After receiving some political shots over his tax-the-rich campaign mantra, Mark Dayton swung by the Capitol on Thursday to challenge his opponents to release their budget proposals. Here's the release:

DFL Gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton today challenged the other DFL, Republican, and Independence Party candidates for Governor to reveal their plans for eliminating the state's projected $5.8 billion deficit for the next biennium.

"My opponents are all criticizing me for raising too much money from the richest Minnesotans to reduce $5.8 billion deficit projected for the next biennium," Dayton said. "However, for every $1 Billion they won't raise in revenue, they will have to cut $1 Billion in spending in order to balance the budget. None of them will tell us where they plan to make those enormous cuts and who will be hurt by them.

"They say they are ready to lead from Day 1. However, it has been months since they became candidates for Governor, and they have offered only pablum and platitudes. Saying they're for "reform" or "balance" is not an answer -- it's ducking the issue.

"It's time they leveled with the people of Minnesota about how much money they intend to raise in taxes, from whom, and exactly where and how much they intend to cut spending -- or "shift it" -- for every dollar of revenue they won't raise.

"I have said what I will do. I will make the richest Minnesotans pay their fair share of taxes. And even my plan would require the richest 10% of Minnesotans to pay just the same percent of their incomes in state and local taxes as they paid at the end of Republican Governor Arne Carlson's first term in 1994. (12.5% under Dayton 2011 vs. 12.6% under Carlson 1994).

"My opponents obviously disagree with me. But just criticizing me isn't good enough. It's time for them to give us their answers. I say to my opponents: 'What's your plan?'"