Important Notice

Minnesota Legislators Town Hall Meetings Coming – Contribute ideas in person.

In the coming weeks, the Minnesota House of Representatives and Senate, will be holding meetings across our state to hear from Minnesotans on Governor Pawlenty’s budget recommendations.   Attend a town hall forum in your area and let the legislature know that don’t want to see severe cuts to Health & Human Services, and that raising new revenues must be on the table.  The schedule of town hall meetings follows.  Attend!  Speak up!  — or just listen.  Be informed!

To find a location, time near you and a chance to sign up to speak go to:

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/budgettownhallmeetings.asp

What’s going on in America?

Here we are, a country in more trouble than it has been since the Civil War, and what’s going on in Washington???  Well,

“…on one hand we’ve got a president and congressional majority who are heeding the urgent desire of working Americans to kick-start the economy,

and on the other, we’ve got a rump minority that patterns itself after guerrilla jihadists who tried to send their country back to the 10th century.”

Markos Moulitsasof thehill.com pretty well summed it up.

Obama – Eternal optimist; but not a sap

“…Obama… flexible about tactics and unwavering in his goals. He signaled that he’s open to consultation, compromise and readjusting his course to build inclusive coalitions, but fixed on the results he intends to produce. “My bottom line is not how pretty the process was,” he said, looking back at the congressional fight over his economic recovery package. “My bottom line was: Am I getting help to people who need it?”

For full read, click here

A new GOP leader?

Is Eric Cantor the new Newt Gingrich?  Will he lead the Republicans out of the swamp to the promised land?

The last time Congressional Republicans were this out of power, they turned to a college professor from Georgia, Newt Gingrich, to lead the opposition, first against President Clinton in a budget battle in 1993, and then back into the majority the following year.

As Republicans confronted Pesident Obama in another budget battle last week, their leadership included another new face: Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia…

Read Adam Nagourney’s take on this from the Feb 13 NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/us/politics/15cantor.html?_r=1&hp

MN Health Plan Hearings Feb 10 and 25

Alert 3

The Minnesota Health Plan (MHP) Will Have 2 Hearings in February!   Feb. 10 & Feb. 25

The Minnesota Health Plan is a comprehensive single-payer health plan for all Minnesotans

What can you do?

Attend the hearing of the MHP in the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, Tuesday February 10th, 12:30-2:45 in Room 112 of State Capitol, Sen. Linda Scheid, Chair.

It is particularly important that you contact the members of the Senate Commerce Committee that aren’t marked with an asterisk as soon as possible to ask them to vote in favor of the Minnesota Health Act (SF 118) at their February 10th committee hearing.

Dougnut Hole leads to health concerns

Alert

“Doughnut Hole” in Medicare Part D Leads to Health Concerns for Seniors

Results from a study at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health implicate the coverage gap, or “doughnut hole,” in Medicare’s Part D coverage as cause for concern about seniors’ health. Enacted three years ago, the Part D plan is intended for those seniors who face extremely high prescription drug costs. The plan requires beneficiaries to pay an initial deductible for prescriptions, followed by a 25 percent co-payment on further medical charges up to $2,250. The coverage doughnut hole comprises the subsequent payments in-full that seniors must make until a $5,100 total is reached. The studies showed that the seniors who hit this coverage gap have a 14 percent drop in medication usage to offset the costs.

…from  Alliance for Retired Americans Friday alert.

Lawmakers seek input on budget

Alert

Lawmakers will be visiting communities on Feb 19th and 20th to get input on the governor’s budget recommendations and listen to the public’s ideas to address the state’s $4.8 billion budget deficit.

Please show up and carry the message that we should not balance the budget by cutting 113,000 people off health care, nor by shredding the safety net during a recession. If we are considering such inhumane cuts, then revenues, raised fairly, are clearly needed as an alternative. We need hundreds of people at these meetings to carry this message. The dates and times for metro meetings will be released in the near future.

Budget Presentation in Duluth Feb 20

Alert

Upcoming Minnesota Budget Project Presentation in Duluth on State Spending on Key Areas in the 2000s

Join Twin Ports area nonprofits at the Twin Ports Area Nonprofit Coalition (TPANC) monthly lunch for a discussion with Minnesota Budget Project staff on trends in state investments in the 2000s, drawing from key findings from our recently released report, The Lost Decade.

Governor will cut Renters’ Credit

Alert

Governor’s budget cuts Renters’ Credits

The Governor’s budget raises some serious concerns about its impact on struggling Minnesotans and the fairness of our tax system. The Renters’ Credit provides a tax refund to nearly 274,000 low- and moderate-income Minnesota households whose property taxes make up a large share of their incomes. Seniors and persons with disabilities make up 28% of all Renters’ Credit recipients. Even including the impact of the Renters’ Credit, rental property taxes remain one of the most regressive parts of Minnesota’s tax code.

The Governor’s budget, released yesterday, proposes to cut the Renters’ Credit by 27%, or about $51 million a year. This is a deeper cut than he has proposed in the past.

In previous years, over 100 organizations from around the state joined together to defeat proposed cuts to the Renters’ Credit. We can do so again, but we need your help.

* Please join our organizational sign-on letter opposing cuts to the renters credit.

We will continue to provide additional information and action steps in the days ahead, as well as more information about what’s in the tax portion of the Governor’s budget.

-Nan Madden

OLD POSTS FOLLOW

===========================================================