Earlier this week, Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer told the St. Cloud Times that he would like to cut benefits and per diem to state elected officials. Yet throughout Emmer's legislative career he has taken full advantage of this perk, at the cost of thousands to taxpayers. The Alliance for a Better Minnesota Action Fund is calling on Tom Emmer to return that money.
"Tom Emmer is not on the side of Minnesota taxpayers," said Denise Cardinal, executive director of Alliance for a Better Minnesota. "He's using a classic campaign trick by denouncing a perk he himself has taken advantage of--and has publicly defended. He should return the thousands in taxpayer money he received. Tom Emmer needs to walk the talk."
While some politicians have chosen not to claim per diem, Emmer has been unapologetic in receiving the perk - even defending it. On September 5, 2005 article in the Pioneer Press says, "But Rep. Tom Emmer, a freshman Republican from Delano, said he and the other legislators who claimed per diems have no apologies to make. Emmer, an attorney, said the $1,320 he earned in special session per diems was far less than he would have made in his law practice. 'You're talking to a guy who at 44 years old made a significant personal and financial sacrifice to serve my constituents,' Emmer said."
For more information on this issue or to see other ABM Action Fund fact-checks of Tom Emmer's campaign statements, visit http://EmmerTruth.MN.
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Below are the amount of funds received by Tom Emmer for Per Diem expenses as a legislator:
Yesterday, Governor Pawlenty told Minnesota that we should protect corporate America at the expense of our school children, the poor, the disabled, and the elderly. There in the audience were two of his Republican allies -- legislators Marty Seifert and Tom Emmer -- who applauded his rhetoric as they hope to continue Pawlenty's failed policies.
At the same time that school districts are "considering layoffs and program cancellations" because of the state's budget deficit, the governor proposed cutting the corporate tax rate and continuing his failed JOBZ program.
According to the Legislative Auditor, the JOBZ program has been mismanaged and lacked proper oversight to protect taxpayer's dollars. But, instead of fixing these problems, the governor protects inefficient programs at the expense of programs like GAMC, which provides those less fortunate with the vital care that they need. The governor calls this controlling government spending even though it sends scores of Minnesotans to expensive emergency rooms instead of providing less costly, more effective preventive care.
At its core, the governor's proposals are about helping corporations at the expense of middle-class families. For every step of the way, Republican legislators like Seifert and Emmer have been advocates for the governor's approach. Legislator Emmer even went so far as to suggest taking money away from programs that ensure clean drinking water to pay for a new Vikings stadium.
We are experiencing unprecedented times and Minnesota deserves better than this from those charged with finding the solutions.
Our friends over at Growth & Justice write about a new report by Transportation for America which found that service cuts and fee increases disproportionately affect the poor and people living in rural areas. It makes sense when you think of the two types of riders who use public transportation systems -- those who ride by choice and those who are "transit-dependent."
Especially in urban areas, there are two types of transit riders — those who ride by choice and those who are transit-dependent. Bus service cuts and fare increases may drive the "choice" users back to their cars, but for the households without a vehicle their options shrink. In rural areas, where transit may be their only link to employment, medical care or other services, the impact of underfunding goes far beyond "transportation."
As someone who has been "transit-dependent" in the past, I can tell you that fare increases add up, especially when they're coupled with reductions in services and/or changes in the transfer policy. Many service reductions translate into even longer commutes for transit riders. For working parents, a transit service cut could mean the difference between getting home. in time to tuck the kids into bed and getting home long after they're asleep. More from Transit for Livable Communities:
"Transportation services are not a luxury for people living in rural areas – they are a necessity," says Jeanette Porter, Transit Director with Western Community Action. "When transit providers are forced to shift so much of the financial burden onto our passengers, or agencies helping their clients, it creates a devastating cycle that is already beginning to take effect. Services are meaningless if people can’t access them and when people can’t afford to get to social events, medical appointments or jobs, their quality of life is compromised. Often people must move to a larger area where more options are available. This not only affects those who depend on public transportation, but the economic and social vitality of their communities, as well."
In 2009, the Minneapolis/St. Paul area faced the 5th highest fare increase in the country, with bus fares going up 25 cents over the past 10 months. Governor Pawlenty also unalloted over $1.7 million from Metro Transit’s budget on Friday. Although this won’t immediately result in service cuts or fare increases, it further demonstrates the lack of a long-term funding plan to maintain, let alone grow, the bus system.
“There is absolutely no excuse to cut transit service or raise fares,” said Sarah Mullins, a member of ISAIAH. “The success of our region depends on a transit system that works for all of its residents, ensuring that all can access opportunity and participate fully in our communities. Our state agencies have developed a long-term transit plan, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that we dedicate the long-term operating funds needed to make it happen.”
This morning I met with Angela, one of ABM's Twitter followers, in the library at St. Cloud State University. Angela is a graduate student at SCSU and took a few minutes out of what-must-be a busy week before school starts, to share her story with the Make Minnesota Thrive Drive.
Like Francis -- the student we spoke to in Moorhead -- Angela said she struggles to make ends meet following years and years of tuition and fee increases. What's most striking, she said, is that college students at Minnesota state colleges are paying the same amount in tuition as she paid for private college tuition. Many of her peers, Angela added, are constantly worrying about how they're going to pay for another semester's tuition and that affects their studies. To make sure she pays for school and makes her loan payments on time, Angela has moved back in with her parents and borrowed money from them. Most students don't have that option, she added.
But it's not just tuition and fee increases that are affecting college students. Angela shared the story of one of her friends, a fellow graduate student, who is a brilliant researcher, but who struggles with depression. Angela's friend is on MinneostaCare, and wouldn't be able to afford her medication (upwards of $200 a month!) if not for the coverage it provides. When she heard about Governor Tim Pawlenty's plans to cut GAMC funding and force 30,000 Minnesotans off of MinnesotaCare, she began to fear that she would no longer be able to afford to treat her depression.
Check out the video below. We'll have more of our interview with Angela soon.
The Make Minnesota Thrive Drive made a stop in East Grand Forks today, where the City Council decided against hiring a new police officer and firefighter last week. Although the city plans to cut more than $400,000 from next year’s budget because of state aid reductions, City Council President Dick Grassel warns that more cuts could be on the way, according to the Grand Forks Herald.
“We are going to wait until we get into the budget process,” he said. “We don’t know if we have to cut some more. Some feel strongly we should hire a police officer and a fireman, but we have to really take a look at everything.”
Because of state aid cuts by Governor Pawlenty and his allies in the Legislature, many cities in Minnesota are facing similar reductions; however, putting off hiring police officers and firemen could mean fewer business hours and longer wait times for police or firemen to arrive because there are fewer employees. Careless budget cuts and unallotment have meant that some cities, like East Grand Forks, must consider cutting down public safety services to reduce their budgets.
After surviving the last unallotment and bracing for the next, cities truly are in survival mode—scrutinizing every aspect of their budget for the next two years to see what is not absolutely necessary. This isn’t the Minnesota we know and love, and stories like these should be motivation to make sure Minnesota is once again a state that thrives. That’s what the Thrive Drive is all about—learning what things make our state so great but are being jeopardized by reckless budget cuts by the Governor and his friends in the Legislature.
If you’re planning on going to Duluth’s Park Point Beach for some fun under the sun, remember that it’s no longer staffed by city-employed lifeguards. With budget cuts forcing cities to cut services, MPR reports that many Duluth city services are being taken on by volunteers. The YMCA has picked up the slack, paying for Park Point Beach’s lifeguarding staff. The beach is not the only place where this has happened in Duluth. The YMCA has taken over Duluth’s Woodland Community Center as well.
Love to ski in the winter? There’s some really good skiing in Duluth, but Chester Bowl Park will be run by volunteers this winter. Chester Bowl also provides summer recreation programs, this year asking parents for $10 a day per child, says Chester Bowl Improvement Club member Thom Storm.
We've specifically made it a suggested donation, so if people can't afford that, they don't have to," Storm says. "You know, we're hoping some people will pay it, because we have to pay the counselors some money to work here.
It’s a tough situation: programs need funding to continue to operate in the absence of city funds, but families have also been hit hard by the economic recession. This is not a thriving Minnesota, but one that is struggling to survive. The city of Duluth cannot even provide the services it should because of the governor’s irresponsible budget cuts.
Duluth is by no means the only city that has fallen victim to the governor’s irresponsible cuts. To find out how these cuts affect the rest of Minnesota or to share your own experience, head over to the Defend Minnesota website.
In January, Minnesota Public Radio took an up-close look at White Bear Lake through the State Budget in Your Backyard. The folks at MPR found that White Bear Lake’s only nursing home, Cerenity Senior Care, was under pressure financially even before the state budget cuts and that Century College faced a tough choice to either raise tuition or cut student services. In addition, White Bear Lake had 26 miles of streets awaiting reconstruction, but city repairs would have to wait.
Six months later, at the end of June, MPR went back to White Bear Lake. Cerenity Senior Care reported it won’t give its workers a raise this year or next to deal with the governor’s budget cuts. Century College was dealing with rising enrollment and fewer resources:
"Now, more than ever, we have dislocated workers coming to us," he said. "And that's what's really hard. We're a community college. The community's hurting now, and they're turning to us, and we're dealing with less resources. That's the pain for us."
Across the city, dealing with fewer resources will become a theme. City Manager Mark Sather told MinnPost to expect more unfilled jobs at City Hall, postponements of technical upgrades, less weed-spraying in parks, and a longer wait for snow to get plowed thanks to Governor Pawlenty’s unallotment.
White Bear Lake has been tightening its belt since January—there’s only so much belt-tightening it can do before it’s forced to make cuts to areas like public safety, which provide essential services to the residents. Even delaying snow plowing until the next day, rather than right after it falls, could potentially increase the number of accidents on the road. We need everyone we can to help defend Minnesota from the cuts Governor Pawlenty and his allies are forcing cities like White Bear Lake to make. Invite your friends to get the facts about Governor Pawlenty’s ruthless cuts.
The George Washington University-based Campaign Finance Institute released a statement today calling Governor Tim Pawlenty's decision to eliminate the Political Contribution Rebate an elimination of "an important force for democracy in Minnesota government."
Based on its research over the last five years, the Campaign Finance Institute has found that the PCR rebate is an important part of the "unusually large role" that small donors play in Minnesota's state elections. In Minnesota, small donors (those who gave $100 or less to any one candidate) accounted for 45% of the private contributions to candidates for state office, while in most other states they accounted for less than 10%.
"Eliminating the rebate would remove an important force for democracy in Minnesota government," said CFI's Executive Director Michael Malbin, who is also a professor of political science at the University at Albany (SUNY). "The refund promotes greater equality by building up from the bottom. It deserves significant credit for the role of small donors in Minnesota. The PCR deserves to be imitated, not destroyed."
Because small donors play a larger role in state elections, candidates are more likely to look to average citizens, not wealthy donors, for campaign funds, making them more accountable to the people.
Common Cause, a government watchdog group, has called Governor Pawlenty's elimination of the refund a "seeming abandonment of Minnesota's long held principles of good government." They're hosting a free speech and panel discussion titled "Is The Era of Good Government in Minnesota Over?" with Common Cause President Bob Edgar next Monday, July 13th. Click here for more information or to RSVP.
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.
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.
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
Minnesotans are finding new and creative ways to respond to Governor Tim Pawlenty's decision to ignore the will of the elected legislature and unilaterally decide how the state's budget process would end through unallotments.
One of these Minnesotans is "Uncle Russ" Scheidler of Local 2181, who wrote a polka song for AFSCME's override rally about about Tim Pawlenty's decision to put his national ambition ahead of the health and welfare of working Minnesotans.
Listen to “King Tim" below.
Want to sing along? Here are the lyrics.
King Tim
Chorus King Tim of Minnesota Doesn’t care about democracy King Tim of Minnesota He wants to be president, you see
1st verse So, he acts like a little bully It’s my way or the highway, says King Tim He will not count your vote fully Unless you vote Republican like him
2nd verse He insists on "no new taxes" He’ll create new jobs by laying people off He will kill your health and welfare And the blood on his hands won’t wash off
3rd verse If you’re a proud homeowner You will pay for all Tim's budget bill He decided corporations get a free ride Under Time, the rich will never pay their fill
A little after midnight last night, the Minnesota House and Senate adjourned.
The legislature was able to make some headway on closing the budget deficit, a task made even more difficult after Governor Pawlenty vetoed the legislature's proposals to balance the budget by making state taxes fair.
The Governor has made it clear that he would rather place Minnesota's budget burden on the families that are struggling to make ends meet, pushing tens of thousands off of state health care, cutting local government aid, and delaying payments to school districts across the state.
Donna Welsh, finance director for Mower County, this morning said officials are worried about Gov. Tim Pawlenty making deeper cuts in state aid to counties, which would trickle down to taxpayers through higher property taxes.
"That's sad," Welsh said, adding there's concern about higher levels of state-aid unallotments for this year through 2011.
Uncertainty about Governor Pawlenty's unallotments is the last thing local governments need. Austin was hit late last year with a $500,000 unallotment and the Governor's budget proposal proposed reducing local government aid (which has previously made up 54% of the city's revenue) by $1.7 million over the next two years.
At a time when more and more people are losing their jobs and are unable to pay for health care, Governor Pawlenty is proposing to drastically cut the Health and Human Services budget, forcing thousands of Minnesotans off of Minnesota Care.
Yesterday, Governor Pawlenty proposed cutting General Assistance Medical Care (GMAC), too, under the assumption that people who lose their GMAC coverage would switch over to Minnesota Care. This won't necessarily be the case, as the Minnesota Budget Project explains:
It is important to note that many argue GAMC recipients will not successfully transition to MinnesotaCare because the programs are structured differently. MinnesotaCare is designed to serve working families with a fairly stable life, whereas GAMC serves a population often struggling with mental illness and/or chemical dependency that usually enter the health care system as a result of a health care crisis. The Governor has said he is willing to renegotiate his move to eliminate GAMC, but it would require reopening the health and human services bill that he signed on Thursday.
Watch the video of regular Minnesotans speaking out against the Governor's cuts to health care below:
"When is Gov. Tim Pawlenty going to put the needs of Minnesota ahead of his national ambitions?" writes Minneapolis resident Adam Duininck in this morning's Star Tribune.
Earlier this month, the Grand Forks Herald editorial section nailed Gov. Tim Pawlenty for his unwillingness to put everything on the table to fix Minnesota's budget problems, and they also get to the reason behind it all, political ambition.
Why bother to have a Legislature if the governor can write and pass the budget himself? Especially when that governor's party is in the minority, not the majority, in both the Senate and House.
Which is exactly what the Governor has decided to do.
The rest of Adam's letter below:
His budget borrows and spends, and places the debt on my generation. It's complete dishonesty and mismanagement -- all because he wants to cozy up to national Republican insiders instead of fixing our state.
Despite watching the Republican Party suffer huge losses in Minnesota and across the country, the governor is more rigid in his ideology and proposals than ever. The time for leadership, compromise and putting Minnesota values ahead of your own personal agenda is now, governor.
If he is not compelled to lead, I hope DFLers and Republicans in the Legislature will.
In the wake of Governor Pawlenty's threat to balance the state budget with only program and job cuts, Minnesota AFL-CIO President Ray Waldron today urged Governor Pawlenty to, "step back, cool off, and put the people of Minnesota first."
The Governor’s attitude of it’s my way or the highway disrespects the legislature, working families and communities throughout the state. Hospitals are laying off workers, families are scrambling to figure out how to keep their loved ones in the nursing home, and 20,000 jobs are it risk. This is no game. Take a deep breath, think of the workers, families and communities, Governor, and then get back to work.
On a conference call yesterday, Governor Tim Pawlenty said that the federal stimulus money (which is shaping the state budget) will be a big help in the state by "bring[ing] relief to Minnesotans who are unemployed."
"Minnesota continues to experience concerns about unemployment these additional funds will help bring relief to Minnesotans who are unemployed, have entered the unemployment ranks we want to do all that we can to help them and this money will be a great step in that direction,"Pawlenty said.
It would seem as though Governor Pawlenty has changed his tune. In the past, Pawlenty called President Obama's economic recovery efforts a "Ponzi scheme" that wouldn't do a good job of investing in infrastructure and putting people to work.
Here's some of what the Governor has said:
- "a meandering spending buffet," but said his state is "going to accept the money. This is a bill that missed the mark in terms of being focused and targeted." [Washington Post, 02/21/2009]
- "It is a house of cards and it is eventually going to collapse, I will predict to you, sooner rather than later." [WCCO Reality Check, 12/10/2008]
- Pawlenty said such spending "doesn't do anything" for the looming budget deficit in Minnesota. [Star Tribune, 12/02/2008]
ED SCHULTZ: Governor, do you think Minnesotans are with you on this? I mean, in your state, a bridge collapsed and killed 13 people. And there are other bridges in Minnesota that need support. There are bridges all over the country that need some infrastructure work. What‘s wrong with investing in that and getting people to work?
TIM PAWLENTY: Well, the bill didn't do that to a very good degree. [The Ed Shultz Show, 04/14/2009]
While I'm encouraged by the Governor's apparent change of heart regarding the efficacy of President Obama's efforts to stimulate the economy and create long-term economic recovery, his budget proposal doesn't exactly use all of the federal stimulus dollars to help struggling Minnesotans:
The Governor’s revised budget also includes a few new recommendations in direct response to the federal stimulus package. The federal stimulus bill makes additional resources available for short-term, one-time assistance for low-income families. As a result, the Governor’s revised budget includes million for counties to provide emergency assistance (such as rental assistance, damage deposits, utility expenses and other financial issues) to families in crisis.
The Governor’s revised budget, however, would cut state funding for community action agencies in half for the next two years, about million for the biennium. This means funds intended to get into the hands of low-income people would be used instead to fill the state’s budget deficit. This reduction is offset by approximately million in federal stimulus funding for community action agencies in Minnesota. State funding is supposed to return to original levels in FY 2012-13 – approximately million for the biennium – once the temporary federal stimulus dollars expire.
Unemployed Minnesotans may get a bit of a helping hand from the state this year, but as soon as the federal stimulus dollars run out, the agencies which provide assistance to the unemployed will find themselves underfunded or even eliminated.
The Governor revised budget still reduces or eliminates a variety of grants and programs serving for vulnerable populations, including: * Reducing general fund support for the Minnesota Jobs Skills Partnership by one-third. This program partners with businesses and educational institutions to develop training programs that meet businesses’ current needs for employees.
* Reducing funding for services helping people with disabilities get job training and find work, including employment and interpreter services for the deaf.
* Reducing pass-through grants to nonprofits providing low-income, minority and other vulnerable populations with employment services, including Opportunities Industrialization Centers, WomenVenture, Metropolitan Economic Development Association and Lifetrack Resources.
* Significantly decreasing funding to several youth programs that help with job training and placement. For example, the St. Paul and Minneapolis Summer Youth programs, which support job placement and mentoring for youth, would be cut 17 percent and 25 percent, respectively. Youthbuild, a program for low-income young people to work toward their GEDs or high school diplomas, learn job skills and serve their communities by building affordable housing, would be cut $ 150,000.
* Eliminating grants to the Minnesota Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs, Rural Policy and Development Center, and Entrepreneurs and Small Business Grants.
Governor Pawlenty's proposals to play accounting games with the federal stimulus dollars and balance the budget on the back's of Minnesotans struggling to make ends meet fly in the face of President Obama's plan for long-term economic recovery and endanger the future economic health of the state.
Caregivers and supporters of long-term care services for older adults will rally Tuesday at the Capitol to urge lawmakers to make funding for these services a priority in the state budget
The rally will run from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 28, in the rotunda of the state Capitol, St. Paul.
“The Legislature and Governor set rates for nursing homes,” organizers said. “As legislators finalize the budget, it's important that we remind them to prioritize older adult services and the jobs, economic and community stability they bring to the state.”
According to MNCN, Under Pawlenty's plan, 4,300 Minnesotans who are disabled or elderly would not longer be eligible for home- and community-based waiver services, which allow them access home-based health care services instead of living in the more expensive and confining institutional settings. This includes the 1,100 Minnesota seniors who would be cut off form Medical Assistance.
The rally will include caregivers, consumers, legislators, mayors, and family members, organizers said. Several dozen organizations are sponsoring the event, including AARP, Minnesota Senior Federation, Seniors and Workers for Quality, Minnesota Nurses Association and the Union Coalition of Long-Term Care Workers.
Dave Minderman over at mnpACT! wonders why the headlines about the state budget ignore the fact that Governor Tim Pawlenty's budget proposals use accounting shifts and "borrowed" money to give the appearance of not raising taxes, while actually increasing tax payer liability and forcing state and local governments to raise property taxes:
But here is the headline you never see:
Pawlenty Budget Increases Taxpayer Liability by $2.2 billion
This is budget money "stolen" from budgets that we and our kids will have to pay for. That revenue has to be restored and taxpayers will be doing that.
Now, add those figures up and we get $2.2 billion in tax money.
But, wait, I'm not finished.
Pawlenty also relies on a huge education payment shift of $1.29 billion. This will cause school districts to borrow money in the interim and that will require interest to be paid. Who pays the interest? Local property tax payers.
And because of the draconian cuts in Health and Human Services (which allows Pawlenty to make his claim of Education increases), more low income people will be forced to go without health insurance, which, in turn, increases unpaid emergency room visits. Paid for by the taxpayers of Minnesota and insured Minnesotans.
Pawlenty may have the press fooled. He may have is own caucus fooled. And he can make the claim that he doesn't raise taxes. Yes, he can say it over and over.
Dane Smith, the president of Growth & Justice, a non-partisan advocate for fair taxation and public investment, published a commentary in today's Morris Sun Tribune about the Senate and House tax bills, which he says represent a "fair and reasonable response" to Minnesota's historic budget deficit and revenue shortfall.
Here's his reasoning:
The bills recognize that our state’s quality-of-life and business success have been built on a foundation of wise public investment in human capital and infrastructure: education; transportation and public works; health care; and environmental protection. The damage done to these public resources – through previous no-new-taxes strategy of budget-balancing this decade – has been significant.This damage will be compounded by a cuts-only approach to budget-balancing.
The most important feature of both bills is that they at least partially restore the tax rates that existed on top-income households before the deep and permanent income tax cuts of 1999 and 2000. Those rates during the 1990s coincided with dramatic growth in jobs and personal income and Minnesota outperformed most of the nation on measures of business growth and vitality. Key facts to remember as context for the Senate and House revenue proposals are these:
Minnesota’s “Price of Government,” an official state government measure of state-local revenues as a percentage of income, is considerably lower than it was in the 1990s. Total spending as a percentage of income currently stands at about 16 percent, compared to about 17 percent through most of the 1990s. That amounts to about $2 billion less per year in the total Price of Government.
Numerous national studies show a concentration of wealth and income at the very top over the last 30 years. Most economic growth in the last decade accrued to top-income households. At the same time, the state’s highly regarded Tax Incidence Study shows that the top 1 percent and top 10 percent of households pay a smaller percentage of their total income in state-local taxes than do those in the bottom 90 percent of incomes.
Minnesota’s rankings on taxes have dropped dramatically, even as economic performance has slumped and our quality-of-life indicators have also begun to slide. Minnesota now ranks about 20th among the states in state-local taxes as a percentage of income and about 30th in all state-local revenues as a percentage of income (including such non-tax revenues as tuition, fees and federal aid).
Earlier today, Gov. Pawlenty was on MPR's Mid-Morning, where he took a question about long-term care for Minnesota's senior population.
His answer, the jist of which was captured by @bcollinsmn in his live-blog, was:
Everybody realizes the industry needs to change. It's old-style'50s nursing homes. A lot of seniors want to stay in their homes, so bringing help into their homes is one way to serve them. They don't want it to be old-style nursing homes, so the nursing home industry has to make that pivot. People aren't going into nursing homes and living for as long as they did.
Gov. Pawlenty's struck me as a bit misleading, since he's proposing to cut off Minnesotans of all ages from health care and other state services.
Now kicking kids off Minnesota Care is particularly bad, but so is turning our backs on the generation who built this country. We should be honoring their sacrifice and service, not, as Sue Knutson, the CEO of Samaritan Bethany in Rochester, wrote in the Post-Bulletin, reducing seniors "to a line item on the state's budget."
When it comes to protecting our seniors, decisions simply can't be about saving a little money in the short-term -- instead they must be about finding lasting and sustainable changes to create infrastructure and stability now and for generations to come.
As a provider of older adult services in Rochester, I can tell you firsthand that as lawmakers look for ways to bring innovation to the delivery of human services in the state, they should look no further than long-term care.
The proposed budget cuts and federal stimulus dollars might pay down some of the state's immediate budget problems, but they will do nothing to address the underlying challenges that will continue to plague the state beyond this budget cycle if serious reform efforts aren't considered.
President Obama's economic recovery plan is starting to funnel money into Minnesota. Last week, the legislature approved nearly 600 million in federal stimulus aid on roads, bridges and other transportation projects.
But there's growing concern about how exactly this and other federal money is being tracked.
A joint legislative commission heard state agencies’ plans to safeguard funds provided by the federal stimulus Thursday.
The hearing came in response to findings by legislative auditor James Nobles that the Minnesota Department of Finance had not provided adequate oversight for federal funds received by government agencies in 2008.
In one case, the Minnesota Department of Health neglected to report a .5 million rebate for baby formula purchased by a nutrition program.
The sloppy accounting allowed a former director in the Department of Human Services to steal almost million over a period of five years, according to a report by the legislative auditor.
Rep. Loren Solberg, DFL-Grand Rapids, said the audit results were “shocking.”
“The most disturbing thing is that some of the audits from previous years, they have not yet been implemented (by the Department of Finance),” Solberg said.
The accounting slips put the department’s ability to deal with incoming federal stimulus dollars at question.
“It seems to me that there’s a huge concern with the ability of the agencies to be tracking in a very aggressive way the federal stimulus money,” Solberg said.
These revelations have raised doubts about Governor Pawlenty's decision to appoint Dept. of Finance Commmissioner Tom Hanson, who is already responsible for the state budget, to oversee the federal economic recovery money.
Federal economic recovery money is turning out to be an important factor as state lawmakers attempt to solve the budget crisis.
Weeks ago, Senate leaders said they would cut 7 percent across the board from state spending. Now, it is obvious that will not be the case, thanks to federal economic stimulus money.
Higher education spending, for instance, would drop just 2.3 percent under the Senate plan. Public school education funding would fall 3.2 percent, and health and human services programs would experience a 5.9 percent drop.
Govenor Pawlenty had to abandon his proposal to cut the health care benifits of over 113,000 Minnesotans in order to qualify for some of the federal economic recovery money.
This morning I met with Angela, one of ABM's 
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