To the editor,
The House recently passed something to which a number of legislators refer as a “Garbage Bill.” Others are calling it a “Bailout Bill.” Either nickname is well-deserved.
Democrats took all sorts of mismatched, unrelated tax-and-spend provisions, lumped them together and passed them all in a massive 436-page bill that spends $1.2 billion through 2017. Many of the provisions never would have passed on their own merit, but rode the coattails of the few valuable measures included.
Take, for example, the 5-Percent Bill. This is good legislation that Republicans championed to deliver much-needed pay increases to our state’s care providers. It increases funding for the home- and community-based services and intermediate-care facilities for Minnesotans with developmental disabilities. These valuable care workers sacrificed during the recession and it was time to do the right thing and help them catch up on their earnings.
Democrats first pushed for a smaller increase of 4 percent. They eventually came around to supporting the full 5 percent we proposed, but then refused to bring the bill to the floor for a vote. They held it hostage in the Garbage Bill, tied a bunch of pork spending to it and refused to give our care workers – and vulnerable citizens who rely on them – the dignity of a stand-alone vote.
It is unfortunate Democrats played political games with this important bill.
When is enough enough? Democrats just last year increased all-funds spending by $1,500 for every man, woman and child in Minnesota. They wasted hardworking taxpayer money on pay raises for politicians and a $90 million commitment to build a lavish, unnecessary new office building for senators. Now they want to spend more to bail out Obamacare ($442 million) and more.
Sincerely,
Rep. Mark Anderson, R-Lake Shore
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