>>Dayton’s budget proposal to raise taxes

The state shutdown is fast approaching and the negotiations between the Governor and legislative leaders are still stuck on fundamental principles. All along we have argued for some portion of the budget solution to come from new revenues in order to stave off the most damaging budget cuts.

We just received data from the Minnesota Department of Revenue on the Governor’s proposal to raise income taxes. These data project which taxpayers will pay more and how the proposal affects tax fairness across income groups. JRLC worked up this chart from the data; it shows the effective tax rates for all state and local taxes on income groups — poorest to richest, left to right, with and without the Governor’s income tax proposal.

The data show that with the proposed income tax increase, the richest 10% (tenth decile) would still not reach the rate shouldered by the middle class (fifth decile), nor the rate paid by the average household (11.5%), nor the rate paid by the vast majority of households.

ACTION: Forward this to your friends and colleagues. Print and show it to people who otherwise won’t believe it unless they see it. Clip this chart and send to your legislator. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper — express your opinion!

Misc Photos

State Fair 2010

Franken vs Coleman: 2008 election in the courts

Franken vs Coleman: The post-election legal battle

Twin-Cities.com, the  Saint Paul Pioneer Press website has been carrying a detailed review of the long legal battle that finally established Al Franken as Minnesota’s senator.  The series is a walk through a slice of Minnesota history.

CHAPTER 1

·  Part I: The story of the 2008 Minnesota Senate race

·  Part II: The long, brutal fight to Senate Election Day in Minnesota

·  Part III: Election Night — the end was just the beginning for Franken, Coleman

CHAPTER 2

·  Part I. For Franken, Coleman, lawyers, “things are going to get really ugly”,

·  Part II. The ballots in the trunk and other myths, exposed

·  Part III. “Punch them in the nose”

·  Part IV. Ballots disappear: And so does Coleman’s lead

·  Part V.“This is going to be more intense than I thought”

·  Cast of characters: Chapter 2

CHAPTER 3

·  How Al Franken’s attorneys turned a tight senate election into a courtroom rout

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.