E-Pledge-O-Meter (8:55 PM - 4/6/04) ------------------------------------------- |XXXXXXXXX-|----------|----------|----------| ------------------------------------------- There are many good reasons for the Legislature to adjourn without agreeing on major issues. Add your own reasons!
1. The budget reserve is bigger than the projected shortfall. 2. Any budget that House Republicans are willing to be pass would be worse than no budget at all. 3. The bus strike is going on. Pawlenty refuses to negotiate. The root cause of this strike is budget cuts to transit. NO MORE CUTS! 4. Yesterday, House Republicans passed an amendment privatizing Metro Transit. It is now part of the Omnibus Transportation Finance Bill. The full House will pass the bill on Wednesday. Privatization of Metro Transit is now a bargaining chip for the House to use against the Senate. 5. The bus strike is going on-and they are still pushing stadium bills! Carl Pohlad used to own the private bus company. He forced a bus strike during the Christmas season of 1969. Pohlad ended up with a multi-million dollar bailout, with created the MTC. Pohlad made millions on that strike! 6. The Republican House passed an anti-gay marriage Constitutional amendment. They want a big turnout of anti-gay voters in November. 7. On Friday the Republican House passed a $200 a month tax on poor people. They are going to gouge $8.2 million dollars from people who receive housing assistance. This too, will be a bargaining chip for the House to use against the Senate. See Gregory Luce's message below. Ed Fesler [EMAIL PROTECTED] Minneapolis --- "Gregory D. Luce" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Although ostensibly a state-wide concern, a > mean-spirited proposal by > Rep. Fran Bradley passed the Minnesota House this > past Friday as part of > a larger bill. By far it affects Minneapolis > residents more than any > others, as disproportionately more Welfare-to-Work > (MFIP) recipients > live in Minneapolis. It results in an estimated > $8.2 million dollars > being saved by the government by imposing a hefty > tax (penalty, > surcharge, whatever you want to call it) on poor > people, many of whom > reside here and live in federally subsidized rental > units. > > The legislation would raise the penalty an MFIP > recipient must pay if > that recipient also receives a federal housing > subsidy (e.g., Section 8 > or public housing). Under the bill, the 'tax' or > penalty on an MFIP > recipient will increase from $50 to $200. So, for > example, a single > mother of one who receives $437 in MFIP cash > benefits each month would > see a $200 reduction in her MFIP benefits to $237, > or to put it in tax > terms, a 46% increase in the tax taken out of her > income. The House > passed the bill this past Friday and it was sent > over to the Senate, > where it was tabled. Tenants and tenant advocates > and many others are > asking for action from folks. You can do one or > both of the following > things: > > Sign an online petition opposing this legislation > at: > > http://www.PetitionOnline.com/pj504/ > > Or write to Governor Pawlenty, as suggested by > HousingMinnesota at > www.housingminnesota.org > > I'm not expecting nor encouraging discussion of this > legislation on the > list, as it would likely devolve into state-related > and non-Minneapolis > specific issues. But I did want to post an item of > great concern to > low-income residents in Minneapolis who are bearing > the brunt of House > legislators. > > Gregory Luce > St. Paul > > REMINDERS: > 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the > list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing > it on the list. > 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. > > For state and national discussions see: > http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html > For external forums, see: > http://e-democracy.org/mninteract > ________________________________ > > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic > Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business $15K Web Design Giveaway http://promotions.yahoo.com/design_giveaway/ _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
