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State Representative Tom Hackbarth
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-2439
For more information contact: Austin Bleess 651-296-5529
NEWS COLUMN
REAL IDEAS TO SOLVE A REAL PROBLEM
By Tom Hackbarth
State Representative
Yesterday Governor Pawlenty gave a great State of the State address to the citizens of Minnesota. He offered ideas and initiatives on how to bring our state out of this budget deficit in a fiscally responsible way. He reiterated his pledge to not put a larger fiscal burden on our families and businesses with extra taxes. He laid out his vision to bring more job creators into our state.
The Minnesota Jobs Recovery Act would make Minnesota competitive in the job market. Currently we are the third worst place in the world to locate a business. The Governor’s plan would lower the tax rate, give tax credits to small businesses, and increase incentives for businesses to reinvest in the local economy. This is exactly what we need right now.
The Governor also mentioned ways the state, counties and cities could tighten their belt. They could join together and leverage the buying power the state has. This would cut budget costs while not decreasing services at all. When it comes to buying things like road salt, paper, and IT Services every place uses them. If you can buy them in bulk you get a better deal. I support the Governor’s proposal to do this across all levels of government.
The main talk of the session is the budget deficit. It is at a staggering $5 billion right now, and could grow worse. But the Governor is providing amazing leadership. He has proposed to balance the budget without raising taxes. He gave the legislature a list of priorities. The priorities included the legitimate government functions of public safety, education, and caring for our veterans.
He even proposed increasing spending for education. By giving an extra 2% per student to schools that are producing positive results we can make sure our students receive the money they need for their education and that the money is going to good use. Even with the additional spending we can balance the budget.
The Governor gave a great speech that focused on what the families want when they sit around the kitchen table. They want a government that’s efficient, a world class education for their children, and to feel safe in their communities. The Governor has delivered on what every family wants by providing a balanced the budget and a sustainable path forward for Minnesota.
Now all we need is for the Democrats to accept it.
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