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State Representative Bob Dettmer

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Posted: 2008-03-03 00:00:00
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NEWS COLUMN

BEING $935 MILLION IN THE HOLE, WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES?


By Bob Dettmer
State Representative
District 52A

The states top economist recently announced Minnesota is now facing a $935 million budget deficit, which is larger than the $373 million deficit that was announced in November. It is time for state legislators, included myself, to take a look at the budget and make some tough choices. Just as families need to re-evaluate their spending when their checkbooks reach zero, the state needs to re-evaluate where money is being spent. We need to make fiscally responsible choices and spend money where it is most needed.

What are our priorities for spending state dollars? Where should the money go? The state needs to fund our priorities, while cutting the unnecessary spending. We need to make sure our families are safe, and our roads are in good repair. We need to make sure we are not giving out endless government handouts and subsidies.

Through it all one thing remains clear: We should not be raising taxes. Raising taxes will only place an undue strain on our families. We need to allow our families to keep the money they earn. After all they know how to spend it better than politicians in St. Paul do.

I invite my friends on both sides of the aisle to sit down together and bring our state budget back into a surplus in a fiscally responsible way.
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