In Minnesota, as well as in Lonsdale, families, taxpayers and businesses are struggling and the economy will get worse before it improves

If we are to have a new day in Minnesota, and make us more competitive, we need to control spending at all levels of government, with state government taking the lead. More importantly, Minnesota must improve the business climate to create more jobs.

But that is where you need to help and step in.  Local elected officials are no different than any other level of government, if left unaccounted they just follow their own agenda, and listen to a few that scream the loudest for more spending and more government regulations.

Representative David Bly has authored a massive increase in government spending and labeled it the ‘middle class amendment” of which the sole purpose is to get the entire middle class hooked and dependent on the government..  He introduced his legislation at the end of last session and has now introduced the so called “peoples bail out” legislation.

I wrote Representative Bly and stated that the essentials of a vibrant and firm middle class are limited government, less taxes, along with incentives to work, save, invest and expand private businesses. 

Minnesotans want to stretch their hard earned dollar and decide where to spend it, what charities to give their money too, and be able to save some for a rainy day, or a kids education, or to invest in a new business.  These decisions need to happen at the family kitchen table not by special interests and politicians in St. Paul.

Simply doling out more money to those that pay no taxes to begin with does not work.  Taking more from those in the middle class and higher income earners will do nothing to raise the income of those who choose not to work or work very little.

Bly and the DFL want to add more people to the government healthcare rolls, increase regulations 100 fold by introduce job stifling carbon reduction and global warming nonsense and along with it attempt to make the entire middle class become dependent on the government.

Rep Bly’s response:

“If you fear for your children's future you should get on board with my plan. Since you don't believe government should invest in opportunity for its people I would fear for our democracy and the freedom it provides to all of us.  If you believe in anarchy and wild west justice where only those who have lots of money and guns have freedom and property I fear for your children too.”
 

So even with a $4-5 billion which could be a $6-7 Billion at the state level you see calls for more spending on global warming and carbon reduction nonsense further adding costs to do business in Minnesota, you have calls to increase education spending by over $2 billion dollars which is sold as making the system simpler, and more spending for arts, trails, light rail and so on and so on.  The list is endless.  You want something now, you want to pay off your political votes now is the time to ask …. Everybody is lining up at the trough.

The local governments are no different.  Here in Lonsdale, we have just raised fees on what seemed everything imaginable.  Taxpayers were told that new senior center that was built with TIF that includes a public library will not cost taxpayers anything.  A meeting about downtown produced calls for spending of unknown magnitude including streetscape, government buying up buildings, and countless other proposals.  At almost every council meeting there is some department, individual or contractor looking for sign off for spending including the private individuals looking to get the city to pay for all the infrastructure on their business park proposal.  A local education PTA letter called on residents to call legislators for even more money.  Will it stop?  Taxes are not unlimited as some tend to think.

We seriously need to put a stake in the sand and say it is time to revisit everything.  It is time to focus on priorities.  It is time to focus on core priorities and services and put off all these others until sometime down the road or not approve them at all.  I call this spending smarter.  Spending smarter makes fiscal sense.  Here’s the point: The more money that is spent on nonessential bureaucratic programs, the less there is left to adequately fund necessary programs and staff them with well trained and prepared personnel.

While I won’t say all of them are unworthy or even nice, the question I ask and is never asked by local officials is, “Is it a necessity, is it a core service or responsibility?”  Sure the library was built as part of a way to sell the city’s involvement in TIF but is it a necessity?  It is certainly not free as the mayor proclaimed in a recent column.  It will cost Lonsdale just over $30,000 for the last half of 2009 to pay for Northfield staff to staff the library.

The enormous growth in government is unsustainable. It shrinks the private sector economy by preventing families and businesses from using their money as they choose.  Only by capping total spending growth, rather than swapping between revenue streams, can the total burden on taxpayers be lightened.  This needs to be done at ALL levels of government.

Forcing officials in all levels of government to prioritize by taking a real look at spending, like you and I where we work and, like you and I do at home around the kitchen table, that will ensure the essential tasks to be performed are done not only effectively, but efficiently as well.