[Winona Online Democracy] Hello Winona Online Democracy,
Following up on the thread about mandates on local government, taxation, and public programs... Here is a great editorial from Friday's Star Tribune, Feb. 7, 2003. It's in response to Thursday's State of the State Address by Governor Pawlenty. Maybe there is hope after all if the media can offer this kind of critique so soon without all kinds of prompting. In the same edition, there was another story about the State of the State Address and the reaction to it from various people and groups. Here is a quote from Dick Day, the Republican Minority Leader of the State Senate who said, "Most of us have not signed this no-tax pledge. We're not going to go over the edge. If we get to the bottom line and we absolutely are starting to devastate all of our institutions and a lot of people, I don't think we're going to go there." I couldn't agree with Senator Day more. I think we need to be educated on the issues of health care increases and the shell game the State played with K-12 funding so we can counter arguements that government is out of control. Just my two cents worth. Dwayne Voegeli ========== Editorial: Undervaluing Government's Role Published Feb. 7, 2003 Star Tribune A memorable moment in Gov. Tim Pawlenty's first state of the state address, delivered Thursday, came when he held up the dollar bill sent to him by Phyllis Bakke of Northfield as a voluntary contribution to the state budget. Pawlenty saluted Bakke for her "spirit of giving and sacrifice," and called on Minnesotans to show more of the same. There used to be a way in which Minnesotans could come together to make such contributions, through the consent of a majority of their elected representatives. It was called a tax increase. That kind of contribution continues to be scorned by Pawlenty as somehow less worthy than Bakke's donation. The GOP governor renewed his vow not to raise state taxes yesterday, even if war darkens the state's financial picture. He insisted, as he has for months, that the whopping deficit the 2003 Legislature must correct "is caused by spending too much, not by taxing too little." That has become the Republican mantra at the Capitol, in the apparent hope that repeating it often enough will wipe from Minnesota memories the tax cuts and rebates of the past five years. Those cuts were sizable. Without them, the state would stand to collect an additional $5.5 billion in the coming biennium -- enough to erase the forecasted deficit. Pawlenty described the 14.4 percent spending increase forecast for 2004-05 under current law as "out of control." He failed to acknowledge that shifting the way Minnesota pays for K-12 education -- from local school districts to the state -- accounts for 40 percent of that increase, and that health-care cost increases are the major impetus for the remainder. Those facts get in the way of the governor's claim that "we spent our way into this crisis" and do not justify his resolve "not . . . to tax our way out of it." He also advanced another argument -- namely, that Minnesota families, businesses and workers have already suffered during the economic downturn that began in 2001, and now, it's government's turn. That posits a false dichotomy. It implies that state government exists apart from families, businesses and workers -- and that cuts that lead to higher tuition, poorer nursing-home and mental-health care, smaller local police forces and more won't be widely felt by real people. In fact, government cuts will add to the sacrifice Minnesotans have already made -- in some cases more than a tax increase would. The Legislature's task is to judge which budget-balancing methods spread sacrifice most fairly among those best able to bear it, with the least long-term damage to the whole state. It would be a mistake if, before deliberations even begin, legislators were to discard the possibility that one fitting method might be a tax increase. Pawlenty said much yesterday that deserves the bipartisan applause he received in the House chamber. His call for the 2003 session to do more than balance the budget -- to "get about the business of rebuilding Minnesota's future" -- was a welcome show of optimism. His list of policy priorities -- education, jobs, public safety, transportation, health care -- matches that of informed citizens around the state. His call for citizen involvement in public work is needed, now more than ever. Minnesota is changing fast, in ways that leave too many people -- even whole regions -- feeling isolated and vulnerable. The remedy Pawlenty suggested is the right one: Help the needy. Connect with different cultures. Shop locally. Contribute to Minnesota's common good. As Phyllis Bakke kindly demonstrated, one good way to do that is to support the work of state government. ------------ Dwayne Voegeli Winona County Commissioner, District #2 (507) 453-9012 [EMAIL PROTECTED] 870 44th Ave. Winona, MN 55987 ------------ _______________________________________________ This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona Any problems or suggestions can be directed to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
