Listen To, Watch New Minority Leader Zellers

Representative Kurt Zellers did the media rounds last week after being elected House Republican Minority Leader.  You can listen to the audio and watch video below.

Press conference with the Capitol press corps (scroll down the page to Wednesday, June 24)

Prebil & Murphy on AM 1500 KSTP

At Issue with Tom Hauser on KSTP television

Midday on MPR with Gary Eichten

Chris Baker on KTLK FM 100.3

And last but not least, watch Rep. Zellers and his family pack up his office and take the keys from former Minority Leader Marty Seifert on TPT's Almanac. (click on "Meet Kurt Zellers" to the right of the video player)

Fact: DFLers led the push to cut basic highway maintenance in 2009

DFL Representative Terry Morrow on KEYC television in Mankato:

We're seeing it with MnDot putting more staff back on the road whether it's snow removal or maintenance, you have to remember maintenance and preservation is a big part of this bill...

While Morrow pats himself on the back for raising taxes and failing to set common-sense priorities, one only has to look back a few months to find him – and the rest of his DFL colleagues – cutting that very same maintenance funding.

On April 25 of this year, Morrow and the Democrats passed a bill off the House floor that cut maintenance funding by $21.7 million, a whopping FOUR TIMES more than what Governor Pawlenty proposed.

When it comes to the DFL’s multi-billion dollar tax increase on gas, sales, cars and license tabs, House Republican Tony Cornish (Good Thunder) hits the nail on the head:

"The transit hogs in the cities got exactly what they wanted, we didn't, I got Highway 83 and 109 that are scheduled in 2010 and 12 and haven't been moved up a bit. I don't see jobs I don't see road miles being added it's almost insignificant what difference this tax has done other than take money out of your wallet."

Rep. Cornish’s first statement is the key: transit came out of the tax increase smelling like a rose. They even pulled off a “compromise among thieves” as House Republican Mark Buesgens called it...

Here’s what the original DFL sales tax increase proposal of one-half-cent would have funded:

• $1.1 billion for metro transit
• $566 million for roads
• $566 million for a “flexible account”
• Total: $2.26 billion

Then, the DFL “compromised” by deciding to only raise taxes by one-quarter-cent. But look how the funding changed:

• $1.2 billion for metro transit
• Road funding gone
• Flexible account funding gone
• Total: $1.2 billion

(Source: House Fiscal analysis)

So ask yourself this: How much of a compromise is it when transit gets more money, roads get none and taxpayers still get hit with a tax increase?

ZELLERS ELECTED MINNESOTA HOUSE MINORITY LEADER

ST. PAUL, June 23, 2009 – The Minnesota House Republican Caucus on Monday elected State Representative Kurt Zellers, R-Maple Grove, to be the next House Minority Leader effective immediately. Zellers replaces former State Representative Marty Seifert, R-Marshall.

“Our caucus will continue to be the peoples’ advocate for a government that spends responsibly, sets priorities and keeps a lid on taxes. That means more than just sitting back and saying no every time Democrats propose a new tax increase. We will offer new solutions and new ideas, all with a continued respect for the taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars.

“Our constituents sent us here to play a part in finding solutions, they don’t want to see another legislative session like the one that just finished. We will keep offering ideas for reform that we believe chart the best course to an economic recovery, and we’ll work with willing Democrats to get things done.”

Zellers is in his fourth term in the Minnesota House, having first been elected in a 2003 special election, and won re-election in 2004, 2006 and 2008. He represents House District 32B in the northwest Twin Cities metro area, including the city of Osseo and part of Maple Grove. Zellers and his wife, Kim, have two children, son Will, age 4, and daughter Reagan, age 5.

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Seifert: Governor Steps in Where DFL Failed

ST. PAUL, June 16, 2009 -- House Republican Minority Leader Marty Seifert, R-Marshall, today commented on Governor Pawlenty’s announcement for unallotment targets, crediting the governor for doing what Democrats failed to accomplish during the 2009 session.

“Governor Pawlenty today did what Minnesota Democrats cannot: He made government live within its means. Unallotment is not anyone’s ideal solution, but it’s what the session came to when the other side proved they could not set priorities or embrace reform.

“Democrats who condemn the governor’s actions seem to forget they had more than five months to find a solution. Had they spent more time working with us on reforms and efficiencies, and less time in committees that produced no results, this day would have been avoided.”

Seifert also called out House Democrats for their apparent unwillingness to consider ways to partially restore the General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) program after the governor’s line-item veto.

“Like the rest of the budget, Democrats walked away from their responsibility to find a reasonable solution. They were so uncooperative that even members of their own party couldn’t help but notice their unwillingness. That’s unfortunate because there is a genuine interest on our side to making this work. I think we could have found an agreement if they had been willing.”

Following the GAMC line-item veto, House Republicans made two attempts to partially restore funding:

• Republicans first tried to offer an amendment directing $100 million back into hospitals, but Democrats abruptly pulled the bill from consideration to prevent a vote.
• Two days later Democrats voted en masse to block an application for $215 million in federal funds to support GAMC.

Berglin interview link.

Key quotes from Senator Berglin, RE: working with House Democrats on finding any sort of post-veto GAMC solution:

“I was trying to get first the House and then my own caucus to try and agree on something like that and send it to them to save the second year of GAMC. And the House just--their attitude was, he said he would unallot; why should we make his cuts for him”

And later...

“But anyway the House didn’t want to do anything more and so we didn’t.”

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Tax Revenue, Inflation or Government Spending? Which Grows Faster?

The answer in Minnesota is government spending.  This chart, based on the February 2009 forecast, shows how state government spending in Minnesota is growing faster than revenues, faster than inflation.