| By Xavier - Jun 22, 2009 3:34:31 PM ET |
Tags: Budget Cuts, Defend Minnesota, Denise Cardinal, Email, Hospitals, LGA, LGA Cuts, State Budget
Last week, Governor Tim Pawlenty announced the first round of budget cuts and unallotments. He's been trying to play them off as no big deal, but his proposals don't fix the problems that lead to the state's record budget deficit.
Instead, his proposals cut jobs, throw Minnesotans off health care (while increasing premiums for the rest of us), raise taxes on renters, and make it harder for working families to send their kids to college.
It doesn't have to be like this--a one-day special session could save jobs, keep thousands of Minnesotans out of emergency rooms, and keep class sizes down across the state.
From ABM's Executive Director, Denise Cardinal:
Boot hockey tournaments, wild rice, state fair foods on a stick, Joe Mauer behind the plate and snoopy statues are just some of the things that make our state "above average."
On Tuesday, Governor Tim Pawlenty went after some of the core services that make up another great part of our state. He chose to cut thousands of people off of health care, slash aid to cities used for police and firefighters, and gut higher education instead of working with the balanced budget provided by the legislature. It doesn't have to be like this--we need to step up now to defend the Minnesota we all know and love.
Pawlenty didn't get us into this mess by himself. Pawlenty vetoed the balanced budget plan and every single state Republican supported him, leaving our state in a deficit. Then, Pawlenty headed to Washington, D.C. for a string of public appearances to stir up talk about his presidential ambitions.
Tim Pawlenty may be more concerned about his political future, but we need to let him know we expect him to represent the state that elected him.
http://www.DefendMinnesota.com
We need all of our voices calling for a special session NOW to get Governor Pawlenty's attention. He needs to come together with the Legislature for a one-day special session. A special session could save tens of thousands of jobs, keep thousands of Minnesotans out of emergency rooms, and keep class sizes down across our state.
Join me in defending the "above average" Minnesota that we all love. Take action here.
Thanks for all you're doing,
Denise Cardinal
Executive Director
Alliance for a Better Minnesota
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If you want to direct anger over the legislative session then you should direct that anger at Larry Pogeliller, Margaret Anderson Keliher and Tarryl Clark. Five months before the end of the session, the Governor told the legislature that he would veto any tax increases so why was it a surprise that he kept to his word? When the economy is good the Democrats advocate for higher taxes and when the Country is in recession, the Democrats also want to raise taxes. Since 1981, the State population in Minnesota has grown about 35% but the State budget has grown almost 400%. This level of spendingis not sustainable as the people who have wealth, invest in busineses or own companies have options. They can move out or close down. If Pogeliller, Anderson and Clark were told they have 64 Billion dollars to spend (Double the Current Budget) if would take them less than 5 minutes to find ways to spend it. The list of unmet needs is endless and going after the wealthy to the extent we have seen in this State is morally reprehensible.
This year the legislature failed to do its job and think they can now bitch and complain about the cuts that they ALLOWED the Governor to make. My advice to them is: next time do your job and get it done before the session dead line. As a taxpayer I hate hearing about those extra per diem payments.