Downey, Union Members Spar Over How to Tackle State's Problems

State Rep. Keith Downey (R-Edina) and an audience of approximately 75 people— almost all of whom are AFL-CIO members and their spouses—squared off Wednesday night at the to openly and frankly discuss the issues facing the State of Minnesota and to express clear differences on how to go about solving them.

“I’m very concerned about the demonizing of public employees,” said Bob Hilliker of Edina, a retired AFSCME official. “There are proposals to layoff state workers who have had no pay raises in six of the past 12 years.”

Downey presented several arguments, often using charts to make his points.

“We keep spending more than the population growth and inflation dictates,” he said. “If we had just done that in the past 25 years we would have a $9 billion surplus today.

“Rising health care costs are the biggest culprit insofar as the percentage of state spending is concerned.”

Sponsored by the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, which is part of the Minnesota AFL-CIO, the meeting is one of several the organization is having with both Republican and Democratic members of the Legislature even as the state waits to see if and when a special session will be called to tackle the still unresolved annual budget.

Andrew Brown, a union member in the food service industry, said he is concerned about jobs, school cuts and the plummeting value in family homes.

Downey drew boos and some catcalls when he argued that Gov. Mark Dayton walked away from any possible negotiations in the last couple of days of the regular session.

“In my first term as a legislature, when the Democrats controlled both houses, we were able to work with Governor (Tim) Pawlenty in the closing hours to reach agreements,” Downey said.

He also said Dayton needs to stop talking about a shutdown and work with both houses to reach an agreement.

Asked several questions about education, both statewide and in Edina, Downey said the achievement gaps in testing based on race are of great concern and called for more local control of education.

Bill McCarthy, the president of the Labor Federation, moderated the event and in his opening remarks said organized labor wants a fairness in the state budget, a “balance between cuts and revenues.”

“We call for the richest two percent of Minnesotans to pay their fair share in taxes and an end to fewer and fewer people acquiring more and more of the wealth,” McCarthy said.

Toward the end of the hour-long meeting, Union officials announced that of the 74 constituents in attendance “54 checked-off on our issue survey that they want Rep. Downey to compromise with Gov. Dayton for a fair budget with new revenue and tax fairness.”

Downey, who remained unflappable throughout the event, said in closing he believes that sitting down and negotiating on issues is still very possible.

“We have gotten backed into a corner over the past several years, but if we sit down and honestly work together we can resolve these problems,” he said.