The Fiscal Monkey On Our Backs

I’m willing to go back and forth with people who favor the so-called “high-tax, high service” model of government.

“Mighty big of ya, Berg!”

Well, no – that’s how democracy works; we each go out and plug for our various positions, and at the end of the day some sort of compromise gets reached.  One of the ways we plug for our positions it to nominate, endorse and vote for candidates that reflect our positions; the more of them we get into office, the more amenable the final compromise will be to “we”. 

Now, the pr0-tax, pro-“service” crowd has two conceits that not only drive me nuts, but really make rational debate about taxes, spending and “services” impossible.

  • The “Happy to Pay for a Better Minnesota” meme.  It was a sign that started popping up around Minnesota back about the time Governor Pawlenty started cutting Local Government Aid to balance the budget (when the legislature couldn’t do it).  I won’t say “the meme is dumb” – but it is misleading.   It has little to do with paying for a “better Minnesota”; it’s all about making sure government never, never does without.
  • The “If you oppose taxes, you support firing cops and letting the streets go unplowed” meme.  It frames the argument so that by opposing any government spending – $50,000 drinking fountains, overlapping “Human Rights” departments, green roofs, yellow bikes, city trash collection – you oppose all government spending.  It’s a fairly childish manipulation.

The issue, by the way – for everyone on the right except perhaps the most anarchic of libertarians – is not “all government or no government”.  It’s “make sure that people come before government when doling out fiscal security”. 

Which bothers the tax and spend crowd, for whom all well-being seems to come through gobvernment. 

Dave Mindemann at mnpACT seems to have gotten his mellow harshed by a GOP flyer questioning some spending proposals:

There is a flyer floating around Eagan this past week. It is prepared and paid for by the Republican Party of Minnesota as an “independent expenditure”. The one I got hold of is directed at Senator Jim Carlson….it says;

DEBT

IT FEELS LIKE A TEN TON

GORILLA ON YOUR BACK

Senator Jim Carlson is wasting your tax dollars on these items in the DEBT BILL?

–$2 million for the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

–$11 million for the Como Zoo Gorilla & Polar Bear Upgrade

–$15 million for the St. Paul Ordway

–$22 million for the Minneapolis Planetarium

Call Senator Carlson today….It’s time to end Wasteful Government Spending!

 Now, we know that’ll act on Dave Mindemann – who, I think it’s fair to say, favors a “high tax, high spendign, high “Service”” model of goverhment – like a red cape in front of a bull. 

So, this is the Republican definition of waste? We apparently shouldn’t keep up the cultural and affordable family venue part of our economy? If we are not going to maintain the Como Zoo, then scrap it. I want the Republicans to go on the record. They want Como Zoo to be torn up and plowed under. Give the animals away. Sell the land and tell everyone that this free family venue is no longer worth the bother.

Someone get the lad some smelling salts and tell him to get a grip.

I live in Saint Paul. I’ve taken my kids to Como many, many times.  It’s one of Saint Paul’s little hidden treasures – and it’s a freebie!  It’s a freebie because of me, the Saint Paul taxpayer!  The walkways, the veterinarian, the food they throw to the seals – I pay for it!  So I feel not the slightest compunction about taking my kids there; I did my part.  I agree to do my part of it, every time I pay my Saint Paul property tax bill, among many many others (including state and federal taxes). 

But the appropriation in question isnt’ one to run the whole zoo; it’s to remodel the Gorilla and Polar Bear exhibits.  Not “run the zoo or tear it down”. 

To call the issue “remodel the gorilla/polar bear facilities or tear down the zoo” is inflammatory, obtuse and, worse, dishonest.

And at a time when Minnesota and Saint Paul are hurting (largely due to the profligacy of the DFL-controlled legislature), would it kill the polar bears and gorillas to wait a year or two, in their utterly adequate current facilities?

Ditto with the other line items in the flyer.  The Sculpture Garden and the Ordway are all built, paid for, and running just fine with what they have.   They could use some upgrades, sure – what couldn’t?  The Planetarium is a little different – it would replace a perfectly good planetarium torn down when Minneapolis built its boondoggle of a Central Library.  But do they each need millions from the public coffers in mid-recession?

Make the Ordway take care of itself. Let those ticket prices skyrocket out of reach for the average Minnesotan.

One wonders if Mindemann has tried to take a family to the Ordway lately.  Ticket prices are out of reach for a helluvva lot of Minnesotans.

And as for the Minneapolis Planetarium? …Not surprising these days, but as a person very interested in astronomy, it is a shame that Minnesota can’t support an educational opportunity like this.

A “person very interested in astromomy” might also note that the Twin Cities has several other planetaria – from the U of M to Como High School 0-  that should be able to bridge the gap until it’s make economic sense, perhaps, to replace the old Minneapolis one.

And, again, the issue isn’t “appropriate the money now or do without forever“; it’s “maybe these are appropriations that can wait until we’re not in a freaking recession.

Yessir, we need to get that 10 ton gorilla out of the room all right, except it is not at Como. That gorilla is Republican hypocrisy and it resides quite visibly at the Capitol in St. Paul.

 The only primate in the room is the howler monkey that’s shrieking “give us our money or tear everything down!”.

Someone call animal control.

15 thoughts on “The Fiscal Monkey On Our Backs

  1. The “If you oppose taxes, you support firing cops and letting the streets go unplowed” meme.
    To a liberal, providing a police force and making sure that the streets are plowed are the least interesting things you can do with government money.
    When they start to run out of other people’s money to spend, basic government services are the first to go. How else you gonna keep those diversity officers and recycling managers on the payroll?
    Actually, that’s not quite true, not in Hawaii County, anyway.
    Starting on Jan 1st this year the state made it illegal to dump TV’s, computers and other electronic equipment in the landfill. They hired a company to handle the “e-waste”. The pollution solution in this case is to ship all the e-waste on a diesel-burning barge to Oahu, and then put it on another diesel-burning ship and transport it to California:
    http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/articles/2010/02/10/local_news/local03.txt
    But the company that contracted to collect the e-waste has closed its doors. Result? If you leave your old TV or computer off at the designated e-waste drop-off point, you are guilty of illegal dumping.

  2. If you oppose high taxes, you oppose the NAACP declaring light rail to be racist and therefore needing to be sued.

    If you oppose high taxes and live in Madison Wisconsin, you oppose paying bus drivers $159,000 a year. (news story came out this week that the highest paid city employees there are bus drivers with overtime).

    Terry…..you mention diversity offers…..I believe St Paul still employees, at a very good salary, the looney tune who declared war on stuffed bunnies and dago sandwiches. Your tax dollars at work.

  3. “The only primate in the room is the howler monkey that’s shrieking “give us our money or tear everything down!”

    And during all the shrieking he’s throwing his monkey poo.

  4. Last year I told my DFL, retired Education Minnesota uncle that public money should be spent on public utitlities, not on $50,000 drinking fountains. His response was “Should we plow the sculpture garden under”. After that he told me never to talk to him again. Ever.
    Liberals are so, so tolerant.

  5. An unsurprising position taken here. The assumption being that these projects can just wait and wait and wait. Can’t do it during recession. Can’t do it when we need tax cuts. Always better uses. Always good for a flyer from the GOP. The Como project was already vetoed during the last bonding session — and of course, it will be vetoed again. Is Como upkeep going to go the way of our road maintenance? Just not do it? And you ignored the main point of the post — 9 Republicans voted for the bill as well. Yet, flyers on “wasteful” spending appear in Democratic districts. Maybe Sutton/Brodkorb should keep their own house in order first. Speaking of priorities — how do you rate the state buying land on Lake Vermillion?

  6. The assumption being that these projects can just wait and wait and wait. Can’t do it during recession. Can’t do it when we need tax cuts. Always better uses. Always good for a flyer from the GOP.

    Yes, and more to the point, it’s a matter of principle for a conservative. Spend less in general, and when times are tough, spend even less, and let the people and business keep more, since they need it more.

    This shouldn’t be surprising . It’s certainly not some kind of aberration.

    Is Como upkeep going to go the way of our road maintenance? Just not do it?

    Er, Dave? I don’t mean to be patronizing, but you do know it’s a state project, right? And as noted in your own post, the project is to build an addition to two exhibits. Not for general operations.

    You do know who pays for the Zoo’s actual operations and upkeep, and how – right? Here’s a hint (warning: PDF file).

    And you ignored the main point of the post — 9 Republicans voted for the bill as well.

    That was your main point? Ooof. Without meaning to sound disrespectful, I gave you more credit than that.

    OK, I’ll bite. So what? A rump minority of the party who voted for the spending should control the party’s, and governor’s, agendas exactly why?

    Do you expect the DFL to just shut up and be quiet about every issue on which a few DFLers break ranks? Please clarify.

    Yet, flyers on “wasteful” spending appear in Democratic districts.

    Again, so what? For starters, it’s not a “Democratic” district; it’s a district full of people. And those people change their minds. You’re saying the GOP should not campaign there because of a couple of fluky election results in ’06 and ’08? That makes no sense even in ordinary times – and these are not ordinary times. Minneapolis and Saint Paul may remain DFL until they collapse into ruin, but if New Jersey and Massachusetts are in play, Eagan sure is.

    Maybe Sutton/Brodkorb should keep their own house in order first.

    Er, winning districts the previous regime lost is getting the house in order.

    Speaking of priorities — how do you rate the state buying land on Lake Vermillion?

    In a Governor Berg administration? During a recession? I’m opposed.

    And, by the way, thanks for stopping by.

  7. Well, there you go..how silly of me. Just one thing. I always find it amazing that Republicans have no qualms about selling distortion. Here we have a flyer that picks out 4 pieces (around 1% of the total bill) of a $1 billion bonding bill and pretends that the DFL Senator was specifically supporting those items…like it was an up or down vote on those 4 things. They sell it to the public as if that is what is really happening at the legislature. And never tell anybody that 30% of their own caucus voted that same way. You call it campaigning? I call it deceptive. But of course, that’s just me. (And I assume you will be sending your note to Pawlenty about your oppostion to Lake Vermillion.)

  8. Well, there you go..how silly of me. Just one thing. I always find it amazing that Republicans have no qualms about selling distortion. Here we have a flyer that picks out 4 pieces (around 1% of the total bill) of a $1 billion bonding bill and pretends that the DFL Senator was specifically supporting those items…like it was an up or down vote on those 4 things. They sell it to the public as if that is what is really happening at the legislature.

    Now, Dave? I know you know that people – or at least people who aren’t wonks or accountants – wrap their brains around individual issues easier than nine-digit-numbers, right?

    And given the current attitude about spending – which killed the GOP in ’06-08, and is doubling back on the Dems this year – why would the GOP NOT use the issue?

    And never tell anybody that 30% of their own caucus voted that same way.

    Again, so what? Is that position shared by the district’s candidate OR the party? I think not.

    Put another way; when the DFL starts trying to hobble charter schools, is every DFL candidate bound to reveal that six DFLers broke ranks and voted with the GOP? Does it invalidate the DFL’s position on charter schools?

    Of course not.

    (The sheer stupidity of the DFL’s position on charter schools invalidates it).

    You call it campaigning? I call it deceptive. But of course, that’s just me.

    Well, if by “just me” you mean “absurdly expecting the party and its candidates to pay homage to a breakaway, non-platform position just because someone took it”, I agree.

    (And I assume you will be sending your note to Pawlenty about your oppostion to Lake Vermillion.)

    Why would you assume I have not?

  9. So $10,000,000 for frivolous projects ia okay?
    Ten million bucks could send, what, a hundred deserving kids to UM on a full scholarship for four years?
    Nice to know that Minnesota’s elected officials have their priorities straight.

  10. you are guilty of illegal dumping.

    sorry too easy. And if you want to look at wasteful spending just look at Edina’s new city hall…

  11. Dave’s argument is NOT that on the merits, these projects are essential government functions that must be funded to the exclusion of other programs and services, even during a depression. His argument is that Republican idiots voted for these projects, too.

    Geez, Dave, think back. Remember when mother asked you “So if all the other kids jumped off a cliff, you’d do it too?” She was trying to teach you something important. Concentrate on it. See if you can puzzle it out. It’ll be worth the effort.

    .

  12. I, personally, am opposed to Lake Vermillion.
    It has become a hangout for la-di-da pillow biters from the Twin Cities. Also Finns live around there.
    Unless that cesspool has been drained I will not vote for Pawlenty in 2012.

  13. If your article was to slam the flyers as covering a limited if not distorted view of the issues then why did you not write it that way? Instead you write that the Republicans want to close Como and turn the land into a waste land. Then you kindly come here and have a couple more positions which you did not write about in your original article please stick to a point and defend it honestly or learn to make better arguements which is Mitch’s original point, which you apparently fail to understand.

    I look forward to you writing about all the DFL flyers that will come along that do the exact same misleading truth bending you accuse the Republicans of doing. I of course will not be holding my breath or crossing my fingers because I know you will NEVER have the balls to speak out against this practice when done by the DFL.

    Personally I really like to get the political flyers it is fun to fact check them and find out how far each side will go. I generally find the DFL flyers to be far more disingenous in regards to the truth. This gives me an idea for a project pick a couple of districts, select a few races in that district and track the honesty of each flyer/mailer distributed in the districts. In my mind a better district would include the MN 7th as I am sure the DFL will be out in full dishonest force to unseat Rep. Bachmann ($250,000 farm subsidies hypocrite is just one example off the top of my head).

  14. This is a key point in what differentiates conservatives from liberals, especially the drivel in the comments posted by David Mindeman. I am disgusted by his consistent attacks on those who stand for principles just beacause he, and his ilk, don’t get their fix from stealing out of my pocket (figuratively speaking). Liberals, it is time to wean you off the money of the producers in this state and republic and for you to use your talents elsewhere.

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