Almanac: At the Capitol

Gov. Pawlenty and other constitutional officers have offically taken office. They took the oath at a ceremony at the Fitz on a stage that looked like the remnants of the set from the South Pacific. Beyond the tropical look, the tone was conciliatory as Pawlenty called for "civility and positive change." He's continuing the move to the middle and even used the term "progressive" in his address. The governor also focused on two "mission critical" issues: energy and education. This is new focus for the former lawmaker who had been criticized for forming too many commissions/study groups on two many issues. I talked to several Pawlenty friends, family and supporters afterwards. One of the most interesting comments came from a TPaw supporter who said "we'll see how far we can get him" referring to vice presidential buzz. Some others who want Pawlenty for higher office are concerned that he's hitching his star too closely to McCain. On the DFL front, three new constitutional officers where sworn in including the first female Attorney General Lori Swanson. Swanson's boss Mike Hatch has agreed to stay on in the office in yet to be determined role. Speaking of specifics, or the lack there of, Senate DFLers rolled out their top priorities for the session ( #1 property tax reform, #2 affordable health care, #3 early childhood education, #4 energy independence, #5 transportation, #6 environment). It's a smart move to announce this today and take some of the attention away from the Republican governor. It's not smart to lack any details about what those top priorities are, it's hard to ask questions and inform people when you don't have information.

I'd like to see us have permanent property tax relief and reform — something that the individual property tax owner will actually see and not just a pass-through to another form of government to spend. I do not want to see the surplus squandered on bloated government and new social welfare programs. We should be able to work cooperatively as many DFLers campaigned as moderates who would work with our side of the aisle.

We should be able to balance the budget without tax increases. Many prominent DFLers are promising various tax increases: a 50% increase in the gasoline tax (to 30 cents per gallon); raising the regressive sales tax in multiple ways (a metro sales tax increase for transit, increased sales taxes to be dedicated for arts, crafts, humanities, public broadcasting, etc. and more local option sales taxes); income tax increases; tax increases on businesses (FOC "loopholes" being closed = chasing job providers out of Minnesota) and also increasing the Deed Tax to help pay for government housing. I don't think this is what the voters thought they were voting in favor of, but I'd predict that most, if not all, of these tax increases will get trucked forward by the DFL this session - some quietly and others prominently. It will be an accomplishment for these things NOT to happen. Government needs to live within its means, especially in times of surplus.

The ideal in K-12 is that we have equity in funding for our students (Minneapolis kids get thousands of more dollars per student than most rural and suburban kids) and I'd like to see that schools will move into the 21st century in terms of the school day. Why are school days shorter than they were years ago? Why are some suburban schools loading their buses as early as 2:15 p.m. in the afternoon? This makes no sense to the average parent or taxpayer. I think we need some goals of having a 21st century school day that reflects the new information relating to science, technology and history.

In terms of health care, we want to see market-based solutions to help reign in health care costs. Competition drives down costs and improves quality. For example, United Health offers some great insurance products, but our state law doesn't allow them to offer it in Minnesota.

Does anyone really believe that some of the large providers are "non-profit" per se? Also, look at what happened when Walmart lowered their prices on drugs to $4 per month - several other companies joined in within the week. Now, the government-subsidized drug programs should be able to shed those particular drugs, due to the free market working and we can use the savings to help with more accute needs. We should also look at tax credits for working people to be able to afford health care. Affordablity is a key for access to care. I'd like to see progress on these fronts.

While I think the DFL majority has no interest in welfare reform, I'd like to see more progress on this front as well — modest Medical Assistance co-pays would save millions. Turning Electronic Benefit Transfer cards (welfare cash cards) to commodity cards would focus social service spending on actual needs and away from "wants" from recipients. Our caucus will bring forward positive pro-active proposals and hope the so-called moderates will reach out to help adopt them.

This session should also have reform: we should have firm deadlines to get bills done; avoid special sessions and bickering. I am encouraged that Speaker-Designate Kelliher and I are planning to have weekly meetings during session — this will help build bridges for positive relationships.

My caucus and I would like to see many positive things out of this session and hope that the new majority will reach out to help incorporate our ideas into successful legislation.

The 2007 legislative session can be a breakthrough session in restoring integrity to the governing process. If everyone gets along, thoughtful legislative policy results will follow within a real strategic vision for Minnesota.

We all know the issues on the agenda: property tax relief, health care, education. But here is what I'd really like to see:

1. First- and second-termers take the lead and use their power for change. They make up over half of the DFL House caucus and a third of the DFL Senate caucus.
   
2. DFL House and Senate leaders work toward a well-publicized common vision for Minnesota. While it is good to let "individual committee chairs do their work," we need to know the vision first. Contrary to scuttlebutt heard around the capitol, this isn't a competition between House and Senate DFLers to be first with ideas or to "win" in conference committee. It is working together for the common good and developing basics for long-term proposals. It is including the governor's proposals where warranted.
   
3. Governor Tim Pawlenty returns to his authentic governing self. He can be innovative and centrist. He can be fun. He can work with DFL'ers, not against.

Happy New Year, everyone!

How does one measure success in the Minnesota State Legislature this upcoming session? Ask a DFLer, and you'll hear three things — education, health care and property taxes. Ask a Minnesota Republican and you'll probably hear tax-relief for owners of pontoon boats exceeding 28' in length, puttin' a stop to the gay marryin', and trying to forget the brutal thumping they just endured at the hands of shifty liberal-to-moderate DFLers.

With such a strong advantage in both houses, accomplishment for the DFL is simply agenda-based legislative success. How many of the things above that they campaigned (and won) on can they really deliver? Oddly enough, the answer may lie with the same person lots of things in Minnesota have been impacted by of late — Gov. Tim Pawlenty as a possible running-mate for John McCain in the race for the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination. If Pawlenty's name stays in the mix, he'll have to rack up some bipartisan accomlishments. If the treasured spot on McCain's short list evaporates, it might be a much longer session for the DFL.

As for Republicans in the Legislature, their only respite is clinging to the hope that Seifert and Senjen can hold their caucuses together — keep the conserative and moderate Republicans on the same wavelength — long enough to sustain Pawlenty's inevitable vetos. How many of them there are will say a lot when the session gavels to a close.

As for me, I love the game. I'd like to see some action. Oh yeah, and my property taxes went up...again...so some help there would be much appreciated.

Minnesota's keenest competition isn't South Dakota. It's South Korea — and all the other countries that shine brighter than the North Star state in global test scores, particularly in math and science.

The sooner the legislature coalesces around the reality that Minnesota competes in the global economy and has to educate and govern accordingly, the better chance of a substantive, substantial session, as opposed to the test of wills between a republican governor and a democratic house and senate.

This well-needed paradigm shift is part personal and part political. Culturally, the Lake Woebegon "every child being above average" is held by the average Minnesotan, which creates social cohesion, but social complacency as well, as this feel-good factor is in comparison to other states, not other countries. This "Minnesota Exceptionalism" is grounded in a high high-school graduation rate and civic participation, particularly in voting.

But the result of this voting — state elected officials — should have as a measurable objective to be not the brainpower state, but the global brainpower center, with an educational system driving economic and social development for decades.

But on the state level, education is not an issue; it's the issue. And in a divided government, it cuts across the political fault lines of gender, generation and geography, let alone socioeconomic strata. Every Minnesotan benefits if the state has the smartest students in the world.

Indeed, with technology making business location more malleable, the state has much at stake right now (we're not selling the weather). But key politicians also have much at stake, with the governor at minimum trying to leave a legacy, if not leave as a Vice Presidential candidate. And with a near-quarter-century inability to elect a governor, the DFL needs to govern from the legislative branch and prove to the voters they deserve the mandate they were rewarded with on November 7.

Not every solution need be a new law nor associated with a tax increase. And much of the approach may not only address education, but infrastructure, public safety and transportation/transit as well.

But these are strategies and tactics. What's needed is to truly think global and act local, with a legislatively mandated objective.

In the days before Christmas, my partisan goggles have become clouded by a renewed spirit of "peace on Earth" and "goodwill towards all." It is in this holiday-haze that I offer my hope for the upcoming legislative session: true bipartisanship.

It may surprise the readers of Minnesota Democrats Exposed that I am not hoping for a tax cut or a reduction in government spending. Maybe it's the eggnog.

Nope, I want true bipartisanship. I want the DFL-controlled legislature to work with Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty to help pass initiatives pushed by the other.

I know this means that I'm asking Governor Pawlenty to work with the DFL-controlled legislature. But more importantly, I'm asking the DFL-controlled legislature to work with Governor Pawlenty.

Incoming Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller was quoted in a Twin Cities newspaper saying "[w]e would like to help him [Pawlenty] be successful as governor because that will make the Legislature successful and the citizens of the state successful."

My response: prove it.