Apple Valley-Rosemount Legislators Need To Focus On Jobs

When our legislators give us their look at the upcoming session (), there are a couple of statements that need further explanation.

For instance, Rep. Bills said this about bonding...

Bills said he generally isn't in favor of bonding, and would like to re-evaluate the principles used to determine bonding priorities.  "We should pay as we go for as many things as we possibly can…" he said. "We can’t just keep throwing on more and more debt."

This is curious to me because Rep. Bills voted for and his caucus insisted upon nearly a billion dollars of interest debt via tobacco bonding. Not to mention a school shift that moves education funding to IOU status.

Bonding bills have always been the vehicle to maintain capital infrastructure. In addition to that, many local government entities that have difficulty funding good local community projects, look to the state to help them with the civic centers and community hockey programs. And for a local example, it is the way the Minnesota Zoo has been able to maintain a quality facility with an affordable entrance fee.

Rep. Bills voted to balance the state budget via debt while questioning the use of traditional bonding.  I think he needs to explain that.

On the other hand, I have to applaud Rep. Tara Mack's focus on the critical care bill for babies left at the hospital.  Extending the mandatory care window from 2 days to 7 days meets a critical need, yet, at the same time, Rep. Mack has been cutting the overall Health and Human Services budget. Many people have had state care services reduced... some have lost coverage completely. Rep. Mack may see the need for critical care for abandoned babies (which I wholeheartedly support), but giving a hospital a mandate without needed funding only increases the health care funding problem.

Most people believe that we need the Legislature to focus on jobs. Our local legislators said little, at least in this session outlook, that could help unemployment in this state. At best, their "priorities" can help the jobless only on the margins. 

And, if they are going to give lukewarm support to the bonding bill, then local legislative support for promoting jobs seems pretty bleak.

I hope they reconsider their priorities.

-Dave Mindeman, mnpACT!