The DFLers that control the Minnesota Legislature want to gut local government accountability, and they want it gutted right now. 

Michael Brodkorb, writing in his capacity as Communications Director for the Senate GOP Caucus, sends the following news release (emphasis added):

STATEMENT FROM SENATE MINORITY LEADER ON MINNESOTA SENATE VOTING TO REMOVE  REQUIREMENT OF “TRUTH IN TAXATION” HEARINGS; SENATE GOP AMENDMENT TO CONTINUE “TRUTH IN TAXATION” HEARINGS DEFEATED

(St. Paul) – In response to preliminary action today by the Minnesota
Senate to remove the requirement of a separate “Truth in Taxation”
hearing for local units of government, Senate Minority Leader David
Senjem (R-Rochester) released the following statement:

“As a former city council member, I will attest that ‘Truth in
Taxation” hearings provide an invaluable opportunity for a specific
meeting dedicated to discussing the budget and to hearing directly from
citizens regarding the tax policy of local governments. 

Ending ‘Truth in Taxation’ hearings at a time in history when we
need more citizens involved with their government and paying more
attention to tax policy in Minnesota is simply wrong.”

###

Senator Senjem offered an amendment to SF 3 to continue the practice of
“Truth in Taxation” hearings, but the amendment was defeated 23 (19
Rs, 4 Ds) to 40 (40 Ds).  Please see an attached copy of the roll call
vote.

Why would they do this? 

Simple.  Much of the DFL’s agenda, especially in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, is enacted at the local level.  That’s one of the reasons that the DFL cried so long and hard about the cuts to Local Government Aid six years ago; it curbed the redistribution of wealth from the parts of the state that work to the parts that have suffered under generations of debilitating DFL hegemony.

If the peasants can’t see how the local units are spending the money they get, they can’t get upset. If they can’t get upset, then there’s no reason to upset the DFL’s applecart.

The good news?  The GOP held the line, and picked up four DFL defectors (more below).  It wasn’t nearly enough; that’s one of the reasons the MNGOP needs to get its act together and make the Legislature an actual contest again.

Joining Sen. Senjem in voting for “continue the hearings” amendment;  Senators Anderson (!), Day, Dille, Doll, Fischbach, Frederickson, Gerlach, Gimse, Hann, Ingebrigtson, Johnson, Jungbauer, Koch, Koering, Kommer, Lynch, Michel, Ortman, Robling, Rosen, Vandeveer and Wiger. 

The rest voted for the amendment.

Your government in action.

This entry was posted by by Mitch Berg on Tuesday, April 7th, 2009 at 6:30 am and is filed under Minnesota Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.