2010 House Candidate for 50-A Tim Utz

December 4, 2008

Today we received the bad news of a looming Minnesota state budget debt of $5,200,000,000.00 for the next biennium. This forecast excludes inflation pressures, which we must expect to greatly increase in 2009. In addition, the state is over $400,000,000.00 short in the current budget cycle, ending June 2009.

During the 2008 campaign, Tim Utz consistently spoke of the looming budget Tsunami headed for Minnesota. Tim has predicted a $4-5 billion dollar State budget shortfall, which still came in short. His opponent and re-elected candidate Carolyn Laine proclaimed a manageable adjustment to the state budget. Carolyn’s campaign theme included plans to pass universal healthcare, billions of dollars on new spending directed toward education, housing programs for the homeless, and multiple new programs accounting for multiple billions of dollars of additional annual increases in state spending, thus reflecting no clue as to the reality of looming revenue losses.

Minnesota needs realistic, competent, and insightful leadership today - - not the same old TAX and SPEND, free for all. The 2008 legislative leadership simply pushed obligations off into future budget cycles. Additionally, they sapped cash from dedicated state accounts to avoid spending cuts, thus multiplying the size of the budget forecast issues today.

This candidate running for Minnesota House 50-A did correctly see the budget problems. The budget, state shortfall, and solutions are a main centerpiece of our campaign.