Tim Mahoney, Minnesota District 67A

Why We Must Step up our Efforts for 2010

[caption id="attachment_111" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Tim Pawlenty's Idea of "Leadership.""][/caption]

Governor Tim Pawlenty blames the Legislature and the Senate for not giving into his demands for the 2009 session to balance the budget in a way that benefits Minnesota. Instead, he refused to negotiate and held onto a foolhardy “No New Taxes Pledge,” saving his negotiation skills for a flurry of vetoes after the end of the session. By threatening to “Unallot” spending for needed medical and social services in Minnesota, he sent a signal to the citizens of our state that he is more interested in pleasing his potential campaign donors for his presumed presidential/vice presidential campaign in 2012.

While Pawlenty looks to the future, he uses the tools of the past: Cut, slash and burn and borrow. The 2009 portion of the Legislative Session has ended, with a budget we were forced to pass at the last minute before adjournment. Our leadership in the House and Senate had invited the governor many times to forge a compromise between our differences. It could have been something all Minnesotans could have lived with, even if not entirely happy with it.

The purpose of our bills, agreed on by both the Senate and the House, was to address taxation disparities which favor the rich over the working class and the poor, while continuing as many of the state’s needs for health care, local government assistance and education. Yes, even in our budget deal there were more cuts than we wanted. Yet we faced them and worked to minimize their effects on you, our constituents.

Pawlenty turned a deaf ear to the desires and wants of the people of Minnesota to invest wisely in our future and pulled out his red pen to write “Veto! Veto! Veto!” and to move the state its from its progressive leadership to the status of such business and education “powerhouse” states as Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

In 2010, we don’t know if The Man With The Red Pen will be running again to be our governor, or if he will be foregoing this race to follow his true ambition for national office. It doesn’t matter. We need to pour our efforts into electing a governor from the DFL. The people of Minnesota have elected a divided leadership between the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch; but in the hopes that we could together find solutions to our mounting problems. Instead they see that the governor had no such intentions.

We have many exciting candidates for the DFL choice to run for governor. I have endorsed Matt Entenza, but whoever we as the DFL place on the ticket Minnesota will win by electing a serious governor who cares about our state and our economic recovery. In 2010,, this is the race that matters (as well as my own, of course.)

There is No Need to Worry, Right?

Tim Pawlenty has just decided that he can do alone with a few broad strokes of his pen and behind closed doors, what they legislature has been working on since January. The Legislature and the Senate have been holding open door meetings for you so that you can have your input into the budget. And we have appreciated your input.

Unfortunately, we were faced with the reality in Minnesota of what will happen with draconian cuts in essential services and investments. Tim Pawlenty is apparently more interested in moving into Barack Obama’s current quarters at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, or at the least into Blair House, in 2013. So, rather than face our reality, he is doing what he sees is going to lead him more towards Washington. He is following the lead of the New National Party of No, with the big buck fund-raising power of the conservative wing of the Republican Party.

The videos I have been putting up over the last few days are the best way that I know how to illustrate what is happening at the close of the legislature.

Please call the numbers and tell Tim Pawlenty that he needs to be more responsible to Minnesota’s future than he does his own.

Real World Issues

Minnesotans testify that the Governor’s proposed cuts would hurt the health of our hospitals, health care worker and the lives of millions of Minnesotans who depend on quality care.

Slash And Burn

Governor Pawlenty is going to slash and burn the future of Minnesota with his plan to use line item veto to balance the budget. Call the governor and tell them that his hard line on revenue (so that he can raise righ-wing campaign funds for his 2012 presidential campaign,) are taking Minnesota backwards.

Mahoney, a long-time pipefitter, said a grace period that would last until Aug. 1, 2010, is needed to address the state high court’s ruling in the City of Morris v. Sax that local ordinances can’t supersede the State Building Code.

“What we have right now is confusion,” Mahoney said.

“I’m going to force you to take time off. I’m not even going to talk to you. I’m not going to ask you to come back with other ideas. I’m just going to tell you I’m going to lock the door and not let you in. Dumb idea,” Mahoney said.

In an interview after the hearing, Mahoney said Elk Run has the potential to benefit the entire state — not just Pine Island. He said businesses around the state could end up collaborating with businesses at the park.

He added, “It creates thousands of jobs in the Rochester area, but it also creates thousands more jobs statewide.”

Dissatisfied With the Cuts Pawlenty Proposes?

Are you unhappy that the Governor continues to look to the poor and working class to help him balance his “No New Taxes/Higher Fees” budget proposals?

Balancing the budget is not going to be easy, and the DFL legislature will be opposing this particular budget.  We will work with the governor, but expect him to be realistic.  So do you.  Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher, has a place for you to add your input.

PLEASE SHARE YOUR IDEAS WITH US!

The Minnesota House of Representatives has set up this webpage to provide an avenue for you to have a say in how we confront Minnesota’s projected budget deficit which totals $426 million this biennium and $4.8 billion for FY 2010-11.
We would also appreciate any ideas you might have as to how to solve the problem. Every idea deserves to be heard. Please use the comment fields below to give us your suggestions and/or thoughts on the deficit.
We would also ask that you please provide contact information in the designated fields. We will not share this information with anyone; we would just like to be able to contact you in case we have questions about your comments or suggestions.
Thank you in advance for your input, it will be important as we work together to solve Minnesota’s budget deficit.

The page, directly on the Minnesota House of Representatives site, is Here.