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Wednesday, 20 January 2010
DFL-controlled House Rules Committee Blocks Budget Reductions
ST. PAUL, January 12, 2009 – The Minnesota DFL-controlled House Rules and Legislative Administration Committee today voted down proposals to further reduce legislative spending as the state deals with a $4.8 billion budget deficit. Four proposals, offered by Representatives Marty Seifert and Tom Emmer, would have saved taxpayers money and shown the public that legislators are not above playing a role in balancing the budget. Seifert, R-Marshall, said the Legislature should hold itself to the same standard as the rest of state government.
"If we are going to be searching in every nook and cranny for ways to save money, it is hypocritical to set our own nooks and crannies off limits," Seifert said. His proposals included reducing House members' allotment of stationary and stamps, as well as reducing reimbursements for Internet, cell phone and other communications services.
A proposal from Emmer, R-Delano, – initially introduced as an amendment to House's Temporary Rules – would have cut off member housing allowances following adjournment in 2009. The housing allowance, which during the DFL-controlled 2007-2008 legislative session cost Minnesota taxpayers between a quarter and half-million dollars, would be returned to its 2005-2006 level when the Republican majority limited total out-of-session payments to less than $19,000.
"Minnesotans are losing jobs and finding it harder to make ends meet. As they're forced to do more with less, I think legislators can get by with a little less paper and a few less stamps without hurting our ability to stay in touch with the folks back home," Seifert said.
"Lots of Minnesota families are hurting. They're out of work, struggling to pay the mortgage and worrying about buying food and clothes for their kids. From my perspective as a person who was elected to make tough decisions to help lead Minnesota back to prosperity, shouldn't elected officials be willing to do our part as well? Apparently the DFL is more interested in the appearance of fiscal responsibility than any actually doing anything about the budget deficit," Emmer said.
Seifert said he advocated for and supports the $2.2 million reduction to the Legislature's budget made in December as part of the unallotment process, but added that a large funding increase for the Legislature in 2007 puts the cut in perspective.
"The DFL increased the Legislative budget by 16 percent two years ago, a higher percentage than schools, nursing homes and nearly everything else. If we're going to ask Minnesotans to make sacrifices, Democrats should at least be honest about how they squandered the $2.2 billion surplus two years ago."
These efforts to control spending came just one day after attempts by House Republicans to reduce legislator per diem payments, which the DFL defeated..
Thursday, 04 December 2008
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A Minnesota Without Vetoes?
What Minnesota would look like if Democrats had
absolute control of state government
Democrats in the state legislature are only five seats away from having enough votes to override all of Governor Pawlenty's vetoes. What would that mean for Minnesotans? Here is a look back at just some of the bills Democrats tried to pass since 2007 but were stopped by the veto. Is this what Minnesotans want from their state government?
Ridiculous and Wasteful Spending
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$150,000 to study shade-trees (SF 2096)
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$3,000,000 for welfare recipients to get auto repairs, auto loans and auto purchase grants (HF 1078)
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$11 million to renovate gorilla cages (HF 380)
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$400,000 for a brass band sheet music museum (HF 380)
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$344 million worth of borrowing on the taxpayers’ credit card, including millions of dollars in earmarks (HF 886)
Unaffordable Tax Increases
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A job-killing bill that would have made it more expensive to hire and retain workers (SF 2089)
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A $452 million tax increase passed by Democrats that would have raised income taxes and hit small businesses especially hard. Minnesota would have had the third-highest tax rate in the country if this bill had not been vetoed. (HF 2294)
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The “Handyman Tax” that would have been placed on paint (SF 3775)
Threats to Public Safety
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A dangerous attempt to relax the classification for security counselors who guard convicted sex offenders, creating a potential public safety threat (SF 2171)
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An appalling plan from Democrats that would have made it possible for persons convicted of sex offenses, murder, felony spousal abuse, child abuse, child pornography and other felonies to potentially get jobs providing direct care to children (SF 3166)
Just Plain Bad Policy
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Plans to undermine the integrity of Minnesota’s voter registration and election systems (SF 1997)
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Another Democrat-sponsored plan to put government spending on autopilot with no regard for taxpayers’ ability to keep funding ever-growing government programs (HF 2268)
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A resolution that would have expressed support for taking away employee protections if they oppose joining a union (SF 543)
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A flawed health care plan that would have exhausted its funding source in five years, resulting in huge tax increases or devastating health care cuts (HF 3391)
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An irresponsible Democrat plan to give taxpayer-funded health care to families making as much as $84,000 (HF 3391)
Higher taxes, wasteful spending, threats to public safety. That's not the vision and leadership Minnesota needs, but it's what Democrats would do if they had absolute control over our taxes and our government.
On November 4, vote for the candidates who will help keep taxes under control, protect public safety and make government live within its means.
Use the Secretary of State's online pollfinder to find out where to vote on Election Day. Then, look up your candidate! |
Thursday, 04 December 2008
House Republicans Call for Audit and Hearings on Out-of-State Welfare Spending
More than $10 million EBT transactions take place in other states
Click here for a U.S. map of out-of-state welfare spending
SAINT PAUL – (August 7, 2008) – Citing millions of state taxpayer dollars being spent in other states through the use of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, Minnesota House Republicans today called for legislative hearings and an audit of the state’s EBT system.
House Republican Leader Marty Seifert said exploding out-of-state costs are costing taxpayers millions of dollars.
Click here for more.
Thursday, 04 December 2008
REPUBLICANS RESPOND TO BUDGET FORECAST
Budget turns from huge surplus to historic deficit in just two years
ST. PAUL, December 4, 2008 – Two years ago, upon the news of a $2.2 billion state budget surplus, House Republican Leader Marty Seifert offered a clear warning to the new House DFL majority that they could not spend their way to a better economy.
"At every step of this multi-billion dollar plunge from a huge surplus to a historic deficit, House Republicans warned Democrats that their spending habits were unaffordable. Our calls for fiscal responsibility were repeatedly ignored, and today we learned that the result of letting Democrats control the purse strings is the worst budget outlook in state history," Seifert said after the Department of Finance announced that Minnesota's government faces a $5.2 billion budget deficit.
Seifert said that in order to get Minnesota back on solid financial ground, one of the things the House Republican Caucus would focus its efforts on is reducing the harmful effects that the government can have on the economy. That all starts, he said, with preventing tax increases.
"Under-taxation did not cause this deficit," he said, adding that "increased taxes are stop-sticks on the road to prosperity. If that's what Democrats intend to offer as a solution, it's going to be a long ride to a balanced budget."
But he also said that he sees areas where the two sides can find common ground.
"If they are sincere, Republicans have a multitude of ideas for reforming government that we'd like to work with them on. It's time to grow jobs and healthy families, not government and taxes."
Responding to Governor Pawlenty's proposed reductions to the current budget, Seifert said the Legislature needs to get right to work on January 6, 2009, before problems with the current budget spiral completely out of control.
"The longer we wait, the fewer our options," he said.
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