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State Representative John Lesch
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4224
For more information contact: Nick Halter 651-297-1934
NEWS COLUMN
The Looming Trouble
The busy start the DFL got off to this session hasn’t stopped me from listening to my constituents. I realize that Minnesotans are hurting. From the recent graduate who can’t find an entry level job to the union worker waiting for a contract that hasn’t come-times are tough. In an era of recession, any glimmer of good news is appreciated.
By now, you may have heard about our February Budget Forecast. Back in November we were looking at a $1.2 billion budget deficit, fortunately, the February Forecast revised this number to $994 million. Although we still face some very hard budget decisions, I’m glad the number comes in under a billion.
There were a variety of different factors that led to the deficit drop. Chief among these is the fact that more
Minnesotans got jobs. We received $25 million more than expected in revenues. This happened because more Minnesotans are getting back to work and contributing to the state’s bottom line. We got another boost from the Federal stimulus package. Without it, we might have slipped into another Great Depression.
But there is trouble on the horizon.
Our deficit for the next budget cycle has increased by $363 million to $5.789 billion. Even more sobering is that this is before we factor in inflation-which could add another billion to the total. The $5.789 billion also leaves out the school shifts and other one time fixes our Governor is fond of. Add it all up and we could be looking at an $8 billion deficit.
Much could change before our next forecast. Revenues could grow again along with employment. But what won’t change is the fact that we have a serious problem. There won’t be any knight in shining armor to slay our debt either. It is time to come together and solve this issue together.
I’ve been disappointed by eight years of country club Minnesotans getting richer while the rest of us suffer. Deficits hit everyone hard. Not only are services cut back but they also mean that our citizens aren’t earning as much. I believe that the middle-class dream of a stable wage to support a family shouldn’t be run over by an elite few.
The fight to fix the budget will be hard and long. But I’ve always believed that we shouldn’t take the easy way out. This is our moment to stand together and fix a broken system. Politics as usual just won’t cut it for the thousands of struggling Minnesota families.
This is who I will be standing up for in our budget debates. Not those who have gamed the system but everyone who wants to see it work.
News Items
- Rep. Lesch, Senator John Marty and Revenue Commissioner Frans to talk tax reform with area residents at St. Paul town hall meeting - (Posted: 2012-12-12 00:00:00)
- Rep. Lesch Named Chair of the House Civil Law Committee - (Posted: 2012-11-16 00:00:00)
- EARTH DAY A CHANCE FOR REFLECTION, ACTION - (Posted: 2012-04-17 00:00:00)
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