Gearing up for the Minnesota State Fair, House Republicans say they want to engage Minnesotans in reforming government, not just talking about taxes and spending. GOP Majority Leader Matt Dean joked they were “a little tanned and a little less crabby” now but also admitted that some of the reforms that got done were “overshadowed by the special session and government shutdown.” Speaker Kurt Zellers added that announcing a legislative agenda in August for a January session is “about taking the time and giving the opportunity to engage Minnesotans.” Republicans also reiterated a commitment to passing a constitutional amendment on fiscal policy, such as requiring a supermajority to raise taxes.
Democrats also showed they are rested and ready for a fight, distributing a mocking movie poster style press release reading “From The Creators Of ‘Government Shutdown’ and ‘Beg, Borrow And Steal Budget’ Comes GOP Reform 2.0.” DFL Minority Lead Paul Thissen responded that Minnesota state government is one of the most efficient governments in the nation, but added we can never rest on our laurels. Zellers said he hoped and expected reform to be a bipartisan effort. Thissen conclued ” I fear today’s Republican proposals are simply more of the same giveaways corporate special interests.”
As Rep Winkler stated on Almanac this
past Friday, “reform” can be deceptive
word.
The final Republican budget offer on
May 30th had health care “reform”
as they termed it. It removed 140,000
of the most vulnerable, elderly and
disabled from health care.
If the Republicans are serious about reform,
and not their agenda, they should work
with Democratic leaders and the Governor
to achieve it rather than holding partisan
press conferences.
Is there one Democrat….ANY Democrat…willing to take on these crazed Tea Partiers? They folded so fast last time around it was embarrassing.
Jackson is correct. Where did the DFL go? Over the last 5 years, it appears all the right has to do is thump their chest and appear en masse, and the Dems cave. “Where are they?”
Are they getting their re-election campaign contributions from the same corporate sources? Are they just that disorganized? Is the party dictating to the elected and on some non-public, self-serving policy path of their own? All that makes sense, is that the DFL has lost their fire, and they are doing nothing to get it back. In public debates they shrink like tulips in June. They smile a lot, and they are really ‘nice’; but damn-it, GET SOME BRASS!!! It’s not just one or two of them, it’s the entire bunch; which tells me there is a leadership issue; or worse yet, A PARTY ISSUE! How long are they going to keep letting the bully on the block punch them in the nose? In the last election, I didn’t see the encumbant Dem in my district ONCE; not ONCE. No knock at the door, no fliers on the door handle, no phone calls. AND HE LOST!!! What a Wimp. What a LAZY Wimp. This is the DFL of 2012: WIMPS!