The best that can be said so far about the Gov. Pawlenty's budget proposal is that it's not the final word and that it will be debated for weeks to come. In fact, because the governor's ideas and those of the Democrat leadership seem to quite far apart, we may still be considering our budget this summer about the time the court decides who our next senator is.
As expected, the governor took a meat axe to health care funding, payments to hospitals and long-term care providers as well as to higher education and aid to counties and cities. At the same time, he proposes cutting the business tax rate in half as a way, he says, to make the business climate more attractive and stimulate job growth. I'm not against tax cuts to help business and the economy, but if we're going to provide k-12 schools with slightly more money but hold them accountable for their performance, perhaps there should also be a similar accountability standard for businesses such as specific job creation requirements. Just a thought.
Nowhere, of course, is any mention of a change in a tax structure that favors the wealthiest five percent of the state's wage earners.
I wonder what happens to the folks who no longer qualify for health care or who are laid off during this awful recession and find themselves without coverage for themselves and their families. And additional layoffs can be expected if the governor's suggested cuts in local aid are made. Are these folks on their own? Do they just show up at the emergency room where the cost of care is far higher than at a doctor's office or clinic? Maybe we should rethink our whole health care system in the state, use this crisis as a time to reform the system and provide access, instead of simply cutting services to those most in need. These are real people behind the budget numbers; they're not just an easy way to balance the budget.
Higher education also takes a big hit. But let's not forget that the university, the state colleges and universities, as well as the state's private colleges, contribute greatly to the long-term economic health of the state. Reducing their ability to offer a first-rate education at an affordable price and their capacity to be on the cutting edge of important research is short-sighted. Business climate is one of those phrases that the governor and others like to toss around when talking about taxes. But there are more elements to a good business climate than lower taxes: A good work force. Transportation infrastructure. A good educational system, both k-12 and higher education. Quality of life. There are a number of states that have lower taxes than Minnesota, but you wouldn't necessarily want to work there or do business there.
I also find it ironic that the same governor who was dismissing President Obama's stimulus package is now counting on using a good chunk of Minnesota's share to balance the budget.
So let's have a lively debate on how make cuts, share the sacrifice, reform the system and survive the recession. Just in time for our next senator, whoever he is, to go to Washington to bring back the stimulus package money. I think we can all agree we will need every penny of it.