It was 77 years ago this week when Franklin Delano Roosevelt stood on the steps of our nation's capitol and began to clear the clouds of hopelessness that covered America.
We were in the depths of the Great Depression. But FDR was resolute; he reminded us that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." And then he got to work - getting Americans on the job again, crafting a New Deal and lifting the spirits of our nation.
Today our challenges are being called the Great Recession. Our country and our state face challenges the likes of which we haven't seen in generations. Now, like then, we need leaders with vision to face challenges and create opportunity.
Inspired by FDR's inaugural anniversary, I want to share with you this video about my vision for our state's economy.
We can make Minnesota great again. We are poised to lead the nation in the clean energy economy, creating jobs and rejuvenating every corner of our state. When these jobs take hold in our communities, other businesses will benefit as well.
The road ahead won't always be easy, but charting a new course never is. I know what it's like to face challenges - and I know what it's like to overcome them. Together, as one Minnesota, we will do that.
Watch the video, and then join our campaign. It's time to get Minnesota working again, and to make Minnesota great again.
Rep. John Kline (R-MN) is a retired Marine. His claim to fame is he carried the "nuclear football" for Ronald Reagan. His expertise does not extend to economics, education or healthcare. Not that ignorance stops him. Conveniently, the Republican Party gives him handy talking points to repeat.
At a Lakeville Area Chamber of Commerce meeting on Feb. 22, U.S. Rep. John Kline, R-Lakeville, addressed employment, education and health care issues.
"There is a lot of turmoil in Washington and America," Kline said. "We're running deficits that were unimaginable two, three, four years ago."
Kline blamed Democrats for running up the deficit.
Kline said he opposes several current proposals in the House such as the Cap and Trade bill and the Employee Free Choice Act.
Kline said he also opposes the current health-care proposals.
(Thisweek Live)
Kline never met a George W. Bush budget or spending bill which he didn't rubber stamp. Kline wants you to forget that he and Bush turned a Clinton surplus into the largest deficit in history. Kline voted for the spending for two wars and for cutting taxes at the same time.
Kline helped Bush drive our economy of a cliff.
Now Kline would like you to forget that recent history and listen to him now when he says it's all the Democrats fault.
Should we give small business owners money in the form of tax cuts? Only if we want businesses open for a few, extra weeks. Businesses are not going to hire based on a hope that the economy will turn around. Meanwhile, we only buy goods if we perceive our own, steady cash inflow.
If timed right, tax cuts simply help buy elections as they contribute towards the downward trend.
To reverse the downward trend, Keynes concluded that government can "prime the pump." If the consumer isn't spending, the government should. Stimulus spending, especially in the form of jobs, produces slow, and steady results.
Those opposed to government spending prefer to stimulate the economy by reducing taxes to put more dollars into the hands of consumers and businesses. The fiscal impact of these two actions, spending and tax reduction, is the same: both increase the deficit all other things being equal. However, in the type of dramatic downward spiral we just experienced, tax cuts don't help much. Consumers and businesses will hoard the extra dollars and not spend due to the crisis of confidence and the trauma inflicted by the severely reduced value of homes, pension accounts and business assets.
Minnesota Effort: Government Spending, Bonding Bill: "B" for Building, Which Means "J" for "Jobs"
While Pawlenty's bill calls for $685 million in general obligation bonding, he said the budget forecast will allow for $725 million, perhaps setting a ceiling on far he's willing to go....Pawlenty also requested $96 million to expand sex offender facilities at Moose Lake. "we need sufficient capacity to detain serious and menacing sex offenders in our state ... That project was also not funded by Legislature."
Hopefully Minnesota will see this job creation effort come to fruition. The bill was retracted before it was vetoed. There will be a motion to bring it back to the floor, first in the Senate, at 11:00 AM today, Thursday February 25, 2010. Whereas Minnesota's legislators used to say "That won't pass and so why even try," they are now publicly fighting back and forth with Tim Pawlenty.
Federal Efforts With Minnesota Ties: MN Senator Franken's Cash for Jobs Bill
Senator Franken's "Cash for Jobs" bill is in committee. The 10 billion dollar bill would reallocate TARP funds and provide $5 billion for wage subsidies to incentivize hiring in the private sector and the additional $5 billion would be dispursed as direct grants to states, local governments, and tribes to create green jobs. Franken's plan is based on a former, successful Minnesota program:
Sen. Franken's 'Cash for Jobs' plan is based on a successful 1983-1987 Minnesota program, the Minnesota Emergency Employment Development program, that got 7,400 workers back on the job in its first six months.
There has been a lot of news lately on MSNBC and 950Am about Republicans who were against the Stimulus passed by President Obama and Congress last year. Many Republican Governors such as Rick Perry of Texas refused the stimulus money and then requested federal loans. But what about Minnesota's own Gov. Tim Pawlenty? How is he doing with the stimulus for Minnesota?
In December, Fox News' Eric Bolling presented Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty as an example of a conservative politician making tough choices to balance his state's budget. "A big hole and a simple plan to dig out of it, stop spending," said Bolling while introducing Pawlenty. "Sounds simple enough. Hold the line on taxes, live within your means. That is how my next guest aims to close his state`s billion-dollar-plus projected budget gap."
During the interview, Bolling asked Pawlenty about whether he would seek federal stimulus funds to help close his budget gaps. Pawlenty criticzied the idea, claiming that it would "delay the inevitable" by "just sending some cash out as a Band-Aid":
Amazing, isn't it? Since The Trickster ("I am not a crook!") walked into the Oval Office in 1969, the GOP has held the levers of executive power for 28 of the last 41 years; in Minnesota, the last DFLer to sit in the Corner Office was Rudy Perpich - and his last year was 1990.
The FarRightFringe of the GOP has been singing the praises of VooDoo Economics for ages; Uncle Ronnie put it into practice. If it worked, we'd be living high of the hog now; but we aren't because it doesn't. The GOP has driven the national economy into the cr@pper; TBag drove us under the bus here.
So, why - with the results so clear: VooDoo Economics DO NOT WORK - do hucksters like TBag still try to sell that RightWingSnakeOil?
Because those that forget the lessons of history, tend to vote GOP.
The theory behind the legislative bonding process is pretty straightforward: purchase bonds now, and pay them off later, when dollars are cheaper due to inflation.
Problems arise when you're stuck in a cycle of regressive tax cuts pushed by a Governor who clearly doesn't care about long-term outlooks.
Don't get me wrong, the current bonding bill is likely to have an immediate impact, much as the federal stimulus package has, to put Minnesotans to work on important public works projects around the state. But without sound fiscal policy on the other side of the ledger -- during odd-year budget negotiations, involving tax, education, and health care policy -- we're putting more debt on the books without a real plan to pay it off in a cost-effective manner later. Interest rates are low right now, true, but we're taking risks with our state's bond rating with the bevy of one-time fixes the Governor has unilaterally (and unconstitutionally) put in place.
I applaud the State Senate's quick movement on passing the current bonding bill -- it provides immediate funding for some very big projects, and State Senators didn't get too bogged down in nitty-gritty details. I look forward to the 2011 session, where the Senate, House, and a DFL Governor can put sound policy back on the budgetary side of the books. But of course, this year's bill faces a possible veto from Republican Gov. Pawlenty, who complained about two things:
1.) The bill is about 45% larger than he wanted it to be (this criticism makes no sense. Would he prefer the state pay for its obligations now through increased tax collections, or later through bonding? It's one or the other, Mr. Governor, you can't have both. Or neither.)
So...you want to increase mandatory jail time because it benefits the state, but you don't want the bonding bill because it doesn't help expand the program whose costs you're hoping to save through that jail time hike.
It would seem the bonding bill presents a case of Pawlenty vs. Pawlenty, and as the post's title suggests, it's about priorities. Which will win -- policy or politics?
(Right on. Legislative leaders, are you listening? - promoted by Joe Bodell)
As the MN legislature races to pass a bonding bill to put Minnesotans back to work, I hope they remember to solve some of the problems behind the anemic economy. A major economic factor is that employers aren't hiring. Why? According to a Healthpartners survey of 180 employers, the number one reason was affordable health care. For most of us, this makes sense. American businesses are forced to compete in a global community where many other countries provide health care for their citizens. By providing health care, this takes a huge operating cost off the backs of business.
"Affordable health care is a challenge and Minnesota businesses, along with businesses around the country, are struggling," said Andrea Walsh, chief marketing officer at HealthPartners, the third-biggest health insurer in Minnesota.
The GOP answer? Market based solutions. How that differs from our current system remains unknown (at least to me) According to Tom Emmer on KFAI, all people need good paying jobs to pay for health care. Seifert, its all about costs, people from all over the world come to the Mayo clinic and we can't have universal care because everyone will move here for the 'free care'. Now, I'm not quoting directly, because I was taking notes, but if you want to hear what they had to say check out KFAI.
My response, well it would be great if everyone had good paying jobs. How about we start reinvesting in Minnesota education and take costs like health insurance out of the job equation so employers can start hiring.
Despite being snowed in, today Congress is taking up a jobs bill in Washington. Just in time for Rep. John Kline to promote his vision for pulling Minnesota, and the rest of the nation, out of the current economic stall and into something resembling actual economic growth. So what is this vision for rebuilding the American economy, and thus, the American middle class?
Why, it's to do nothing. Of course.
Despite the fact that health care expenditures threaten to eat up nearly two-thirds of our national budget, Kline advocates hitting the pause button on health care reform. Despite the fact that our nation's military is strained to dangerous levels, Kline advocates against repealing the odious Don't Ask Don't Tell policy that prevents thousands of Americans from enlisting and serving openly. And when it comes to creating a domestic policy that would create jobs and rebuild crumbling infrastructure like with the Stimulus package, Kline's response has been to, you guessed it, do nothing.
Now Kline has taken that do nothing approach one step further, parroting protectionist talking points as he gears up for reelection. His most recent mailer praises his efforts at protecting Minnesota's economy and jobs. If he was really interested in protecting the economy he would be advocating strongly for health care reform--and meaningful reform that actually provides expansive coverage and meaningful cost control and consumer protection guarantees since rising health care costs are the single greatest threat to long-term sustainable economic recovery facing this state and the nation.
Tackling health care reform is also a great way to build jobs. Health care compliance, administration, and servicing is one of the fastest growing employment sectors both locally and nationally and even groups like UnitedHealth and Mayo acknowledge that reform efforts will likely require them to recruit and hire new employees. If Kline were truly interested in protecting Minnesota's economy he would be working towards enabling growth in our strongest, and most dependable industries like health care.
This do nothing, wait and see approach serves only one interest and that is not the welfare of Minnesota. It is the obstructionist agenda of the Republican party. So in a sense, Minnesota does need some protection--protection from the likes of John Kline.
"The Republican's sinful selfishness has given our country a period of loose thinking, descending morals, an era of selfishness...Republican leaders not only failed in material things, they have failed in national vision, because in disaster, they have held out no hope, they have pointed no path for the people below to climb back to places of security and of safety in our American life."
Doesn't that sounds like something President Barack Obama might have said in the last year. The quote is actually almost eight decades old. In 1932, Franklin Delano Roosevelt made that statement accusing the Republicans of creating an economy that helped a favored few to the detriment of the individual.
I'm not sure anything has changed in the last 80 years. Republicans have fought to protect corporate rights over the rights of individuals on a regular basis. I'm talking environmental issues, health issues, tax issues, labor issues, energy issues, and I could go on.
And who has "failed in material things" and "failed in national vision" over the last decade more in this state than Congressman John Kline? I know it is a toss up between Governor Pawlenty and John Kline, but Michelle Bachmann hasn't even reached the level of failure John Kline has.
John Kline recently sent out a mailing that states in bold, large letters "Congressman John Kline Protecting Minnesota's Economy and Jobs." I'd love to hear from him so he could tell me exactly what he has done to protect Minnesota's economy and jobs.
Wasn't he in congress supporting the economic and foreign policies that despite the recent upturn, still threaten to send us into a second Great Republican Depression? What has he done? He has joined the "NO" chorus on the Right opposing anything that might improve the economy or create jobs.
Apparently John Kline prefers to protect Minnesota's Economy and Jobs the same way Republicans did in 1929, by sitting on his hands and seeing what happens. I'll tell you what John Kline, I am no economic genius or any sort of policy wonk, but I know in the real world if you sit on your hands and refuse to do anything when change needs to occur, things are just going to get worse. Thanks for protecting us John Kline.
By Steve Quist
Original post at MNDem.wordpress.com
www.MNDem.com
"Let me tell you, I had a very nice seat at the State of the Union address," Franni Franken began. Franni is Sen. Al Franken's wife. "As I was walking to it I saw a young man sitting in the aisle on the steps. Because I visit Walter Reed (Army Medical Center), I have met many, many wounded warriors and I could tell that he had a prosthesis (prosthetic leg). By the way, they make them so well these days that's it's pretty hard to tell, but I could because of all the wounded warriors I've met."
"So I said, obviously you're sitting somewhere in this section and I think you'd probably fit better, be more comfortable, in my seat. Here you go, have my ticket," she continued. "So we exchanged tickets.
Franni was very, very happy that President Obama had made jobs creation one of his top priorities.
"Al promised that creating jobs would be his first, second and third priority," she said. "He's introduced his cash for jobs bill which is modeled on a very successful Minnesota program."
Dan Powers wants your support to become the DFL candidate to face Rep. John Kline in the MN-02 race. Powers is a small business owner who has become sick of politicians who don't listen. Kline is one of those politicians who doesn't have to listen because he's easily won reelection year after year.
Powers is building a grassroots campaign based upon healthcare reform, building a green economy and fiscal responsibility. He's started by hiring Mary Breitenstein ("MaryB"), a veteran of countless campaigns including Franken, and told me he will soon have a Finance Director.
"The deal is that I was a project manager for construction companies," Powers told me. "My job with those companies, and then running my own, was to listen and do what's best for the customer." An attitude like this would be drastically different than the rude and indifferent Kline. Read more about Power's background here
Powers supports a public option, wants to lure companies to build wind turbines and solar panels in his district and work hard for the people of his district. In contrast, Kline always toes the Republican party line.
Kline's main campaign theme is to ban "pork." Pork is earmarks. Earmarks are federal money to build local projects. Kline has repeatedly stated that fixing earmarks is his top priority. Kline neglects to mention that earmarks are less then 0.5% of the federal budget.
"I think that fixing the bridge in Hastings is really important," Powers said. "What Kline is doing is raising taxes locally because he won't work hard for his district. Somebody's got to pay for this so we don't have another bridge fall down. Since Kline won't even try to help, local taxpayers foot more of the bill."
Rep. John Kline (R-MN) released a press release the Friday before last that I didn't notice until now. First of all, this is understandable. It's not like Kline is bat**** crazy like Michele Bachmann -- His eye's don't burn with an unquenchable fire and he doesn't say demonstrably insane things. It's just that he never does anything or stand for anything. When he does he's just regurgitating the same old Republican lies you'd expect him to spray.
But this one takes the cake. It takes a couple of digs at the Dems without providing anything substantive. Like what he and his Republican colleagues would do. Completely and utterly vapid.
Right now the guy who is running against Senator Kevin Dahle has this on his facebook page (and therefore on his blog, too):
"Does the government fear us? Or do we fear the government? When the people fear the government, tyranny has found victory. The federal government is our servant, not our master! - Thomas Jefferson"
In effect, he's using fear in his quest for power, and I don't like it.
We have good government in Minnesota, one that is making painful cuts (shrinking) while it tries to listen to us.
This particular Republican is pictured, on his blog, standing next to Tim Pawlenty. Also on his blog he says he knows how to balance a budget and close a checkbook. He probably shouldn't stand next to Tim Pawlenty when he says this.... are the IOU's to our public schools even constitutional? Can we have a hamburger, today, and pay for it next Tuesday (or not pay for it if there isn't enough money) when it comes to our schools?
Does that result in thorough and efficient education?
I ask, is it responsible to "close the checkbook" when it comes to our kids' Kindergarten -= 12th grade education?
ARTICLE XIII
MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS
Section 1. UNIFORM SYSTEM OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS. The stability of a republican form of government depending mainly upon the intelligence of the people, it is the duty of the legislature to establish a general and uniform system of public schools. The legislature shall make such provisions by taxation or otherwise as will secure a thorough and efficient system of public schools throughout the state.
And, there are specific references to taxation and education:
ARTICLE X
TAXATION
Sec. 3. OCCUPATION TAX; ORES. Every person engaged in the business of mining or producing iron ore or other ores in this state shall pay to the state an occupation tax on the valuation of all ores mined or produced, which tax shall be in addition to all other taxes provided by law. The tax is due on the first day of May in the calendar year next following the mining or producing. The valuation of ore for the purpose of determining the amount of tax shall be ascertained as provided by law. Funds derived from the tax shall be used as follows: 50 percent to the state general revenue fund, 40 percent for the support of elementary and secondary schools and ten percent for the general support of the university.
You don't like to waste money. Your full-color, 2-full-sized-page, glossy flyer that was prepared, published and mailed at taxpayer expense is very clear on how you don't like to waste money. We get it.
"That will tie up their staff in knots." -- Michele Bachmann, 12 December 2009
And with Bachmann MotorMouth Overdrive, you know - KNOW - that's not the only outrageous stuff she spewed.
Like, this:
"That's literally what it felt like yesterday. It felt like I had mud on my face, blood and battle scars. It just felt awful."
"Then Barney Frank snuck through a bill that no one had even heard of before. Thirteen hundred pages long, it's the takeover of the financial services sector. And I know that this is hard to believe but this bill, in my opinion, is even worse that the government takeover of healthcare and worse than cap and trade."
"It is the worst bill because any financial transaction from writing a check to using a credit card - government is now in control, and the House passed it. It's the last vote that we took yesterday before I flew out of Washington D.C."
"That's right, not one Member of Congress read this bill, including me. And it isn't because for lack of not wanting to, or being too stupid to read the bill. It is impossible, because we didn't even hear about it until Tuesday and it isn't like we don't have a lot of other things to do. They're ramming bills through right now. It's almost like you'd think they want to destroy the country."
"It will destroy a million jobs at minimum, this one section of the bill dealing with derivatives, it will destroy at least a million. It's a massive government takeover of the economy. It creates an unelected Czar. This Czar has the power to set wages and set the wages of a bank teller in Anoka, Minnesota."
"They will choose the most radical leftist option every time and then they'll twist and break arms to get what they want to get."
And while those comments by Bachmann MotorMouth Overdrive are certainly outrageous, the most outrageous - IMNSO - is a Congresswoman advocating that supporters interfere with the efficient operation of fellow elected official's staff. That quote, once again:
"That will tie up their staff in knots." -- Michele Bachmann, 12 December 2009
GOPers are always claiming "government doesn't work" - and here Bachmann is, advocating that her supporters ensure it can't.
That, Ladies and Gentlemen, is your tax dollars -- NOT at work.
"Let me tell you, I had a very nice seat at the State of the Union address," Franni Franken began. Franni is Sen. Al Franken's wife. "As I was walking to it I saw a young man sitting in the aisle on the steps. Because I visit Walter Reed (Army Medical Center), I have met many, many wounded warriors and I could tell that he had a prosthesis (prosthetic leg). By the way, they make them so well these days that's it's pretty hard to tell, but I could because of all the wounded warriors I've met."
