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State Representative Diane Loeffler
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4219
For more information contact: Joan Nichols 651-29X-XXXX
Column/LTE
Minnesota: A Long History of Natural & Manmade Wealth
Minnesota has a long rich history of natural and manmade wealth. We enjoy an abundance of lakes, rivers, streams, prairie land, rich farmland and forests. We experience four full seasons (even though some people tell you it's just one). We are home to some of the leading research centers and businesses including the Mayo, the University of Minnesota, Target, United Health Group, Medtronic, General Mills, U.S. Bancorp, Best Buy, Cargill and 3M. We consistently rank among the healthiest states and have one of the most highly educated and literate populations in the nation.
Some of these things come to us from the good fortune of geographic location and luck, but many come to us from the good fortune of hard work, planning, dedication, foresight and commitment. Generations of Minnesotans have invested their times and talents into this state to give us the winning edge we have enjoyed for so long. Unfortunately, the contributions of our parents and grandparents are in danger.
We are facing a significant state budget deficit of $935 million. Many factors contribute to the deficit including a weakening economy, reduced revenues, the recent credit crunch and the slow housing market. A multi-faceted approach is being built to handle this deficit, but cuts will have to be made. We are working hard to ensure that the gains we have made in education and healthcare are not lost. The investments of previous generations required dedication and sacrifice and we will do our best to replenish their investments with equal diligence. Maintaining our state of relative prosperity and greatness is sometimes costly and painful but not nearly as costly or painful as our alternative, which is another step towards mediocrity.
Even in times of financial hardship our common interests should be protected. We need to move forward and bring all Minnesotans with us. We have an obligation to provide high quality, affordable health care to every single citizen of this state. We need to equip our teachers with the tools they need to successfully educate tomorrow's leaders and we need to realize that the public good is our own good.
Governor Tim Pawlenty and both bodies of the state legislature have proposed their own plans to address the state budget deficit. There are some controversial differences between the plans, but more importantly there is a lot of common ground. We need to build upon these commonalities and unite in the name of our shared goals to solve the budget deficit in a responsible and effective manner.
The biggest differences come in the health and human services field. More than half of the governors recommended cuts come out of health and human services. This will mean less money for nursing homes and senior care and less money for our disabled friends and family members. The governor's plan will cut health care access for 31,000 Minnesotans, 20,000 of them children, by taking $250 million from a dedicated health care account. We are in a difficult situation but simply can't shift this much of the state's burden onto our most vulnerable populations. We can do better than this.
Our K-12 schools are facing a $113 million deficit. Education Minnesota recently confirmed this number when they announced the results of a survey that found statewide budget deficits in 46 school districts ranging from $100,000 up to $16 million. I want to applaud the governor for not proposing any further cuts to K-12 education funding but implore him to do more. One of our most important jobs as parents, as families, as communities and as a state is to educate our youth and prepare them for tomorrow. We can't do this with empty promises and unfunded mandates.
We all have to do our part to resolve the state deficit and reasonable spending on the higher education level will be an integral part of the final plan. All of the proposed plans trim funds to higher education. This is obviously not our first choice, but we do feel that our state colleges and universities are better equipped and more readily able to shoulder a share of the state deficit than our K-12 schools are.
Another common ground that we all share is the agreement to use some of the states "rainy day" funds. We invest in the states reserves and savings for situations like this. Making responsible use of our reserves is in our best interest and should be given full consideration. A colleague of mine at the Capitol recently said that when your car breaks down, you don't stop feeding the kids. You dip into your savings and do what you have to, to fix your car, but you don't use the grocery money. That's a great analogy for us all to keep in mind as we devise plans to deal with the state budget deficit.
Minnesota has long produced the best and the brightest students. We have a social network strong enough to help people from falling through the cracks and suffering the ravages of poverty, illiteracy and improper healthcare. But the tide is turning and we are dangerously close to slipping farther and farther away from the idyllic state we know and love. We must remain vigilant to protect our vulnerable populations. Our children, our seniors, our disabled and our poor should not be left to fend for themselves.
Minnesota is a great state to live in; in fact it's one of the best. Our civic involvement and high voter turnout are proofs that we still care. We have made some difficult decisions and cuts in recent years and have veered off the path of greatness laid out for us by previous generations, but we can still find our way. We are all Minnesotans and have a vested interest in this state. It is time to fulfill our constitutional obligations and to act as a people instead of individuals. We cannot afford to let political gimmicks and personal gains take precedence over the prosperity and wealth of our state. It is time to act responsibly and balance the budget without harming the things that make Minnesota a great place to live.
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