The Independence Party is outraged at the lack of leadership shown by elected officials who have once again demonstrated that without tri-partisan leadership the people of Minnesota will continue to lose. Minnesota needs leaders who are willing to put the long-term future of our state ahead of saving political face and promoting their political parties.
After months of nice talk spun from the two controlling parties and weeks of watching them scurry in and out of closed door negotiations, the truth has been revealed. The truth is...nothing has changed. Governor Pawlenty and legislative leaders are more concerned with “winning,” protecting broken pledges, and painting the other side as blameworthy than they are in finding solutions.
Independence Party State Chair Jim Moore expressed his deep disappointment in the government shutdown. “There was little hope from the beginning that DFL and GOP leaders would find long-term solutions to our continued budget shortfalls. We had hoped the ideologues would step aside in the best interest of Minnesota and implement a fiscally sound two-year budget with structural reforms addressing spiraling health care costs.”
Independence Party Leaders have long been in favor of solutions to permanently fix Minnesota’s budget challenges. Solutions far more visionary than “racinos” or income tax increases. One such solution was the sales tax reform first proposed by the Ventura administration: which was revenue neutral when combined with landmark property tax relief.
Forty percent of Minnesota’s budget revenue is derived from the state’s sales tax implemented in the late 1960’s. The sales tax relies significantly on the purchase of consumer goods, but in recent years these purchases have become more volatile as we have shifted to a service-based economy.
Expanding the sales tax to include some services, state sales tax revenue would become more stable and would generate an excess of $400 million in revenue per year (over $800 million in the biennium). Unfortunately, that plan was blocked by GOP and DFL leaders, including Governor Pawlenty, then a state Representative.
Governor Pawlenty, Representative Sviggum, and Senator Johnson have not and will not bring visionary, long-term solutions to the budget negotiation table. In an attempt to stir up controversy and paint the other side as unreasonable, they will continue to propose hot-button, temporary fixes. In the meantime, legislative members willing to compromise and put Minnesota first wait with the rest of us outside the negotiation doors.
We invite these legislative members to reconsider their allegiances, and commit to positive political change. Minnesotans are willing, and the Independence Party is ready.
Released 7/1/05
Contacts: Jim Moore, State Party Chair (612) 306-6563
Laura Knudsen, Public Relations Chair (320) 763-3703
Prepared and Paid for by the Independence Party of Minnesota, PO Box 40495, St. Paul MN 55104 (651) 487-9700