State Budget & Bonding Bill 2013-14 Session

[Chef]

Every time there is a recession it seems like we have catastrophic budget deficit that forces major spending cuts. I think we should put every penny we can into the rainy day fund and end that cycle for good.

[twincitizen]

Major recessions will always result in large budget deficits, no matter how structurally sound the budget may be (better now than in Pawlenty years). Lower employment = lower income tax revenue, lower consumer spending = lower sales tax revenue, lower property values = lower property tax revenue. It hits at all levels of government too. The "rainy day fund" would have to be massive to gird against the kind of recession we just went through. I'm guessing we have laws that limit the size of any rainy day fund(s).

But in theory, yes I agree, it would be great if our government could hold on to surplus revenue rather than give out piddly refund checks or find ways to immediately spend it.

[David Greene]

The bonding session is not the right time to undertake major policy initiatives. Fix the B2B taxes, pay back the last of the gimmicks, refill the rainy day fund, and maybe bond a bit extra. That's enough.

There is no "bonding" or "budget" session anymore. These days the legislature does pretty much what it pleases. It's better that way.

[Viktor Vaughn]

Policy bills are appropriate in either bonding or budget sessions. Bonding sessions are more advantageous for policy changes because bonding bills don't take as much time as all-consuming budgets.

On tap for this year - Medical Marijuana. And if Dayton stops a medical bill because of opposition from police, as he says he will - I sure hope he gets primaried. Dayton had so much promise to be independent from the usual string-pullers, but has governed like a sad ragdoll. What a disappointing joke.

[Viktor Vaughn]

...Even if Democrats could pass some combination of higher/indexed-to-inflation gas taxes and a transit-dedicated sales tax increase in 2014, is it worth it to lose the House majority and possibly the governorship?? That's a tough pill to swallow.

Frankly, I'm really sick of this argument. Republicans got booted out because nothing got done. When you have power, USE IT. Otherwise, why are you there? Apathy from voters is typically what has hurt Democrats in recent elections, not anything they've actually done...

I completely agree with David. Nobody's quite able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory like Democrats.

[twincitizen]

I guess I hold out hope that Dayton's handlers will stop him from vetoing the med. marijuana bill. That would be a huge miscalculation on his part, and would certainly cost him support going into re-election. The GOP could surprise everyone and get a "moderate" through the primary. I hope Dayton gets a primary challenge regardless. Look, he deserves a lot of credit for marriage equality and balancing the budget, but there are certainly other issues that need to be discussed before the DFL annoints him for another 4 years.

[Viktor Vaughn]

I hope Dayton gets a primary challenge regardless. Look, he deserves a lot of credit for marriage equality and balancing the budget, but there are certainly other issues that need to be discussed before the DFL annoints him for another 4 years.

I couldn't say it better.

[David Greene]

Dayton has done much better than I had expected. I'm not really surprised about the lack of effort on transportation. Dayton has never understood that transportation is about more than moving people and goods to and from points A and B. Until he grasps that, he's not going to see it as a "healthy state" issue.

Where I fault Dayton is his lack of relationship building with anyone in the legislature. He's a "go it alone" guy which is why he failed in the U.S. Senate. He doesn't understand that the executive branch isn't insulated from the sausage-making. He's not engaged with day-to-day governing at all.

[FISHMANPET]

The state GOP moved their headquarters to the Seward neighborhood. If the GOP is trying to actually go moderate and boot tea partiers, that could spell trouble...

[David Greene]

^^^ I don't see that as trouble at all. We really do need more than one competent party. Ideally, if the DFL feels an actual threat, they would do some things to distinguish themselves. Now I know that hasn't happened in like 30 years but as far as I can tell the Tea Party movement has successfully tilted the legislature more to the Right even though the DFL is in power.

Carlson actually was a pretty good governor despite his stubbornness on Hiawatha.

It's only "trouble" if the goal is to elect DFLers. If the goal is to actually accomplish something I'd rather have parties that can forge compromises. A party bent on obstructionism controls the agenda.

[FISHMANPET]

I guess my only concern is that a moderate GOP would get some seats but the Tea Party would still rule, like they do in Congress right now.

I'm ready for a new opposition party, I'm tired of Republicans.

[Viktor Vaughn]

I don't think the Republicans have much of a chance to moderate on a local or national level. They've fomented so much fear and hatred among their right wing base, any move to moderate would be seen as treason and lead to revolt within the party.

[lordmoke]

Does this merit a new topic? The bonding bill is looking to be pretty healthy this year:
http://www.startribune.com/politics/sta ... 98011.html

[David Greene]

The only transitway bonding proposed is for planning and land acquisition for the Orange Line station at Lake. Disappointing to say the least.

[lordmoke]

One could make the case that the Nicollet Mall money is now technically part of a transitway, though yes, this is disappointing. I suspect that they're counting on getting the transit tax through this year, and thus haven't pushed bonding for any transit works.

[mattaudio]

Indeed. It's mostly pork for outstate interests to shore up support for his re-election in those areas. Why worry about giving Minneapolis good transit when we'll end up voting for him anyways? Gah.

[fehler]

Didn't I see some Snelling BRT money included?

[twincitizen]

Yep, Snelling made the cut. I'm fairly sure Snelling aBRT would be fully funded with this last piece. It absolutely has to happen (and W 7th money next year!) I believe David did not mention it because it isn't technically a "transitway", and that was the context of his statement. With Southwest currently stuck in the weeds, we have got to keep the aBRT network and the Orange Line moving forward. 2015 and 2019, respectively, cannot come soon enough.

[David Greene]

Correct, I didn't mention Snelling because it isn't a defined Met Council transitway. Even with Snelling the transit investment is paltry compared to years past. Bottineau didn't get anything either and I'd guess they need something to continue planning.

I'm pretty disgusted by some of the things in the list. I can *maybe* make the case for civic centers being of regional significance, but ski resorts? The Children's Museum? Sports fields? A ^@&%$ *business park*?!? Even Nicollet Mall is a huge stretch. Dayton's just creating easy targets for bonding opponents and reinforcing the image of government as big money-waster. Not that these projects aren't important but do they really belong in a state bonding bill?

All this while transit, clearly a regionally significant investment, gets crumbs.

It just reinforces my opinion that Dayton is pretty clueless on transportation.

[twincitizen]

http://finance-commerce.com/2014/04/dic ... s-bonding/

Some details on the bonding bill negotiations.