Category Archives: Mark Dayton

And the Sun Still Rises…Without Raising Taxes

Jul 15

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Minnesota State Capitol

Minnesota State Capitol

Despite the standoff between DFL and Republican lawmakers in the state of Minnesota, the longest state government shutdown in US history is drawing to a close.  Though not a “done deal” yet, the Republican legislative majorities accepted the concession offer by Governor Mark Dayton.  In a letter to Speaker Zellers and Majority Leader Koch, the  accepted offer is merely a tweaked version of the Republican’s offer dated June 30, mere hours before the state of Minnesota closed down.  

After watching a number of local news broadcasts about the shutdown resolution, the burning question was this: Why did the Governor shut down the state, cause unnecessary stress and pain to Minnesotans (especially those laid off state employees) and then accept (with minor tweaking) an offer that he had previously refused mere hours away from the shutdown deadline?  Consensus among DFL legislators tonight—- “We aren’t quite sure…. but I guess Dayton wanted to be the statesman and ‘end the suffering’ before it got worse.”
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Posted in Budget, Dayton Shutdown, DFL, Fiscal issues, GOP, Government Spending, Mark Dayton, Minnesota, Minnesota Politics, MN Budget, Taxes, Unions

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A National Champion!

Jul 11

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The state of Minnesota has now officially set a national record for the longest state government shutdown in history.  (Get the FACTS here.) Not exactly something I would be proud of, but in honor of the occasion, I figured Mark Dayton deserved some recognition, to show that we Minnesotans have been paying attention!

Congratulations, Governor!

Posted in Dayton Shutdown, DFL, Mark Dayton, Minnesota, Minnesota Politics, MN Budget

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Crazy Dayton Eyes…

Jul 6

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Thanks to Davis and Emmer from the morning show at 100.3 KTLK FM News Talk for their latest parody, “Crazy Dayton Eyes.”  We’re now well into Day #6 of the Minnesota State Government Shutdown, brought to you by Governor Mark Dayton!

Enjoy!

Posted in Budget, Dayton Shutdown, DFL, Government Spending, Mark Dayton, Minnesota, Minnesota Politics, MN Budget, Taxes

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Applying the Declaration of Independence Today

Jul 5

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U.S. Declaration of Independence ratified by t...

Declaration of Independence

When was the last time you read through the text of the Declaration of Independence?  The US Constitution? The Bill of Rights?

For the average American, that answer is likely “sometime in high school.”  When we, as a society, do not understand our history, the right and the wrong that we have come through as Americans, we begin to lose sight of that which we hold so dear.  Whether you choose to read this in the context of what President Obama has done as the leader of this country or what Mark Dayton has done thus far as the Governor of Minnesota, I hope these words find you pondering which direction our country and state are going in.

So now that another Independence Day has come and gone, it’s time to take a little walk down memory lane and revisit how America came to be, through the words of the document that said, “NO MORE!” to the British monarchy. (Emphasis mine.)

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Posted in Barack Obama, Dayton Shutdown, Declaration of Independence, Deficit, Democrats, GOP, Mark Dayton, Minnesota, Minnesota Politics, Republicans, Taxes

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Parade Politics

Jul 5

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4th of July Fireworks

Image by deltaMike via Flickr

It’s an age old tradition to attend a 4th of July parade.  Candy tossed to the crowds and marching bands playing patriotic tunes, local royalty ambassadors and of course, my favorite, the Zurah Shrine riders in their little cars, buzzing around the streets.  Another staple though, is the political vibe… candidates and elected officials alike, oftentimes with handing out stickers and parade literature. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in Budget, Dayton Shutdown, DFL, Mark Dayton, Minnesota, Minnesota Politics, MN Budget

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In Mark Dayton’s Own Words: “No, I would not shut government down.”

In Mark Dayton’s Own Words: “No, I would not shut government down.”

Jul 1

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Lights out. As the clock struck midnight, the lights literally went out at the Minnesota State Capitol.

July 1, 2011 - MN State Capitol goes dark. Source: Princess Politics

July 1, 2011 will forevermore be known as the day Mark Dayton shut down the State of Minnesota. After months of negotiating and the delivery of multiple balanced budgets by the GOP-controlled majorities in the legislature, Governor Mark Dayton dug in his heels and refused to even pass a “Lights On” temporary funding budget so that they could have additional time to work out the details of closing Minnesota’s $5 Billion shortfall. Without what Mark Dayton called “increased revenue” (which is fancy speak for raising taxes and increased fees), he refused to agree to any of the budget offers that came to his desk.

But in typical liberal fashion, it was a “my way or the highway” approach. Even when the MNGOP legislators agreed to many of the governor’s funding requests, he still wasn’t happy. At midnight, the shutdown of state government services became official, even though rest stops and state parks had already been closing. But today, there are over 30,000 state employees that could not return to work. And nobody knows how long it will be before a deal is reached. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in Budget, Dayton Shutdown, Deficit, DFL, Fiscal issues, GOP, Government Spending, Mark Dayton, Minnesota, Minnesota Politics, MN Budget, MSP, Republicans, Taxes

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This is Mark Dayton’s Shutdown


U.S. Senator Mark Dayton of Minnesota.

Image via Wikipedia

Mark Dayton is Minnesota’s liberal Democrat-Farmer Labor Governor.

In an historic election, 2010 brought a tidal wave of Republicans into the Minnesota State Legislature. The Minnesota State House of Representatives and the Minnesota State Senate both have new GOP Majorities, which were formerly DFL majorities for multiple election cycles. But on the flip side, the 2010 Gubernatorial race ended in a recount that the GOP lost by less than 9,000 votes, giving us one of the most Liberal governors in state history.

Dayton is currently holding the State of Minnesota hostage while we await a government shutdown on July 1 if a budget agreement is not reached.  The governor and the GOP-controlled legislature are at an impasse as to how to close a $2 BILLION dollar gap. Dayton’s answer: Tax the Rich. GOP’s answer: Make tough cuts and live within our means.

Note to GOP legislators: NO MORE COMPROMISES. If there are any fee or tax increases, it is a fact that there will be primary challenges. We have to live within our means.

Governor Dayton’s actions are reminiscent of a child in a toy store who is begging and screaming for a shiny new toy. The state of Minnesota is not his toy box. It’s time that we stand up to a trust fund baby who obviously has no concept of what a budget really means, since he has doubtfully never had to live by one.

Below is a fantastic visual timeline from the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus of the budget negotiations thusfar. Minnesota is mere hours from shutting down, but Dayton is digging in his heels and will not give in without a tax increase.  THIS IS MARK DAYTON‘S SHUTDOWN.

 

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