Perhaps Mr. Bye knows something about budgets, priorities and financing that the rest of us do not. Families and businesses set their budgets by looking at the money that's available, then setting their priorities accordingly. Mr. Bye, like DFL legislators, turns this process on its head.
They create a wish list and decide how much it is going to cost - then claim the state is under-funded. They believe that government is short on money. In perfect political double-speak, they tell you they don't really want to raise taxes, but they have to because the state's needs are too great.
When the recession hit in 2001 Minnesota had a $24.2 billion biennial general fund budget and $37 billion total budget. With Gov. Pawlenty's proposed budget it will be over $35 billion and $55 billion total spending, a 44.6 percent and 48.6 percent increase, respectively.
Some blame state aid cuts for property tax increases. State aid to local governments in FY07 is just $124 million (4 percent) less that in FY03 when the aid cuts took place, while local government property taxes are up $982 million (32 percent).
A strong economy and fiscal discipline helped Minnesota go from a $4.5 billion deficit to our current $2.2 billion surplus. With a $35 billion budget, priorities like education, transportation and property tax relief should be taken care of first, not set aside contingent on tax increases.
Lawmakers should be focusing on squeezing every dollar out of the surplus, and not squeezing more out of taxpayers.
David Anderson,
Lonsdale
