As of the moment I write this, the denizens of the Great State of Minnesota are still not sure whether their governor will sign, line-item veto or completely veto several key pieces of legislation.
We already know that what he says he intends to do has irritated a number of people. Take, for example, North Mankato's solidly (at least until yesterday) Republican mayor Gary Zellmer. Zellmer and the North Mankato city council were hoping that the state — meaning the legislature with the governor's imprimatur — would approve a half-cent local sales tax for that city so it could fund, without raising property taxes, a library expansion, park upgrades and other similar capital projects to improve the local quality of life.
Zellmer and the citizens of North Mankato have seen how successful Mankato's half-cent sales tax has been over the last decade. It has funded the city's civic center and its regional airport with nary a squawk from locals since the initial rending of clothes and gnashing of teeth when it was first being considered.
The reason why Mankato's sales tax has been so popular (if a tax can be popular), despite its proceeds going only to two large beneficiaries — one of which is a nearly direct subsidy for private aircraft owners — is that perhaps 50% or more of the tax is paid by non-Mankato residents — folks from outside the city visiting town to buy stuff, eat out, attend events, whatever.
Some tax purists say this is a form of taxation without representation, but those within the city say that visitors should pay something to use the municipality's roads, parks and other attractions. Even if the sales tax is going for something else — i.e., the civic center and airport — it is lessening the overall property taxes that locals must pay.
Logically enough, the North Mankato folks have seen this sales tax gravy train for quite a while and have been thinking, "Why can't we do that?"
And just as logically one might ask, "Why shouldn't they?"
It is an oddity of Minnesota that the state government must approve local sales taxes. In this sense the state government treats local governments like children: They must have Mommy's permission to do what Mommy does everyday. Does this make sense? Perhaps it once did, but it certainly does not do so today. Generally, government works best when it is closest to the people, and only decisions that cannot be determined solely at a more local level should be taken up by higher levels of government.
A local sales tax hardly fits into this category.
Which brings us back to Zellmer and Pawlenty. It is ironic that Zellmer's three local representatives — Sen. Kathy Sheran, Rep. Terry Morrow (North Mankato and St. Peter) and Rep. Kathy Brynaert (Mankato) — all good DFLers, supported North Mankato's sales tax initiative while the Republican Pawlenty, the leader of Zellmer's own party, stands poised to reject it. It's enough for a responsible mayor to ask: "Whose side is the governor on?"
While the governor and the Legislature have agreed on a number of strong issues this year — energy, the environment, the smoking ban, agriculture — in several key areas they have diverged, most notably tax policy, education and transportation. On these issues the governor has reverted to his past anti-tax stance designed to appeal to a certain portion of the citizenry — some might argue the majority — who, through lack of comprehension of the larger picture, look at taxes only as "bad," not as a necessary means to raise funds to pay for shared projects and services.
This is not the same Tim Pawlenty who portrayed himself in last year's campaign as a centrist with practical solutions for Minnesota's future. This is more like a man whose ego has been bruised because some of his pet projects and ideas were rebuffed, a governor who considers a veto pen more as a means of revenge than as a means to a shared goal.
If the governor goes through with the vetoes that he has seemed to indicate, would it be the action of a cold, cunning politician who is not bothered by dissing fellow Republicans like Mayor Zellmer? Or would it be indicative of his supreme confidence that he can portray himself and his party once more as centrists in '08, gambling that the majority of Minnesota voters, like all voters worldwide, have very short memories, and that they will forget the angst he seems inclined to reap in '07?
Mary's Page
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11/20/09/4:49 pm Franken's Cooking & Healthcare
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11/18/09/5:48 pm Health Care Concerns
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11/16/09/4:47 pm Unallot Lawsuit
Kathy Brynaert
First-Termers Panel (05/25/07)
Our rookie group of lawmakers return to deliver their assessment of the session just ended.
Tim Pawlenty: This Year and Next
Thursday, May 24, 2007 - 8:40 am
As of the moment I write this, the denizens of the Great State of Minnesota are still not sure whether their governor will sign, line-item veto or completely veto several key pieces of legislation.
( categories: Taxes | 05/2007 | Gary Zellmer | Kathy Brynaert | Kathy Sheran | Terry Morrow | Tim Pawlenty | Brain Trust )
Statewide Smoking Ban Brings Relief to Mankato Area Conflict
Friday, May 18, 2007 - 11:00 am
The passage of the statewide smoking ban has brought a collective sigh of relief to both sides of the Minnesota River where it bends to the northeast in southern Minnesota. On the north side of the river is North Mankato, which has steadfastly resisted instituting a citywide smoking ban in restaurants and bars despite pressure from citizens, local physicians and nurses groups and the Mankato Area Smoke-free Coalition.
On the south side of the river is Mankato, a city that instituted a smoking ban — sort of — in July 2006. The "sort of" has to do with a provision in its ordinance that permitted bars to allow smoking if they could prove a 15 percent drop in business during an initial three-month nonsmoking trial period. Fifteen bars and service organizations took advantage of the exemption.
On Oct. 1, provided that Gov. Tim Pawlenty signs the bill that the legislature has sent to him, both sides of the river will be smoke-free in all restaurants and bars.
One man who is pleased with the result is North Mankato City Council member Bill Steiner. "We got a victory, didn't we?" he said Monday night in a telephone interview. "I'm really happy."
Steiner, along with the majority of his colleagues on the North Mankato council, have favored a statewide ban while resisting pressure to institute a citywide smoke-free ordinance. He calls the statewide ban "a level playing field."
Steiner, a nonsmoker, has a personal interest as well, as he is the founding member of the Mankato-based band City Mouse, which celebrated its 35th anniversary in December. Come October, Steiner and his bandmates won't have to play in any smoky Minnesota bars anymore.
Rep. Kathy Brynaert, who represents Mankato in the Minnesota House, is also relieved. Though in her first year as a legislator, she has been a longtime advocate for smoking bans, whether at the local or statewide level. None of the exemptions still in the bill was "significant," she said. According to Sen. Kathy Sheran, DFL-Mankato, one of the Senate co-sponsors, they include "smoking on farm vehicles, on family farms, in the Washington County disabled veterans camp and by actors in a play."
Though some members of the legislature talked about adding bar and restaurant patios in the ban, those will remain smoking-permitted areas. Steiner said that one of his bar owner constituents is already building a smokers' patio. Like Steiner, the bar owner is a nonsmoker who opposed a North Mankato ban but sees the statewide smoking ban as a positive step forward.
UPDATE ON EXEMPTIONS
On the south side of the river is Mankato, a city that instituted a smoking ban — sort of — in July 2006. The "sort of" has to do with a provision in its ordinance that permitted bars to allow smoking if they could prove a 15 percent drop in business during an initial three-month nonsmoking trial period. Fifteen bars and service organizations took advantage of the exemption.
On Oct. 1, provided that Gov. Tim Pawlenty signs the bill that the legislature has sent to him, both sides of the river will be smoke-free in all restaurants and bars.
One man who is pleased with the result is North Mankato City Council member Bill Steiner. "We got a victory, didn't we?" he said Monday night in a telephone interview. "I'm really happy."
Steiner, along with the majority of his colleagues on the North Mankato council, have favored a statewide ban while resisting pressure to institute a citywide smoke-free ordinance. He calls the statewide ban "a level playing field."
Steiner, a nonsmoker, has a personal interest as well, as he is the founding member of the Mankato-based band City Mouse, which celebrated its 35th anniversary in December. Come October, Steiner and his bandmates won't have to play in any smoky Minnesota bars anymore.
Rep. Kathy Brynaert, who represents Mankato in the Minnesota House, is also relieved. Though in her first year as a legislator, she has been a longtime advocate for smoking bans, whether at the local or statewide level. None of the exemptions still in the bill was "significant," she said. According to Sen. Kathy Sheran, DFL-Mankato, one of the Senate co-sponsors, they include "smoking on farm vehicles, on family farms, in the Washington County disabled veterans camp and by actors in a play."
Though some members of the legislature talked about adding bar and restaurant patios in the ban, those will remain smoking-permitted areas. Steiner said that one of his bar owner constituents is already building a smokers' patio. Like Steiner, the bar owner is a nonsmoker who opposed a North Mankato ban but sees the statewide smoking ban as a positive step forward.
UPDATE ON EXEMPTIONS
PERMITTED SMOKING
- Scientific study participants.
- Native American ceremonies.
- Private places, including: (1) private homes, private residences, or private automobiles when they are not in use as a place of employment, and (2) a hotel or motel sleeping room rented to one or more guests.
- Tobacco products shops.
- Heavy commercial vehicles.
- Farm vehicles and construction equipment.
- Family farms.
- Disabled veterans rest camp located in Washington County.
- Theatrical productions.
The passage of the statewide smoking ban has brought a collective sigh of relief to both sides of the Minnesota River where it bends to the northeast in southern Minnesota. On the north side of the river is North Mankato, which has steadfastly resisted instituting a citywide smoking ban in restaurants and bars despite pressure from citizens, local physicians and nurses groups and the Mankato Area Smoke-free Coalition.
( categories: Consumers | Economy | Health Care | 05/2007 | Bill Steiner | Kathy Brynaert | Kathy Sheran | Leigh Pomeroy | Tim Pawlenty | Brain Trust )
First-Termers Panel (04/27/07)
When the 2007 legislative session began, we picked a group of four first-term lawmakers to check in with from time to time during their rookie season. Democrats Patricia Torres Ray and Kathy Brynaert sit across the couch from Republicans Bill Ingebrigtsen and John Berns.
The Return of the First-Termers (02/23/07)
Our group of first-time lawmakers make their second Almanac appearance. Republicans Bill Ingebrigtsen and John Berns sit down on the couch with DFLers Patricia Torres Ray and Kathy Brynaert.
The Rookies (01/10/07)
Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen and Rep. Kathy Brynaert take the freshmen initiation interview.
A New First-Termers Panel (01/04/07)
It's an Almanac tradition. Each year we elect a new state Senate and House we pick a group of four first-time lawmakers to share their experience. We unveil this year's panel: Republicans Bill Ingebrigtsen and John Berns are joined by DFLers Patricia Torres Ray and Kathy Brynaert.
