Pogemiller Videos

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is proposing a constitutional amendment that would cap government spending to the prior budget period's income level. DFL Senate Majority leader Larry Pogemiller and Sen. Tom Bakk say they are willing to listen, but critical of the Governor for being unable to achieve balanced budgets under the existing system.**http://the-uptake.groups.theuptake.org/en/videogalleryView/id/2556/

The tone of next year's legislative session could be set on Tuesday as Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller and other legislative leaders sit down for breakfast with Governor Tim Pawlenty. During this year's budget battle which ended with the Governor purposely unbalancing the budget so he could unallot spending, Governor Pawlenty and Senator Pogemiller exchanged snarky comments through the media. On Monday, Senator Pogemiller appeared to be ready to continue that tone, telling the Governor's representative at a budget hearing "Your choice is going to either offer something or come up here and drag it out of you. I think it would be better for all of us if you would offer something as the sitting administration." Senator Pogemiller is still visibly upset that Governor Pawlenty has left the state budget in a shambles, but the consequences will not show up until the Governor leaves office in 2011. Pogemiller noted that only Alaska has used the budget gimmick of "shifts" more times than Minnesota. According to the Governor's Budget and Management Commissioner Tom Hanson, money that by law must be sent to school districts has been deferred until 2012. "So when you're not in office, someone is going to pay it back?" asked Pogemiller grinning like a cheshire cat. Senator Pogemiller pointed out that since the Governor deferred the funds by unalloting them, there is no mechanism to pay back that money. Commissioner Hanson nodded in agreement. "I understand what you're saying." Despite that terse exchange, Senator Pogemiller has struck a very conciliatory tone since the legislature held a Minnesota Leadership Summit on the ongoing structural budget problem. Senator Pogemiller has stated that revenue increases or spending cuts alone can not solve the state's 5-to-7 billion dollar gap. Spending cuts and tax cuts have been a favorite strategy of Governor Pawlenty. Pogemiller says that is a unsustainable strategy, but he doesn't want to spend time looking back and pointing fingers at and casting blame. Governor Pawlenty so far has been absent when it comes to working on fixing Minnesota's long-term structural budget problem. He refused to attend the leadership summit, even though former Governors and legislative leaders of both parties were part of it. The Governor snarked that Minnesota had a "leadership summit" and it is called the legislative session. Instead, the Governor held his own summit the same day with with a handpicked group of business executives. **http://The-UpTake.groups.theuptake.org/en/videogalleryView/id/2502/

Governor Tim Pawlenty has taken his power to cut budgets "too far" according to Minnesota Speaker of The House Margaret Anderson Kelliher. She made it very clear the legislature will react next session and trim those powers, bringing the 1930s era unallotment law more into line with what other states do. The Speaker argued with Governor Pawlenty's Finance Commissioner Tom Hansen about who had done what to get Minnesota in such a budget mess. Anderson Kelliher accused Hansen of "trying to rewrite history for everyone in the room" by claiming the legislature had not passed a balanced budget. Hansen also called the way the budget was passed "untransparent". That statement seems to contradict Governor Pawlenty's own rational for not having any public hearings about his budget cuts, otherwise known as unallotments. The Governor has said public hearings were not needed because the legislature had held many hours of hearings on the budget and all the facts were known.

While the details of the DFL's tax plan hasn't been released, Governor Tim Pawlenty tried to charactorize it as a huge increase on the middle class. The Governor was playing fast and loose with the facts as he claimed an increase on the top tax bracket would impact anyone making more than $65,000 a year. Technically that is true because the top tax bracket starts at about $65,000, but the DFL is not proposing that. The DFL says its proposal will raise takes on those making $250,000 or more. DFL Senator Tarryl Clark and Majority Leader Senator Larry Pogemiller explain why what the Governor implied is not correct.

While the details of the DFL's tax plan hasn't been released, Governor Tim Pawlenty tried to charactorize it as a huge increase on the middle class. The Governor was playing fast and loose with the facts as he claimed an increase on the top tax bracket would impact anyone making more than $65,000 a year. Technically that is true because the top tax bracket starts at about $65,000, but the DFL is not proposing that. The DFL says its proposal will raise takes on those making $250,000 or more. DFL Senator Tarryl Clark and Majority Leader Senator Larry Pogemiller explain why what the Governor implied is not correct.