WEEK OF FEBRUARY 4, 2002
Dear Citizen Spin:
Midday on 2/8/02 had a senator and representative on (Listen) who put forth a long-term highway and transportation proposal using a 3.5 cent gas tax as funding. I am curious if the half-cent increment was an inducement for the gas retailers to help support the proposal.
With the current 9/10's pricing system (and the poor quailty of math education in the state) I have a hard time believing they will switch to 4/10th's price system. I think we will see even cent increases that will allow the gas retailers to benefit from the proposal by as much as 14 percent of the total new tax collected. Please comment. –S.S., Park Rapids
Dear Citizen:
A good theory, but unlikely, given that there are numerous taxes on gasoline that, added together, don't always add up to an even penny. More than likely, the theory that "$139.9" doesn't sound like $1.40 could be at play. It's better to propose a tax that doesn't sound like another 4 cents a gallon than one that sounds like 3.
There's also the fact that the legislators don't much care what the gas dealers think about the tax. Believe me, any debate about the gas tax is going to pit - eventually - the rural interests and the metro interests first, since the tax is constitutionally mandated for roads, not mass transit. Plus, gas stations don't need a reason to try to shake another penny out of you. It still amazes me, for example, that I can travel three miles in any direction, and see the same chain that got its gasoline out of the same truck charging three different prices. –CS
Dear Citizen Spin:
Will the legislature exempt the Minnesota Historical Society from the governor's budget cuts? –K.M., Milaca
Dear Citizen:
After the Historical Society announced their intentions to close Fort Snelling and other facilities, the proposed cuts were scaled back. Still, Fort Snelling will have to be closed. Or so they say. I'm reminded of an old game played in Washington called "Washington Monument." Whenever the federal government makes cuts in the federal budget, the Parks Service closes the Washington Monument, which makes tourists and citizens crazy. Is that what's happening here? We'll see. Is it realistic to expect the MHS to escape budget cuts when there's a $2 billion shortfall. Umm, no.
By the way, want to see a case of definite "Washington Monument"? Check this out. The Secretary of State's office has announced cutbacks because of proposed budget cuts. I'm sure it's just a coincidence that after a laundry list of things the SOS won't do for you anymore, are e-mail and phone links to legislators. –CS
Dear Citizen Spin:
If baseball is postponing contraction, what does that do to the Capitol debate on new stadiums? –Name Withheld
Dear Citizen:
My theory is that the task always expands to the time allowed. Since Citizen Spin always saw the value of waiting until Sunday night to do homework, I think legislators will probably throw the knapsack full of books in the closet and go to the movies. –CS
Dear Citizen Spin:
In Minnesota if the House majority are Republicans and Senate majority are DFLers, can't they block each other's bills or agenda or how do they work to solve the difference? –Name Withheld
Dear Citizen:
You know how it is with siblings; you fight with each other but that doesn't mean you don't love each other. Well, that's not how it is with these folks, citizen.
In theory, House Republicans and Senate DFLers could simply cancel out each other's agenda and nothing would ever get done. But issues aren't always party-line. Case in point: Concealed carry, which crosses party lines, and tends to be more of an urban/rural split. The House passed the bill, and it could come up any day in the Senate, if the pro-concealed carry types can persuade a senator or two to switch sides. And you can't forget Gov. Ventura in the equation. He often sides with either the House or Senate and he uses his bully pulpit against the odd man out.
And believe it or not, the House and Senate do actually try to work out their differences much of the time. Bottom line: They know the public doesn't like it if they walk away from the session with nothing to show for it, and they'd like to have a list of accomplishments to tout come election time.
And if they can embarrass the other in the process, so much the better. –CS
Dear Citizen Spin:
If I wanted to speak to a senator about working conditions and benefits for temporary and contract workers, who would be the best one to contact? –Shannon, Minneapolis
Dear Citizen:
Always start with your local senator. In many cases, they're just happy to know someone remembers them and cares enough to call. Don't know who your senator is? Finding him/her is a two-step process. First, go to a very nifty section of the Secretary of State's Web site. (See) Enter your zip code and all that, and it'll show you what legislative district you're in. Then go to the Senate's membership directory and find the lucky senator. –CS
Dear Citizen Spin:
I understand state legislatures are local or only Minnesota, but do they have any influence more than any ordinary citizens for national or international affairs? If yes how can? –Mahamoud, Twin Cities.
Dear Citizen:
Citizen Spin likes to think that nobody has more influence than ordinary citizens. Before you think I still put quarters under the pillow for the tooth fairy, I defy anyone to give me an example of a Legislature impacting national or international affairs. For every one you submit, I bet I can name two ordinary citizens who made a difference.
It's fashionable in America to lament the powerlessness of the average citizen. It's easier to blame our apathy and laziness on big money and small people. As for legislatures, they tend to be reactive and respond to issues involving "average citizens." And, by the way, a lot of legislators are average citizens. –CS
Dear Citizen Spin:
A task force looks at the idea of a stadium for the Twins and comes up with a recommendation to build two? Is this fuzzy math? –Name withheld
Dear Citizen:
The panel's recommendation for two facilities has a certain Orwellian logic to it (Citizen Spin is well read and likes to make this obvious from time to time), the public (that's you) has repeatedly and forcefully said it doesn't want to pay for a stadium, so they must be trying to tell lawmakers they want to pay for more than one.
In reality, it seems like the natural response of a group charged with examining the entire sports facilities landscape. While the Twins, under the threat of contraction, seem like the fire most in need of water, there's no question that the Vikings' demands are primed to flare up. From the panel's perspective, it would be nearly impossible to provide the Twins with the hope of a ballpark without providing the Vikings the same hope. If you don't, you're daring the Vikings to threaten to move.
Note the key word in the previous paragraph: hope. That's all the panel is offering both teams at this point. Getting ballpark financing proved impossible in the best of times. Really, the best times this state has ever enjoyed economically. While opposition may have softened, and the situation may be more critical with the threat of contraction, the public still has demonstrated no eagerness to help fund a stadium, and state finances, in case you haven't noticed, have taken a nose dive.
Citizen Spin, by the way, believes the state should sell naming rights to the task force. There's bound to be another coming soon and Citizen Spin is bored with the name "legislative task force." –CS
Dear Citizen Spin:
How can a citizen learn more about the specific budget cuts proposed by the governor? I am specifically concerned about Gov. Ventura's attacks on funding for Early Childhood and Family Education on MPR's Midmorning show 1/29/02. –Name withheld, Edina
Dear Citizen:
Great question! The governor has often been overheard musing to himself, "How can I find out more about the specifics of my budget plan?" Unlike the rest of us, Ventura has John Wodele to hand him notes. The governor also has the full staff of the state Finance Department to work out the details of the budget. So we ordinary citizens are pretty much left on our own to figure theses things out. Luckily, the Internet has made much of this information easier to get at than it used to be.
If you go to the Session 2002 issue page on state finances (Oh, here, I'll make it easy for you!) you'll find all the resources to examine the cuts, which he proposed on January 10. (See the original story).
On this particular issue, you'll want to keep an eye on the House Family and Early Childhood Education Finance Committee. It usually meets Mondays and Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. and is chaired by Rep. Barb Sykora, R-Excelsior. In the Senate, the Education Committee has a subcommittee chaired by Sen. Becky Lourey. Lourey, citizen, is running for governor.
While listening to the governor's opinions on early education (so, listen!), one might reasonably inquire where Lt. Gov. Mae Shunk's voice is on the subject? –CS
Dear Citizen Spin:
Is Roger Moe running for something? –Name withheld
Dear Citizen:
The first thing one must keep in mind when watching the Capitol is that EVERYONE is running for something. These boys and girls would be back home playing pinochle if each of them didn't think he or she was cut out for bigger and better things. No one has ever run for the Legislature without thinking he will someday be governor (or could at least do a better job than the incumbent), and no one has ever run for governor without picturing himself as president.
If Sen. Moe isn't running for governor, he's thinking about running for governor. If he's not running for governor, he's thinking about running for reelection. If he's not running for reelection, he's thinking about taking a couple years off and then running for something. We wouldn't have it any other way. –CS
Dear Citizen Spin:
Gas tax... gas tax... gas tax. I keep hearing how we need a larger gas tax for better roads, especially in rural Minnesota. I thought rural Minnesota was dying. How come we need nice roads to nowhere? –Name withheld
Dear Citizen:
First of all, rural Minnesota isn't dying. It's just really, really sick. But just imagine if you were really sick and had something Dear Citizen Spin: someone had given you that you didn't really need...say a nice pair of roller blades. Now you've already had to sell your car to pay your hospital bills. And your motorcycle. And your snowmobile. And your pontoon boat. And now some big city, slicked back hair insurance guy is trying to yank your roller blades out of your bony fist. What are you going to do? If you ever recover from this sickness (and of course you think you will), how will you get around without your roller blades? And because they're really nice roller blades, you might be able to borrow some money against them to make a car payment when you're feeling better. That's kind of how our friends in Greater Minnesota feel. It's not happening now, but they damn well want to be ready when and if it ever does. –CS
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