Hey Greg - Just got back to town. Quite the weekend with all the news. I'm going to send out an update hopefully tomorrow. Can we post the e-mail below.
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Subject: Fwd: Watchdog Email Update
Something from the Anoka County Watchdog.
Thanks!!Bob Pobul NiteTimes Magazine
Cell-763-377-2574
O-763-862-5931
www.tcnitetimes.com
Central Daylight TimeSubj: Watchdog Email Update
WWW.ANOKACOUNTYWATCHDOG.COMEMAIL UPDATEApril 4, 2008In This Issue:
1. Gassy? Bloated?
2. Double Trouble.
3. Dude, Where’s My Study?
4. Smoking Ban Buffoonery.
5. Subsidy City.
1. Gassy? Bloated?Are you getting that bloated, gut-rot feeling as you pull into the service station? Is there a twinge of nausea as you twist off the gas cap and grasp the pump? Doctor Watchdog has the diagnosis. It’s called Tingelstad-Abeler disease. This week, their “Profile in Courage” gas tax went into effect at the pump. Apparently, these two are just hunky-dory with government throwing you a tax-filled anchor as you drown at the pump under the weight of $3.30 a gallon gas.And yes, it gets worse. The gas tax is actually a three stage disease. Stage II happens this fall with the third gas tax increase coming after that. And don’t forget about Sales Tax syndrome. That’s incubating in your wallet right now and will manifest itself come July 1st. By the way, economists call for gas to be at $3.75 a gallon by Memorial Day. But that’s okay. Your 401(k) and those real estate investments are doing well, right? http://www.startribune.com/local/17183431.html
2. Double Trouble.Even by the legislature’s low standards this week was a truly awful week for the beleaguered taxpayer. Not one but two truly bad bills passed off the House floor, endangering your economic and mental health.First, the earmark pageant, er, bonding bill was passed, with all the bacon, pork, sausage, and pickled feet you would expect. Heck, the DFL used everything but the squeal in slaughtering this piggy piggy.It’s all there. The bike trails, volleyball courts, gorilla housing, ice arenas, convention centers, nature centers, brass band sheet music museums and so much more that is absolutely irrelevant to core governmental functions.And that’s the good news because taxpayers expected the pork fest. What was even worse was the overall magnitude of the spending. Since 1979, the legislature has observed a fiscal practice of passing a bonding bill that cost no more than 3% of the state’s general fund budget. Rudy Perpich, Arne Carlson, Jesse Ventura and legislators from both parties took care to honor this practice – until 2008.Yes, the same gang that took us from a $2 billion surplus to a $1 billion dollar deficit also managed to blow past the three percent spending cap on the bonding bill! The bill should have had a price tag of no more than $825 million. Instead, their hog weighed in at a cool $1 billion.Governor Pawlenty has stated he will veto the whole bill or use his line-item veto authority to conduct emergency fiscal liposuction. The Watchdog recommends the guv rent “Kindergarten Cop.” He appears to be the only adult working at the Capitol. Larry and Margaret, it’s not a tuma!Now let’s turn to the “finance” bill. Last night, after 17 hours of floor action, the House passed, on a strict party line vote, the DFL’s deficit elimination bill. As mentioned above, the state is about $1 billion in the red.The DFL’s 372 page bill was a Frankenstein collection of shifts, gimmicks, fund raids, tax increases, fee increases, along with a whole bunch of bad policy.Where to begin? How about $416 million in fees? How does $232 million in tax increases grab you? How about raids on dedicated funds siphoned off to balance the general fund? By the way, that’s one-time money available only this year, leaving the budget $500 million in the red for the NEXT biennium. After that, there’s a whole bunch of rotten policy apples baked in. California emissions standards, increased sick leave for state employees (don’t you have enough?), “Green Economy” economic mandates…and on and on.Oh yeah. The Minnesota Constitution also dictates that a bill shall embrace only one subject. The courts, however, won’t get a say any time soon since the governor will no doubt once again be forced to whip out his “adult supervision” veto pen.
3. Dude, Where’s my study?The Vikings has appeared to jump start their ill-fated inept stadium pursuit this week when the Senate tax omnibus bill contained authorization for a “study” regarding a new stadium. In actuality, these studies are usually nothing more than a blueprint for a taxpayer-financed stadium.When the tax bill reached the Senate floor, John Marty (DFL-Roseville) extracted the study like an infected tooth. Another loss for Lester Bagley and the Armani-clad hucksters who prowl the Capitol in the service of Zygmunt Wilf.Watchdog sources at the Capitol collectively rolled their eyes. Some Capitol observers consider Lester Bagley mediocre and are not surprised that the Vikings can’t make headway at the Capitol. Good. Give him a raise, Zygi!Let’s step back for a moment. At one time, the Vikings stadium effort was headed up by Steve Novak and Lester Bagley. No wonder nothing got done. There was Laurel and Hardy. There was Mutt and Jeff. There was Beavis and Butthead. And there was Bagley and Novak.http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/17236484.html
4. Smoking Ban Buffoonery.While the Watchdog doesn’t condone smoking, we always knew there would be problems with the state’s Big Brother smoking ban. We just knew there would be problems when a collection of special interests zealots teamed up with know-it-all government elites to tell business owners how to run their enterprise.And the results are in. First, the smoking ban has seriously eroded charitable gambling receipts. Those gambling proceeds are used for everything from providing youth athletic opportunities to providing everyday life necessities for permanently wounded combat veterans.On top of that, there is data that indicate that smoking bans increase drunk driving. Good job, guys.http://www.startribune.com/local/17298174.htmlhttp://www.startribune.com/politics/state/17167501.html
5. Subsidy City.The big news out of Washington this week was the grilling of “Big Oil” executives who apparently have been too successful running their businesses while government has made earning that profit more difficult by banning drilling in ANWR and creating regulations that make it nearly impossible to add refining capacity. Now the Watchdog is opposed to subsidies for oil companies. But let’s make note of the rank hypocrisy here.The same week that Washington was blasting oil subsidies, a House measure to reduce farm subsidies was crushed. Farm income is at an all-time high and our members of Congress are totally unwilling to reduce the billions in subsidies we all pay to farmers. So, who’s greedy?-- To unsubscribe/change profile:http://www.mailermailer.com/x?u=80656633t-9ea2e6fcTo subscribe:http://www.mailermailer.com/x?oid=34791bOur address:PMB 207, Anoka County Watchdog 13055 Riverdale Drive NW, Suite 500 Coon Rapids, Minnesota 55448
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