After hitting the television airwaves hard this summer, prior to the new August primary election, Democrat Mark Dayton is back with two new TV ads. The first ad is titled “Dayton Values” and shows Dayton with his family: his father, Bruce Dayton and his sons Eric and Andrew Dayton. You will hear candidly from Bruce, Eric and Andrew in our upcoming show “Minnesota’s Choice for Governor 2010” on Oct. 15 at 9:30 p.m. on TPT. Next Friday, Almanac viewers will see an excerpt from Dayton’s deep biography. This week, we’ll roll out Republican Tom Emmer’s life story where his parents, wife and all seven children talk on camera.
The other ad from Dayton is called “Middle Class” and the campaign says “it reminds viewers that Mark Dayton is the only candidate committed to protecting working women and men in the middle class from a heavier tax burden.” It hits on the home run issues in the home stretch of the campaign: education, jobs and “no new taxes for the middle class.” Of course there’s great debate whether Dayton’s plan really hits the middle class or not. The State Republican Party says “Dayton falsely claims in a new TV ad that he is the ‘only candidate who won’t raise taxes on the middle class,’ but the truth is Tom Emmer is the only candidate who won’t raise taxes on the middle class- or any other Minnesotans.” The ads will begin airing tonight.
Even if Dayton does end up having to raise my taxes somewhat, at least I can trust what he’ll do with that money.
On the other hand, if Emmer is elected and, like King Timmy, before him, continues to “improve the business climate” in Minnesota (which, strangely enough, has no effect except to enrich the already-wealthy members of the Chamber of Commerce, protect their already-existing businesses, turns them loose to pollute to their hearts’ content, and removes as many worker protections as federal law will allow), many of those who were formerly in the “Middle Class” won’t have to worry about tax increases or cuts.
Far more of them will find themselves unemployed, without health care, and unable to afford to go to back to school, nor will they have the resources to send their kids to decent schools (which would have to be private because the Public Schools will be so underfunded as to drop their quality to the very bottom of the pack).
Of course if that’s what you like, you can already find it in Mississippi or any number of third world nations.