Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Bill Clinton Scandal - SANITY CHECK -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jlallen who wrote (41735)	4/6/1999 11:37:00 PM
From: DMaA	Respond to of 67261

Be prepared to wretch up your before bedtime snack. Here's what we're dealing with every day in MN: Andy Dawkins Guest Columnist Old chant, new spin: Give money back -- to state The Minnesota House and Senate are in a stalled conference committee trying to decide what to do with money the state has collected due to an extremely strong economy. The governor and the Democrats are deadlocked with the Republicans in a debate about which taxpayer base this so-called surplus should benefit. Lost in the partisan rhetoric about which version returns more money the taxpayers is a discussion of how we can consider rebates and permanent tax cuts in the midst of a booming economy when we can't even fulfill the promises we have made thus far. The reason we have a tax ''surplus'' is not because we collected too much in taxes, but because the Legislature has failed to provide enough financial support for essential programs throughout the state.[Govmt spending in MN has doubled in the past 15 years] It seems like the only place where nobody is talking about using the rebate for the common good is in the Legislature. DFLers, Republicans and even the governor are engaged in a frantic race over whose plan is going to give more money back faster. On the other hand, letters show up in local newspapers pleading with legislators to spend money wisely by investing in innovative and preventative initiatives. Constituents come to me several times a week to say, ''Just keep my rebate.'' I doubt my district is unique. An amendment to the House version of the rebate bill would allow anyone to sign all or a portion of their rebate check back to five important state priorities: Class size. People of all political stripes believe that investing in education is a good idea. Minnesota teachers are faced with extraordinarily large class sizes. The educational achievement of our youth is constrained by the inability of teachers to devote enough attention to each child. Reduction in class size will help our kids get the guidance they deserve. Affordable housing. It is widely accepted that the affordable housing situation in Minnesota is in a state of crisis[total bull shit]. Many point to affordable housing as the key factor in escaping poverty. Some 60,000 Minnesota families spend more than half of their income on housing, leaving little money for food, clothing and other essentials. Meanwhile, people wait for three years or more to receive affordable-housing assistance. Sliding-fee child care. As welfare-to-work swings into full force, many working parents are finding that the wages they are earning do not cover child care. The waiting list for sliding-fee child care is filled with more than 7,000 families. Adults who want to work are forced to stay home to take care of their children. This is not the way to pave the road to self-sufficiency. Polluted lands. Thousands of acres of polluted lands in Minnesota are sitting idle. If these lands were cleaned up, they could be redeveloped, bringing thousands of jobs and millions of dollars into the state. Instead, the Legislature does little and polluted lands remain useless. General fund. An additional fund would be established to fund other important programs as the need arises. Some people think the idea of returning rebates to the state is crazy. Who would want to send money to the government voluntarily? The fact is that while many people support using the surplus for the common good instead of rebates, few people are likely to be willing to send back their rebate if they do not think anyone else will do so. Nobody wants to be a sucker. But if we get 1 percent of people to return their average rebate checks, $15 million dollars will go to help address the challenges facing our state. I challenge Minnesotans, who, whether they acknowledge it or not, have benefited from one of the strongest and most efficient state governments in the nation, to consider returning all or part of their rebate check to the fund that is most important to them. But silently donating is not enough. Make it known to your family, co-workers and friends that you're not in agreement with the shortsighted mad rush to fill our own pockets, a rush that shows little regard for the general social welfare and the quality of life in Minnesota. I challenge Minnesota corporations to match the amount of money that their employees return to the state. With your incentives, more people will be willing to bring their money back to where it is needed. It is my steadfast hope that this amendment will be retained in the final compromise so that Minnesotans will have the opportunity to provide critical funds and to protest the fact that we are handing out rebates instead of investing it in self-sufficiency programs, education and land cleanup. Dawkins, of St. Paul, is a DFLer representing District 65A in the Minnesota House. Contact him at rep.andy.dawkins@house.leg.state.mn.us or at (651) 296-5158. pioneerplanet.com