurance plans effective the date the bill is "operational." Once the bill becomes "operational," it will also collapse jobs: 1100 jobs in Minnetonka and Plymouth and thousands of additional jobs across Minnesota!

The job elimination provision is written in the bill in Section 3, Subdivision 3. These lines specifically state that the bill will collapse private health insurance plans in Minnesota.

Subd. 3. Prohibition. On and after the day the Minnesota Health Plan becomes operational, a health plan, as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 62Q.01, subdivision 3, may not be sold in Minnesota for services provided by the Minnesota Health Plan.

This means that Minnetonka-based Medica, employing 1100 employees, ceases to exist. This line means that Blue Cross Blue Shield and a division of United Health Care are out-of-business. Thousands of Minnesota jobs are eliminated by Benson's bill.

My opponent consistently states he is pro-business, stands for Minnesota jobs and is a "moderate" legislator. Is this a pro-business, jobs-oriented, moderate approach to addressing our health care issues?

It is essential that we change control of the Minnesota House. The first step in accomplishing this would be to unseat my opponent, John Benson. This bill proves he is a member of the liberal wing of the Democrat, progressive party. He wants a government-run health care system that takes away our choices and erodes our economic freedoms. He is willing to disrupt lives and eliminate jobs in order to carry out his vision for the world.

Brian Grogan (Twitter: @bwgrogan) is running for the Minnesota House of Representatives in District 43B. His web site is www.groganforhouse.com.

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.

John Benson's tax-heavy voting record

In a previous blog post, I summarized the votes that make up Sen. Terri Bonoff's (DFL-Minnetonka) poor career rating on the Taxpayers League of Minnesota's legislative scorecards. In this post, I'll show why Rep. John Benson's (DFL-Minnetonka) career score is even lower than Bonoff's.

2007: Benson repeatedly voted in favor of what the Taxpayers League called a "bloated" transportation bill, then voted to override Gov. Pawlenty's veto of the bill, which would have raised taxes by billions of dollars, by up to $500 a year for a family of four. Benson also voted in favor of the Health and Human Services Finance bill, which would have reversed many welfare reforms and increased welfare spending in Minnesota (the bill was vetoed by Gov. Pawlenty). Rating: 25.

2008: Benson earned a big zero in this year, for voting contrary to Taxpayers League positions on every one of its tracked votes, including amending the state constitution to dedicate revenue from a new sales tax to fund "natural resource protection and cultural heritage programs;" levying an additional $6.6 billion in taxes on transportation and creating a new Twin Cities metro bureaucracy (vetoed by Gov. Pawlenty, veto overridden), and a $1 billion bonding bill with according to the Taxpayers League, "hundreds of millions for local arenas, hockey rinks, parks and trails and the Central Corridor lightrail boondoggle… with no money for state priorities like road and bridge construction." Rating: 0.

2009: Benson 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; loan forgiveness for the city of St. Paul RiverCentre Arena totaling $32.75 million (vetoed by Gov. Pawlenty); and a $1 billion tax increase including the fourth tier tax increase, liquor tax increases, and cigarette tax (vetoed by Gov. Pawlenty; Benson voted to override the veto, which did not pass). Benson also voted in favor of the last-hour, end-of-session third attempt by the DFL leadership to pass a billion dollar tax increase. Rating: 7.

2010: At least Benson's score didn't go down this year, but in 2010 and 2009 he missed another zero score by only one vote. He voted against lowering the corporate tax rate (Minnesota has the third highest corporate income tax rate in the world!), in favor of adding a new fourth tier to the income tax, and voted to raise food, beverage, and lodging taxes for select cities as well as to authorize $34 million in additional debt for the Metropolitan Council. Rating: 7.

With another budget deficit looming, Minnesotans can ill-afford even more job-killing tax and spending increases. For more on John Benson's tax-and-spend voting record, and how you can help to restore fiscal sanity in the Minnesota Legislature, please visit the Brian Grogan for House web site (Twitter: @bwgrogan).

SD43 picnic fundraiser

Please join me this Wednesday for SD43's event of the season! Share a barbecue picnic with the Republican Party of Minnesota slate of candidates, from SD43 to the statewide offices and Congress:

U.S. Congressman Erik Paulsen, Tom Emmer for Governor, Pat Anderson for State Auditor, Dan Severson for Secretary of State, Chris Barden for Attorney General, SD43 candidate Norann Dillon, HD43A Rep. Sarah Anderson, and HD43B candidate Brian Grogan

Date: Wednesday, August 25

Catering by Famous Dave's
Time: 5:30pm - 7:30pm
5:30 pm Food served
7:00 pm Program begins

Cost: $15 Adults, $6 Children 6 and up, 5 and under FREE

Where: Carlson Cheshire Park
14440 Cheshire Parkway
Minnetonka, MN

Sponsored by Senate District 43 Republicans, Larry Thompson, chair.


View Larger Map

UPDATE: We had great weather and turnout for the SD43 picnic! Here are my photos from this event:

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.

What do the votes of incumbents reveal?

If the only things you know about political candidates is what they tell you (about themselves and their opponents), and we presume that they will tell you only what they want you to hear, can you really call yourself an informed voter?

That's why I like voting record scorecards. Typically, they list a large number of key bills and amendments that came before the state legislature or Congress and show how each and every legislator voted. Each vote is given a point value, and each elected official gets a score. A candidate can say anything on the campaign trail, but incumbents should live or die on their voting records.

The specific bills chosen and whether a particular vote is considered "good" or "bad" depends on who's keeping score, yet the scores are objectively calculated in the same way for each legislator. Most voters don't have the time or expertise to track voting records by poring over the journals of the House or Senate over the course of several legislative sessions. Voting scorecards are a fast and methodical way to do your voter due diligence apart from the hue and cry of political parties and candidate campaigns.

So how do SD43 incumbents and gubernatorial candidates fare on three right-leaning scorecards?

Taxpayers League of Minnesota "Friends of the Taxpayer"

• SD43 Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL) - 2010: 25%, 2009: 8%, Lifetime: 22%
• HD43A Rep. Sarah Anderson (R) - 2010: 87%, 2009: 87%, Lifetime: 81%
• HD43B Rep. John Benson (DFL) - 2010: 6%, 2009: 7%, Lifetime: 9%
• HD19B Rep. Tom Emmer (R) - 2010: 87%, 2009: 100% "Best Friend of the Taxpayer," Lifetime: 91%
• HD60A Rep. Margaret Anderson Kelliher (DFL) 2010: 0%, 2009: 0%, Lifetime: 10%
• HD64A Rep. Matt Entenza (DFL): 2006: 10%, Lifetime (2003-2006): 16%

Minnesota Majority "Heroes and Zeros"

• SD43 Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL) - 2009: 11%, Career: 10%
• HD43A Rep. Sarah Anderson (R) - 2009: 100% "Hero," Career: 94%
• HD43B Rep. John Benson (DFL) - 2009: 0% "Zero," Career: 9%
• HD19B Rep. Tom Emmer (R) - 2009: 100% "Hero," Career: 100%
• HD50A Rep. Margaret Anderson Kelliher (DFL) - 2009: 0% "Zero," Career: 0%
• HD64A Rep. Matt Entenza (DFL): (data unavailable prior to 2007)

Bills and Votes

• SD43 Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL) - 2010: 27%
• HD43A Rep. Sarah Anderson (R) - 2010: 86%
• HD43B Rep. John Benson (DFL) - 2010: 13%
• HD19B Rep. Tom Emmer (R) - 2010: 93%
• HD50A Rep. Margaret Anderson Kelliher (DFL) - 2010: 12%
• HD64A Rep. Matt Entenza (DFL): (2010 data only available)

How did these legislators earn each of these scores? What does that tell you about them, given who is keeping score? Which legislators are best representing their districts? We'll look into the details in subsequent blog posts. You can play this game yourself by clicking on the scorecard links or by referring to the list of voting scorecards compiled by the nonpartisan Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.

Share your favorite scorecards with us in the comments section.

UPDATE: Taxpayers League scorecard updated with 2010 scores, which were just released.

Tip credit would boost employment

By Brian Grogan

Recently, Republican candidate for Governor Tom Emmer spoke of the need for a law to relieve restaurant owners from paying the full minimum wage to employees who earn tips. Unfortunately, this debate has been misstated and it is hurting the many small-business restaurant owners who employ over 100,000 Minnesotans. The debate is not about minimum wage for servers but about government regulation and its unintended consequences on small businesses and jobs development.

The mainstream media has been delinquent in reporting the full story. Prior to this story breaking, I had discussions with the Minnesota Restaurant Association and with real estate developers who specialize in developing restaurant properties. Both groups have expressed the frustration they have with a law in Minnesota that forces small business, restaurant owners to pay an additional 15-20 percent in fixed overhead costs.

In particular, if a restaurant generates $1.5 million in revenues, an additional $200,000 to $300,000 in potential profits is spent paying wages to employees typically earning on average $13 or more per hour. Within a restaurant, a majority of the affected, higher paid employees are single, under 26 years old and do not have dependents. They are earning a great wage and a change to the law would not significantly change their annual wage compensation.

Regionally, this law and added business cost is unique to Minnesota. Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, and 39 other states do not force the higher wage cost on restaurants. This is a classic example of how regulations in Minnesota are hurting local businesses.

One real estate developer commented that this law is directly related to the decision by a number of large, national restaurant franchises to cease opening new locations within the state of Minnesota. He estimates that this reflects a loss of as many as 15,000 new jobs in our state. And, this doesn’t account for the lost tax revenues and ancillary spending related to new construction and other wages.

In addition, this law is negatively affecting many small business restaurant owners who today, due to a slow economy, are close to shutting their doors. In response to the adverse effect of this law, the Restaurant Association approached the Minnesota Senate during the 2010 legislative session and asked for relief.

This is what the mainstream media is not telling you. Senator Kathy Saltzman, SD56, the Senate DFL majority whip, took up the cause for small business restaurant owners and authored the Restaurant Recovery Act. According to association leaders, it had fairly significant support within the senate and the likelihood of passage was looking good.

Unfortunately, according to the restaurant association, the unions found out about the bill and used their political clout to make sure the bill never made it to the Senate floor for a final vote. What is significant is that the unions do not have a foothold within the restaurant industry, so not a single union job or wage would have ever been affected by the law.

The DFL withdrew the bill. During the 2010 session, at a time of anemic jobs growth, Democrats were more concerned about pleasing the unions than passing legislation that would have spurred jobs growth and protected jobs.

Did waiters and waitresses support this bill? Yes! During the bill’s hearing in committee, a significant number of waiters and waitresses spoke out and were present to show their support to their employers and the bill. They understand the difficulty their employers are having meeting payroll in this slow economy.

This is a good debate because it is about government intervention within businesses and its unintended consequences, media biases, the union strangle hold on the DFL party and the loss of Minnesota jobs! If elected to the state House, I will introduce this legislation since I am more concerned about saving jobs and spurring jobs growth than pleasing union officials.

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

Music in Plymouth

Wednesday night, Plymouth residents were treated to perfect summer weather, light breezes, and no mosquitoes, to stage its thirty-eighth annual Music in Plymouth event at the Plymouth city center. Residents literally began staking out their claims with blankets and tarps about twenty-four hours before the event began, according to Plymouth police, who expected over 15,000 to attend.

The Republican-endorsed SD43 Senate candidate Norann Dillon maintained a low-key presence, greeting concert-goers with campaign stickers and business cards. She appeared to be very relaxed and upbeat, and told me that door-knocking neighborhoods was going so well that she almost hesitated to stop doing that to be at Music in Plymouth. Republican HD43B candidate Brian Grogan was also working the hometown crowd energetically but without signage and a big campaign presence.

Dillon's opponent, incumbent DFLer Sen. Terri Bonoff, had numerous t-shirts, balloons, and stickers on display in the crowd. We chatted for a few minutes about her trip to Israel in November last year, an unofficial trip at personal expense taken with some fellow legislators (including Republican HD43A Rep. Sarah Anderson), their spouses, and friends. (Well, why spoil either of our evenings by talking politics!) The campaign of Audrey Britton, Anderson's DFL challenger, was distributing stickers but I did not have a chance to meet the candidate.

I said hello to the stunning (politically incorrect but everyone acknowledges it) Kelli Slavik, mayor of "Money Magazine's 2008 Best Place to Live With Populations of 50,000 to 300,000," as Plymouth residents have been reminded constantly for about a year now. At last night's event, with several thousand residents on blankets and folding chairs, and eating barbecue, roasted corn on the cob, and frozen custard, listening to great music including the Minnesota Orchestra, with the newly-expanded Millennium Gardens just down the path, it sure felt like the magazine's award was well-deserved.

The grand finale of the evening was a concert by the Minnesota Orchestra, a spectacle in itself, topped by a truly awesome fireworks display in the cloudless night sky. Many of the fireworks were new, and the displays were plentiful and well-timed to the music. Speaking of music, it was delivered by the festival's (what I like to think of as) God's Own Stereo System, a megawatt beast with sound so clear and accurate that during Sousa's The Liberty Bell march, I had to look back at the stage to make sure that the Minnesota Orchestra hadn't returned to play it. The most memorable pieces during the fireworks were an inspiring a capella men's choir medley of armed services songs, and Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA during the thunderous fireworks finale.

Music in Plymouth 2010 was five hours of summer classic, star-spangled community bliss.

SD43 candidates on Facebook

All three SD43 endorsed candidates have established campaign presence on Facebook, and have begun to build their online networks. To find and "Like" their pages, simply enter Norann Dillon for Senate, Brian Grogan for Minnesota House 43B, and Rep Sarah Anderson into the Facebook Search. (The SD43 Republicans BPOU has a Facebook group with an active Wall.)

Dillon has the most established page, updating it from the campaign trail, chronicling her door knocking and formal appearances, and uploading photos. She also gets extra points for repeating her Twitter posts on her Facebook page, which has over 500 fans. Grogan's relatively new page features the candidate introducing himself in a short video. Anderson's campaign Facebook page just launched. As the HD43A incumbent, Anderson has produced several podcasts and is also well-spoken on video. She should make them more visible during the campaign.

Politicos at all levels are learning to use Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks for constituent and voter engagement. In suburban districts like SD43 where folks are spread out over wide areas with work and leisure that often takes them away from home, these tools can let candidates stay in touch, build support, rally campaign volunteers, and most importantly, get out the vote in ways that are more engaging than phone banks, e-mail, and direct mail.

Grogan session recap: DFL ignores spending problem, at state's peril

By Brian Grogan

The 2010 session opened with legislators being informed that due to declining tax revenues, our state faced a $1.2 billion deficit. The deficit grew to $3.5 billion when the Minnesota Supreme Court overturned Governor Pawlenty’s 2009 unallotment. Sadly, during the 2010 session our legislative leaders worked harder at avoiding rather than dealing with our state’s fundamental issue: unsustainable spending. Minnesotans are poorer for it!

For the last four years, the Democrats have had significant majorities. They have controlled the legislative agenda in both chambers (Senate and House). During this period they have repeatedly communicated that our state faces a revenue problem. As proof, in the last three legislative sessions our state faced a deficit of $1 billion or more. But rather than having a serious bipartisan discussion on how to reduce government size, the Democrats have chosen to use tax increases (gas tax, sales taxes and others), accounting shifts and delayed payments to address the majority of the deficit problem. In other words they have consistently booted the deficit problems into the next session.

Is our state facing a spending or a revenue problem? Minnesota’s revenues are projected to grow by nearly 5 percent during the next biennium, but analysts are still projecting a $5.5 billion deficit. If revenues are growing in a slow economy, why is our state still facing a deficit? Because our state’s spending is increasing faster than revenues. In fact, under law many state programs have automatic spending increases regardless of whether our state has the revenues to pay for the program. We have a spending problem in Minnesota!

If you have cancer and your doctor told you not to worry about it. What would you think about his advice? The Democrat party wants Minnesotans to believe we don’t have any structural problems in our state’s budget. They want us to believe we can basically maintain the current spending programs while addressing our deficit problems with increased taxes, federal bailouts, shifting money and deferring payments to later times. They hope revenues will catch up with spending. This is a false hope the Democrat party is promising us.

Cancer treatment is painful and scary. Likewise redesigning our state’s commitment to children, families and the poor will be challenging. People will face difficult choices. If our state leaders address the state’s spending problems today, we will be an in better position to thrive in the future. The greater good is served by getting our fiscal house in order.

How well would you grade the 2010 legislative session? Could you take a brief moment and complete this survey?

Brian Grogan is a candidate for the Minnesota House of Representatives in House District 43B. His campaign web site is at http://www.groganforhouse.com/.