December 17, 2008: Legislative Report #2
Monday, December, 15th 2008, Nick Quade and I attended a House finance committee meeting. The meeting set to discuss how state department commissioners planned to reduce spending to meet the projected $450,000,000.00 shortfall forecast by June 30 2009. The meeting scheduled for a couple hours drug on well past the time allotted. Nick and I left after 3 hours, but more revealing is about 60% of the House Representatives in attendance had left the meeting prior to our departure. Carolyn Laine failed to attend this critical informational gathering session.
Twenty-four Minnesota state department heads were scheduled to attend the meeting today and provide testimony. After 3 hours only 4 departments who consume 76.7% of state spending gave testimony, included Health and Human Services, MnSCU, University of Minnesota, and K-12 Education commissioners made presentations.
In general, the commissioners of the four groups who had spoken provided emotional compelling reasons their existence deserved continued funding. In addition, the four commissioners who spoke provided little if any proposed department cuts to balance the 2009 budget shortfall. Even more interesting were discussions about the next biennium (2010-2011) of state spending. With a projected shortfall of more than $5,275,000,000.00, the four departments had no proposed savings.
We observed the following House member positions.
- The House has no intention to support an equal across the board department cut as the Senate is proposing.
- The priority is protecting education from spending cuts (49.1% of state spending). Devastation is inevitable if the state excludes education in state budget balancing. If education is protected, the remaining 20 plus state departments are forced to cut spending 30% to 40% each to gain a balanced budget.
The Minnesota House needs real constitutional Rule of Law leadership. The plans and actions of our 2008 Minnesota House elected leaders fall far short of providing any governance. They continue protecting their special groups at the expense of all other state services. Let me reiterate, unlike Carolyn Laine who fully intends to protect education and expand spending on such, I again call for across the board equal spending freeze and an equal percent reduction in every state department to balance our budget shortfalls. Raising or expanding any tax is cowardice, irresponsible and not providing governance.