"Free" all-day K!

Twin Cities media outlets are trumpeting a provision of the state education bill on its way to Gov. Mark Dayton with the headline "free all-day kindergarten."

Well, it is "free" — to everyone but the taxpayers.

We can debate the efficacy of early childhood education for all, but there still is no such thing as "free" all-day K, and it's actually worse than that. The Legislature's appropriation for all-day K doesn't fully fund it. The rest of the tab for "free" all-day K will fall on local school districts.

The DFL and the media will spin the $15.7 billion education funding bill as a windfall for "Minnesota's kids," but unfunded or partially-funded mandates like all-day K, anti-bullying programs, and special education are a hidden burden on local school district budgets. The Legislature is acting like a state school board that doesn't have to worry about how to pay for its lofty agenda. Yet as any weary school board member knows, the money has to come from somewhere.

The bill does fund urban (read: DFL) public school districts with over $13,000 per pupil, while rural (read: Republican) districts receive about $9,900 per pupil. If the Legislature and governor were more concerned with educational outcomes instead of the status quo, they would allow education funding to follow the student to the school that best meets his or her needs, and they would relieve our independent school districts of paying for mandates designed to help get the DFL reelected.

Where do we go from here?

Many of the top thought leaders in the Republican Party of Minnesota will gather this Wednesday evening to discuss the most critical questions facing the party in the aftermath of the 2012 election cycle.

"MN GOP: Where Do We Go From Here" is a forum jointly sponsored by Real Capitol View and True North. Jeff Johnson, Hennepin County Commissioner, and Mitch Berg, talk radio host and blogger at Shot in the Dark, will moderate the evening, which starts at 7:00 pm at the Blue Fox Bar & Grill in Arden Hills.

If you are an activist, BPOU leader, TEA Party member, blogger, or anyone else who wants to avoid a repeat of 2012, please show up to help us figure out where we go from here. Check back here, on True North, and Real Capitol View for recaps of the discussion.

Follow the event on Twitter, hashtag #mngop13, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/realcapitolview.

INFOGRAPHIC: Minnesota Transportation Boondoggle

Why Legislative elections matter

Written by David Faith, SD44gop.org

Amidst the drama and 24/7 coverage of a Presidential campaign, it can be easy to lose track of state and local races. People have a tendency to think that bigger means more important and the federal government is obviously bigger than Minnesota’s.

State politics is poorly covered by the media and there are many otherwise well-informed citizens that couldn’t tell you who their state representative is. This is a problem because state and local governments have enormous power over citizens living in their jurisdictions. This is a problem because the state of Minnesota has a governor champing at the bit to raise your taxes dramatically in order to fund an enormous and likely-permanent expansion of state government. This is a problem because the only thing standing in that governor’s way is a Republican legislature.

An examination of the DFL platform and the governor’s agenda reveals exactly what they plan for Minnesota. Let’s take a look at just a few key elements.

• Regulation – The DFL’s official party platform shows an astonishing faith in government regulation of private activity. It endorses “reasonable” regulations of “fair competition,” regulations of prices, environmental regulations, regulations of labor, regulations of businesses, and regulation of investment. It endorses requiring more government inspections, more government licensing, and even more government supervision of the election process. The platform never says precisely what “reasonable” regulations entail, but you can be certain that “reasonable” means “more.” This is despite the fact that we are already living in the most regulated society in American history. To cite just one example, in the 1950’s less than 5% of occupations required a license from the government. Now people in nearly 30% if occupations must obtain permission from the government before they can even practice their trade. If you think we should turn more power over to government officials to decide what we can and cannot do then the DFL platform is for you.
• Taxes – Mark Dayton is famous for being perhaps the most pro-tax governor in America. He has repeatedly advocated raising taxes and in the last legislative session vetoed a Republican effort to provide moderate tax relief to Minnesota businesses struggling with the comparatively unfriendly tax environment in this state. Unusually even for a Democrat he has waxed poetic about his love of taxes, calling them “the lubricant for the machine of democracy” and the “fuel of our social engine.” He flippantly declared “Read my lips, tax the rich.” Last year he proposed raising state taxes to 10.95%, the highest in the nation, on “rich” folks making the Donald-Trump-like sum of $85,000/year. Make no mistake, Dayton’s views on taxes reflect the DFL’s platform of “progressive” taxation, and it is only the steadfastness of our Republican legislators that has prevented him from enacting his tax policies so far.
• Religious Freedom – The DFL platform mentions separation of church and state twice, but curiously does not refer to the general constitutional rule preventing an establishment of religion under state authority. Instead the DFL endorses “separation of church and state” with regards to particular pet issues, including right to privacy, school curriculum and educational funding. To translate, the left has historically used “right to privacy” to advance their views on social issues, so “separation of church and state” in respect to privacy means that the DFL wants churches to butt out of social issues and to force churches to fund family planning and other practices that worshipers consider contrary to their religious beliefs. “Separation of church and state” as to education means that religious viewpoints are not welcome in schools and that the state should discriminate against religious schools by denying them, and only them, access to state funds generally available for other educational institutions (including other private institutions). The DFL platform also advocates taxing certain property of tax-exempt (often religious) organizations. Unsurprisingly, one thing you will not find in the DFL platform is an endorsement of the free exercise clause of the United States Constitution, which guarantees religious freedom against governmental interference.
• Second Amendment – The DFL platform advocates “reasonable firearm policies.” Three guesses what that means, and the first two don’t count.

Minnesota’s legislative elections this year matter, perhaps more than ever, because there is a clear distinction between the Dayton/DFL agenda and that advocated by our Republican legislature. If you want to live in a state with low taxes, fewer regulations, freedom of conscious and the right to bear arms, then it is vital that you get out there and support your state legislative candidates by giving of your time, your money, or at the very least, your vote.

David Faith is Vice Chair At Large of the SD44 Republicans. This post originally appeared on SD44gop.org.

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.

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.

We still have a $6.4 billion deficit, but at least they saved our pets from cocoa bean mulch

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (d), a person who sells a product containing cocoa bean shell mulch at retail must post the notice in paragraph (b) in a manner clearly visible to a consumer examining a product containing cocoa bean mulch offered for sale.

(b)The notice must be in 36-point type or larger and state:

The ingestion of cocoa bean shell mulch that has not been processed to be nontoxic is poisonous to pets. If a pet has eaten unprocessed cocoa bean shell mulch, you should immediately contact a veterinarian or the Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

—HF1306/SF122, 86th Legislative Session (2009-2010)

I was very disappointed that some bills which are not needed are getting to the floor while we have a big deficit to solve. For example, today much time was spent on a bill that would require retailers to post a sign in 36 [point] type print to warn dog owners that cocoa seed mulch is harmful to dogs. The bill initially failed by two votes and then the board was re-opened and kept open for the longest of any bill this year to muscle it through by the barest votes needed (68 votes). Once again, I would urge the folks in charge of the legislature to focus on the priorities of getting finance bills done, get the budget balanced and focus on the economy versus bills like this one.

—Rep. Marty Seifert (R-Marshall), in a May 5 e-mail to constituents

The taxman cometh

Rep. Sarah Anderson (R-Plymouth) reports that the DFL House tax omnibus bill (HF2323) contains a laundry list of tax increases, all of which Gov. Pawlenty has promised to veto.

"If you earn over $16,000 in income, your taxes are going up," said Anderson in an e-mail to constituents. "Starting at $30,000 in income, there are more losers under this bill than winners. Most people don't think of $30,000 in income as being wealthy."

Here is a peek at some of the "revenue enhancements" proposed by the DFL:

• Increases taxes overall by $1.5 billion


• Increases sales tax by .5 percent through county adoption


• Eliminates mortgage interest deduction from income taxes


• Eliminates property tax deduction from income taxes


• Eliminates education tax credit


• Eliminates long-term care insurance premium credit


• Eliminates child/dependent care tax credit


• Eliminates JOBZ economic development tax credit


• Reduces the Market Value Homestead Credit for homeowners


• Eliminates organ donation deduction from income taxes


• Eliminates charitable giving tax credit


• Imposes tax on digital downloads such as iTunes, books, etc.


• Imposes sales tax on boats, snowmobiles, and ATVs sold by an individual


• Increases taxes on cigarettes


• Increases taxes on beer, wine, and liquor


• Creates 4th tier income tax bracket increasing taxes on small job providers


• Eliminates gas tax credit for the poor that was created just last year


• Increases property taxes by lifting levy limits on cities (county limits are lifted in 1 yr)


• Imposes new tax on heating fuels for homes of a certain size

"The money won't go to schools, public safety, or veterans," said Anderson. "Last week a bill passed giving $50 million for the St. Paul RiverCenter hockey arena. Another bill passed spending $200,000 on a new program called the Indigenous Earthkeepers that will educate certain kids age 15 to 19 years on the environment. Lastly, legislation passed extending welfare benefits to illegal immigrants."

Click this link to urge your legislators to solve our budget deficit responsibly, without raising taxes.

Tax and bonding bills reach conference committees

If you drive a car, I'll tax the street
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat
If you get too cold, I'll tax the heat
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet
Taxman!
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah I'm the taxman
—"Taxman" by George Harrison

As reported by Dan McGrath of Minnesota Majority, the Minnesota House and Senate omnibus tax bills are overflowing with tax increases (i.e., veto bait) for all Minnesotans, not just "the rich:"

[WARNING: The following explicit tax increases may offend some fiscal moderates and conservatives. Reader discretion is advised.]

The Senate plan (SF2074) calls for across the board income tax increases and a new top tax bracket of 9.25% to collect $2 billion in new revenues. The House plan (HF2323) is a patchwork of tax hikes on income, tobacco, alcohol, recreational vehicles, and even includes a tax on homeowners who have higher energy (natural gas) use during winter months...

The House bill also eliminates some pretty substantial tax deductions, like the mortgage interest deduction and education tax credits. A slew of other changes remove subtractions from federal taxable income and throw in some additions, like motor vehicle and property taxes paid, and some charitable contributions. All of this has the effect of inflating the amount of personal income that the state will compute taxes on. The House tax bill also establishes a new top tax rate of 9% on income over $169,000 (or $300,000 for married couples filing a joint return).

And don't forget Rep. Jim Davnie's (DFL-Minneapolis) proposal to tax purchases from online stores like iTunes and Amazon.com. Governor Pawlenty promises to veto all of these tax increases should they reach his desk.

Rep. Sarah Anderson (R-Plymouth) has her eye on the "emergency" bonding bill, also in conference committee. The Legislature typically passes an omnibus bonding bill in odd-numbered years only for structures in dire need of repair. Apparently, our DFL-controlled legislature is not about to let a good crisis go to waste, because Anderson reports that the bonding bill could exceed the customary limit of 3% of non-dedicated general fund revenues.

Why does this matter? If borrowing exceeds the three percent cap, the interest rate we pay on bonds will increase. "Consequently," said Anderson in an e-mail to constituents, "we will pay more for the bonds at a time when [the state is] $6.4 billion in hole. In addition, school districts will pay more for bonds for their building projects since their bond rating is tied to the state bond rating." Can you say, "property tax increase?"

It's time to send a message to the Legislature that a recession with high unemployment is the time to cut spending, not raise taxes. Stop by the Tax Cut Rally at the State Capitol grounds this Saturday, 11 am - 4 pm, and make sure the Legislature gets the message loud and clear. When he makes his appearance at the annual rally around 1:00 pm, you'll also have a chance to encourage Gov. Pawlenty to ink-up his veto pen and say, "Go ahead, make my day!"

Seifert and Brod review the DFL tax bill

Check out this video of Monday's press availability of House Minority Leader Rep. Marty Seifert (R-Marshall) and Rep. Laura Brod (R-New Prague), Republican Lead on the House Taxes Committee. It very clearly explains why the DFL budget raises spending to unsustainable levels, raises taxes on everyone in Minnesota, and represses job creation: precisely the wrong answer to our state's budget crisis. It also shows Seifert's mastery of his position as caucus leader and spokesman in the House, and a rising conservative star in Brod.

This leadership should be supported with a call to your legislator, urging the reforms and responsible spending cuts advocated by Gov. Pawlenty, Minnesota Budget Solutions, and the Center of the American Experiment. And in case they don't get the message, multiply your voice at the Tax Cut Rally, Saturday, May 2, 11 am - 4 pm, at the Capitol.

Minnesota budget solutions

Serious, principle-based budget solutions have been proposed by two Minnesota groups. They merit serious consideration by the Legislature and Gov. Pawlenty to solve the state's $6.4 billion budget deficit. As an informed citizen and taxpayer, you should check them out, too, and let your legislator know what you think about them.

The Minnesota Budget Solutions Coalition, a group of grassroots non-profit organizations led by the Taxpayers League of Minnesota and Minnesota Majority, has published its recommendations in a comprehensive yet easy-to-read document on its web site. The recommendations are based on four core values:

• Limited government
• Fiscal responsibility
• No new tax increases
• Long-term solutions instead of quick fixes

The Center for the American Experiment has just published its budget recommendations in a document called Preparing For an Even More Demanding Future. It has four goals:

• Promote job growth
• Expand economic freedom
• Bring balance to budgets beyond the next biennium
• Obtain more value from government programs

Please urge your legislators to seriously consider these proposals as a way to solve our state's fiscal crisis and establish a better way forward for the state of Minnesota. And show your support for these principles by attending the Tax Day Tea Party near you next Wednesday, and the Tax Cut Rally on May 2 at the Minnesota State Capitol.

The seven percent solution

The Senate DFL is getting a lot of grief for their seven percent, across-the-board budget cut proposal. Sen. Larry Pogemiller (DFL-Minneapolis) sounded several fiscally conservative notes at a Thursday press conference announcing the proposal, which includes a $1 billion cut to K-12 education over the 2010-2011 biennium budget. He spoke of "shared sacrifice" and making the tough cuts now to avoid bouncing from one budget crisis to another. The proposal to trim K-12 education, which Governor Pawlenty and House Republicans oppose, has created a bizzaro situation in which Education Minnesota has (temporarily) switched parties.

As of the November forecast, K-12 Education was projected to consume $13.9 billion, or 38% of the state's $36.7 billion 2010-2011 budget. Health and Human Services takes 31 percent. In order to hold the teachers' union and welfare recipients completely harmless, which together take 69% or $25 billion of the state budget, and still erase the projected operating deficit as required by the state constitution, we would have to eliminate whole categories of spending, like Higher Education ($3.2 billion) or Property Tax Aids and Credits ($3.4 billion).

The Senate DFL proposal has a simplicity and undeniable shared sacrifice about it. But instead of a $2 billion tax hike (which, unlike the budget cuts are not shared equally among all taxpayers), let's start with a 14% across-the-board budget cut, spare us the partisan bickering, put aside the frills like casinos and a new Vikings stadium, and get down to the serious work of bringing structural balance to the budget consistent with Minnesota values and priorities. Only after this process is complete should we look at the possibility of tax increases.

If the largest income groups (our state's most productive citizens) can be tapped for ever larger income tax rates, shouldn't the biggest spenders in government also be asked to trim their budgets? Why should the public sector unions get a holiday from the recession? Where's the shared sacrifice in that?

Performance pay for legislators

Now that the Legislature's so-called "listening sessions" have been staged, it's time for the Legislature to get serious about how they are going to dig the state out of its multi-billion dollar budget deficit. I am not sure how necessary a listening tour is in this age of the Internet, not to mention the telephone or postal mail, but I'm sure it made for good political theater and cost the state a lot of time and money.

Where I work at Hewlett-Packard, revenues are down. The workforce has been reduced and budgets tightened. Salaries are being cut across the board, starting with a 20% cut for the CEO, Mark Hurd. Top executives are seeing a 15% cut, exempt employees 5%, hourly employees 2.5%. Similar measures are being taken across the country — but not at the Minnesota State Capitol.

Consider the message of accountability, responsibility, and leadership that the Legislature and the Governor could send to the taxpayers of Minnesota if the Governor accepted a 20% pay cut, the Legislature accepted a 15% pay cut, and all state agencies had to cut their budgets by a minimum of 5%. I would pay back the salary cuts if a balanced budget agreement was signed before the end of the regular session.

As the Legislature considers yet again, in the midst of a global financial crisis, how to confiscate taxpayer dollars for yet another professional sports stadium (among other boondoggles), Q-Comp for our elected officials is an idea whose time has come.

Online media: no respect

I don't get no respect. I played hide-and-seek, and they wouldn't even look for me. &mdash Rodney Dangerfield

When Rep. Steve Smith (R-Mound) attempted to amend the rules of the Minnesota House to include online journalists, Rep. Tony Sertich (DFL-Chisholm) simply ruled it out of order. According to the web site of KFAI-FM:

On Tuesday, Feb. 24, DFL Rep. Sertich refused to allow "his" Rules and Legislative Administration Committee to consider an amendment (HRA 007) to House Rule 2.42, authored by Republican Committee member Steve Smith who was not present at today's Rules Committee meeting. Thus did Rep. Sertich declare consideration of Smith's amendment to insert online journalism into House Rule 2.40/2.42 out of order, lacking the presence of its author.

KFAI hosted a roundtable discussion today about online media access to Legislative proceedings. Guests included Paul Schmelzer, Editor, Minnesota Independent; Shawn Towle, Editor/Publisher, Checks&Balances.com; and Chuck Olsen, Principal, Reporter/Editor, The Uptake.org. Noticeably absent were representatives from True North and Politics in Minnesota, but regardless I suspect that there would have been more agreement than not on this topic.

The panel raised some significant questions about freedom of the press, who should be credentialed and by what organization, and the validity of even using the term "online" media (in other words, why even draw the distinction?). The House seems to have no problem with anyone attending public meetings at the Capitol and taking notes, but there are security and possibly political issues as soon as the video cameras come out.

To paraphrase Dangerfield, if I quit blogging tomorrow, I might be the only person who knew that I quit. But other online outlets have gained the respect of educated and engaged folks across the political spectrum, while some of their olde media counterparts suffer from cutbacks and bankruptcies. As Thomas Jefferson said, "Information is the currency of democracy." We citizens should compel our elected representatives to recognize legitimate online news outlets, to serve as an additional tool to help us oversee our ongoing experiment in self-government.

Budget Town Hall Meeting coming to Plymouth, February 26

The Legislature is conducting a series of town hall meetings across the state to hear directly from constituents about the budget deficit. This is certainly more convenient for constituents than taking a half-day off work to drive to Saint Paul to elbow past the teachers' union lobbyists to meet with one's legislators (especially since even most metro area residents haven't even been to the Capitol since their fifth grade field trip, much less know their way around the Capitol and the State Office Building). It is less convenient, however, than picking up the telephone or sending an e-mail to one or multiple state Senators or Representatives (which most of us also have not done since fifth grade).

At their best, these town hall meetings can provide a Norman Rockwell-esque image of representative government: from the people's lips to their legislators' ears. At their worst, these meetings can degenerate into a political theater of literal shouting matches between competing special interests and ideologies. Such is government of the people, by the people, and for the people. And yet, the world belongs to those who show up to the meetings.

Speak now (or call, write, or e-mail) or forever hold your peace. Now is the time to tell the Legislature and Governor Pawlenty how you would balance the budget: before they tell you how they're going to do it.

Minnesota Legislature
Budget Solutions Town Hall Meeting
Thursday, February 26th, 7:00 p.m.
Plymouth City Hall
3400 Plymouth Blvd

Pre-register if you wish to testify.

Pogemiller & GOP: through the looking glass

At first read, it appears that Tim Pugmire got it backwards on his Polinaut blog post:

• Sen. Larry Pogemiller (DFL-Minneapolis), arch nemesis of the Republicans, favoring "across the board" spending cuts of 13.65 percent, which would mean a $1.5 beeel-yun cut for K-12 education.
• Rep. Marty Seifert (R-Marshall), House Minority Leader and conservative stalwart, responding with "I don't think that slashing K-12 funding and dumping quality improvement programs [Q-Comp] is the right answer to what ails Minnesota."

Democrats calling for cuts to K-12 funding? Republicans, including the governor, vowing to hold K-12 harmless? Curiouser and curiouser.

In the words of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, "You don’t ever want a crisis to go to waste; it’s an opportunity to do important things that you would otherwise avoid."

Governor Pawlenty, this is not the time to let a crisis to go to waste.

Republicans should (I can't believe I'm writing this) reach across the aisle to Sen. Pogemiller in a bipartisan spirit to help him reach his bold goal of cutting $1.5 billion from Minnesota's K-12 budget. We should start by opting out from the impossible "Adequate Yearly Progress" accountability provisions of the Federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). School districts are finding that the costs of compliance with NCLB are exceeding the federal funding they receive from it.

We should continue by dusting off Republican K-12 education reform measures that increase school choice (education tax credits), increase the local control of our independent school districts, and decrease the power of the state and Education Minnesota over those districts' local decision making.

I know, only in Wonderland.

DFL: cutting costs fine for thee, but not for me

Already last Monday, only the fifth day of session, the DFL majority in the Legislature has demonstrated its unwillingness to take even a small leadership role in reducing the state's projected multi-billion dollar budget deficit. Like duck hunters, they wait for Republican ideas to shoot down, without making any serious proposals of their own (other than raise taxes, invent new taxes, and grow government to the detriment of the private sector).

During the debate over temporary Joint Rules of the House and Senate, in a time when e-mail and social networking are playing an increasingly significant role in constituent communication, Rep. Sarah Anderson (R-Plymouth) moved to reduce by 15% the postage allotted to House and Senate members. Instead of allowing the House to vote on the plan, House Majority Leader Rep. Tony Sertich (DFL-Chisholm) moved the idea to the House Rules Committee. Sertich said that he believed the Anderson proposal would save no money.

Cutting the Legislative budget, even though it will not plug the budget deficit by itself (no single cut can), would send a message to state taxpayers that the Legislature is serious about working with Governor Pawlenty to balance the budget as required by state law. A salary and per diem freeze for all members, a reduction in expense accounts, typical measures in the private sector, would demonstrate equal measures of common sense and leadership from Saint Paul.

Listen to Sarah Anderson discuss her proposal and the DFL reaction to it, on this podcast provided by the House GOP caucus.

Light rail: unsustainable

As reported in the Star Tribune ("Flush with riders, transit is short on money and options" by Jim Foti, January 4, 2009), the unsustainable source of funding for the misfit transportation boondoggle called light rail is proving, well, unsustainable.

The economic reality that whatever you tax, eventually gets less abundant is being exacerbated by the downturn in the economy. Forty percent or more of the motor vehicle sales tax was supposed to be the golden goose for metro area mass transit (read: light rail transit) — but then the economy turned south and Denny Hecker closed or sold nine dealerships in 2008. Meanwhile, in spite of increased ridership, the Met Council is being forced to choose between unpleasant options like increasing fares or cutting back service — or both.

The dark joke in transit circles is that if you don't want fares to go up again, you should buy a car and then keep riding the bus...

The motor vehicle sales tax has "virtually collapsed," said state Sen. Scott Dibble, a Minneapolis DFLer who is on the Senate Transportation Committee. Recurring funding shortfalls have him concerned about the system's viability, and he noted that raising fares by a total of 75 cents in less than a year would amount to a 50 percent increase in non-rush-hour fares.

Legislation that robs Peter to pay for Paul's light rail ride will always have the full support of Paul, but that doesn't make it good transportation policy. Yet light rail proponents won't let reality, common sense, Minnesota Public Radio or the University of Minnesota derail their utopian plans.

A kinder, gentler House Republican caucus?

HometownSource.com has reported that the Minnesota House Republican Caucus may be practicing a kinder, gentler brand of caucus discipline for the session that will be called to order on January 6. ("House Republicans talk about proposal-driven comeback," by T.W. Budig, December 3, 2008):

"I made it very clear when I was re-elected leader that the marginalization of members based on how they voted on an override or anything else was over." —Rep. Marty Seifert (R-Marshall), newly re-elected House Minority Leader

"We now have proven beyond any reasonable doubt that if you marginalize the moderates, there’s not of a whole heck of a lot of legislative seats you can win. On the other hand if you ignore the conservative base you’re going to lose a lot of seats like we did in 2006. The key is for both the very conservative and moderate wings of our party to work together." —Rep. Pat Garofalo (R-Farmington)

"I don’t even like the term ‘conservative.’ You’re either a Republican or you’re not." —Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Delano), unsuccessful (conservative) candidate for House Minority Leader

"For our party to prevail we have to ally with people which whom we agree with on five things out of ten — constituents and fellow [caucus] members." —Rep. Jim Abeler (R-Anoka) one of two returning "Override Six" members

We in the blogosphere and in our partisan and ideological circles can afford to be pure in our beliefs. But House members have also explained to me over the years that, whether you're casting a vote from your desk in the Capitol, or meeting with two diametrically opposed constituent groups from your desk in the State Office Building, as a legislator you are still expected by the voters to solve all kinds of fiscal and policy problems of the state of Minnesota. I just hope that the Republican caucuses in both the House and Senate, along with Governor Pawlenty, can agree on, and advance, a core set of center-right Republican principles during the 2009-2010 biennium.

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.