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State Representative Tim Sanders
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4226
For more information contact: Austin Bleess 651-296-5529
NEWS COLUMN
A BALANCE BUDGET AND A REFORMED GOVERNMENT
By Tim Sanders
State Representative
The state of Minnesota has been facing a budget deficit for two months. The Legislature has given some lip service to the problem, but this week we have finally received a solution. The Governor unveiled his proposal this week that has some great pieces to help our area.
In his proposal the Governor has done to the state budget what the families are doing to their budgets: cutting back. Just like families in our district are paying their priorities first, things like the mortgage, electricity, and heat, the Governor has put our state priorities first, education, public safety, and creating more jobs.
The Governor has proposed to give school districts and charter schools up to an additional 2 percent per student on the general education formula for students meeting standards or showing reasonable progress toward achievement. This is a common sense approach to education. In the private sector people are held accountable and rewarded for their progress and achievement. This proposal will help schools in making progress towards meeting their goals. An educated, skillful workforce is key to making business want to start and grow in Minnesota. I’m pleased to see Governor Pawlenty offer ideas to reform and improve schools, with the reforms tied to additional funding.
By maintaining levels of funding for public safety we can ensure our communities are a place we can enjoy. Making sure our families are safe whether at home, at the park, or on the roads is something we all desire. This budget proposal will help ensure that.
Creating more jobs is also key to the long term stability of our state. Encouraging job growth in our state by reducing the government burden on businesses both large and small will help revitalize our city. We can get people back to work and get them back to living the American Dream.
Reforming how government works is another piece to the proposal. Instead of having unnecessary or burdensome mandates on things including cities, counties, and health care we should help remove the burden. By removing mandates that simply add extra layers of red tape, paper, and bureaucracy we can lower the costs associated in all of these areas.
I look forward to supporting these proposals. We can balance the budget and we can do it quickly. We can focus on priorities, while putting families first.
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News Items
- March 30 Legislative Update - (Posted: 2012-03-30 00:00:00)
- March 16 Legislative Update - (Posted: 2012-03-16 00:00:00)
- March 2 Legislative Update - (Posted: 2012-03-02 00:00:00)
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