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WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH? PART II
By Michael B. Brodkorb | April 4, 2007
This was posted at Almanac: At the Capitol .
###
As I wrote in an earlier Brain Trust submission:
[On 3/6] Governor Tim Pawlenty sent a letter to legislative leaders reminding them of Minnesota's fiscal outlook. The letter's other goal was to avoid "any misunderstanding or miscommunication" about Pawlenty's position on raising taxes. Translation: don't raise taxes.
Pawlenty wrote:
When you consider various budget proposals, I encourage you to join me in holding government accountable, setting priorities, and spending smarter. We should spend what we have, not what we want. The approximately $3 billion, 9.3 percent increase I have proposed is sufficient to fund government services and to address key priorities such as education, health care, renewable energy, and property tax relief.Although we've made progress over the past few years, Minnesota is still one of the highest-taxed states in the country. In order to keep Minnesota competitive and growing, we must hold the lines on taxes.
But one day before Governor Pawlenty sent this letter to legislative leaders, a DFL legislator introduced a bill that would raise the tax rate from 7.85 percent to 8.5 percent. In published reports, the legislator estimated her new tax increase would generate $252,000,000 by next year.
… DFL legislative leaders have been quoted in publications claiming they want Governor Pawlenty to be a "successful governor." DFL legislative leaders could put the taxpayers' money where their mouth is and not raise taxes, therefore keeping their word to help Governor Pawlenty become a "successful governor."
Hoping the DFL would play nice, I wrote in that earlier Brain Trust submission:
DFL legislative leaders can't prevent their caucus members from authoring massive tax-increases. But they can ensure these massive tax-increases don't become a part of any formal caucus position or proposal.
The DFL legislative leaders have done the exact opposite, engaging in what Minnesota Republicans have called "taxapalooza." The Minnesota Senate has based a tax-bill that would create the highest-in-the nation tax rate, while a companion bill is being considered in the Minnesota House. A 10-cent gas tax increase passed both the House and Senate earlier in the session. State Senator Steve Murphy, a DFLer from Red Wing, claimed a 10-cent gas increase would cost a family of four about $550 per year.
Even freshman Senate Democrats said last week they felt "very uncomfortable" with voting for some of the DFL tax proposals. This begs the question: when is enough, enough?
Topics: Uncategorized | 36 Comments »
April 4th, 2007 at 9:41 am
Calling Comrade Hanna, calling Comrade Hanna, are you ready to try your pathetic attempt to convince use why enough isn’t enough?
April 4th, 2007 at 9:43 am
Enough will be enough when we “fully fund” education.
April 4th, 2007 at 10:05 am
This whole DFL tax scam is more about form than subtsance.
Larry Pogemiller doesn’t care about the bottomline in Minnesota as long as he gets his shot at making Tim Pawlenty look bad. It’s embarrass the governor at any cost. Who does Larry think he is, Dean Johnson?
No legislative leader in their right mind allows the type and size of tax increases offered by the DFL to become bills on the floor of the House and Senate. It’s a big game of chicken. Nothing more, and nothing less.
If we had news media capable of independent reporting of news instead of marketing ideas supported by patronage, the Governor would stand a chance in this frame. But the era of objective journalism is indeed bygone. Hence, the proliferation of blogs as the last hope against complete isolation of citizens from their government.
So we have a stubborn mule in the Senate dead set on slaying an elephant. And a media incapable of anything but the mule’s perspective.
The Governor needs to buy airtime to have his position heard by the people of Minnesota. That my fellow Minnesotans is a truly disgusting reflection on the news media! But at least the tycoons are making a margin with taxpayer dollars
Watch Larry make Tim look like a boob. It’s a sure thing with our biased media enterprise.
April 4th, 2007 at 10:07 am
Democrats ran as Republicans and won… but only because Republicans at the Federal level acted like Democrats.
Still, now that Democrats are in power, they are going to act like Communists. And they will only be happy when everyone is suffering the same level of poverty.
Across this country, wherever there are high crime rates, violence, murder and moral depravity, I will show you a liberal government.
April 4th, 2007 at 10:08 am
Lets fully fund education when they stop wasting money and drop their union which they do not need. We also re-evaluate admin staff pay and benefits as they have grown well beyond what they should be.
WTM or a family member must be on a school payroll some where.
I would bet dollars to doughnuts that wtm is not concerned for the kids but rather how much he/she or a family member can make at the teaching profession.
Education MN is the largest waste of money in the history of government!! Fully funded by the way wtm by taxpayers! That means you and I paid for all their lobbying money spent, we pay for the union thugs to push for more benefits so as taxpayers we can pay even more. The system is so badly corrupt that it is now more than clear the education unions would rather bankrupt the system than give up one single program or ever make a single cut to staff besides teachers which is nothing more than a game they play so they can claim they have no money.
I say bring on the vouchers and watch more and more families move their kids to private schools where they not only get a better education but also more parent involvement as often parents who have to fork out some of their own hard earned cash tend to want to see results in their kids.
I believe in public funding for education but that funding should not be limited to only public run school systems as they clearly cannot handle the job without major money abuses.
April 4th, 2007 at 10:16 am
wtm, what does “fully fund” education include? I have been in education in Minnesota for 29 years.It is a black hole money keeps disappearing into. Explain please.
April 4th, 2007 at 10:30 am
Big Kahuna –
Can I get an AMEN?!
What is Fully Funded anyway? $50K per kid? $80K per kid?
I guarantee if it went that high we would still have 30 kids per class and teachers buying supplies with their own money but a counselor/social specialist/special needs/behavior consultant/ anti-bullying program director/director of multi-culturalism/global warming education coordinator/ …to infinity.
I graduated 25 years ago. I guess I was educated in an unheated pole barn by the town drunk judging by the severe lack of money we must have had.
April 4th, 2007 at 10:43 am
When talking about the DFL & tax increases, it’s obvious that they won’t listen & they won’t learn.
One thing that’s being forgotten about the education budget is that the DFL won’t speak out against colleges & universities offering taxpayer-subsidized in-state tuition rates to non-residents living outside the reciprocity states.
Why should Minnesotans subsidize students from New Mexico or Massachusetts or Florida? The DFL won’t say a word about this. Shame on them for needlessly costing Minnesota’s taxpayers millions of dollars.
April 4th, 2007 at 10:49 am
Point of clarification: I was being facetious when I placed the words “fully fund” in quotes. Like the rest of you, I understand that the battle cry to “fully fund” education is simply a justification for never-ending increased government spending because education will never be “fully funded.” I just wanted to clarify the apparently poorly conveyed meaning of my first post in order to avoid more friendly fire.
April 4th, 2007 at 11:24 am
Minneapolis spends more per student than any other district in the state. And still 1 of 2 (50 of 100 for liberals who like bigger numbers) high-school students can’t graduate in 4 years.
Yes, we need more money for edu-ma-cation… bologna.
ManGenius… you forgot to mention the addition of “Safe Rooms” ever 100 feet in the hallways and a complementary Star Bucks in the teachers lounge/bar/smoking room.
April 4th, 2007 at 11:32 am
wtm I did not think that you were a tax and spend guy so glad you cleared that up.
There can be no doubt that the school system is extremely out of control and it will need to go bankrupt and have a generation of kids fail before the public will demand real change. It is sad that the democRats have such a need to be in power that they will sacrifice this system and at least a full generation of kids we can will suffer due to these greedy pigs.
I place the blame of this directly on our MN DFL party who is bought and paid for by Education MN!!
Not only should the education unions be busted but we should also hold a moratorium that no liberals of democRats can hold an office in this state until the education system is changed.
Obviously neither can be trusted to run anything.
April 4th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Sorry, wtm, it was obvious but I missed the sarcasm and should have known.
Yep, I just liked jumping on the buzz word. I like “Fully Funded” almost as much as “Fair Share” and, my all time favorite, “The Richâ€.
Lib-think lesson No. 367 –
Nothing can be Fully Funded because The Rich never pay their Fair Share.
Any other Lib buzz words I should include?
April 4th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
I noticed that no one has posted a statement defending the teachers union. Well, I won’t either. Even though my wife is a classroom teacher, I believe the union is one of the worst things that has been foisted on the public. they say they care about the students, but whenever a contract is negotiated, it is all about them. Minneapolis has, as a previous poster said, a poor rate of graduation and yet has one of the highest funding rates of any school district in the state. I am glad that I did not have to put my three children through the Minneapolis school system.
April 4th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
Minneapolis and St. Paul yearly per pupil tuition: $12,300.00
Grad rate: 57-62%
Blake School: $15,400.00
Grad rate: 100%
St. Thomas Academy: $14,200.00
Grad rate: 100%
If we pump up the government school’s per pupil spending by $2-3k a year will our kids get a top notch, world-class college prep education?
Pfft..we’d be amazed if the publilc skrewls managed to send less than 40% if it’s students out to the streets functionally illiterate.
April 4th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
I think you amped up the Mpls/St. Paul number by including St. Paul.
Minneapolis tuition is slightly higher. And the graduation rate is about 5 percent lower.
I will never, ever, ever put my kids in to Minneapolis public schools. It’s no wonder parents in that district are moving out, and those trapped there are crying for vouchers.
April 4th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
FRJ – Yah, I heard that.
I know several school teachers, public and private. None of the public school teachers I know like the Union. The Union demands, and usually receives, most everything they want but the all the teachers get is more excuses why there is no money for books, supplies or smaller class rooms. The most they can count on is more requirements and restrictions. The private school teachers can only dream of the public school funding but usually have a much better track record. I know there is a lot of differences like special education but they don’t come close to covering the disparity.
The biggest problem in getting kids to learn, and every teacher I know has said this, is support from parents. Parents that just don’t care, don’t prepare the kids, don’t help with home work, don’t feed them a good breakfast… So, my question to Ed. MN is: how is more school money going to get parents involved?
April 4th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
It will never be enough. But I also put some blame on Pawlenty- 9.3% is a terrible way to start out negotiating with Democrats. He should have presented a 3% spending cut across the board and they would have settled for a 3% growth. Renewable energy is Pawlenty’s big issue and that’s going to cost us a bundle too outside of the tax increases. Where oh where are the conservatives?
I’ve heard Pawlenty talk about education and was very unimpressed. My simple plan for education 1. Offer vouchers in all Mpls/St Paul schools (to start) for $7,300 per student (enough to pay/partially pay for many top notch private schools) leave the district with the $5,000 per student to throw at the remaining students. They make money when students choose private schools. In Milwaukee Public Schools BOTH public and private students performed better with vouchers FACT 2. Conolidate School Districts along MN’s 8 Congressional District Boundaries- millions saved in administrative overhead- not every School District needs a $50,000 copy machine….maintain local School Boards 3. Pay SMART high school math and science teachers $100,000 a year- pay kindergarten teachers $30,000 a year — If they’ll move away from the unions 4. Decrease class sizes in elementary school (15-20 kids) 5. INCREASE class sizes (60-80) in high school with lecture hall and TA’s for break-outs….like college 6. Consolidate further in MNSCU, we don’t need campuses every 50 feet 7. Cut funding for the U of M until they stop building new buildings and start winning football games
April 4th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
ManGenius that is exactly why vouchers should be main stream! Obviously parents who want the best for their kids and can afford to place their kids in a private school. Just imagine if those who currently cannot afford to put their kids in a private school could get a huge hand with the tuition if they could take their share of taxes paid for education in the form of a voucher and get their kids in the private system. There is no doubt that the parents would become much more involved as they pay for the balance of the tuition and expect some results for their money.
Something the public system does not have to do. If they have failing results they just claim they need more funding and the MN DFL will back them up 100% as they have been bought by Education MN.
No amount of money sent to the government EVER will get a lousy a parent to be involved with their kids education which we all know is the true key to a child’s success.
April 4th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
ManGenius you are a genius!
In fact, size does not matter
… No independent study has every been completed that concluded that smaller class sizes improves student performance significantly. Every study concluded that that was the most expensive “solution” and yielded the smallest (if any) benefit. Every study indicated that improving parental involvement was the most important factor… and also the least expensive to incent.
The class-size debacle is just another liberal “feel good” answer that will not correct a problem.
April 4th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
Reading all the posts on this thread made me think we are being way too tough on this subject for Hanna, kathy, Fekke, otter and such.
In fairness it is tough for them to argue much besides the daily talking points over at Kos.
Thing is these knuckle heads know this is a very real problem but because their liberal friends are saturated in the education system they will never ask why more money is needed nor what are they doing with the funds they now have.
It is just so much easier to raise taxes blindly and claim someone is not paying their share than to ask fellow liberals to explain their spending.
TAX RALLY AT THE CAPITOL APRIL 14TH!! BE THERE TO HELP LET OUR MODERATE DEMOCRATS & LOCAL “RINO’S” KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF THEY RAISE TAXES.
April 4th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Oh yes not mention that the education union dumps a ton of money into DFL coffers.
(That would be taxpayer money at that they use to support the DFL!)
Once the public school system fails, so will the DFL party.
That is one huge voting block for them not to mention how much of school funding finds it’s way into DFL campaigns. 
April 4th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
Now I find it odd that none of our liberal friends want to chime in on this one??
I wonder why that could be? You know that they are reading these posts and trying to find some sort of defense but must be having a tough time finding one.
If only we would offer some smoke and mirriors for them to use in their arguement perhaps we would be hearing from them.
As usual, liberals only really complain when they can point at the Republicans, as soon as it is clearly a democRat at fault they become very silent.
Then again it is always quiet for kathy with her head up otters ass.
Which is quite a feat since otter keep his head there as well. 
April 4th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
Titus… where oh where could Titus be??..
Come tell us how the schools are underfunded and how the rich do not pay their fair share. Maybe you could toss in a complaint about how big someone else’s house is?
Stupid liberals
April 4th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
The reason you aren’t getting anyone to bite on this is that it’s silly disagreement. Republicans will do what their contributors want them do, Democrats likewise, and both sides will posture and argue. Then time will be running out, both sides will hole up in a room, both sides will give something and there will be an agreement. Democrats will run in ‘08 saying Republicans short-changed government’s obligations to Minnesotans, Republicans will say that Democrats want to tax and spend. There will be a campaign, people on this site will holler and scream and no one’s mind will be changed. Worth spending a lot of time on, no?
April 4th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Enough will be enough when we “fully fund†education.
“Enough” for people like Hanna will be when your paycheck is direct deposited into your local school districts bank account and you buy food at government-operated grocery stores with government-provided vouchers.
April 4th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Nice try otter but how do you feel about the abuses of funds at the public school trough??
Forget the platitudes man and let you opinion fly.
Granted it is difficult for you to honestly debate the issue as you are a liberal and know full well it is the education unions that keep your politics alive.
I was right however you were watching and kept silent because you know your party is far more corrupt and the biggest wasters of tax dollars.
Otter doesn’t it bother you even a little to know your whole political ideology is based on misrepresentations and out right lies?? Take away public funding from the DFL and they would crumble in a very short time. Once the unions die, the DFL will wither away.
The red star will try to keep the DFL alive but without union backing they would be toast.
April 4th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
You are hilarious. And cheaper than the comedy club. On a serious note, I do look forward to the day when doctors can remove the thought-control chip the unions implanted in my brain.
April 4th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
“I do look forward to the day when doctors can remove the thought-control chip the unions implanted in my brain.”
Who gives a shit about you? Not me.
Would it only that public school teachers were making that statement…the the teachers union is dying a slow death anyway, but getting the public skrewls out from under their thumbs sooner than later might be the difference between putting another 10,000 kids out on the streets to face a future as functional illiterates or another 100,000.
April 4th, 2007 at 4:33 pm
Swiftee … You break my heart. I just don’t know what I’d do if I thought you didn’t care about me.
April 4th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Otter I notice you still have no comment on the wasteful spending at the local public school trough?
Would that be because you full well know that it is your party’s doing and they are owned by the education special interests groups?
Obviously the Unions do have a place in your heart as you seem to not want to say they are wrong at all.
Must suck to have your political ideology thumped regularly here.
Not only has history shown that liberal policies fail, but even common sense would tell you how wrong the DFL is right now yet you eat it up like they would never lie to you. 
April 4th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Education funding is a bottomless pit. If a child is failing in school its 95% sure you have bad parenting going on. I teach and I see it year in and year out. Teachers who don’t support the union are afraid to speak out and lay low in their schools. Many belong only for the insurance to cover being sued by negligent parents. I never see small class sizes, enough materials or a cost of living wage increase.
Education Minnesota is a joke.
April 4th, 2007 at 4:50 pm
Bad parenting is a very real issue and is a major reason why some kids are not going to get a good education. No government program will ever fix that. No welfare program will ever fix that.
Nothing the DFL has ever offered would fix that.
Some kids are destined to fail and there is almost nothing we can do about that. Just like no matter how many jobs are available there will always be a few who refuse to work. We need to accept that for now, make it a socially bad thing to not be involved with your kids education and maybe a few will come around.
Never will more funding to these jokers ever fix a thing or even make anything better!
We would be best served by dropping lifetime benefits for folks working in education, disband the union and make it illegal for another union to represent any government employee and maybe then you can start to fix the things that can be fixed. After the education unions are gone, I say we stop the state gov unions as once again it is taxpayer funds that are funding these folks to hit the taxpayers up for more money! Talk about a conflict in interests!!
How many more years before there are more people working for the state of MN than working in the private sector?? If the DFL had their way it would be sooner rather than later.
April 4th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Bad parenting is the root to the entire problem, but the government can’t raise children- or can it?
That is what the Pre-K/ECFE stuff is all about. Prediction: In 20 years the Government will want your kids at 3.5 years old to start “educating them” so it’s “fair” for everybody.
My mom was a sub for 30 years, she said the only reason to join the union was protection from lawsuits. So- let’s pass a law to protect our teachers from frivolous lawsuits and get rid of the Union. Problem solved.
April 4th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Actually Big Kahuna, the DFL does have a solution… abortion. Kill them all they say…
April 5th, 2007 at 4:20 pm
Big Kahuna, Shozzy, chestnut. You all say it better than I can.
By the way, my name isn’t me trying to be superior; it was given to me by my 8 year old in playful sarcasm and stuck. It’s always used dripping with sarcasm.
I’m just an engineer and view politics in engineering terms. If we build something that fails or becomes obsolete, no one suggests that the solution is to throw money at it.
If it is not working, find the root cause and fix it. Don’t spend money on fresh paint and more layers of duct tape.
If it can’t be fixed but is still needed, scrap it and replace it with something better. The end result is almost always getting more for less.
If it is obsolete end it and move on. We don’t build things out of nostalgia.
If government worked this way we’d all be spending our time posting on gardening tips blogs because there would be nothing here to talk about.
April 5th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Yeah, Government would benefit from a healthy dose of “creative destruction”… Would also benefit if a few of us took up arms… just kidding.