Category: Marty Seifert

by Dave Mindeman

MPR's midday was doing its radio show from the Capitol today, trying to get an idea of how this budget end game will all play out. As Gary Eichten interviewed the various legislators, I was struck by this bit of candor from outgoing Minority Leader Marty Seifert...

"Compromise is a dirty word around here. In fact it was used against me in my campaign for Governor. But in the end, we still have to get things done."

Compromise isn't just a dirty word at the legislature, it has been completely redefined.

Compromise: When Democrats do what Governor Pawlenty tells them to do.

Notice that Republicans never enter into the definition because they have lost the ability to even grasp the concept.

It's kind of like Tom Emmer's campaign for Governor. Republicans don't have to move anywhere -- the Independents are simply going to come to them.

The era of Pawlenty is going to be defined in this rigid way. He governs with a tight fisted veto pen. Suggestions from the other party are simply dead on arrival. Obstruction is the order of the day.

A lot of people wonder how this current budget situation will end. Well, I would guess that it will end with the draconian cuts that Pawlenty wants, with a language allowance for the Democrats. We will, once again, kick the can down the road. Shuffle the hard choices onto to the next set of legislative victims.

We really need to consider something important. Do we really want our state to be run in this manner? It is blatantly obvious that Tom Emmer will be a carbon copy of Governor Pawlenty. He will furthur strangle the resources of government. We can't help the poor, the sick, the aged.... because Emmer will tell us, we just can't afford it.

We will have some pretty clear choices this November. Emmer will conclude right from the start, that this state has no resources to do the things that have elevated Minnesota to once proud greatness. We will have to settle. Settle for less. Settle for below average. Settle for incomplete dreams.

It is time that we reject that notion once and for all. Minnesota is not some economic wannabe.... we have been, still can be, and still will be, an economic engine that can generate that quality of life we have been accustomed to. We need to bring back the idea of investing in ourselves and our communities -- to expand and utilize our vast potential.

Maybe, in the end, we shouldn't compromise. At least we should never compromise if the end result is mediocrity.

Minnesota needs a change in philosophy. We need to think in terms of WE CAN DO IT - WE ARE BETTER THAN THIS -- it's time to leave the Pawlenty era in the dust.

Category: Marty Seifert

by Dave Mindeman

Marty Seifert explains his GAMC position on Twitter:

seifertmn: Voting no on GAMC over-ride. DFL had chance to work w/Governor to dismantle program & find solution in conference committee. Veto was right.

Now, Seifert was a Republican who voted YES on the original GAMC bill. Emmer voted NO. When the Governor decided to veto the bill, the Republicans who voted YES are in strategic, appease the far right, CYA mode.

Seifert's original vote was the right one. This was not a large spending bill. It was a standalone temporary fix for a segment of the Minnesota population that really needs the help.

Yet in the extremist Republican bubble we are currently in, any spending...even needed spending is dumped. Nothing is worthy. Nothing is acceptable. It is ridiculous.

So, Republicans who did the right thing, now look for the excuse. Seifert has settled on the "there should have been a conference committee" tag line.

Are we really supposed to buy that? Did Seifert really expect a conference committee to change anything? There simply wasn't a lot of room for negotiating. Sure, the Governor would want more cutting -- but this bill already pared off as much as it dared. The hospital providers are taking a huge hit from their past level of reimbursement; yet, they support the bill because it is better than nothing.

Not good enough for Pawlenty of course, but should have been good enough for reasonable people.

Way to go Seifert. Try going into a general election explaining this flip-flop. You might have lost some delegates by sticking with your vote, but at least you could have claimed some integrity.

Now, you get neither.

Category: Marty Seifert

by Dave Mindeman

When Marty Seifert made his proposals for revitalizing the Minnesota economy, he made a big deal out of distilleries. Mainly, the high cost of starting one up. He went into detail about the $30,000 fee...

"We had a guy in Windom who wanted to open up a distillery business. The distillery license fee in Minnesota is $30,000. Thirty thousand dollars to open up a distillery. In 42 minutes to the south of Windom is the state of Iowa, it costs $350. Where do you think he took his business? Where do you think he took his jobs? He went to Iowa. We now know that there are three businesses like his in Iowa and one in Wisconsin. Those are jobs that we should have here."

Well, Tom Scheck at Polinaut found an interesting tidbit regarding Seifert's distillery obsession.

Seifert voted for the increased fee. Twice. Original House bill and the final conference report.

Oh sure, it was part of a much larger bill and there were probably a myriad of other reasons to vote in favor of the package. However, Seifert offered no amendment to rid us of this dastardly job killing fee...no one did. So you would think that if you are going to point out the "heavy hand of government" in Minnesota business, and use this distillery fee as your "prime" example, you would at least have had the disclaimer..."even though I voted for this...."

Don't you think?